Its a hell of a story, that wild Saturday night in April. It still hasnt been told. Not entirely and not openly, anyway, by the crucial people included.
— Mitchell Dunn (@mdunn2012) July 15, 2020.
Simply wishes to improve! #BuckeyeNation pic.twitter.com/GGXD3R5xpO.
However were likewise here to talk about what seems like an elephant in the space any time Jantzen or Mitchell do an interview..
Initially, Dunn was a Sooner. However much faster than he can run his 4.54-second 40, he was a Buckeye.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.– Its nearly three months to the day that Jantzen Dunn ended up being the 5th member of Ohio States 2021 protective backs class– a dedication that became the weekends most popular experience in hiring when it took us on a quick-but-crazy happiness trip skidding through Norman, Oklahoma and shrieking to a stop in Columbus.
Were here to speak about a video that is two days eliminated from blowing up on Twitter, with 24,000 individuals witnessing the product of the gym work Jantzen put in over the last several months to retool his body and craft dynamite, smooth foot speed..
Its now a Friday afternoon in mid-July, and Jantzens father Mitchell Dunn is leaning back in a metal chair on the porch of his Kentucky house– your house that sits on the right hashmark of a small cul-de-sac about 60 backyards from the Boys and Girls Club of Bowling Green– as a heavy thunderstorm prepares to roll in from the northeast.
Were here to speak about the man whos now getting out of your home to join us on the patio– the 6-foot-2, 187-pound Jantzen, a rising senior at close-by South Warren High School who probably doesnt get discussed enough when going over the Buckeyes recruiting class..
What took place that night with Oklahoma?
” Were leaving Oklahoma in the past,” Mitchell states, waving his hand from the delegated the ideal throughout his body as if tossing that entire subject away..
Its time to discuss it. Its time for them to share their side of the story. Because everybodys going to keep asking, Jantzen and his father choose they might also open and get the story out.
Initially, neither truly wishes to discuss it. That becomes a baseline requirement going forward.
Heres what happened throughout that frantic, often complicated and emotional one-hour window that resulted in Jantzen Dunn becoming a Buckeye:.
However you know what? Its time.
April 18.
At this moment, it feels like theyve been inquired about it a million times, even throughout random altercations with individuals at filling station or grocery shops. So it can get a little tiring..
11:31 a.m. EDT.
Oklahoma is one of the schools in Dunns public top 7 launched a couple weeks back, and its one of his personal top-three schools, in addition to Ohio State and Louisville. He has actually established a significant relationship with Sooners cornerbacks coach Roy Manning, and although he hasnt yet gone to Norman, theres a strong pull there.
Following an early morning workout in his driveway– a makeshift weight room on the side of his house being a necessity with COVID-19 having actually closed down fitness center gain access to– Dunn tweets out a graphic of himself in an Oklahoma uniform.
— Jantzen Dunn (@JantzenDunn) April 18, 2020.
Absolutely nothing out of the normal. Simply the type of graphic supplied by a colleges imaginative media team to recruits all the time for them to put on Twitter and Instagram..
The Sooners mark off all but one box on Dunns list, and Mannings vision for him to be an outside cornerback in the defense theyre trying to build is attracting.
BOOMER … #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/x90lvT8IFr.
Dunn is a safety/cornerback possibility who was ranked outside the leading 300 three days prior to this day. By the time this Saturday morning strikes, nevertheless, Dunn is now tucked inside the top 250 and is nationally ranked No. 15 at the athlete spot..
8:30 p.m
. The first buzz picks up when Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley hops on Twitter for his infamous eyeball emoji tweet, the one he sends each time Oklahoma gets a dedication who is set to reveal his decision quickly
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) April 19, 2020.
.
8:31 p.m.
His most current Twitter follower is Riley, and its not a coincidence.
Dunn did not appear to be a player on the brink of making a college decision. Minutes before this Tweetgate sent out recruiting analysts into a frenzy, nevertheless, Dunn sat with his daddy, got on the phone with Manning and dedicated to Oklahoma..
Mitchell starts sending out texts to a few of the coaches of Jantzens other top 7– Miami, Georgia Tech, USC, Tennessee– to let them know theyre going with Oklahoma. Jantzen, meanwhile, is going to get on the phone with the Louisville and Ohio State coaches to deliver the news.
