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FB/LB David Durham (transfer to Pittsburgh)

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Linebacker from Texas commits
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch

Just when recruiting was starting to heat up for linebacker David Durham from Austin, Texas, he turned off the stove yesterday and committed to Ohio State.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound pass-rusher -- he had 11 sacks last season for a team that made it to Texas' big-school quarterfinals -- became the fourth member of the 2010 OSU class. He had no misgivings, either, even if his high school is a 20-minute drive from the University of Texas, which edged OSU in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5.

"I see myself as being more of a Big Ten kind of player," said Durham, projected as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker such as Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson.

Besides, Durham originally is from Charlotte, N.C., has relatives in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and his father lives in Atlanta. He grew fond of OSU during a trip by his Westlake High School wrestling team -- he's a state title contender at 215 pounds -- to Columbus in late January.

He was given a tour of the Ohio State football facilities by co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. Durham said he met coach Jim Tressel when he and his father returned for another visit Friday. When OSU made the scholarship offer yesterday, he committed.

"When I was there it just felt like home, honestly, and I wanted to be a Buckeye 100 percent," said Durham, who also had early offers from Illinois, West Virginia and Virginia. "I felt like I fit in well with the system, fit in with the guys."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Linebacker from Texas commits
 
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wadc45;1415789; said:
The BPRT has been talking about how this whole situation might impact Hicks and a couple of us think the Durham offer has nothing to do with Hicks...they are completely different kinds of players. I could see 3 LBs in this class if they are Turner, McVey and Hicks. Moore and Durham will play with their hand in the dirt, IMO.
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Hicks and Durham are undoubtably two different types of players and I do think that Durham will play DE more than LB (definetly a DE frame from that BN picture). I also think there is no way we turn down either of McVey (who I've already penciled in) or Hicks. I'm just thinking with limited scholarships, Durham and Moore could be it at DE (but we are looking at Baldwin, Wilkins, etc.), with Turner in and McVey with one foot in the door. If Baldwin still has the offer, he likely accepts, making 5 DE/LB (Big Speed types) minimum, in a class of 18. Don't get me wrong though, I love loading up the DL but now we need to aggressively go after some DT's to compliment what we have.
 
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RB07OSU;1415877; said:
Hicks and Durham are undoubtably two different types of players and I do think that Durham will play DE more than LB (definetly a DE frame from that BN picture). I also think there is no way we turn down either of McVey (who I've already penciled in) or Hicks. I'm just thinking with limited scholarships, Durham and Moore could be it at DE (but we are looking at Baldwin, Wilkins, etc.), with Turner in and McVey with one foot in the door. If Baldwin still has the offer, he likely accepts, making 5 DE/LB (Big Speed types) minimum, in a class of 18. Don't get me wrong though, I love loading up the DL but now we need to aggressively go after some DT's to compliment what we have.
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Not to get off-topic, but is it possible Moore is being looked at on both sides of the ball? Maybe same for Baldwin.
 
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Top linebackers in the state this year - 5A Texas Football Forum

David Durham-Westlake-6'3" 230, 4.7
In my opinion he is a better d end but is also a great mike prospect. He will stop at nothing to hit the ballcarrier or quarterback on every play but also shows good lateral speed covering backs. Definitely one of the best block-shedders I've seen. Reminds me of Taurean Charles. One of the more tenacious players in the state, refuses to be beaten, which is evident on his film where he beats Paden Kelly and Mark Buchanan even in his sophomore year (at d end).
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Ohio State football: Michigan fan helps out Buckeyes
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday February 24, 2009

small_DAVIDDURHAM10_14150.jpg

Rivals.com
OSU recruit David Durham

How does a Michigan fan wind up dropping a football recruit into the hands of Ohio State?

Pat O'Harra grew up in a Michigan family in Columbus, puffing out his chest during the Wolverines' domination of the Buckeyes through the John Cooper era. He actually graduated from Ohio State but never lost his love of the maize and blue.

"I was living high on the hog there for a while," O'Harra said. "Those were good times indeed."


A former teacher and middle school wrestling coach in the Columbus suburb of Grandview Heights, O'Harra is also a competitive water skier and left for the warmer climates of Texas nine years ago.

"I got out just in time, since Jim Tressel has made my life miserable," O'Harra said.

O'Harra helped start a wrestling program at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and in late January the coach brought his team to a high school wrestling event near Columbus. One of his wrestlers is David Durham, who O'Harra said missed a junior day for football recruits at an SEC school to take part in Westlake's first out-of-state wrestling trip.

So while the Westlake team went to an Ohio State wrestling match and met with OSU coach Tom Ryan, O'Harra felt bad for Durham and also made a call to OSU linebackers coach Luke Fickell, a former high school state champion wrestler.

"Before that David wasn't on their radar and Ohio State wasn't on his radar," O'Harra said.

Durham sent some highlights of himself to Fickell before the trip. He spoke with Fickell that weekend. Then Durham and his father returned for another visit last weekend, and on Monday, Durham committed to Ohio State.

"I was talking to my brother last night and he said my stepfather probably rolled over in his grave," O'Harra said by phone this morning. "All my friends in Ohio sent me about 100 emails about helping out Ohio State football.

"David just felt the family atmosphere there, and he fell right into. Even as a Michigan man, everything I ever heard about Jim Tressel is that he's pretty classy, so I said that to David even before we went up there. And that atmosphere really is what put him over the edge."
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Ohio State football: Michigan fan helps out Buckeyes - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com
 
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osugrad21;1415881; said:
Dunno...I love Durham at MIKE. He is much more polished than a majority of HS LBs...
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I was just going off his frame in the picture, I haven't seen film yet. I'll check it out soon. That would be awesome if he could play MIKE though, as I see no obvious MIKE's in the '08 class.
 
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