Ohio State linebacker Mitchell to transfer

2/9/2014

COLUMBUS — One of Ohio State’s top recent recruiting prizes is reportedly leaving the program.

Blue-chip freshman linebacker Mike Mitchell has not participated in winter workouts and will transfer at the end of the spring semester, according to ElevenWarriors.com. The report cited Mitchell’s desire to be closer to his father, former NFL linebacker Ken Mitchell, who recently fell ill at the family’s home in Plano, Texas.

An OSU spokesman could not confirm Mitchell’s plans.

The five-star Mitchell was the highest-ranked recruit in a 2013 recruiting class judged by Scout.com as the best in the nation. But the returns were not as immediate as some envisioned, with Mitchell among 15 freshmen to redshirt last season.

His departure would further thin a position of little depth for the Buckeyes, though coach Urban Meyer said he expects all four of their incoming linebacker recruits to play this season. Five-star Georgia native Raekwon McMillan, Dante Booker, Kyle Berger, and Sam Hubbard all signed with OSU last week.

It is unclear how Mitchell’s move would impact his younger brother, Mickey, a five-star basketball prospect in the Class of 2015 who is committed to the Buckeyes.