5-Star DE Zach Harrison Commits to Ohio State over Michigan, Penn State

Ohio State got a boost to its 2019 recruiting class on Wednesday when defensive end Zach Harrison committed to play college ball in Columbus.

Harrison announced his decision at Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio.

247Sports lists him as a 5-star player, Ohio's top prospect, the top-ranked strong-side defensive end and the fourth-best recruit in his class. 

Before committing to Ohio State, the Ohio native had narrowed his final choices down to the Buckeyes, Michigan and Penn State. While a decision was expected to come by his birthday on Aug. 14, Harrison made it clear to Clay Hall of ABC-6 that he was going to make sure to take the time to visit all three of his finalists before making an announcement.

"I want to go to all three schools very badly," Harrison said.

With Ohio State transitioning out of the Urban Meyer era into the Ryan Day regime, Harrison's commitment is a sign that things won't be drastically different for the football program.

The Buckeyes are getting a potential star for their front seven. This film, provided by MaxPreps, says it all:

Of course, nobody knows the lineman better than Olentangy Orange head coach Zebb Schroeder.

"He checks all the boxes, really," Schroeder said in May 2017, per former Eleven Warriors reporter Tim Shoemaker. "He has the length, the size and strength and the power to go with it. At 6'6", 245 right now, he has power which means he can move that strength in a fast-twitched way. ... You put those things together and then you get into the stuff that really makes him special like the fact that he just loves football and he loves the fundamentals of his position."

Harrison's athleticism is off the charts. Not only is he one of the best football players in the country, but he was also on his high school's track team—at 6'6" and 245 pounds.

Shoemaker also shared video of the multisport star on the track:

That speed can give an offensive line headaches.

And while he has been blessed with an incredible skill set, he likes to keep a low profile. He isn't looking to be in the spotlight or have cameras in his face. That approach was the same when it came to the recruitment process.

"How they're gonna help me after football is probably No. 1, and the connections I can make after football," Harrison told Bill Landis, then of Cleveland.com.

Harrison gives Ohio State a remarkable talent to build around on the offensive line. All of the skills are there for him to be the next big thing for the Buckeyes, but it will be up to Day to find ways to get the most out of the talented lineman.

In the end, he felt the Buckeyes were the best fit.

As he noted to Cleveland.com back in July, it was not an easy decision:

Then again, the idea of playing close to home had to be appealing.

"Obviously, Coach Jay [defensive line coach Larry Johnson] is one of the best, if not the best to ever do it on the defensive line," Harrison told Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer over the summer. "They win a lot of games. And if I go there, I'd be a hometown hero."

This is a program that has produced plenty of NFL talent up front, after all. From Joey Bosa and Sam Hubbard to Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes, Ohio State has put plenty of defensive ends in position to continue playing football at the next level.

While talent is the overwhelming factor in a player's pro prospects, playing for a team with that type of recent history had to be tough to pass up. Especially when it's a team like the Buckeyes, who are always in the spotlight as they fight for a national championship on an annual basis.