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Dominic Clarke has one more year to play football at Tuscarora High School, but when he's done there, a bigger stage awaits him -- at Ohio State University. Clarke has made a verbal commitment for a full scholarship to play football for the Buckeyes -- a national powerhouse -- in 2009. "Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I would be playing football at Ohio State," Clarke, who was recruited as a cornerback, said on Monday. "I didn't used to have a favorite college football team, but I do now." Carey said Clarke is the first football player at Tuscarora to get a full scholarship to a major NCAA Division I football school, and the term "major" sure applies to this program. Ohio State has won several national championships, has been a regular in the Top 25 and plays in the Big Ten, a premier conference in the country. The Buckeyes have played in the past two BCS national championship games, losing to LSU and Florida. Other schools seeking Clarke's talents included Virginia, Maryland, Richmond, Stanford, Duke, Vanderbilt and Boston College. For Clarke, making the choice among so many schools was not easy. "Ohio State made the offer April 11 and he had to look over the other offers as well," Titans coach Shawn Carey said. "For Dominic, it gives him a chance to play football on the national level," Carey said. "It also gives him a shot to play in the NFL. I think it's the best place for him. They've got good coaches there and I think Dominic will fit right in." Clarke agreed it was not an easy choice, picking Ohio State over the others. "You would like to make all of the schools interested in you happy by saying yes," he said. "But in the end, you have to make the decision that's right for you." Another deciding factor in Clarke's decision to head to Columbus was his desired major -- criminal justice. He said Ohio State offered such a program. The football atmosphere at Ohio State is another drawing card for Clarke. "The stadium in Columbus seats about 105,000 fans," he said. "I was out there last week for the spring game and they had at least, at least, 30,000 in the stadium just for the spring game -- and it was raining. That just shows you how big football is out there in that community." Clarke said he thought about the idea of maybe playing in the NFL in the future, but college is coming first. "The big thing for me is to go to college, get an education and get a degree," he said. "That's the important thing. The NFL idea is kind of far-fetched right now." Clarke has already posted some good numbers to show the Ohio State staff. Last fall, he rushed for 837 yards on 130 carries for a 6.4 per yard average. He also scored five touchdowns. Clarke also runs track at Tuscarora, but football is his main priority. "My running track might have hindered it (recruiting) somewhat, but coaches from Ohio State had already to come to visit and they know about me and football." But before then, he's got another season with the Titans and another season to refine his skills before packing his bags for Columbus.
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