Ohio State offer a surprise for 2025 linebacker who could fit the Tommy Eichenberg mold: Buckeyes Recruiting roundup

AKRON, Ohio — Wednesday started off as any other day for 2025 Archbishop Hoban linebacker Eli Lee. He went to school and was getting ready for football practice when he received a text from Ohio State defensive graduate assistant James Laurinaitis.

“At about 3 o’clock (Wednesday) Coach Laurinaitis texted me and asked me if I was free around 6:30 or 7 for a phone call, so I said ‘Yeah, I’ll be that sounds perfect’,” Lee said. “When he called me and it was a FaceTime and I had never FaceTimed a coach before, so I thought this was a little different.”

Lee has been in contact with Laurinaitis and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles through a couple of visits to Columbus for camps and the spring game. Knowles was at the first half of last Friday’s game against Walsh Jesuit to see him in action and get a good look at his game before making a big decision.

“He added Coach Knowles to the call right after I joined and so we talked for about a minute,” Lee said. “Then Coach Knowles said ‘We would just love to give you an offer from The Ohio State University’.”

It took a moment for the news to set in for the junior who grew up rooting for the Buckeyes, but as soon as he came to grips with the situation he was elated to receive his dream offer.

“It’s crazy to even think about growing up an Ohio State fan and now they have this much attention towards me and this much interest in me,” said Lee said, whose other two offers are from Iowa State and Massachusetts. “It’s awesome.

“It really was a surprise, Coach (Jim) Knowles came to my game and I didn’t get to talk to him because it was 50-0,” Lee said. “I talked to the coaches before and got to know them through camp, got to know them through spring practice and they really seemed to like me, seemed to like how I played. They watched my film. I’ve been in contact with them, but it did come as a surprise.”

One of the factors for Lee’s offer came from early comparisons of his game to All-American linebacker and Ohio State team captain Tommy Eichenberg.

“It’s awesome to even be compared to him, he’s a great player, I watch him all the time, I’ve watched him since he got to Ohio State and it’s just crazy I could be compared to him,” Lee said. “Even some of the other players that I’ve seen on Twitter, it’s just crazy to be compared to these guys.”

At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he is Ohio’s No. 34-ranked player in the 2025 class. He joins sophomore wide receiver Payton Cook and sophomore cornerback Elbert Hill as Knights players with Ohio State offers.

The floodgates are expected to open for Lee as big-time offers like this one typically garner more attention and offers from other programs.

Knowing what might come next, Lee said he is going to keep his focus on his junior season, with his Knights sitting at 6-0 and one of the top teams not just in Northeast Ohio, but in the country as well as the No. 32-ranked program according to MaxPreps.

“My main focus right now is my season and how I’m playing,” Lee said. “Each week to week is film study, but it’s crazy to talk to coaches, be on calls every night, get to know all the schools around that are interested in me and what they have to say about it. It’s just awesome.”

Lee will be back in Columbus on Oct. 21 when the Buckeyes host Big Ten East rival Penn State in a potential top-10 showdown.

Florida three star safety Leroy Roker from the 2024 class will be at Saturday’s game vs. Maryland for his official visit after being offered by the Buckeyes on Tuesday.

Roker picked up an offer from Miami (Fla.) following the Ohio State offer and is the No. 173 player in the state of Florida.

Florida three star safety Leroy Roker from the 2024 class will be at Saturday’s game vs. Maryland for his official visit after being offered by the Buckeyes on Tuesday.

Roker picked up an offer from Miami (Fla.) following the Ohio State offer and is the No. 173 player in the state of Florida.