The Buckeyes added a tenacious offensive lineman to their roster.

Andrew Norwell, a Cincinnati native out of Anderson High School, is the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country according to Scout.com.  

Norwell committed to the Buckeyes more than a year ago, but knew long before that he was born a Buckeye.

At Anderson, he led the Redskins to the 2007 Division II State Title. The following season, the Redskins were Division II State runner-ups.

“Norwell is the kind of player who always puts the team first,” Redskins coach Jeff Giesting said. 

Norwell is an All-Ohio lineman and earned first-team All-State, All-Southwest and All-Fort Ancient Valley Conference honors. 

However, the biggest honor he received came during his senior season, he said, when he was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. 

Norwell wasn’t able to play in the bowl and hasn’t seen the field since early September due to a season-ending injury. 

Norwell broke his left tibia in a game against Columbus DeSales and underwent surgery just three days later. Since then, Norwell has been dedicated to getting to the weight room and keeping up with physical therapy.

Doctors, coaches and Norwell agree: There is no question he will be ready in the fall. 
Norwell has an immense amount of versatility in respect to his position.

He is the “kind of player coaches dream about,” Scout.com’s Dave Berk wrote.

He has the potential to gain speed, flexibility and, yes, even size.

Norwell stands at 6-feet-7-inches and 275 pounds, but his frame stands to gain at least another 20 pounds.

“I think I’ll be better at about 300 pounds,” Norwell said. 

Norwell’s long arms hold defenders off and his pure size drives defenders to the turf. He’s a big guy in an even bigger family. Norwell is the youngest of four sisters and two brothers.

“My family is my biggest support system,” Norwell said.

Athleticism is in the family; his brother Adam played basketball at Northern Kentucky and his brother Chris played football in the Big Ten for Illinois.

Norwell had offers on the table from the University of Cincinnati, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Notre Dame and Stanford.

“I chose Ohio State because it’s a prestigious school,” Norwell said. 

OSU is also only two hours from his hometown, an easy trip for family to make, Norwell said. 

It isn’t set in stone as to how much Norwell will see the field in 2010. He could redshirt until he puts on the weight and adjusts, but Buckeye fans may see him sooner than expected.

Buckeye offensive linemen Michael Brewster, J.B. Shugarts, Mike Adams and Marcus Hall all received playing time as freshmen.

Whether he makes an immediate impact or holds off into his second and third seasons, this high-caliber lineman should be a valuable asset to the Buckeye line.