Earlier today, Bucknuts.com reported that Cleveland Glenville linebacker Freddie Lenix was having issues getting cleared by Ohio State’s admissions office.
But things took a dramatic turn with this story earlier today, when OSU head coach Jim Tressel paid a visit to Glenville.
“We’re good,” Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. said. “He’s going to grayshirt. Coach Tressel was in there today. He’s going to take some classes in the fall. Everything is good.”
According to Ginn, Lenix passed the muster of the NCAA clearinghouse. But it was OSU’s suddenly more stringent admissions policies that caught him up. The coach did not go into detail about specific marks.
"It's not over, but it doesn't look good," Ginn told our Duane Long for the initial report that was posted at noontime today. “He passed NCAA standards. This is the Ohio State admissions office."
The visit from Tressel may have also headed off any notion that Lenix might consider enrolling elsewhere. He also considered Iowa and Wisconsin strongly before signing with OSU.
Lenix is currently one of the top track performers in the state and is in the middle of trying to lead Glenville to another state track championship.
Lenix was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 27 linebacker in the nation by scout.com. Lenix was consistently ranked among the top 15 prospects in Ohio by Ohio High magazine throughout his career. He had 147 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior.
Meanwhile, everything appears to be all systems go for Glenville’s other OSU signee, defensive back Jamario O’Neal.
Ginn said O’Neal is fully qualified and has been admitted to OSU. In fact, he will play in the Ohio All-Star Classic in late June, then enroll at OSU for classes this summer. That move would allow him to begin working out full-time with the football program, perhaps preparing him for a chance to play quite a bit this fall as a true freshman. The move, however, would preclude him from playing in the Big 33 Football Classic in July.