Justin Stephens, in-state TE, is on Ohio State’s radar It has become a regular occurrence in Ohio for some of the state’s top basketball players — prospects who have some Division I looks, but maybe not major offers — to transition to football as they physically mature. Ohio State has pursued several of these players, signing blue-chip 2018 wide receiver Blue Smith, and they’ll look to do so again. Justin Stephens, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end, is among the latest players to pursue football, as he’s chasing a Division I dream. He returned to the sport as a junior at Trotwood-Madison for the first time since he was a kid and it has paid off. Stephens has collected 18 offers since the conclusion of his junior season, nine of them from Power 5 programs. Land of 10 was in attendance at a workout at Trotwood-Madison on Wednesday, as was Ohio State co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson. “Coach Wilson was down here taking a look at me. He said he wants to get me down to a camp so I can work out with Urban Meyer and him. I’d definitely like that,” Stephens told Land of 10. Though Stephens already has collected some major offers — LSU, Iowa, Louisville, Kentucky and Boston College are a few early highlights — he’d be thrilled to land an offer from Ohio State. The Buckeyes are often a measuring stick for Ohio prospects, proof of who really is the best in the state. “That offer would mean a lot. It would mean I’m working hard and it would be another opportunity to improve my future. It would give me another decision to make,” Stephens said. “I think I have a chance to get it if I keep putting the work in, go to camp and show out. “I like the environment that they have at Ohio State and they also have my major, which is cybersecurity. It’s a pretty good program and they have a huge IT program. I also know that they develop tight ends pretty well.” Stephens comfortably reeled off the names of over a dozen programs recruiting him hard, several of whom have not yet offered. “[In addition to Ohio State], I’m going to try to get to camps at LSU and some other schools down south and then out east to the Boston College and Pitt camps,” Stephens said. “I’ve been talking to Purdue, LSU, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Duke, Ohio State, Rutgers, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State and Michigan.” It’s rare to see a prospect gather so much attention after just one year of high school football, but Stephens is not just any prospect. He credits his coaches with preparing him for high level football and helping increase his exposure. “The first week of spring evaluation period, this all started up. My coaches helped me out a lot, getting coaches down here to see me work out,” Stephens said. “I think the [college] coaches see my workout and like my film. This was my first year of football in high school.” Stephens does not intend to commit soon. He told Land of 10 that he could decide immediately before or shortly after his senior season and will work to continue collecting offers and seeing schools in the meantime. He wants to improve his route-running and blocking before his senior year. The 3-star prospect is ranked as the No. 523 overall prospect and No. 25 tight end in the 2019 class, per 247Sports. The Buckeyes do not yet have a commitment from a tight end in the 2019 class, but do intend to take one. In addition to Stephens, Fairfield tight end Erick All is another in-state prospect who’s been closely watched by Ohio State, but who has not yet been offered. A few of the other top offered targets for the Buckeyes are Jahleel Billingsley, Isaiah Foskey, Luke Deal, Jude Wolfe and Ethan Rae. Additionally, Land of 10 has confirmed the report by 247Sports analyst Allen Trieu that Indiana wide receiver Craig Young is now being considered as a tight end prospect by the Buckeyes. Young and Billingsley are the top two tight end names to watch among offered prospects.
Check out Junior Year 2017 by Justin Stephens on @hudl https://t.co/O96y07EPYH #hudl— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) May 23, 2018
Dayton (Ohio) Trotwood-Madison 2019 TE Justin Stephens commits to #Toledo. Had several Power Five offers: https://t.co/1paXH52pAo https://t.co/BD6vVSQQhH— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) December 10, 2018