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Beavercreek's Domicone now headed to Ohio State
Friday, January 11, 2008
BEAVERCREEK — Ohio State won't play another football game until this fall. But the Buckeyes have already beaten Nebraska and Oklahoma.
In a classic whirlwind college recruiting tale, Beavercreek High School senior Zach Domicone went from committing to Nebraska to Oklahoma to OSU. And that was just on Friday.
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"After school, I was told (OSU) coach (Jim) Tressel wants to talk to me," said Domicone, a versatile and speedy 6-foot-3, 215-pound defensive back.
"I'm freaking out at this point. He says they've got a scholarship waiting for me at Ohio State. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. It came out of nowhere."
Domicone wasn't on OSU's recruiting radar until the Big 12 teams made scholarship pitches.
Originally headed to Ohio University, he was lured to Nebraska when former OU assistant coach Carl Pelini joined his brother, newly named head coach Bo Pelini, at Lincoln earlier this week. That sparked interest from rival Oklahoma, which wanted Domicone to visit on Friday.
Once OSU was up to speed, it moved quickly. After reviewing a Domicone highlight tape on Friday morning, recruiting coordinator John Peterson relayed a message to Beavers coach Scott Clodfelter: Hold off on that visit to Norman, Okla.
Now, Domicone will make his official OSU visit today, hosted by junior Jake Ballard of Springboro.
Domicone has legit 4.46 speed in the 40-yard dash and has cracked 50 seconds for a 400-meter relay split. He also has a 3.8 GPA and scored a 27 on the ACT test. He excelled at quarterback and cornerback last fall when the Beavers posted their first winning season in 15 years (6-4). He said OSU will play him at safety or linebacker.
"He's the total package," said Clodfelter.
"This was the darndest thing I've ever seen. OSU showed no interest until the last 12 hours, then all of the sudden, boom. They don't like losing people from Ohio. It was a great day. I just couldn't believe how quickly it happened."
Domicone was first-team All-Area and first-team All-Greater Western Ohio Conference. His father, Fred, was a standout lineman at Fairborn Park Hills and Dayton.
"They were both definitely pumped up," Domicone said of his parents.
The only other Creek grad to land a football scholarship to OSU was 1969 grad Randy Cowman. The first National Letter of Intent signing day is Feb. 6.
Contact this reporter at 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.
