The recruitment experience for James Louis was an interesting one.
The heralded 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pound wide receiver out of Delray Beach, Fla., may have donned an Ohio State hat on signing day, but seven months earlier, Louis was all set to become a Florida Gator.
“When Louis got the idea that he wasn’t one of their top recruits, he basically turned around and committed to Ohio State right away,” said Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts.com. “It let a lot people wondering if Louis would sign with Ohio State.”
After months of speculation and a last-minute recruitment effort by Florida, Louis, wearing a red shirt to his signing-day press conference, stayed true to his commitment and signed with the Buckeyes.
Louis is a two-time All-State receiver and had 38 catches, 682 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior for Atlantic High School. He was ranked as the No. 12 receiver and No. 80 overall player in the ESPN 150 recruit rankings.
Louis headlines a solid receiver class along with Corey Brown and Tyrone Williams for the Buckeyes.
“What is neat is that Ohio State got three different types of receivers to fill their needs going forward,” Helwagen said. “Williams would be a split-end, Louis would be a flanker, and Brown is probably a slot receiver.”
Helwagen and Kevin Noon, managing editor of Buckeyegrove.com, said Louis reminds them of former Buckeye wideout Santonio Holmes, who also hailed from the South Florida area.
“They have similar build, above-average speed and do everything really well,” Helwagen said.
“The one difference is that James Louis is playing a step faster than what Holmes was coming out high school,” Noon said.
Louis, who was also a 2010 Under Armour High School All-American, is regarded as an all-around receiver who can do a lot of everything.
He is said to have good feet and great acceleration, as well as a nice frame to allow him to get stronger and add weight without losing his speed.
“He will be a factor as soon as he is able to reach the field,” Noon said.
Helwagen said that after Devier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher, there is no certainty on the receiving depth chart, meaning Louis might have a chance to make an impact right away.
“You get beyond those two guys, and it gets completely wide open for who will be the three, four or five receiver.” Helwagen said. “There are five or six guys that could step in and compete for those spots. It’s going to be tremendous to see in the fall who gets to play and if Louis can show the coaches he can do something in the offense, they’ll use him.”
When asked about the possibility of redshirting Louis next season, Noon said he doubted that would be the case.
“You never know when it comes to a redshirt,” Noon said. “But if I were a betting man, I would say he does not redshirt.”
While OSU may not have been Louis’ first choice, the fact he stayed true to his commitment to the Buckeyes after switching from Florida should be reaffirming for Buckeye fans.
If Louis is able to follow in the footsteps of Santonio Holmes by leaving Florida and finding success in Columbus, then the outlook should be bright for the Buckeyes.
