LAS VEGAS – The alarm clock rings in Jaiden Woodbey’s bedroom at 4 a.m. on weekday mornings.

The four-star Ohio State commit collects his things and leaves his Fontana, Calif., home destined for Bellflower, Calif., fighting early-morning Los Angeles traffic most days.

Woodbey, ranked as the fourth-best athlete in the 2018 class, heads directly to his father’s hair salon in Bellflower, sleeps for about an hour and then it’s off to powerhouse St. John Bosco where the four-star gets in a morning lift before classes start.

Most kids are still sleeping.

After school, Woodbey has track practice, watches some football film and then does homework in the car ride home, the 50-mile trek home that sometimes takes up to two hours before of snarled, rush-hour, bumper-to-bumper traffic that usually lasts late into the night.

That’s Woodbey’s day, five days a week. That’s dedication.

“It’s humbling,” Woodbey said at the adidas 7v7 National Championships. “I know people who don’t have the option to do that. It’s an eye-opener and it lets me know that if you really want something you’ll go to the extremes to get what you need and do what you have to do.”

Those are the weekdays. On most weekends, Woodbey is at a 7-on-7 tournament that lasts long hours, sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays with his Ground Zero team or at a camp. There’s always something going on in the Southern California football offseason.

This is serious business for Woodbey, who committed to the Buckeyes shortly after visiting Columbus this offseason.

Woodbey and his family loved everything about the Ohio State program – especially the mentality of coach Urban Meyer and his staff – and he decided to end his recruitment early.

The four-star will be back at Ohio State later this month and then he’s taking an extended trip in April as well.

“When I went up there my parents liked it, I liked it,” Woodbey said. “The weather was a factor but my mindset, trying to play at the next level after college, it’s going to be cold so you have to get used to it anyway. They have a lot of high competitiveness so that’s something I really loved.”

Playing defensive back at Ohio State these days has paid off as well. Marshon Lattimore and Malik Hooker are expected to be high NFL Draft picks next month, possibly top-five picks.

That’s especially impressive since defensive end Joey Bosa and defensive back Eli Apple went in the top 10 picks in the 2016 draft that was littered with the Buckeyes in the first couple rounds.

Eight Ohio State players were at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend including Lattimore and Hooker but cornerback Gareon Conley also performed well along with linebacker Raekwon McMillan and wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

Ohio State has become a factory for producing NFL players and Woodbey has certainly taken notice.

“Just besides the football standpoint, I know I’ll better myself as a man after college by going to Ohio State,” Woodbey said. “The fact that they put players in the league, just going there makes it that much better.”

Oregon and Georgia have been particularly aggressive recently with Woodbey and Florida State – a childhood dream school – continues to show interest but the Seminoles have not offered yet. Pac-12 schools are circling as well but the four-star said he’s happy with the Buckeyes.

Everything about the program seems to fit him and his mentality. He wants to play in the NFL and he knows by putting in the work, Ohio State can get him there.

And by his dedication shown already, by that alarm clock ringing at 4 a.m. every morning, Woodbey seems to know what it takes.

“I like their mentality,” Woodbey said. “Nothing is handed to you. You have to earn everything. That’s what really got me. That’s how my parents treated me since I was little. Nothing was handed to me. I had to earn everything I have.”