Johnathan Hankins, a 6-foot-3-inch, 300-pound defensive tackle from Southeastern High School in Detroit, Mich., brings size and technique to the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class.
The Buckeyes had to fill holes left by last year’s departing senior class. Without Todd Denlinger and Doug Worthington, the Buckeyes needed another large, strong prospect to add to the rotation at defensive tackle.
The defensive line has some leadership with seniors Cameron Heyward and Dexter Larimore returning for their senior seasons. Junior Nathan Williams will likely fill the hole left when Thaddeus Gibson went to the NFL.
Hankins, rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, played both offensive and defensive tackle at Southeastern High School. He had scholarship offers from Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
“Several things he brings is his nose for the ball, and the way he gets after it every play,” Southeastern coach Vincent Session said. “He brings tenacity when they blow the first whistle that we haven’t seen at our high school in some time for a big fellow.”
Hankins was a two-time all-state selection in high school. He recorded 85 tackles and 12 sacks in 2009. He also earned all-Detroit and all-metro awards his senior season.
Kevin Noon, managing editor of BuckeyeGrove.com, likes what Hankins brings to the table as a bull-rushing type of defensive tackle.
“He’s a player that’s come a long way in trying to reshape his body,” Noon said. “A lot of times defensive tackles at that level are big but not necessarily strong, and this is a player that came on really strong his senior year. He apparently made a good effort to cut the weight and focus on being a better player, and because of that, his results on the field have improved.”
Playing high school football in Detroit led to some pressure for Hankins to play at the University of Michigan. However, the Wolverines were late in offering Hankins a scholarship, so he stuck with Ohio State.
“I got a good vibe from all of the coaches at Ohio State,” Hankins said. “My family felt comfortable with Coach Tressel and the defensive coordinator when they came to my house. When I went on my visit, the campus and the facilities were so nice. It felt good, like home, so I decided on Ohio State.”
Steve Helwagen, managing editor of Bucknuts.com, described the need for a big defensive tackle on Ohio State’s depth chart. Larimore is a senior, John Simon and Garrett Goebel are sophomores, Adam Bellamy is a redshirt freshman and Solomon Thomas is returning, but that is where the depth drops off.
“This year, Cameron Heyward is going to have to move down there and play a little bit probably,” Helwagen said. “And when Hankins comes in the fall, he will have a shot to contribute very quickly. He probably saw a tremendous opportunity to be a backup player this year and maybe move into the starting lineup in 2011.”
Southeastern High School coach Vincent Session elaborated about the winning attitude that Hankins will bring to Ohio State. Session described Hankins as a “silent giant” that doesn’t do a lot of cheering, but is an emotional player on the field and at practice and has an excellent work ethic in the weight room.
“Besides all of his athletic ability and his ability to produce on the field, I think they are going to be pleased with him off the field, as a young man,” Session said. “He’s a beautiful kid. I think he’s going to develop into a great man in the three or four years that he will be playing for Ohio State.”
Hankins will be enrolling in the fall at Ohio State, and is working out with former teammate William Gholston in preparation for the season. Gholston, a 6-foot-7-inch, 250-pound defensive end from Southeastern High School is the fourth-ranked defensive end prospect in 2010, according to Scout.com.
“I’m working on getting quicker off the ball, keeping my wind, staying in shape and getting a little stronger,” Hankins said. “I feel that my technique is already there, but I just need to get my stamina up.”
