2022 Florida Elite Offensive Tackle Julian Armella Details Recruitment
Back in early February, Miami (Fla.) Columbus four-star offensive tackle Julian Armella trimmed his list of more than three dozen scholarship offers to Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Ohio State.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Armella – who is considered the No. 14-ranked offensive tackle and No. 137 prospect overall in the class of 2022 – isn’t quite ready to make a decision, though, as the ongoing recruiting dead period has prevented him from taking official and unofficial visits over the last year.
Aremlla has had to rely upon virtual visits instead, conducting Zoom meetings and FaceTime calls in order to build a strong relationship with the coaches. That includes Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, who offered him a scholarship in April 2019 when he was still at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas.
"I think right now my main approach is to keep communication with them because I can't go visit," Armella told SI All-American. "The dead period just keeps getting pushed back, so it's communication until I can visit."
There’s optimism that the NCAA will sooner bring an end to the dead period that currently runs through May 31, which would allow prospects to conduct on-campus visits for the first time in more than a year. If that happens, Armella – and every other high school prospect, for that matter – will jump at the opportunity.
Of his top seven schools, Armella has only seen Florida State and Miami in person. His father played defensive tackle for the Seminoles from 1991-94, so it’s no surprise they’re widely considered the favorite in his recruitment.
At the same time, though, Armella plans to take his time with the process. He hopes to visit several schools before announcing his college decision sometime during his senior season.
"I'm in no rush at all," Armella said of a potential commitment. "I'll probably do it senior year on ESPN or at the All-American (Bowl) or at my school. I haven't really been advancing with these schools, there's no favorites or non-favorites in my top seven. They're all in it."
Offensive tackle is arguably Ohio State’s top priority for the 2022 recruiting cycle, though the Buckeyes already hold a commitment from West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West four-star Tegra Tshabola. The staff is looking to take four or five players at the position, with Armella; Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian five-star Zach Rice; Daleville (Va.) Lord Botetourt five-star Gunner Givens; Humble (Texas) Atascocita four-star Kam Dewberry; Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne four-star Aamil Wagner; Fond Du Lac (Wis.) St. Mary’s Springs four-star Billy Schrauth; and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three-star Aliou Bah among their top options.
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