Harrison warms to line coach during camp

As Zach Harrison and his mother walked toward a parking lot at Ohio State one day last week, a group of reporters walked with them. It was as if Harrison had been named grand marshal of an impromptu parade.

In truth, Harrison was leaving the last of the Buckeyes’ football camp sessions at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. But inquiring minds wanted to know how camp had gone, how he liked the coaches, how close he is to a college decision, things like that. Harrison is going to be only a junior this season at Olentangy Orange. But at 6 feet 6, 240 pounds and blessed with off-thecharts athletic ability, the defensive end already bears a four-star rating in the 247sports composite of the recruiting services; he is ranked the No. 37 overall prospect for the 2019 cycle.

He’s considered a premium target by Ohio State, and also has offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Southern California and Stanford, among many others. So reporters who had watched the OSU camp were intent on not letting him slip away without gathering an update, even if it was apparent that Harrison believes the less said the better.

“We worked a little bit on stuff,” Harrison said of his interaction with defensive line coach Larry Johnson. He added about Johnson, “I like him a lot. He’s a good person more than he’s a good football coach. And he’s a pretty good football coach, too.”

But when asked whether he would visit other schools this summer, Harrison said, “I’m not sure.” And when asked if he was close to a decision, he offered a flat “no” without breaking stride.

The watch continues to see who will fill out the 2018 class, such as four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith of Cleveland Heights.

“I’m trying to get back here as soon as possible. I love it here,” Smith said of Ohio State.

But with visits also planned to several of his other “top 12” schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Southern California, UCLA and Oregon, he is not ready to declare a favorite. His plan is to come to a decision before school starts, but, he added, “It’s a big decision. I’m not going to rush it.”