Bennett Christian to Ohio State: "This is a dream come true"
THE SITUATION: Acworth (Ga.) Allatoona junior tight end Bennett Christian celebrated his birthday by committing to Ohio State. The 6-foot-6, 235 pounder cut his list to Penn State, Ohio State and Tennessee a few weeks ago with visits to Columbus and Knoxville scheduled. He took the visits on his own to check out the surroundings, he saw another tight end (Holden Staes) commit to the Nittany Lions, and he made his decision to be a Buckeye.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "Since early February, I have been talking a lot with Ohio State, and we had a great connection right away," said Christian. "That relationship has grown and become more relevant as the months progressed.
"I love the coaching staff. They are all awesome. They are not only great people, but they are people that I feel can develop my skills as a player and help me become a better man.
"The little things just make them different. I know they will help me on and off the field. If the NFL doesn't work out, they will help me get a job, and it is the the little things that makes Ohio State so special.
"Ohio State is the Ohio State too. They win, they could play for a national championship at any time and they always have great players. The team is always great, it is a great fan base and I love it all.
"The visit to Ohio State was great. I couldn't meet with the coaches and all that because of the rules, but I wanted to get up there, see what all I was committing to. I got up there and everything was amazing. It was awesome. I loved the campus, the environment and that visit did make an impact.
"When my dad and I were driving home, we were talking and that is when I made the decision. I told my dad Ohio State is awesome, and we were both all in. I called coach Ryan Day while we were driving and told him I wanted to be part of the family and a Buckeye. He was so happy. After that, I called coach Wilson, and when I was talking to him, coach Day called to talk to him about my commitment. We got on a conference call, talked about my decision, and it was great.
"This is a dream come true. For as long as I can remember, my dream has been to play college football. I have worked hard, and all of this is a blessing. I thank God for this every day. These days are no guarantee, so me getting to commit to a school like Ohio State is surreal."
RIVALS REACTION: Christian came down to two Big Ten schools in the end, because of the style of play and his fit in the conference. His father played at Tennessee, then in the NFL and he has relatives that played at Penn State and Houston, so he has football in his genes. In high school, Christian plays in a very run-heavy offense, so he is used as a primary blocker. He is very good at the point of attack, he is a strong in-line blocker and that could get him on the field early in Columbus. Do not let his stats (15 receptions in 2019) fool you, he has strong hands, he is a solid pass catcher and he could be a weapon in the red zone and to move the chains as a Buckeye. This looks to be a good fit all the way around.