He's 6-foot-6 and one of the easiest guys to spot, on or off the field. He's only 18 years old and an early graduate of St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio. Jack Mewhort is one of the largest offensive tackle prospects college football has ever seen, and Ohio State coaches are delighted to start molding him into a Buckeye.
Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Northwestern coaches all showed interest in Mewhort, but his decision to come to Ohio State came early - after his junior year - and after a pursuit by OSU offensive coach Dick Tressel.
"We scout hundreds of guys for the recruiting process. Jack [Mewhort] met our criteria, as a person and as an athlete … plus he's an Ohio guy, so that worked, and we offered him a scholarship," Tressel said.
Jack Mewhort"Whenever we get a guy to graduate early [from high school] it's a good thing for his game. Mewhort's goal is to play ASAP, that's why he came early - so spring practice gives him advantage over the other guys that don't start until the summer," Tressel said.
Mewhort is also a basketball player and has a wide wingspan that aids him on the football field, making it extremely tough for pass rushers to get by him.
Beyond Mewhort's obvious physical talent, he has an edge on other recent high school grads, as he has experience playing every position on the offensive line. Tressel said this experience will help the offense to capitalize on other players' talents.
"Jack established himself as a mauler in high school, the kind of guy who will flat-out dominate the guy across the line from him," said Adam Jardy, staff writer for Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
Mewhort played guard as a senior in high school, and Scout.com ranks him the No. 11 tackle prospect in the country.
However, his large size and capability to man-handle also bring setbacks. Mewhort has been criticized by Scout.com analysts for his tendency to play too high on the line. Because he is so tall, bending his knees and getting low will be a focus of his training at OSU.
Other than his leverage, Jardy and fellow Buckeye Sports Bulletin writer Marcus Hartman agree that Mewhort will fit in nicely with OSU's offensive philosophy.
"The fact that the OSU coaches feel they can turn Mewhort into a center means they feel he is both talented and intelligent enough to handle the key cog on the offensive line," Jardy said.
But exactly where Mewhort will fit in on the Buckeye depth chart remains unknown. Michael Brewster started at center for the Buckeyes for much of last season, so filling his shoes early as a freshman without collegiate experience is unlikely. However, OSU has a knack for converting players into centers, as they did with Brewster, who, like Mewhort, didn't come out of high school as a center, but went on to start in important games for the Bucks as a true freshman.
"He could be the No. 2 center, or he could be a backup at one of the tackle spots," Hartman said.
Buckeye recruiting specialists can only begin to speculate, as onlookers will not know until the season grows closer.
With the significant losses of linemen Alex Boone and Steve Rehring, Buckeye fans are anxious to see their replacements.
Mewhort attended competitive football camps after committing to OSU, such as the National High School All Star Combine Elite Skills Camp. Because of his desire to compete against the best, he is credited with having the drive necessary to make it at OSU.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Mewhort got a lot of reps early in spring camp," said Mark Rea, managing editor of the Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
Gina Ferrentino can be reached at ferrentino.2@osu.edu.
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