He first gets on a telephone call with Louisvilles defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Bryan Brown to let him know his intents..
BIG news coming soon …
Dunn tweets there is some “huge news coming soon.” (Though, retroactively, maybe he must have tweeted “B1G news” was coming quickly.).
— Jantzen Dunn (@JantzenDunn) April 19, 2020.
8:48 p.m
The Dunns have actually not even navigated to texting any of the Ohio State coaches, and Jantzen has actually not yet provided a call to Matt Barnes– the Buckeyes unique groups coordinator/assistant secondary coach– who acts as Dunns lead recruiter.
Things go haywire..
Mitchells phone starts vibrating. Its a text from Barnes:.
. More buzz trickles in when 247Sports nationwide recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports Oklahoma insider Brandon Drumm location Crystal Ball forecasts for Dunn to devote to the Sooners..
Hey, can you provide me a call?
None of those boxes were quite as crucial as the last one: “It was close to house. That was truly the huge distinction in between Ohio State and Oklahoma. All the family might get to all his video games a lot easier. If he had concerns or an injury, his mommy could go and still have the ability to take care of him. Just to have household around.”.
Mitchell calls him.
” We had asked some schools about being committable, however we had actually never spoken with Ohio State about it,” Mitchell states now. “He stressed that J was a take from the first day. It was just miscommunication there.
Mitchell says he still has no idea how Barnes caught wind of Dunns decision. It couldve been the tweets. Mightve been the Crystal Ball pick. The coaches circle is likewise a quite tight group of guys who have either coached together or have actually been in coaching for years and know each other well. Any number of connections, perhaps from among the coaches on among the staffs that Mitchell had already texted, might have let Barnes and the Buckeyes understand..
Ohio State marked off all packages they had actually been searching for in a school:.
Barnes: I heard Jantzen may be dedicating to Oklahoma.
” Their fan base is extraordinary. Their coaching staff is amazing,” Mitchell said.
Protective backs are going to the league: “Thats the very best location that gives you a chance as a protective back. It just made good sense,” Mitchell said.
Jantzen Dunn on his visit to Ohio State for the game against Penn State in November.
Everything changed because split second. The Dunns got off the phone with Barnes, informing him they would give him a call back.
Barnes: Well, we believe Jantzen is really underrated, and we want him at Ohio State. Hes 100 percent a take. Could you speak with him and perhaps see if he would reevaluate?
” In the recruiting process, Ohio State was where I wished to go, and if I wasnt a take there, I was gon na weigh my alternatives,” Jantzen says. “Thats where my whole leading 7 came into location.”.
Bombshell.
There was one mega holdup. Jantzen didnt desire to be identified as a kid who decommitted..
Amazing market: “They dont even have to put their name on something. They just need to put their logo out and individuals understand who youre talking about,” Mitchell said..
Mitchell: Yeah, its true..
” He said, Dad, I gave my word,” Mitchell states. They were missing one of the boxes we were devoting ourselves to (area), and he went with Ohio State.
Still, he had actually simply provided his word to Manning. Jantzen and his daddy spoke for about 20 minutes, weighing the options and figuring out the next actions..
Jantzen and Mitchell sat down, their heads spinning a bit, and they were now entering into a choice mode that can only be explained as still thorough but frantic. Jantzen had long back made up his mind that Columbus was the place for him.
” We just werent clear that Ohio State was committable due to the fact that hes coming out of Kentucky. And thats simply difficult, coming out of Kentucky we do not get the respect. … Thats when Coach Barnes made it really clear he could commit to Ohio State.”.
9 p.m. – 9:15 p.m..
” I can inform football excites that guy more than anything,” Mitchell stated. “When Jantzen dedicated, he was truly like, Hell yeah, male. Lets go.”.
Associated What Jantzen Dunns Commitment Means for Ohio States 2021 Recruiting Class.
It was a total whirlwind, so neither of the Dunns are precisely sure what time it took place, but the choice was made. They returned Barnes call, and Jantzen did all the talking this time..
” Once they told me I was a take, it was simply 100 percent,” Jantzen stated, wearing a huge smile thinking back to that minute. It was simply a really good day.”.
