Dave Bors didn’t coach Dominic Kirks for very long. But it didn’t take long for Kirks to leave an impression.

Kirks, a 6-foot-5, 254-pound defensive lineman, had already committed to play for the Washington Huskies by the time he transferred to Riverside High School in Painesville. Although he had played just 30 miles away at Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cleveland, Bors knew of Kirks mostly from occasional discussions with Desmond Kirk, Dominic's twin brother and a wide receiver and defensive back for Riverside.

And that didn't prepare him for what Bors saw when he first witnessed Dominic Kirks in action.

“Right away, you could tell,” Bors said. “We had a couple training sessions and extra workouts. We had the stadium open and he’d just be doing pass rush stuff against some of our offensive linemen. You could just tell he was fairly polished in terms of things that he was doing and knew.”

It was after Bors' and Dominic Kirks' one season together that Washington coach Kalen DeBoer was hired to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, and Kirks ended his commitment to the Huskies. Two days after that, on Jan. 14, Kirks received an offer from Ohio State, an offer that turned into a commitment as the Buckeyes’ third defensive lineman and their final piece of the 2024 recruiting class.

“They had not dangled the offer out there the whole time,” Bors said. “I mean, they just offered him. They had been following him. I’ve been communicating with them for a decent amount of time, keeping tabs on him, a little of this, a little of that. But it wasn’t this heavy, deep, ‘We’re trying to get him to flip for the past months and months and months.’ It was more so observing and watching.”

Dominic Kirks brings 'upside and room to grow' to Ohio State 2024 class

Even with Kirks’ one season at Riverside limited due to a knee injury, he recorded 43 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks in seven games.

“I think he’s got still so much upside and room to grow and develop,” Bors said. “He’s going to be a force, I think, by the time he’s done at Ohio State.”

Bors thinks Kirks realizes he has “a ways to go,” and that’s where Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson comes in.

According to Bors, it was shortly after Kirks’ commitment that Johnson visited Bors' office. There, he talked to Kirks about what comes next, from his hips and flexibility, to his hands and feet.

“Stuff like, ‘Hey big fella, you have not arrived,’ ” Bors said. “This is going to be awesome on signing day. We can’t wait to have you, we’re pumped. But it’s the big time.’ ”

Kirks is joining Ohio State’s 2024 class as a four-star defensive lineman, the No. 239 player in the country per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 32 defensive lineman in the country.

With Kirks in the fold, Ohio State has secured commitments from four of the top-12 players in Ohio, joining five-star cornerback Aaron Scott (No. 1), four-star cornerback Bryce West (No. 2) and four-star linebacker Garrett Stover (No. 7).

Kirks also joins three-star defensive lineman Eric Mensah and five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston in the Buckeyes’ 2024 class, each of whom enrolled at Ohio State in January.

From Jan. 19-21, Kirks visited Columbus to see if he could fit into Johnson’s defensive line room with players such as Mensah and Houston. Kirks announced his commitment during his visit, making him what Bors called “the final piece to the puzzle” for Ohio State.

While Kirks hasn’t signed with Ohio State yet, that's something that is expected to come Feb. 7 on signing day. Bors is convinced that will start an exciting new chapter for Kirks.

“He’s obviously a tremendous talent,” Bors said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2024 DL Dominic Kirks expected to 'be a force' for Ohio State