(17) TE - Damarion Witten (****)

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o3n

ATHLETE •6'3" | 215 LBS•CLASS OF 2024
CLEVELAND, OH | GLENVILLE ACADEMIC CAMPUS

Ohio State has offered.

 

i am blessed and very honored to say i have received a offer from THEE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 🌰 #GoBucks❤️ Thanks to @OSUCoachKDub @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/vAWR6MDq7k

— Damarion Witten (@23kMarion) September 7, 2022

 

Ohio State offer has another Glenville 4-star excited https://t.co/qg8clhlLFX via @247sports

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) September 9, 2022

 

WITTEN EARNS OSU OFFER
Perhaps the Glenville High School to Ohio State pipeline really is starting again in full force. Tuesday, four-star 2024 tight end Damarion Witten became the third player currently on Glenville’s roster to earn an offer from the Buckeyes, joining 2023 linebacker commit Arvell Reese and 2024 four-star cornerback Bryce West.

Witten had impressed Wilson at an Ohio State recruiting camp in June, then returned on Saturday with a host of his Glenville teammates for Ohio State’s 21-10 season-opening win against Notre Dame. Right before he stepped out on the field, he had a short conversation with Wilson, then continued to enjoy the gameday experience at Ohio Stadium. OSU offered him three days later.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Witten is considered the 240th-best prospect in the 2024 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He currently holds seven Division I offers, the other six being Akron, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Pittsburgh.

While Witten can make explosive plays in the passing game, he’s also a very willing blocker, which is likely what made him intriguing to Ohio State.

 

Check out Damarion Witten C'O 2024 2021-2022 by Damarion Witten on @hudl https://t.co/OwiFuOOpNx #hudl

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) September 9, 2022

 

2024 athlete Damarion Witten picks up ‘motivating’ Ohio State offerhttps://t.co/a7jquSXVtk

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) September 7, 2022

 

WITTEN ENJOYS OSU VISIT
One of Ohio State’s top tight end prospects in the 2024 class was among the recruiting visitors in attendance for the Buckeyes’ 52-21 win against Wisconsin on Saturday. Four-star Ohio tight end Damarion Witten visited OSU for the second time this fall with a host of his Glenville teammates, including 2023 linebacker OSU commit Arvell Reese and 2024 cornerback target Bryce West.

“I think the visit went great,” Witten told Eleven Warriors. “It was a great game from OSU.”

Witten picked up his OSU offer a few days after his first gameday visit on Sept. 3 for the Notre Dame game and has already received a 247Sports Crystal Ball projection in Ohio State’s favor. OSU would like to take two tight ends in the 2024 cycle, and Witten and four-star prospect Christian Bentancur seem to be the highest-priority targets at this point.

If Ohio State can land both Witten and West with Reese already in the fold for 2023, the once-famous Glenville pipeline may be officially reopened. It’s certainly a thing on the players’ minds.

“It’s definitely powerful because I know Arvell well, when we get there, he tells you ‘This is the place you want to be, there’s no better place to be than (Ohio State),’” West told Eleven Warriors Sunday. “Then Damarion, I talk to him a lot about colleges and I can see that he really likes Ohio State too.”

 

Four-star Ohio 2024 tight end Damarion Witten is becoming more comfortable with Ohio State after each visit to Columbus.

The Glenville product camped with the Buckeyes in June alongside several of his high school teammates, then made his way back to OSU for gameday trips in September for the Notre Dame and Wisconsin games.

“My visits to OSU were great,” Witten said. “My main takeaways are the way they do things on game days are amazing and the way they involve everyone in the game.”

But his recent visit to Columbus Saturday was a bit different than the previous two, as he entered Ohio Stadium with an OSU offer already in hand. A few days after his Notre Dame visit on Sept. 3, Witten received news he was hoping to hear for a long time. Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson reached out to Glenville head coach Ted Ginn Sr. to let him know they were going to offer Witten a scholarship. Ginn Sr. let Witten’s parents know about the good news, and they told the standout tight end he landed his dream offer after he came home from practice.

“It was great, getting recruited and offered from a school you have dreamed of since I was little, it’s an honor,” Witten told Eleven Warriors. “I have always been rooting for OSU. My favorite moment is when (Glenville alumnus) Cardale Jones won the Buckeyes a National Championship.”

Ohio State offered the 6-foot-4, 215-pound tight end because of his blocking capabilities shown on film already and for his potential as a pass catcher.

