As is the case with every Ohio State football recruiting class, there has to be commitment No. 1.

Defensive end J.T. Moore, from Boardman High School in Youngstown, Ohio, was just that for the 2010 class.

“Truthfully, I did not know I would be the first,” Moore said. ” I went to the Spring Game my sophomore [year. That’s when] I knew for sure I wanted to be part of the Buckeye tradition.”

Moore’s coach at Boardman, D.J. Ogilvie, who has known Moore since his eighth-grade year, was not surprised by Moore’s early commitment.

“Actually, OSU was his first offer,” Ogilvie said. “He wanted to play at OSU [so much] that he did not even wait for anyone else to recruit him.”

Moore comes to Ohio State knowing a few faces in the crowd of more than 52,000 students. The 6-foot-3-inch, 235-pound lineman joins former Boardman teammate Corey Linsley as members of the OSU football team.

Linsley, an offensive lineman, was a commitment of the 2009 football recruiting class. He played three years with Moore at Boardman. With Linsley playing along the O-line and Moore being on the D-line, battles between the two were customary.

“J.T. and Corey went against each other in one-on-one drills all the time,” Ogilvie said. “J.T. was the only guy that could give Corey a challenge.”

Moore also has connections to the OSU women’s basketball team. His twin sister, Darryce Moore, has committed to play basketball under coach Jim Foster as part of the 2010 recruiting class.

J.T. Moore describes his relationship with Darryce as “tough love.”

He says that their relationship with one another is close and that her decision on where to go to college factored into his decision.

“I really wanted to attend the same college with her,” Moore said. “It is a blessing of course, but as well amazing to see one another grow as individuals.”

Moore will bring leadership and toughness to Ohio State, according to Ogilvie.

“J.T. is a great kid, but more importantly to a football team is he is a leader,” Ogilvie said. “J.T. is very coachable and always listens. He has a super work ethic.”

Moore is well aware of the high expectations that come along with playing for a major Division I football program like Ohio State.

“I [just] want to make a great impression and show the coaches I mean business,” said Moore. “If I get blessed and can compete [this season], then I hope to see the field.

Ultimately, Moore said he wants to win championships during his time at Ohio State. He also has the big picture in mind. He wants to learn a lot while at OSU to better prepare him for what the future should hold.

When the time comes for him to step on the field, he says that he will bring “intensity, aggression, and a determination to win and never hold back.”

When that time comes, be sure to thank his teammate Corey Linsley and sister Darryce Moore for paving his path to Ohio State.