It has been an enormous climb for Ohio State quarterback Tavien St. Clair. The Bellefontaine (Ohio) Excessive caller grew to become Rivals’ newest five-star after our post-spring rankings replace.
The 2025 prospect has an enormous arm, is correct and throws the ball effectively from the transfer. St. Clair (6-foot-4, 228) has nice dimension and has all of the intangibles you search for in a big-time program chief. It grew to become straightforward to see why the coach Ryan Day needed St. Clair greater than some other quarterback this cycle.
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RATING OF RIVALS OF THE WEEK
MONDAY: Who needs to be No. 1?
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WEDNESDAY: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorny goes place after place | The largest risers
THURSDAY: New offensive place rankings launched | QB Ranking Breakdown | Breakdown of the score of RB | WR/TE Ranking Breakdown | OL Ranking Breakdown
FRIDAY: New rankings of defensive positions have been revealed | DL Ranking Breakdown | LB Ranking Breakdown | Database score breakdown | ATH Ranking Breakdown
SATURDAY: New state rankings revealed | Who’s #1 in every state?
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THE WILLOW JOURNEY
St. Clair stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 175 kilos as a freshman at Bellefontaine Excessive Faculty. He had no scholarship affords or critical curiosity in school. He needed to combat for the beginning job his freshman yr of highschool. After successful the publish halfway by means of the season, he was capable of end the season robust.
He and his household believed that there was a lot to construct on. Right here comes the primary analysis interval. School coaches began coming by means of the varsity. Tavien’s father, Marcus St. Clair, described the early recruitment course of for the household.
“Coaches are beginning to go to the varsity and he is getting his first supply from Central Michigan,” Marcus stated. – And we are saying: “Okay, it is actual. Right here we’re. We will play school soccer.”
“So all of it begins there. Then different affords come. Tennessee, Pitt, Iowa State and some others are coming. Then he has an opportunity to go to a camp with a few of these colleges and show that what they noticed on movie is official, proper? So there may be a number of nervousness in these camps and we solely hear good issues about our man within the classroom. 25. So it simply begins to indicate that the work you’ve got put in is value it for him to maintain engaged on his craft and bettering it, as a result of it is solely going to get higher.
Over the following yr, St. Clair gained one other 30 kilos. There have been extra affords for the brand new defender. He had affords from Florida and Tennessee, amongst others. However he did not get a suggestion from the Buckeyes’ residence state.
On the time, the Buckeyes advised him they might proceed to guage him and develop a relationship. St. Clair then grew one other two inches and added 30 kilos. So, now at 6-foot-4, 230 kilos, he hit the street once more earlier than his junior season. He camped at Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU that summer season. Each college would permit him to commit on the spot.
However the lack of such a suggestion from Ohio State was at all times at the back of my thoughts.
“From a father or mother’s viewpoint, you begin out with a ton of nerves, and then you definitely begin to see what you do not suppose is disrespect, however simply borderline apathy towards the kid,” Marcus stated.
“And it is like, ‘Okay, why aren’t these different colleges arising for dialogue?’ You begin forcing it on him. Let’s humiliate the method and begin working our tails off and proving individuals flawed, you already know? In the end, all through the method, I’ve to look at him have a great coronary heart, a great strategy to all the things, and keep humble. It was undoubtedly a proud second for his dad and mom.”
We all know it labored out and Ohio State provided a scholarship. After a number of visits to Columbus, he verbally dedicated to the Buckeyes.
Potential to seek out motivation in any scenario. It was a relentless for the defender.
THE DESIRE TO ALWAYS BECOME BETTER
Regular progress has been the theme of St. Clair’s highschool profession. Discuss to individuals round Ohio highschool soccer. You discover out that folks suppose he is getting higher each season they’ve seen him.
Marcus says that work ethic has at all times been current at Tavien. He takes the identical strategy to his schoolwork. Being a Buckeye does not wish to be embarrassed, so he at all times tries to be as ready as attainable. That is what he picked up from watching clips Tom Brady on YouTube.
“I believe I take my work ethic and coaching within the offseason and issues like that extra significantly,” Tavien stated. “Undoubtedly greater than my freshman yr after I performed baseball and I performed basketball my sophomore yr.
“Now that I am solely targeted on soccer, I can prepare all yr spherical. I am just a little restricted with the climate right here in Ohio, however simply to have the ability to go up and get stronger and issues like that, I believe I am seeing regular progress. Simply because I’ve continued to get stronger, study and develop within the sport as a lot as I can.”
Now it is clear why St. Clair was a key participant for Ohio State throughout spring apply. He plans to begin college early, however he additionally desires to begin working. He had many conferences with the brand new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. He shall be effectively ready for what lies forward after committing to Ohio State in January.
CONTINUING THE TREND
Joe Burrow was the final Ohio-born quarterback to signal with the Buckeyes. That was the 2015 set. Braxton Miller and Cardale Jones had been the most recent Ohio natives to signal with the Buckeyes and play vital snaps for Ohio State. Miller and Jones had been within the class of 2011.
It means one thing to St. Clair to be the primary quarterback since to affix Ohio State from his residence state.
“It means so much to me, simply from a fan perspective,” he stated. “I grew up watching each Buckeyes sport, simply hoping and praying and wanting the chance to play for the Buckeyes. Now that it is like that, I am simply going to take it head on and actually simply take it by the horns and run with it.
“To be one of many few who managed to try this is simply loopy to consider. We had some actually good gamers at Ohio. However it is usually a fantastic happiness. It is actually only a testomony to the gamers in Ohio. I believe there shall be extra after that.”
Ohio is seen as being behind the curve on the subject of producing expert gamers able to being Buckeyes. A part of it isn’t having the ability to prepare open air year-round due to Ohio’s climate. The opposite piece is a rule that prohibits highschool soccer gamers within the state from enjoying 7-on-7.
That rule was modified this spring. St. Clair and lots of different gamers within the state instantly contacted groups to get reps enjoying 7-on-7.
It ought to come as no shock that St. Clair jumped on the likelihood to sharpen his expertise in opposition to among the finest gamers within the nation. He wasn’t as good as he would have appreciated throughout his first 7-on-7 sport, however he is aware of it’s going to get higher with time and work. It is the identical strategy he took to bettering his sport all through highschool.
It’s now 5 stars.
“I am very excited and really glad to be on this place to get a five-star score,” St. Clair stated. – This can be a nice and nice happiness for me and my household. It is a fantastic alternative for positive.”
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