On The Trail: Mike Mitchell
Ohio State offer not lost on Jefferson 
Then again, the exclamation point said plenty.
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Here are five storylines to watch on Sunday.
Talented DBs aplenty
It’s been said on multiple occasions that the 2014 class may be one of the strongest in years at producing big-time defensive backs in the region. The battle for defensive back MVP has the potential of being extremely competitive with players such as Laurence Jones (Monroe, La./Neville), Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Texas/Hebron), Tony Brown (Beaumont, Texas/Ozen), Steven Parker (Jenks, Okla./Jenks) and Arrion Springs (San Antonio/Roosevelt) expected to be in attendance. Chris Hardeman (Houston/Alief Taylor) has committed to LSU, while Dylan Sumner-Gardner (Mesquite, Texas/West Mesquite) and Armani Watts (Forney, Texas/North Forney) have pledged to Texas A&M. Deionte Thompson (Orange, Texas/West Orange-Stark), a 2015 prospect, has verbally committed to Alabama. All of the DBs will have their shots in one-on-one drills against equally talented ESPN Watch List receivers such as Malachi Dupre (River Ridge, La./John Curtis), K.D. Cannon (Mount Pleasant, Texas/Mount Pleasant) and Texas commit Lorenzo Joe (Abilene, Texas/Cooper).
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Raekwon McMillan details upcoming visit
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Ohio State: Luke Fickell top recruiter
If there is anyone in Ohio who understands what scarlet-and-gray fever is about, it is Luke Fickell.
He played nose guard for Ohio State in the 1990s. He was the interim coach for the Buckeyes in 2011 and has been with the team in some facet since 2002.
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Clemson
Ebenezer Ogundeko DE Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson
HT: 6-3 WT: 229
Position Rank: #10 DE
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SAN ANTONIO -- ESPN 150 outside linebacker Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian) will be the first to admit there’s prestige for being a Big Ten Conference linebacker. It was one of several reasons why he chose Ohio State during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday.
Mitchell, No. 121 in the ESPN, chose the Buckeyes over Texas A&M and Oregon. Along with building a great relationship with his recruiting contact, offensive coordinator Tom Herman, Mitchell said he did his homework on the resume of the prototype Big Ten linebackers.
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The Buckeyes struck big on Friday with the commitment of ESPN 150 prospect Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett), who fills a huge need at the linebacker position for Ohio State in this 2013 class. This is key out-of-state verbal as the Under Armour All-American was being courted by several SEC schools and has SEC caliber speed and athleticism that Meyer may need to call upon early.
In terms of ability, the Buckeyes are getting a versatile linebacker who can play inside or out in Columbus with his well-rounded skill-set and high football intelligence and instincts. Despite being somewhat light, Johnson is able stack and shed inside and he also has the length, range and speed to turn and run and make plays outside the hashes. He is athletic, strong at the point and a solid tackler but also has coveted intangibles at the position like smarts and toughness that should allow him to challenge for early playing time in what will be a young linebacker corps.
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On Saturday, Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian) committed to the Buckeyes at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, following in the footsteps of Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett), who picked the Buckeyes at the Under Armour All-America Game on Friday.
What Mitchell brings to the Buckeyes is an attitude they’ve been looking for to fill the position and one that fits the mold of some of the biggest names in Ohio State history.
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Mitchell verbally committed to Ohio State and became the Buckeyes’ 21st commitment. The 6-foot-5, 222-pound linebacker chose Ohio State over Texas A&M and Oregon.
“I love the coaches, and it’s a really good opportunity for me to play early and play for a starting job,” Mitchell said. “I really feel good going to that school. I felt like I fit in really well.”
Ranked No. 121 in the ESPN 150, Mitchell was recruited by offensive coordinator Tom Herman.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For months, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and his staff have made the No. 2 inside linebacker prospect in the country a recruiting priority.
Their patience paid off tonight when Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett) committed to Ohio State during the Under Armour All-America Game, live on ESPN.
UNDER ARMOUR GAME 2013
Keep up with live blog posts, video, breaking news and more all week from the Under Armour All-America Game in Florida. Blog 
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A longtime Auburn Tigers commitment, Johnson happened to be returning from his official visit to Ohio State on Nov. 25 when Auburn fired coach Gene Chizik. That time on the Columbus, Ohio, campus helped the No. 2 inside linebacker get a better feel for the Buckeyes.
“When I took a visit up there it was different,” said Johnson, a starter in the UA Game. “I kind of like the feel up there, the depth chart. And there are many factors that make it a good fit there.”
The addition of Johnson gives Ohio State 20 commitments, nine of those being members of the ESPN 150, and boosts what is already the No. 4 recruiting class in the ESPN rankings.
Johnson, who made 140 tackles, three sacks, and one interception as a senior, is the first linebacker commitment for the Buckeyes in the 2013 class. They are still working to add linebacker and ESPN 150 prospect Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian Academy), and are in the mix for another standout in the Peach State, Under Armour All-American safety Vonn Bell (Rossville, Ga./Ridgeland).
Army Bowl: Wednesday notebook
The teams will return to the fields on Thursday in arguably the most important practice of the week. Here are five things to keep an eye on for Thursday’s practice:
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U.S. Army Bowl: Monday notebook
On Monday, the 6-foot-5, 222-pound linebacker officially confirmed that he will announce his college plans during Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Oregon, Texas A&M and Ohio State are his three finalists.
Mitchell said all three schools -- and even a fourth, Oklahoma -- had their positive qualities throughout his recruiting process. It was a feeling of comfort, however, that seemed to win him over.
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OSU Recruiting: A look back at the week
From recruits scheduling visits to others setting announcement dates, here’s a look at how things shook out last week.
Ohio State began the week just hours after hearing Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian) and Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett) were set to announce their college choices at their respective all-star games. The Buckeyes also found out Orlando Brown Jr. (Duluth, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) put them in his top eight.
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Guide: OSU recruiting during dead period
It’s a time when coaches aren’t allowed to meet recruits in-person whether on campus or off. Prospects can still visit bowl practices, but only if those practices are open to the public. They still can receive calls from coaches once a week.
While Ohio State really never stops the recruiting process -- the Buckeyes have amped up efforts with no bowl game -- it does slow down a bit during the holiday season.
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#BlueChipBattles: Dec. 21
ESPN.comReuben Foster (center) is torn between good friends Dee Liner (left) and Tray Matthews (right).No. 1 ILB Reuben Foster has voiced his desire to play with at least one of his SEC-bound friends next season. But will he follow Tray Matthews to Georgia or hook up with Dee Liner wherever the ESPN 150 DL settles? It remains to be seen, but the mystery surrounding his recruitment keeps Foster at the top of our #BlueChipBattles.
Each week, RecruitingNation summons its writers from around the country to compile a list of the top 10 battles for elite football recruits leading up to February's signing day.
Here are this week's top battles
, and you can take a shot at ranking the top 10 recruiting battles on SportsNation.ABOUT THIS BLOG
On The Trail is ESPN Recruiting's home for all the latest news and information. With some of the nation's top recruiting writers contributing, OTT provides the latest details about commitments, visits and other notes to give fans the most comprehensive recruiting news source in the country.
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