FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer was at Fairfield High School last week and the Buckeyes are interested in opening their recruitment of senior defensive lineman and University of Cincinnati commit Malik Vann.
Vann, who verbally committed to UC in April, had well over 30 Bowl Championship Series scholarship offers during the process.
Ohio State has yet to offer a scholarship but has shown significant interest, according to Fairfield coach Jason Krause.
Vann, who is 6 feet 3 and 270 pounds, finished with 47 tackles, 7 ½ sacks, 12 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries this regular season for the Indians.
“All this while most people planned to run away from him,” Krause said. “In 24 years of coaching, he is the most disruptive defensive lineman that I have seen.”
Vann verbally committed to UC April 18 after he narrowed his college choices to Alabama, UC, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin. He also had scholarship offers from Notre Dame, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Florida State, Oregon, West Virginia, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Maryland.
Ohio State showed previous interest in Vann during the recruiting process but did not offer a scholarship.
Vann, a four-star recruit, is rated Ohio's No. 12 overall player in the 2018 class by 247Sports. He is rated the nation's No. 12 strong-side defensive end.
Fairfield senior left tackle Jackson Carman -- considered by some recruiting services to be the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle -- is considering Ohio State, Clemson and USC as his final three college choices, Krause said.
Vann was named the Anthony Muñoz Foundation Division I Defensive Lineman of the Year in February.
Fairfield plays at St. Xavier (9-1) in a Division I regional quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The NCAA’s early national signing period for football is Dec. 20-22.
