Why Bryce West and Arvell Reese are keys to Ohio State football re-establishing its Glenville pipeline

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In elevating the Ohio State soccer program from struggling to get previous its rivals to 1 competing for nationwide championships, Jim Tressel targeted on the expertise in his yard to take action.

On the coronary heart of that was Ted Ginn Sr., the top coach of Glenville Excessive Faculty. Since Donte Whitner confirmed up as a five-star recruit within the 2003 class, 15 different Tarblooders have adopted, a lot of whom performed important roles in this system’s success.

Ted Ginn Jr. remains to be revered as some of the thrilling gamers in OSU historical past. Troy Smith went from “he’s the second quarterback within the 2002 class” to a Heisman Trophy winner. Cardale Jones led the Buckeyes to a nationwide title within the School Soccer Playoff’s inaugural season.

You may’t inform the story of Ohio State soccer over the previous 20 years with out mentioning Glenville. Nonetheless, that effectively has dried up in recent times. Because of City Meyer’s emphasis on the largest nationwide targets together with a dropoff of expertise, Glenville hasn’t despatched a participant to Columbus since Marshoon Lattimore and Erick Smith confirmed up in 2014.

That could be altering, thanks to 2 defensive recruits who’re conscious of their faculty’s historical past even when they don’t bear in mind a lot of it.

“I used to be a younger buck on the time,” Bryce West instructed cleveland.com.

West is the No. 38 participant and No. 5 athlete within the 2025 class, projecting as a defensive again. He’s additionally the perfect participant in Ohio. Touchdown him will preserve OSU in keeping with Ryan Day’s preliminary decree on his first day — the Buckeyes would preserve Ohio’s greatest participant residence. To this point, the one top-100 recruit not to do this is 2023 defensive lineman Brenan Vernon, who selected Notre Dame.

As a borderline five-star recruit, West is likely one of the crown jewels of the 2025 class proper now, and he is aware of it. He’s conscious of the expectation to observe the trail of Jack Sawyer, C.J. Hicks and Luke Montgomery by committing early and being a category chief. He’s additionally not new to the recruiting world. Ginn Sr. is his grandfather, that means he’s been round this world for many of his life.

“He performs a giant half, and I speak to him day by day as a result of he’s at all times telling me the suitable issues,” West stated of Ginn. “He tells me I don’t need to rush something, and I can give attention to myself. Grind as a result of there’s at all times time to come back again to this.”

West is the massive fish. Then there’s Arvell Reese. The Glenville-OSU pipeline was sturdy as a result of it wasn’t nearly elite prospects. For each 5-star Ginn Jr., Lattimore or Whitner, there was a Jones or Chris Worley as lower-rated guys who nonetheless made vital impacts.

For now, Reese is the No. 322 participant and No. 25 linebacker within the 2023 class. His bodily traits counsel he ought to be greater and might be by Signing Day. However he spent his first three years at Euclid Excessive Faculty and wasn’t ready to usually be seen by scouts and faculty coaches. He’s seen how dramatically his inventory has risen during the last six months since OSU bought concerned.

“It picked up actual fast,” Reese stated. “I bought Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska (and) Iowa like proper after. It was nice. They’ve been recruiting me since I bought to Glenville in December so getting that provide that early in my recruitment was nice.”

Reese will admit that switching faculties midway by way of his junior season “modified his life” due to what’s attainable now. It additionally gave him an opportunity to come back again to a well-known atmosphere. He, too, is aware of the Tarblooders’ historical past as a result of he had a front-row seat to it.

“I’ve been taking part in for Glenville since I used to be 5 till I used to be 12,” Reese stated. “Now I’m again.

“Ever since I bought to Glenville, it’s been nothing however blessings, good grades and all alternatives I bought. Simply being led and mentored by all the good folks on the market.”

Ohio State would love Reese to be among the many two or three linebackers in its 2023 class, however should wait some time. That very same persistence shall be required to see if West joins five-star quarterback Dylan Railoa in 2024. However the payoff for touchdown each might be the restart of one thing.

When Tressel was on the peak of his glory, a Cleveland highschool was at its root. Meyer has that very same faculty to thank for what could be his solely title at OSU.

As Day continues to place collectively contending groups, perhaps Glenville will as soon as once more play a major function in serving to an Ohio State coach get excessive.

“We undoubtedly take satisfaction in it,” West stated. “All of us wish to get the identical provides. All of us grind the identical. We push one another. We’re making an attempt to rebuild a pipeline between Glenville and Ohio State.”

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