The Ohio State coaching staff is already hard at work towards landing a great 2011 recruiting class. They have extended a verbal scholarship offer to several rising juniors.

Sept. 1 is the first day schools can send out written scholarship offers to juniors, and linebacker Trey DePriest from Springfield, Ohio, is definitely a candidate for such an offer.

The 6-foot-1 and 215-pound DePriest has been a varsity starter on the Springfield football, basketball and baseball teams since his freshman year.

On the grid-iron DePriest has played outside linebacker, running back and quarterback. He made approximately 75 tackles, had four sacks and intercepted a pass in 10 games during his sophomore season.

DePriest attended camps at Ohio State, Cincinnati, Michigan, West Virginia and Virginia Tech earlier this summer. He was in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ Advanced Camp on June 14.

“The coaches at all the camps took me around and showed me stuff,” DePriest said. “I had fun at all of them.”

DePriest said he already has verbal offers from Cincinnati, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Central Michigan.

He thinks the Buckeyes are going to jump in with a written offer.

“They said they are going to offer on Sept. 1,” DePriest said. “Coach (Luke) Fickell told me they are. I want to go to the Ohio State-USC game. That’s the highest game on my list. But I want to go to some other games too.”

When asked if he has a favorite school at this point, DePriest said, “I want to sit down with my parents and talk about what conference I want to play in. Then I’ll go from there. I like the SEC, the ACC and the Big Ten.”

Kurelic’s Comment: DePriest is an outstanding talent. If by chance the Bucks were to miss out on Jordan Hicks this recruiting season, landing DePriest would be even more important.