Coveted cornerback Amir Riep announced Saturday that he’s going to play college football at Ohio State, providing a sizable boost to the Buckeyes’ 2017 recruiting class.
Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com confirmed the defender’s school choice.
Riep is a 4-star prospect from Cincinnati who rates as the No. 119 overall recruit in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports‘ composite rankings. He also checks in as the No. 15 corner in the country and the third-best incoming player from the football-rich state of Ohio.
While those are rock-solid rankings, the amount of interest he generated is usually reserved for players somewhere around the top 10. 247Sports noted he received more than three dozen offers, including interest from the nation’s top programs.
He told Wasserman back in March that the sheer volume of interest came as a surprise, but he enjoyed going through the process.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Riep said. “It’s kind of crazy. I never thought it would be like this. I knew I would get offers, but I didn’t realize it would get [to this extent].”
The Colerain High School standout still needs more polish, especially in terms of being placed on an island in man coverage, but his raw tools are impressive. His combination of athleticism and football IQ is among the best in the class.
TOSU Recruiting showcased his read-and-react ability against both the pass and the run:
2017 4* DB Amir Riep (Cincinnati,OH) has impressive highlights, he was offered by Ohio State on junior day. pic.twitter.com/VsaTjbZhLZ
— tOSU Recruiting (@tOSURecruiting) February 3, 2016
TriStateFootball.com also came away impressed with the corner’s all-around upside:
Amir Riep is all that and a bag of chips! Might not be a better stronger DB from shoulders to knees in the country in Class of 2017
— TriStateFootball.com (@tsfootball) November 29, 2015
He’s probably best served playing a depth role at the outset and possibly gaining some experience on special teams at the same time. But if his development continues on its current trajectory, he should be a high-impact defender by some point in his second season.
Ultimately, Riep decided to stay in-state and join the Buckeyes. Being able to defend their home turf is important for head coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. Given the wide-ranging interest in the intriguing corner, this represents an important get for Ohio State.
It’s always difficult to project how a recruit will fit into the puzzle this far in advance. That said, the Buckeyes have a young secondary that should play itself out by the time Riep arrives on campus. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he can work his way into select packages early in his college career.
Regardless of his role as a freshman, this signing is more about the long term for Ohio State. A couple of seasons of coaching and getting a chance to play against top-flight competition should put Riep in position to succeed in a major way as an upperclassman.
