Buckeyes stand out for Proctor after offer

ATLANTA – Owasso, Okla., class of 2018 safety Josh Proctor landed his sixth offer of the process last week during a visit to Ohio State, just prior to taking part in the Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge presented by Under Armour.

“It meant a lot because (they) doesn’t recruit from Oklahoma, so it made me feel like I was somebody,” Proctor said.

While Ohio State does not currently have a player from Oklahoma on its roster, the coaching staff is starting to look at the state closer in the 2018 class and have already offered one of Proctor’s friends in quarterback Casey Thompson. The two discussed Ohio State prior to Proctor’s visit, and the Buckeyes lived up to expectations.

“I heard a lot about it from Casey Thompson, and it was nice. I loved the environment,” Proctor said. “They had me room with one of the players, Matt Burrell, who is actually an o-lineman. It was all about family. Everybody is close.”

Following the offer, Proctor listed Ohio State alongside Oklahoma as the two schools he feels most comfortable with and stand out at this stage of the process. Oklahoma was Proctor’s first offer back in November, and the Sooners continue to recruit him aggressively.

“That relationship is great,” Proctor said. “The coaches talk to me every now and then and I go down there a lot to visit.

“I actually went to an (Oklahoma) elite camp the day before I left for Ohio. I worked with Coach (Kerry) Cooks. He gets very close with his players and that’s what I like the most. I am just very comfortable with him and we can talk about anything.”

Proctor’s remaining offers have come from Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Arkansas State and UTSA. He could be on the verge of his first SEC offer after a camp on Saturday.

“Georgia, I was just up there for their camp. The coaches loved me,” Proctor said. “Coach Valai talked to me a lot before I left. I like how hard they work. It is very competitive and they just got at it.”

The 6-foot-3, 186-pound Proctor does not have any additional camps planned for the summer, but could schedule more as opportunities present themselves.