OSU assistant Zach Smith: "This place is special"

Ohio State assistant Zach Smith, a grandson of former Buckeyes coach Earle Bruce who grew up outside Columbus, was in the area last night to address the players who will be competing in the Regional All-Star Football Game on Friday at Perrysburg's Steinecker Stadium. Here's more of our conversation with the 27-year-old receivers coach:

On his first year at OSU:

“It’s everything you would have hoped it to be and everything it could be. This place is special, and it’s an honor to be a part of it. It was always in my head that coaching at Ohio State would be the most amazing thing to happen. Shoot, since I was born, really, I just thought about how cool it would be. But it was also a far-fetched reality just because of the likelihood and how the industry works."

On the progress of OSU’s receivers:

"I know they’re working hard. I see them sweating when they walk into my office to say hello. There's a lot of momentum going on with our kids right now. They’re working really, really hard. I think through the spring we got better but we’re not where we need to be. So this is going to be a critical, critical month in August to get ready to do what we need to do in this offense."

On the highs and lows of recruiting against Michigan:

“Any time you’re recruiting an athlete you really want and they go to somebody that you have to play, it’s not a great feeling. And at the same time, when you get him, you know the other team feels the same way. It’s nice when you get him and you’re not looking forward to playing him because you obviously had high value on him."

On the high school coaches in Ohio:

"Any time you get around the high school coaches in the state. Our high school coaches in this state are as good or better than most coaches at any level. That would be considered a 'Buckeye Nation Problem' because not a lot of states are like that. To have such phenomenal coaches at the high school level, it's unbelievable. One, just the fact that that’s how it is. And two, that you’re getting an athlete that’s been well-coached for four, seven years, that’s coming to you not needing to start at square one. You’ve got an advanced football player because they’re already well-rounded and well-coached.”