In-State Star and Buckeyes Target Sam Williams-Dixon Could 'Soon' End Recruitment
Sam Williams-Dixon is closing in on a verbal commitment.
The Columbus (Ohio) Pickerington North running back, who set touchdown records at Millersburg (Ohio) West Holmes over the last two seasons to the tune of 76 touchdowns, is still considering his top five programs down the stretch.
In late February, he announced the Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Rutgers as finalists in addition to his high school transfer.
In early March, Williams-Dixon was back in Columbus for time with Ryan Day, Tony Alford, and others surrounding a spring practice session.
"Their approach to me is one of a kind," Williams-Dixon said of OSU. "When you're an inner-city kid getting recruited by your home state, it means a lot. They treat me like family and they'll definitely be in my top schools until the end."
Naturally, Alford has spearheaded this recruitment since even before the scholarship offer was extended to the junior back in January. Williams-Dixon says his rapport with the running back coaches of the programs in his top group will help to separate one school from the pack before the month of March comes to a close.
"A decision could be at any point," he said. "Probably sometime pretty soon, maybe even the next week or two or so."
As for the now-local OSU pitch, landing a prospect like Williams-Dixon could prove historical in context relative to arguably the greatest Buckeye of them all.
"There's only one running back that was well-known and did great from the inner-city schools -- and that was Archie (Griffin)," he said. "He went to Eastmoor. There's only been one to do it, that would be a good story for me if I went there."
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound rising senior recruit admits familiarity and developing relationships at each program still in the running. It's those that communicate the most, he says, that will also help to make the upcoming college choice.
Alford, Penn State's Ja'Juan Seider, and others courting Williams-Dixon are pitching his long-term development and praising the production as much as the potential fit.
"I can be very detailed, I can learn very quickly," he said. "The game isn't only physical, you've got to be way more detailed than the game seems.
"I've been really taking that into consideration."
The Buckeyes haven't been the program off to the fastest start in the 2024 class, but Day's program could be positioning itself for more in-state splashes after offensive lineman Marc Nave Jr. jumped on board midweek.
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