Day was his normal abundant self upon hearing the news. But for a typically laid back and quiet person, Barnes was the one whose reaction informed the story of how big landing Dunns commitment truly was.
In the end, Jantzen knew where he wished to be..
Jantzen informed Barnes and Day his plans. He committed to Ohio State..
Talking with Day made the decision even more cemented..
When they connected, Barnes got Ryan Day on the exact same call to additional hammer home the Buckeyes position: ” Hey, youre definitely a take, guy. Were sorry that communication wasnt there on that,” Mitchell recalls Day saying..
” I simply made my decision when I talked with Coach Day since Coach Day was worried (due to the fact that) we had such a strong relationship,” Jantzen said. “He was concerned about where I may be going. At the end of the day, the OSU was the supreme goal.”.
9:27 p.m.
” Considering the history of the school, the football program, the education, stuff like that and I d state my decision truly went towards what was finest for me. And not anything else. That night, I just decided to choose OSU.”.
Because everyones going to keep asking, Jantzen and his daddy choose they may as well open up and get the story out.
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And because of that work ethic, and due to the fact that of a wild one-hour period on a night in mid-April, the Buckeyes are getting one of the most underrated employees in the nation on their side.
The Buckeyes are not 100 percent sure where they want Dunn to play. Today, he says they want him to be a one-high complimentary security like Jordan Fuller, however they likewise wish to try him at slot corner. It just depends on how his skillset develops when hes in the program..
That ultimately transitioned into early morning workouts– every weekday other than Wednesday– in which Mitchell in some cases hears the metal clanking on the cement as early as 8 a.m. After working out up until 11 a.m. or twelve noon each day, Jantzen lets his body rest until 6 p.m., and then its off to dexterity training 5 days a week at the D1 training facility in Bowling Green.
Barnes: Well, we believe Jantzen is very underrated, and we desire him at Ohio State.” I just made my choice when I talked to Coach Day because Coach Day was concerned (since) we had such a strong relationship,” Jantzen stated. Jantzen wasnt going back on his Buckeyes decision.
After finding out the information about the plans and the program itself, Dunn had a good feeling that an offer was going to be coming that day. He and his daddy entered into Days office with Barnes there as well, and the Buckeyes formally used.
” Unless Ohio State calls and states, Hey, we cant take you, thats the only method hes not going to Ohio State,” Mitchell says..
” When youre out on the field and you let somebody beat you for a goal, its gon na be the exact same people on the sideline talking smack to you. You understand what you got ta do? Simply neglect it and keep playing your game, and thats how you survive it.”.
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Some of that originates from the truth that South Warren plays a similar defense to Ohio State. Dunn wasnt able to go into too much detail about plans and protections the Buckeyes run– you cant hand out trade tricks to the media, after all– however there was “absolutely some convenience there,” Dunn said. “It would be easier to stroll in there and know what Im doing.”.
Dunn wasnt able to go into too much detail about plans and protections the Buckeyes run– you cant give away trade secrets to the media, after all– however there was “definitely some comfort there,” Dunn stated.
Naturally, when the choice was official, handling the backlash and criticism– specifically from some Oklahoma fans– was another action he had to take..
Associated Matt Barnes Has Worked His Way Up Quickly From the Lower Levels of College Coaching to Become One of Ohio States Most Underrated Recruiters.
Barnes had him view both positions and go through mental representatives every time and tell him what he believed afterward.
As the Buckeyes went through team drills at the 25-yard-line, Dunn published up at the opposite 30-yard-line, matching those two positions. When the drills were over and Barnes got a possibility to talk with Dunn, he was blown away by just how much Dunn currently learnt about playing free security..
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He had a lengthy conversation with Coombs prior to leaving, as Coombs informed him more about the defense and his own coaching design and that he wanted Dunn to be coachable. Over the next a number of weeks, Dunn continued to show hes coachable which he understands how to work.
Mannings response wasnt quite as negative as they thought they were going to get. There was obvious disappointment due to the fact that the Sooners were truly high up on Jantzen, however there wasnt anything nasty or negative said.
” That was just an innovative minute for me,” Dunn said..
