Leader of the pack

Courtesy of RIVALS.COM

Cornered by a surplus of legendary college football programs in the state of Florida, all Kansas City-born offensive line recruit Michael Brewster could think about was returning to the Midwest to play for Ohio State.

"That's all he ever talked about wanting to do was going to Ohio State to play," said Bill Gierke, Brewster's coach at Edgewater High School in Orlando.

Buckeye assistant head coach Darrell Hazell first contacted the 6-foot-6-inch, 300-pounder in the spring of Brewster's freshman year of high school, and the two have spoken on the phone once a week ever since, Brewster said.

"We built a relationship I didn't want broken off," Brewster said. "Not just with (Hazell) but all of the coaches."

Ranked as the fourth-best offensive line recruit in the nation and the 12th-best recruit overall by rivals.com, Brewster noted his mean streak and toughness as his greatest strengths. Gierke pointed to Brewster's size, agility and an excellent hip explosion that helps Brewster spring into his block. That means an OSU quarterback or running back standing upright and an opposing defender flat on the ground.

"He really has good execution and he doesn't really have a weak part to his game," said Kevin Noon, managing editor for ohiostate.rivals.com. "He has the body control, he has the agility and he has an understanding of the game which might be the strongest part of his complete player package."

Without playing a snap or lifting a weight, Brewster has already contributed to Buckeye football through a commonplace activity: text messaging. Once he decided to become a Buckeye, Brewster met other potential recruits, formed relationships and stayed in touch through text messages. Other recruits committed to the program and suddenly they joined the text game, too.

"We didn't pressure recruits; we became friends and we didn't have to talk about football," Brewster said.

Undecided quarterback and top-ranked national recruit Terrelle Pryor is a good friend Brewster talks to.

"He's got to do what is best for him," Brewster said of Pryor. "When it comes down to it we don't want to end our friendship with him going to Michigan. I keep my hopes up that it works out and I think it will."

Brewster graduated from Edgewater in December and is already attending classes here. That would give him a leg up and the chance to participate in spring practices, but he suffered a torn labrum in his final high school game that will likely hold him out of spring football.

Brewster said he plans to do leg workouts to get in shape and begin upper-body lifting in the spring to ensure he doesn't risk injury by rushing back to the field.

Brewster and highly-ranked offensive line recruits J.B. Shugarts and Mike Adams have already been nicknamed the "Block 'O'" offensive line. That is because of their potential to form an immovable wall in front of the Buckeye's quarterback.

Noon said Brewster might be in the mix for playing time at guard next year because he is the most versatile of the new class of linemen. He also said Brewster and his class will be part of a run of linemen at OSU who could go on to become prominent NFL players.

Brewster is fully aware of the expectations that come with his high ranking.

"I don't want people to think of me as a flop," Brewster said. "This is what I do, I workout and play football and that's what I was born to do."

Gierke doesn't foresee the word flop being used anytime in Brewster's future.

"He is very mature for his age and his focus to be great is second to none," Gierke said. "I've been coaching for 32 years and this is by far the best focused and advanced player I've ever coached without a doubt."

Matt Friedman can be reached at friedman.191@osu.edu.