Ohio State lands five-star DB Jaheim Singletary

The 6-foot-1, 170 pound junior out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Lee was considered a strong lean to the Gators much of the recruiting process, but as soon as the Buckeyes offered November 5, there was a new contender in the ring.

And with Ryan Day, Kerry Coombs, and that staff in Columbus putting in the work to recruit Singletary well before they offered, the ending of this one surprised many.

The no. 8 player in the country has committed to Ohio State.

"It was a tough decision, and Ohio State is not as close as the other schools to my home, but I love what Ohio State is about and I am ready to experience new things in Columbus," said Singletary.

"The main reasons I picked them is the connection with the coaches both me and my mom have. Coach Coombs really stands out to me, but my mom loves him as well. The energy the coaches bring at Ohio State just feels different and they just set themselves apart."

Less than two months ago, Singletary didn't even have an offer from the Buckeyes. They were not even in his group of top 10 schools, much less the no. 1 school, so this decision has even caught him off guard a little.

"I am surprised myself. I am not going to lie about that.

"For my whole life, I have loved Florida and Alabama, so when I first started getting offers, I always thought it would be one of those schools. Florida offered me early, I have visited more than any other school, I know all the coaches, and I honestly thought I would end up there, but a school farther away came in, recruited me well, got to know my mom and I will be honest and say I am surprised I feel this way about Ohio State."

Early in the fall is when things picked up with the Buckeye staff. Communication was there much earlier, but things went to another level early in the fall, then once the offer was presented, it really took off.

"About two months before they offered is when I got really serious with Ohio State. We have been talking since last summer, but early in the season, they started recruiting me a lot harder. They wanted to see junior film, and once they got that, they offered, and then it just got deep with the coaching staff.

"I am so close to them now. Everything is like family with them. They talk to my mom a lot, they have made her feel comfortable, they know us well and we are all in this deep like one big family."

Singletary's mother played a big role in this decision. He trusts her. She was involved in his recruitment.

Ohio State was on the phone with Singletary and his mother early in December, and that was when it got real. That feeling came over the both of them.

"It was a conversation with coach Coombs on December 3. As soon as me and my mom got off the phone with him, a tear came out of her eye, and we both felt Ohio State could be the one at that time. It hit us that day."

— Singletary

"It was just that different feeling. She felt it. I felt it. We knew Ohio State could seriously be the right school for me right when that call ended."

This wasn't an easy decision. He felt a lot of pressure to stay home and pick the Gators, and Clemson and Georgia gave him a lot to think about, but Singletary took this process very serious, he leaned on his mother for support and he is resting easy now as one of the prospects on the loaded Ohio State 2022 commitment list.

"My heart feels great about my decision," he said with a sigh. 'Once I commit and say I am locked in, I am locked in, so for me to decommit or change my mind, something serious would have to happen.

"I am not going to stop my communication with other coaches though because you never know where these guys will be in the next few years. I will keep my relationships with schools, but Ohio State has that history, their coaches are about life and my mom trusts them, so they are a great choice for me."