COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jermaine Mathews had grown tired of the recruiting process and was content with the offers he’d earned heading into the summer.
In his mind, there wasn’t much left to prove, and the rising senior at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati wasn’t interested in chasing something that he wasn’t completely sure he’d ever get. He’d decided his final summer as a high school student would be dedicated to visiting the schools that were interested -- which didn’t include Ohio State.
Then there was a conversation with new Buckeyes cornerbacks coach Tim Walton.
“Coach Walton came down to the school after I [texted] him I wasn’t gonna camp [in Columbus],” Mathews told cleveland.com. “He talked to me about why I should come and gave me some reasons. So I decided to bet on myself and go camp.”
Walton brought up two names to Mathews during their conversations: Darron Lee and Terry McLaurin.
Lee was a three-star recruit rated in the 600s of the 2013 recruiting class whose profile suggested he probably wasn’t good enough for OSU. He was a quarterback at New Albany High School who knew he most likely wouldn’t be playing the position at the next level. Luke Fickell, then the OSU linebackers coach, liked what he saw from Lee, but Urban Meyer wasn’t sold, instead making Lee work for an offer.
That work eventually paid off, and Lee went on to turn himself into a first-round NFL draft pick and a vital member of Ohio State’s 2014 national title team.
McLaurin spent most of his high school career as a lower-rated recruit, settling in the mid-200s of the 2014 class. Meyer made him work for his offer, too, with multiple camp visits. McLaurin then spent five years working just to get on the field. Once he did, he shined, especially during the 2018 season when he was named captain of a unit that ushered in a new era of offense in Columbus. Four years after being a third-round pick, he recently signed a Washington Commanders contract with a $28 million signing bonus, the largest of any NFL wide receiver.
That’s a list Mathews could someday join.
“I heard about those stories quite a bit,” Mathews said.
Mathews showed up on June 1 for the first of six-day camps and set the tone for the summer with a day unrivaled by any other camper for the rest of the month. He dominated the competitive periods, while plenty of current OSU players excitedly watched. What began as simply a chance for the players to talk trash to one another soon turned into a full-out campaign for the nation’s No. 358 player and No. 21 athlete to earn an offer.
The chant, “Offer that man” was repeatedly uttered by Josh Proctor, TreVeyon Henderson and Dawand Jones. Jaylen Johnson sought out defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to make sure he was watching. Even Miyan Williams watched in awe as a proud Winton Woods alumnus.
With every rep, the cheers got louder, the crowd grew larger, and Mathews’ play got more impressive. It was clear how this day would end.
“I was going out there to earn that offer,” Mathews said. “There’s no other way to put it. I was going out there to do what I do.”
He left that camp with an offer and as a hot commodity. Offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU soon followed as his options continued to grow.
Mathews came into the summer as a three-star recruit. Thirty days later, he sat at a table at Winton Woods facing his friends and family, announcing his Ohio State commitment on July 1.
He now feels validated in deciding to trust an assistant coach with whom he’d only recently developed a relationship. That’s step one of the Darron Lee/Terry McLaurin plan. The next part begins in January.
“It’s crazy to think about,” Mathews said. “It’s a great experience. I really appreciate everything. It definitely feels worth it.”
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