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National Recruiting Director tabs Ohio State as favorite for coveted 5-star DL
By Ethan Stone
Published:
There are plenty of programs across the country that would love to see a commitment from 5-star 2023 defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei in the coming months.
According to On3 Sports National Director Chad Simmons, other programs are out of luck: Ohio State is the team to beat.
“If I had to pick a favorite right now to land Matayo, I would pick Ohio State because of (defensive line coach) Larry Johnson, the resume and just how they’ve connected with not just Matayo, but the people around him as well,” Simmons said via On3 Sports.
Larry Johnson has developed his share of talent in his time as a defensive line coach. Joey and Nick Bosa, as well as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young all learned under Johnson.
“Larry Johnson, he’s definitely been one of the top defensive line and defensive ends guys in college football for like the last decade,” Uiagalelei said via On3 Sports. “You can just see how many guys he has put in the league. And it makes me think, “Man, I might want to go there if I see that.
Uiagalelei is quite the prospect, too. He’s considered to be the No. 21 player in the nation and the No. 2 edge defender as well as the No. 3 prospect from the state of California. His recent official visit to Columbus was the first of a major trek around the country, he holds commitments from Oregon, Alabama and USC.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.