Ohio State Recruiting: What to know about Reid Carrico’s commitment

Reid Carrico, the country’s top inside linebacker in the 2021 class, has officially committed to play for Ohio State. Here’s what to know about him.

The top inside linebacker recruit in the 2021 class, Reid Carrico from Ironton High School in Ohio, officially committed to play for Ohio State football on Tuesday as he announced it via Twitter.

This is a big-time commitment for the Buckeyes who are ranked No. 3 overall nationally for the class of 2021, according to 247Sports. Here is all that you should know about the commitment.

He could lead the Buckeyes’ defense for a handful of years

Carrico is already a big dude as he is six-foot-three, 225 pounds, and he will probably come in even bigger by time he gets to Columbus as he is only a junior. Carrico looks like a prototypical linebacker that could lead a top defense in the country.

Being the top linebacker recruit in the nation, there will certainly be high expectations for him. Check out what Letterman Row’s recruiting analyst, Jeremy Birmingham, wrote about him. 

"“Reid Carrico is a classic middle linebacker prospect in the mold of A.J. Hawk and James Laurinaitis, and his commitment provides Ohio State a player capable of manning the middle of its defense for multiple years … Carrico can play inside or outside, but his frame and instincts make him a prime candidate to line up at an interior linebacker spot in the future. He’s a big kid who wants to hit people and will arrive on campus at Ohio State somewhere in the 245-250 pound range.”"

Carrico is already being compared to two of the top linebackers to ever play for Ohio State and comparatively, Carrico has a better 247Sports composite score than Hawk or Laurinaitis did coming out of high school.

This guy could be big-time.

Another top recruit on defense

Carrico is the fifth-best recruit in all of Ohio. Who is No. 1? Another Ohio State defensive commit in defensive end Jack Sawyer, a five-star from Pickerington North.

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This is in addition to the stout defensive recruits from the 2020 class.

The Buckeyes’ 2020 class includes: the No. 4 cornerback in the country in Clark Phillips III, the No. 4 safety in Lathan Ransom, the ninth-best outside linebacker in Cody Simon, the 12th-best outside linebacker in Kourt Williams, the 17th-best defensive tackle in Darrion Henry, the 23rd-best safety in Lejond Cavazos, the 42nd-best outside linebacker in Mitchell Melton, and the 34th-best strong-side defensive end in Ty Hamilton.

Ohio State’s defense has looked pretty dang good so far this year and I think Ryan Day is setting it up to be great for years to come.

He is an all-around player

Not only is Carrico a superstar linebacker for Ironton, he also plays running back for the Fighting Tigers.

During his sophomore season, Carrico carried the ball 190 times for 1,256 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

He also had the game-winning touchdown in his team’s most recent game against Russell. Read what Bucknuts wrote about it. 

"“Over half way through the fourth quarter, the score remained 3-0 Ironton. Then Carrico made the play of the game as great players often do. Split out wide, Carrico ran a post pattern and caught a 45-yard pass for a touchdown with 2:58 to go in the game. The extra point was good and Ironton led 10-0, and for all intent and purposes the game was over.”"

Carrico already knows how to make plays when his team needs him, I can’t wait to see what he does for the Buckeyes. We can only hope that he lives up the hype.