Dunn Recaps First Official
By Bill Greene
Ohio recruiting analyst
Posted Dec 11, 2011
One of the highest-rated prospects in the Midwest has just completed his first official visit, and Canton GlenOak five-star tailback Brionte Dunn has returned home from his trip to Ohio State. How did things go for Dunn, and where do things stand with the Buckeyes? Scout.com has the answer.
Canton GlenOak five-star prospect Brionte Dunn has just returned from an official visit to Ohio State, and he was certainly impressed by what he saw in Columbus. Dunn committed to Ohio State in the fall of 2010, but has kept his options open regarding other schools.
Dunn put up fantastic numbers in his career, including over 2,000 yards rushing as a junior, and over 1,600 in an injury-plagued senior season. He discussed his trip to Ohio State.
"I got there on Friday, and it was different being on an official visit, rather than just a quick trip," Dunn said of his experience. "It was great getting to meet everybody, and everybody was really nice to me. It was great getting to meet Braxton Miller, who was cool, and my host, Steve Miller, who is also a great guy. Braxton was really cool, and we hit it off really well and had a lot of fun. I also spent time with Devan Bogard, Frank Epitropoulos and also a couple guys committed to other schools, Se'Von Pittman and Kyle Dodson. We all had a lot of fun and got along really well together."
New Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also spent considerable time with Dunn and his parents.
"Urban Meyer was great, and I also got to spend time with Stan Drayton, the runningbacks coach," he explained. "Coach Meyer and I spent a lot of time talking about the offense, and he showed me exactly what their plans are for me. He also told me what his expectations are, and that they are definitely going to be winning a lot of games. I liked what he had to say, and so did my parents. He wanted me to say I was going to be coming to Ohio State, but he didn't really pressure me and he was joking around a lot. Obviously, being on an official puts you on a high and it makes you feel stronger toward that school, so I'm still very high on Ohio State. I was at two practices and it was great seeing them live."
Next Tuesday, Ohio State will be making an in-home visit with Dunn. This comes on the heels of last Thursday's in-home visit with Michigan.
"Ohio State will be coming next Tuesday to my house, and it's supposed to be Coach Meyer," Dunn said. "I believe Coach (Luke) Fickell will be with him, and I'm hoping he is there, because he and I are tight. I saw Coach Fickell this weekend a lot, and I'm glad he is staying at Ohio State."
"My Michigan in-home visit was good, and it was Coach (Al) Borges and Coach (Fred) Jackson," he continued. "We had dinner and mostly talked academics, rather than football. Coach (Brady) Hoke wanted to be there too, but he couldn't make it. It was really a nice time, and I feel comfortable with that coaching staff."
Next weekend will see Dunn heading to Ann Arbor for an official visit at Michigan, a school he has visited unofficially twice in November.
"I will definitely be taking an official to Michigan next weekend," he admitted. "My parents will be going with me to Michigan, and they were with me at Ohio State too. I've been to Michigan twice for games recently, but I think the official visits are a lot better way to judge these schools, so I'm looking forward to it."
Dunn has been trying to get his academic requirements finished to allow him to graduate from high school in January, so that he could enroll in college early. That now looks like it will not happen, so that has changed his time-frame for making his decision.
"I'm hoping to have this done by February now, and I don't feel as rushed as I have been the past few weeks," he stated. "I probably won't be able to graduate early now, so I can take my time and figure this out. It's probably better to not be rushed into a decision."
Finally, Dunn paused when answering what will be the deciding factor in choosing between Michigan and Ohio State, or even another school.
"Wow, I guess it will be which school is going to be a winning program and play for national championships," he said carefully. "I want to be at a school where I fit in best, both as a player and as a person. My parents will play a big part in my decision, and I want to be where they feel comfortable too. That is real important to me, more than people realize."
