Catching Up With 2020 Buckeye Commit Grant Toutant

Ohio State is bringing in a haul in 2020, Grant Toutant will be a major part of that. The 6-7 OT has upside that makes him an interesting prospect for the Buckeyes.

It’s fall, that means it’s the best time of the year for some. And for others, the last high school go around.

Grant Toutant would fall under “others” as he begins his senior season next Friday against Muskegon. Coming off back-to-Back state championships he told me “ senior season goals are to win a third state championship in a row - also a third Catholic League title in a row”.

Toutant you may remember flipped his Penn State commitment to Ohio State in June. He said a big reason for that was the mechanical engineering program, as well as the partnerships Ohio State has with the automotive industry.

A kid like Grant comes off as one who cares about academics - so much that it made him flip from one Big Ten School to another. As a coach, fan or i’m sure even his parent, you like to see that from afar.

A six-foot-seven 320 pound offensive tackle with long arms - you can definitely see why Ohio State was interested in the Michigan product. All though he’s the 29th ranked tackle in the country according to the 247 Sports composite, the upside of Grant is very high.

The high school senior has already gotten to know some current Ohio State players, as he noted he talks to Harry Miller and Enokk Vimahi somewhat. Current commits that he often speaks to are Luke Wypler and Josh Fryar. Building prior chemistry before getting on campus, is a huge plus. Also, Grant noted that they have a class group chat for all the commits - that they all talk there as well.

Living in Michigan, you would think that Toutant would catch some flack from Wolverine fans, but that isn’t the case so much. Grant says “Nobody really says anything about it, my closest friends and family are really supportive”. Also stating that “most people are happy for me, knowing what an opportunity it is”.

The Buckeye commit said that “the occasional comment on twitter is about it” when it comes to Michigan natives talking about his commitment. From an outsider perspective, that has to be a big relief knowing that everyone around you is in your corner of things.

Grant and his high school team have seen great success in his career. Having the chance to go for a three-peat your senior season doesn’t just happen to anybody, that takes a special team. Toutant highlighted that he is close to his offensive line coach Greg James. From afar, you can definitely tell Coach James has had a good impact on Toutant, which is a testament to strong coaching and a good role model.

The tackle said “I can really relate to him because he played college football. He’s a mentor to me, always pushing me to work hard and get better. He shows me things that I can use at the college level. Throughout this process he was just someone I could go to and talk to about everything, and he would just give me the facts”.

The coaching relationships don’t stop there, the senior is already close with the Ohio State staff and Coach Greg Studrawa. Saying “I talk with him and text all the time. He’s a coach that doesn’t sugar coat anything, gives it to you like it is. He’s going to push you to give your all on everything you do. He won’t sugar coat anything, he’s actually pretty easy to talk to and someone I know I could go to for help”. This goes to show the work the Buckeyes offensive line coach does on the recruiting trail, to build comfortable relationships with players before they step on campus.

Many players in the past have had the opportunity to get on campus early - getting an early start to the college life. Grant would like to, but it just isn’t possible at his private prep school. The 2020 product said “I would love to enroll early, but The Private High School I attend does not allow early Graduation. We asked about it and was told no, under any circumstances”.

It’s a tough draw for the future Buckeye who is ready to get on campus, but it’s not the worst, especially with his hardworking mindset. Toutant told us “I plan on doing whatever is necessary to get ready during those months before coming in June. I want to be in the best physical and mental shape I can be”. With a plan like that, and realistic goals, you can bet he will be.

There’s about 10 months at least till the senior steps on campus, he has plenty to get done before then he said. “I want to work and get better at 1 thing everyday. Also, to be a leader and mentor to my teammates and the underclassmen. Physically I want to get stronger and quicker.”

This young man comes off as a hardworking diligent prospect, that gets along with everyone. You can definitely see why the Buckeyes were after him, even though he was once committed to Penn State. A player you don’t want to overlook in this class, as Toutant has what it takes to succeed in Columbus.