Joey Kaufman | Buckeye Xtra Kerry Coombs confronted a challenge when he returned for a second stint on Ohio State’s coaching staff earlier this year. He couldn’t make his living room pitch. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA instituted a recruiting dead period, prohibiting coaches from having in-person contact with high school prospects or their parents. Coombs, the defensive coordinator who had cultivated a reputation as a top-notch recruiter through a personable and energetic approach, was confined to text messaging, telephone calls and Zoom chats. “It is so much different to talk to Mom through your phone than it is to sit in the same room with them,” he said. The pandemic created a different environment for recruiting in the months leading into Wednesday’s start of the early signing period. “Usually it’s jumping on planes and flying all across the country and going from school to school,” OSU coach Ryan…
Continue Reading: Despite challenging environment, Ohio State football set to continue recruiting success
