Ohio State Defensive End Target Brenan Vernon Focused On Improvement, Not His Recruitment

The defensive end is focused on improving his game rather than on his recruitment.

Mentor five-star defensive end Brenan Vernon spends most of his free time watching highlights of some of the NFL’s best defensive ends, including Joey and Nick Bosa and Chase Young, and is well aware of the fact that all three went to Ohio State.

He also believes that he has a long way to go before he can be compared to any of those players, no matter how easy it is to see his flowing locks and picture him wearing No. 97 for the Scarlet and Gray.

“I’ll be sitting in school during study hall and watching them on YouTube, trying to see what I can pick out from their game,” Vernon told BuckeyesNow following the Under Armour All-America Camp at Fortress Obetz this past Sunday. “I’ll watch them, break them down and see what I can learn from them.”

Vernon has spent many nights watching film over Zoom with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has impressed upon him that he has all of the tools to be a future first-round defensive end. But those conversations also include notes about where Vernon must improve, even before he gets to college.

“He’s just trying to make sure I’m staying explosive and using those hands because my hands aren’t exactly the best right now,” Vernon said. “He likes the fact that I’m aggressive and that my motor doesn’t stop, but he wants me to continue to stay explosive and fast. I still have a lot to improve on, so we’re just starting at the basics. It’s the little things right now.”

At 6-foot-5 and a very lean 245-pound, Vernon has the frame that elite programs covet. He’s certainly got the drive to be great, too. But after dealing with two separate but significant injuries that stunted his development and limited him to just five games last season, he’ll be the first to admit he’s still raw in many areas.

“It was definitely tough,” Vernon said. “It took such a toll on me mentally and I just had to start slowly, bit by bit. Adversity really smacked me in the face here. As soon as things started going well, then ‘boom,’ it would plateau or started going down. It’s been a process, for sure. We’re getting there, but I’ve just had to dig deep.”

Vernon – who last August became the first in-state player in the class of 2023 to land an offer from the Buckeyes – is widely viewed as an Ohio State lean since he grew up rooting for the program and very few in-state players the Buckeyes actually want end up going elsewhere. He’s not concerned with making a decision anytime soon, though.

“It means the world. It really kind of touched me,” Vernon said when asked about getting the offer from Ohio State last August. “But to be honest, that stuff isn’t really running through my mind right now. I’m just trying to focus on being the best I can be. That stuff is just going to come with time.”

“There are still some schools I’m working for, too. I’m not really leaning toward anybody because I only have a handful of schools to choose from. If I just focus on myself getting better and grow, then I’ll have more opportunities.”

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