Ohio State Receives Critical Message from 5-Star Recruit, Son of NFL Legend

The Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping to land five-star linebacker Cooper Witten, who is also the son of legendary NFL tight end Jason Witten. However, a rather significant wrinkle was thrown into Witten's recruitment: the departure of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

The good news is that Knowles' replacement, James Laurinaitis, has already been hard at work in Columbus, and he apparently made a great impression on Witten.

After making an appearance at yet another Ohio State recruiting camp, Witten had some very positive things to say about Laurinaitis, which is certainly a good sign for the Buckeyes' chances of securing a commitment from the Argyle, Tx. native.

“Coach Laurinaitis is a great coach,” Witten told reporters. “He’s played the position at a high level in the NFL, so he taught me a lot over the course of this camp. A lot of good points to bring back to my high school.”

But wait: it gets even better. While Witten is from Texas and is being recruited by the Longhorns, the class of 2027 prospect said that he isn't placing too much of a priority on staying close to home.

“Maybe a little, but I don’t really care that much,” Witten said. “I just want to play football somewhere that values me and that I’m going to be able to make an impact at the school.”

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound defender is the top-ranked linebacker in the country and the 17th-ranked player overall, via 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Buckeyes made an offer to Witten last month.