And even with schools such as Oklahoma, Georgia and Georgia Tech still hiring him, those pitches have actually fallen on deaf ears. Even after the Buckeyes landed a dedication from cornerback Jordan Hancock on Sunday, there is no wiggle space, with Barnes talking with the Dunns shortly after the Hancock news was main to let them understand that nothing has altered with how badly they desire Jantzen in the class..
Dunns ultimate objective is to reach the NFL, and he knows Ohio State puts defensive backs in a better position to do that than any other program in recent history. This visit, though, is where he had the ability to really begin seeing himself as a Buckeye..
” Im not gon na lie, I read a lot of the comments,” Jantzen stated. “And it did not faze me. At the end of the day, recruiting is funny. It can go either way. You never know. Its everything about what the kid and his surrounding is like and whats best for him. You cant really help what people are gon na return and state on you. You just got ta overlook it. Thats what I did. Just disregard it and dont pay em no mind..
Thats where his coachability has shined through. Mitchell would tape-record videos of Dunns exercises in the house or at the field across from their house, and they would send the videos to Barnes and Coombs..
That provided a little bit of a bittersweet minute. The energy in your home was off the charts, but then the sour truth embeded in that Jantzen needed to inform Manning he was turning so quickly. It still needed to be done.
Trust the procedure! #BuckeyeNation pic.twitter.com/n8I8H9crY6.
The November video game versus Penn State. Mitchell saw Jantzens face when they were in the facilities and when he saw the game environment.
Coach Barnes intelligence,” Jantzen stated. “When I went to the spring practice, Coach Barnes informed me to look at my position and envision myself in that position and go through mental plays.
The next early morning, the energy continued when they got on the phone with Kerry Coombs, and that fed into a hectic weekend leading into Monday. The general public announcement that would come at 2:30 that afternoon was essentially a rule. Everybody already knew..
And after seeing that video, Barnes reached out to let them know that he was continuing to be wowed, particularly by the foot speed.
” Coach Barnes definitely liked the video,” Mitchell stated. They like that hes simply going so hard in every drill.”.
Manning tried to give one last recruiting pitch, informing them that Oklahoma has a fantastic opportunity of developing a terrific defense by introducing a new age of protective backs. No dice. Jantzen wasnt going back on his Buckeyes choice.
All of that work and improvement led to the Twitter video last week, which showcased some major reasons that Dunn is now ranked No. 201 general and No. 11 at safety. The Buckeyes were already high on Dunn because of his love for making success and his unbelievable athleticism and measurables. His main times of 4.54 seconds in the 40, 4.15 in the shuttle bus, a 40.80-inch vertical, a broad jump of 10 feet, 4 inches and a long jump of 22 feet, 1 inch have actually all been enhanced on over the last 4 months..
It was a 1:30 a.m. CT wakeup call for the Dunns, who made the five-hour drive to get up to Columbus for the Buckeyes 9 a.m. ET practice and a pre-practice facilities trip.
— Mitchell Dunn (@mdunn2012) July 3, 2020.
” In the recruiting procedure, Ohio State was where I wished to go, and if I wasnt a take there, I was gon na weigh my alternatives.”– Jantzen Dunn.
By the time Wiltfong turned his Crystal Ball select to Ohio State, the Dunn household was in event mode.
” I took in a lot of their advice, and thats truly why Ive improved so much during quarantine,” Dunn said. “Backpedaling, where I put my foot when I break, how much back Im expected to show when Im bailing (meaning when hes running upfield side-to-side with a receiver) and stuff like that. Strictly defensive back things.”.
Jantzen understood long before that night that Ohio State was going to be his destination if he ever got the possibility. To understand why, you have to go back to 2 specific days..
That resulted in the second big step: Jantzens March 4 check out to an Ohio State spring practice..
Throughout quarantine, Dunn worked himself into a regimen of consuming five or 6 meals a day to pack on weight (hes gone from 175 pounds throughout his junior season to 187) and got himself into a company workout regimen. It was a noon lift with South Warren teammate Caden Veltkamp in the driveway with a bench, squats, an Olympic bar and about 355 pounds of weights to do various lifts with.
Came the difficult part. He needed to call Manning once again..
” I just had a really good relationship with both (Manning and Barnes), and I spoke to them a lot about what I desired and what they saw in me,” Jantzen stated. “At the end of the day, because hour interval, I was just thinking of what I truly wanted and what I really saw myself doing..
