COLLEGE FOOTBALL
<H1 class=red>St. Edward's Oliver commits early to Buckeyes
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Thursday, February 02, 2006 Eddie Dwyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
St. Edward safety, running back and special-teams standout Nate Oliver said Wednesday night that he went with his heart, his gut feelings.
Those feelings landed Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel another of Northeast Ohio's premier players. Only this time, Tressel will have to wait a year to get it in writing.
Just a junior, Oliver gave Ohio State an oral commitment on Wednesday. Although he cannot sign an NCAA national letter of intent until February 2007, Oliver stands firm with his early decision.
"It is a relief to have it out of the way," said the 6-0, 205-pound Oliver, who is regarded by the highly respected McCallister Scouting Report as one of the top five all-around players in Ohio for next season. "Now I can just focus on next season and prepare myself for that."
A Division I All-Ohio selection, a first-team All-Northeast Lakes District pick and a member of The Plain Dealer's "Best of the Best" seven-county All-Star Team, Oliver said a major factor in his decision was Tressel's ability to land so many area players, all-stars such as Ray Small and Rob Rose of Glenville and Thaddeus Gibson of Euclid. Recruited as a defensive back, he chose the Buckeyes after also considering Notre Dame, Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh.
"It's not a hard place to fall in love with," said St. Edward coach John Gibbons, who praised the recruiting job done by Ohio State and emphasized how comfortable the Buckeyes made Oliver feel when they had him at games and on campus this past season.
St. Edward's all-district junior wideout Kyle Hubbard (6-3, 220 pounds) said he is now leaning toward Ohio State.
