Late-blooming football recruit picks Buckeyes
Warren Harding running back passed on offer from Michigan to play at Ohio State.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
COLUMBUS — Warren Harding High School running back Daniel Herron went from being a probable mid-major recruit as a sophomore to a can't-miss Big Ten-caliber prospect as a junior last year, in the eyes of Scout.com analyst Duane Long.
Herron, who rushed for 1,523 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, picked Ohio State over Michigan this week, while Toledo Central Catholic receiver Dane Sanzenbacher also accepted a scholarship from the Buckeyes, giving coach Jim Tressel five commitments in the class of 2007.
"He's a great 'get' for the Buckeyes," Long said of Herron, who hails from the same high school as Maurice Clarett. "This kid is the best receiver out of the backfield I've ever seen in the state of Ohio. He runs the screen with deadly effect."
Comparisons with Clarett are inevitable, if unfair. Long considers Clarett and former OSU star Robert Smith as the best tailbacks to emerge from Ohio in the last 20 years.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Herron, who is ranked as the 21st-best running back in the nation by Scout.com, isn't in that class. "But the thing they've got to really like is how he keeps getting better," Long said.
The 5-11, 175-pound Sanzenbacher caught 65 passes for 1,500 yards and 16 TDs as a junior last season and led Central Catholic to the Division-II state title. He had offers from Iowa and several MAC schools.
"He's just a guy who finds a way to get open and makes plays," Long said.
The Buckeyes also have gotten oral commitments from Piqua running back Brandon Saine, Wayne defensive back Donnie Evege and Lakewood St. Edward DB Nate Oliver.
The biggest in-state prize among seniors-to-be is Cincinnati LaSalle defensive end Ben Martin, who reportedly has narrowed his choices to OSU and Notre Dame.
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