Inside the walls of Ohio State’s fall camp team hotel, it’d be tough to find two roommates with more in common than Curtis Grant and Raekwon McMillan.
Highly touted prospects during their prep playing days, both Grant and McMillan opted to spurn the south to spend their college careers at Ohio State, where playing time was seemingly readily available at linebacker. But their respective journeys have led them on a collision course in Columbus in what’s arguably the most intriguing position battle for the Buckeyes this fall.
One player’s trying to make a first impression, while the other’s attempting to make the most of a last chance. But regardless who winds up starting for Ohio State at middle linebacker when the 2014 season kicks off on Aug. 30, it’s easy to see how one of the most unique bonds on the Buckeyes roster has already come to fruition.
Three years ago Grant essentially was McMillan, a 5-star prospect and the top-ranked inside linebacker in the 2011 class. On national signing day, he announced that he’d be heading from Richmond, Virginia to Ohio State, where the Buckeyes were devoid of depth at the linebacker position.
From that standpoint, little had changed in Columbus eight months ago, when McMillan committed to Ohio State over Alabama and Clemson. Urban Meyer’s pitch to the 5-star prospect from Hinesville, Georgia was clear—and reminiscent of the one that Grant received from Jim Tressel during his recruitment three years prior.
“Coach…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: Inside the Buckeyes’ Most Exciting Position Battle
