Ohio State 'stock' high for 2025 4-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng after visit. Here's why
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng already has insight into what life at Ohio State would be like.
The 2025 four-star linebacker who currently plays at IMG Academy in Florida played two years of high school at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland: the program that produced former Ohio State star defensive end Chase Young and current OSU defensive end Jason Moore.
During his weekend visit at Ohio State, Owusu-Boateng said Moore was in his ear, making sure everything was going smoothly. But Owusu-Boateng also said Moore didn’t sugarcoat what his experience with the Buckeyes would be like.
“He just tells me that if you come here, you are going to get developed,” Owusu-Boateng told The Dispatch. “You’re going to get pushed. This is not going to be easy. But why go somewhere easy?”
Owusu-Boateng has an idea of where development can lead. His brother, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, was an All-American linebacker at Notre Dame before he was a second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2021.
Now, Owusu-Boateng said he sees himself asking the same questions his brother did to achieve similar greatness.
“Just being real with yourself, right?” Owusu-Boateng said. “Just knowing what you want in a program, knowing what you want in life… Knowing I want to get developed, knowing I want to go somewhere where academics is a thing, going somewhere where I want to compete for a national championship.”
Owusu-Boateng is listed as the No. 69 player in the 2025 class nationally per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is the ninth-best linebacker in the country.
Why Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng sees potential in Ohio State
Ever since he earned an offer from OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson after his freshman season at DeMatha, Owusu-Boateng has seen that potential in Ohio State both in his development on the field and the opportunities he would have off the field.
And after his most recent visit to Ohio State, Owusu-Boateng said he has a clear picture of how he would be used in the Buckeyes’ defense.
“Just a linebacker who is versatile, who can affect the game, who can play in space, who can guard Jeremiah Smith,” Owusu-Boateng said.
But Ohio State is not the only program involved for Owusu-Boateng. With official visits looming, Owusu-Boateng said Southern California, Notre Dame, Florida, Georgia and Michigan are all in the hunt with Ohio State.
Owusu-Boateng said Michigan sees him similarly to Ohio State schematically, and that the Wolverines appeal to them as a team that is “coming off a national championship, knowing the legacy they have on their side as well.”
“You can’t go wrong with either program because these are the programs that are the blue bloods of college football,” Owusu-Boateng said of Ohio State and Michigan.
Ohio State has two linebacker commitments in the 2025 class in Florida four-star Tarvos Alford and Ohio three-star Eli Lee.
Owusu-Boateng said his college decision may not come until the middle of his senior high school football season. But after his visit to Ohio State, he said the Buckeyes “left a great impression on me.”
“Ohio State, they just made their stock go higher,” Owusu-Boateng said.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OSU 'stock' high for 2025 4-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng after visit