“My biggest strength is the way I can run the routes and open up the holes for the running backs,” Witten said.

Witten said he and Wilson talk with each other at least three times a week, and sometimes more, adding the pair have “a really good relationship.”

“The most appealing thing (about potentially playing at OSU) is Coach Day,” Witten said. “He really loves the team and the players.”

Among Glenville prospects, there’s daily chatter about getting the Glenville to Ohio State pipeline re-established. On his Wisconsin visit, Witten attended the game with 2023 OSU linebacker commitment Arvell Reese and 2024 cornerback target Bryce West.

“We talk about it every day,” Witten said with a laugh about how often the possibility of teaming up at OSU comes up in their friend circle. “Especially Arvell, you know he is doing his job as a committed Buckeye. But yeah, we talk about it a lot. We even talk about it with our 2024 running back D’Shawntae Jones, we would love to play with them at the next level.

“It would mean a lot for us to re-open the Glenville to Ohio State pipeline back up. It would be something everyone at Glenville would appreciate.”

Witten said he hasn’t started the process of narrowing down schools or compiling any top lists. It may be a while before he reaches a decision.

“I hope to have a decision by next Christmas or later, don’t have an exact time on when just wanna let the rest of the season and the offseason and next year play out,” Witten said.

 

This is why Ohio State wants him. Damarion Witten 45-yard TD reception from Deonte Rucker on fourth-and-13 with a minute left in the half. Glenville up 34-7. pic.twitter.com/87EM47gv1M

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) November 13, 2022

 

Deonte Rucker finds Damarion Witten on fourth down with a 12-yard TD pass. Glenville up 20-0 with 11:39 left in the half. pic.twitter.com/hKwrXK7oCQ

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) November 13, 2022

 

Division IV State Semifinal 🌟

4Q | 8:55
Glenville - 52
Jefferson Area - 0

Ohio State recruit @DamarionWitten1 takes a screen pass 98 yards to the house. 😳

2-pt conservation is successful.#NEOFB 🏈 pic.twitter.com/La1pBhoyRH

— NEO Zone HS Sports (@NEOZoneHS) November 27, 2022

 

@DamarionWitten1 Win a State Championship on Saturday win player of the game and dunking by Tuesday evening!

Glenville-77
John Marshall-15 👀 pic.twitter.com/2SquTjWyxF

— Dale Davison-Witten (@CockyCleveland) December 7, 2022

 

Colleges My RECRUITMENT Is still 100% open, won’t be making any decisions anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/EYxWKG2Mkz

— Damarion Witten (@23kMarion) December 27, 2022

 

At 6-4 and 220lbs, Damarion Witten (@DamarionW1_) finds separation in stride and nabs the 45-yard reception. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/gpXfAyyWX5

— Zach Libby (@LibbyOn3) February 20, 2023

 

The conversation that Top247 tight end Damarion Witten had with #Purdue tight ends coach Seth Doege when he was offered really stood out to the four-star prospect and now he looking forward to building a relationship with Doege.

More on Witten (VIP): https://t.co/eqZEzG8Srm pic.twitter.com/uisEqdTZ38

— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) February 21, 2023

 

Blessed to receive my 15th Division 1 Offer from The University Of Miami 💚🧡🙌🏾
Thanks to @CoachField , @coach_cristobal @CoachWoodiel @AllenTrieu @On3Recruits @rivalskeenan pic.twitter.com/Dodd79AT1M

— Damarion Witten (@23kMarion) February 23, 2023

 

Blessed to receive my 14th Division 1 Offer from The University of Tennessee 🍊 Thanks to @davidweeks34 & @AlecAbeln #GBO🍊 @AllenTrieu @On3Recruits @rivalskeenan pic.twitter.com/ZDsy9EvTl1

— Damarion Witten (@23kMarion) February 22, 2023

 

Cleveland Glenville TE Damarion Witten @DamarionW1_ was a top performer at the Best of the Midwest combine. Witten is building strong relationships with the #Buckeyes and Michigan early on:https://t.co/ZG5nAWjTIe

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) February 23, 2023

 

#AGTG After aa great conversation with @CoachJeffBanks i am blessed to receive an offer from The University Of Texas 🧡 Thanks to @CoachJeffBanks @CoachSark @AllenTrieu @On3Recruits @RivalsFriedman pic.twitter.com/moq3Ljq3Kr

— Damarion Witten (@23kMarion) March 4, 2023