OSU Buckeyes

Jerome Baker (Cleveland/Benedictine) was told his recruitment would start blowing up after a successful sophomore season.

The 2015 running back/linebacker wasn’t expecting anything like this, however. And he surely wasn’t expecting the offers to come from such heavy hitters in the college football world, either.

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Mike Edwards (Cincinnati/Winton Woods) has more than a dozen offers, which is enough for him to start making decisions on which will be in his top group in the coming weeks.

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When Alabama offered Derek Kief (Cincinnati/LaSalle) three weeks ago, the junior receiver immediately scheduled a visit to the Crimson Tide. Kief was most looking forward to seeing how the Tide practiced considering they have won three of the last four national championships.

The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Kief got his chance to watch the Tide work last weekend on his trip to Tuscaloosa.

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This year’s NCAA tournament has been full of great stories, from Florida Gulf Coast’s Cinderella run to La Salle going from First Four to Sweet 16 to the Big Ten placing four teams in the final 16.

But what about the stories behind the stories -- the tales of how some of this year’s March Madness stars ended up at their eventual schools and helped shape this year’s tourney? To delve into those, this week’s top 10 looks at the 10 best recruiting stories from players and teams in the Sweet 16.

Top 10 Recruiting Stories From the Sweet 16

1. Trey Burke, Michigan
Mick Cronin is not going to want to hear this again, but it’s true. Burke was going to Cincinnati. It was nearly a done deal. But one last call to Michigan’s staff changed the fate of two programs. According to recruiting lore, Burke’s father called a final time asking Michigan if it was interested in Burke. If the answer was no, then Burke was going to Cincinnati. This was in late July of Burke’s pre-senior summer. Remember, it wasn’t like the now All-American was hot stuff then. He was good -- a late top-100 player -- but he wasn’t the player then that he has become. Ultimately, Michigan said it wanted Burke and the Wolverines landed him a few days later.

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ATHENS, Ga. -- For most high school players, the end of practice means they get a break from the incessant nagging and ceaseless instruction of their coaches. They go home, eat dinner, study and enjoy the respite until the whistles start blowing next time. For ESPN Watch List safety Quincy Wilson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School), that is not the case.

Wilson’s father is the defensive coordinator and the defensive backs coach at the University School, so Wilson jokes that he gets no respite.

“Oh no, there’s no break, there’s no break,” Wilson said. “Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, I get it at practice, before practice, after practice, in the car, at the dinner table ...”

The talented junior laughed about the nonstop instruction but he also credited his father with making him the player he is today -- one of the most coveted safeties in Florida.

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Urban Meyer was at it again Wednesday with yet another offer to a defensive lineman.

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Many high school prospects are evaluated for months or even years before a college program extends a scholarship offer. Highlights from sophomore seasons are compared to those of junior seasons to see progression and potential. Players who make a name for themselves as juniors are visited as seniors to gauge their possible impact at the next level. And then there are prospects like Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) for whom the entire process takes three or maybe four days.

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In his words, his pursuit of the big one is over.

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It’s an offer the ESPN Watch List junior had talked about for awhile. Now, it has finally happened for the 6-foot-5, 254-pound offensive tackle.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- If you were to ask Ohio State cornerback commit Cam Burrows (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) or Michigan linebacker commit Mike McCray (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) to name the talented prospects at their high school, it might be smart to find a seat.

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It was back in the trenches again for Urban Meyer.

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Ohio State has tapped into the Cleveland Glenville pipeline twice in the last month, could there be a third?

The Buckeyes offered yet another Tarblooder and this one came in an up-and-coming safety with five offers from Division-I programs.

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Cincinnati Colerain has produced several high-level BCS prospects and sends several players to FBS programs annually, and the Cardinals already have coaches inquiring about their 2015 class.

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