Going from 35 to 5......
You can expect Ohio State, LSU and Duke to all be on that list, as Bradley told us those are the three programs that he's liking the most right now. It's not a final three list, but they each have momentum right now.
Ohio State: “Ohio State speaks for itself with everything they’re able to do every single year with the consistency with defensive linemen. It’s crazy.”
BRADLEY IMPRESSED WITH HALL
As we mentioned, a Mike Hall-Marcus Bradley combo would be a really good one for Johnson to work with as the Buckeyes' 3-tech guys in Columbus. Johnson has mentioned to Bradley how well the two would work together, but Bradley's already known about Hall's skillset for months now.
“I actually knew about Mike Hall during the summer,” Bradley said. “I was at a West Virginia camp, and he was there, actually. That’s what I remember him from. Very high motor. Great size. He’s gonna be a player, for sure.”
That camp came a long time before Hall even had an Ohio State offer and long before he shot up the rankings to become a top-10 defensive tackle nationally and a top-100 recruit. Bradley wasn't surprised to see any of that happen.
“You could just tell. Every rep, he was lining up in all techniques, and he was going hard every play,” Bradley said. “That’s where it starts – coming out hard and having a motor. I could easily see – everything that’s happened since, I could easily see all that.”
LSU: “I always liked LSU growing up, and I’ve been watching them for a while. A lot of great players came through there, and I think they produce some good NFL players. Coach (Ed Orgeron), what he’s been able to do since he got there has been good. It’s been a good turnaround from Les Miles and what he was doing. They had a couple down years and weren’t as good as what they usually were. With the coaching changes, they just won a national championship so it’s been great over there.
“I talk to Coach O almost every day. He's a high-energy guy. He’s a defensive line guy, too, I love that. I gotta get around him. He came to my school during the recruiting period in January, but I’ve gotta get down there to get a better feel for him and the program. Once I get down to LSU and get around him more, I can get a better feel for him.”
Duke: “That was my first Power 5 offer. It’s always great love when I go down there. I know I’m very high on their recruiting board, too. It’s different. It’s something different. ... Whenever I do say Duke, people are confused because they’re not really known for football. But I think Coach (Ben Albert), the defensive line coach, is really good. And it may be something different to pick.”
