Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett four-star cornerback Jordan Hancock officially ended his recruitment when he signed with Ohio State during the first day of the Early Signing Period on Wednesday.
The 6-1, 170-pound Hancock – who is considered the fourth-best cornerback and No. 67 prospect overall in the class of 2021 – landed an offer from the Buckeyes following an unofficial visit for the win over Wisconsin in October 2019. It was a dream come true, as he grew up rooting for the program and even had a blanket and video game control with an Ohio State logo in his bedroom.
Hancock planned to take another unofficial visit to Columbus this spring, and most prognosticators expected him to announce his commitment to the Buckeyes at that time.
Before that visit could happen, though, Hancock took an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March. He pledged his services to the Tigers just a few days later, citing the campus’ proximity to his hometown and their overall focus on faith as the reasons why.
Ohio State wasn’t deterred by Hancock’s commitment, with head coach Ryan Day, defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and linebackers coach/area recruiter Al Washington making it clear there would always be a spot for him in the class if he ever wanted to flip to the Buckeyes. That persistence paid off when he reopened his recruitment on July 14.
While schools like Alabama, Georgia and Florida State hoped Hancock would take official visits this fall before making another decision, his quick decision on July 19 made it clear he wanted to be at Ohio State all along.
Hancock is joined in the Buckeyes’ 2022 recruiting class by several other defensive backs, including St. Louis De Smet Jesuit four-star Jakailin Johnson; Nashville Ensworth four-star Andre Turrentine; Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro four-star Denzel Burke; Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren four-star Jantzen Dunn; and Cincinnati La Salle three-star Jaylen Johnson.
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