Why Ohio State football wanted 2024 safety Leroy Roker: 'The ceiling is so high'
As Ohio State prepared for its top-10 road matchup against Notre Dame, Bishop Verot High School football coach Richie Rode said OSU safeties coach Perry Eliano still found time to call and ask about 2024 safety Leroy Roker."
Roker’s commitment was slowly heating up after transferring to Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Florida. But while Roker had offers from only Old Dominion, South Dakota and Iowa, Rode remembers Eliano being impressed with Roker’s frame, ability and potential.
Rode said Eliano was at Bishop Verot two days after the Notre Dame game, waiting for him as the school opened.
“It wasn’t about a rankings system,” Rode said of Eliano and Ohio State's recruitment of Roker. "It wasn’t about stars. It wasn’t about anything. It wasn’t about who had offered him and where he came from. It was about seeing who he was and trusting in their own recruiting process and liking him. And, therefore, they did what they thought was right.”
That process led to Ohio State’s second 2024 safety commitment, adding Roker to the class on Wednesday. Roker joins cornerbacks Aaron Scott, Bryce West and Miles Lockhart, and safety Jaylen McClain in the class.
While the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Roker joins the group as the No. 1,153 player in the country, Rode said he sees so much more from him.
Rode said Roker is simply an athlete, bringing all the characteristics he looks for in a defensive back. But Rode also sees Roker as a “student of sports,” excelling in both football and basketball.
“He’s a student of team play,” Rode said. “He understands basketball, he understands movement. He can control the game as a point guard. And he does the same thing for us on the back end in football. He understands the nuances. He’s returned kicks for touchdowns for us because he understands what we’re trying to accomplish and how we’re blocking it and where we need him to go. He doesn’t just freelance.”
After transferring from Canterbury School to Bishop Verot, Rode said it didn't take long for Roker to adjust to the team's system, seeing the "flash of athleticism right away” when the 2024 prospect recorded a 70-yard touchdown as a receiver and two interceptions as a safety in the team’s season opener.
Per MaxPreps, Roker has 36 tackles, three interceptions and six pass deflections in seven games.
“And the crazy part is the ceiling is so high,” Rode said. “He’s just now starting to play football at a high competition level just this year and he’s excelling at it. As he continues to learn the game and he continues to get comfortable, he’s an NFL-type safety waiting to happen, there’s no doubt.”
While Roker’s recruitment was fast and furious, Rode said a place like Ohio State doesn’t scare the safety. While he’s sure the 2024 athlete feels that extra tension and pressure, Rode said Roker is ready for the limelight.
“Nowadays in this game, everybody kind of copycats,” Rode said. “It was kind of exciting, both for Leroy and myself, to see some coaches and a staff just trust what they see and like what they see and say, ‘This is what we’re going with, period. We want to have him.’ And that’s why he’s ultimately committed. He’s going to go to a place where he’s wanted and he’ll be developed and he’s excited for that opportunity.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio State football wanted safety Leroy Roker in its 2024 class
