From: ChillicotheGazette.com – When Drew Basil pulled into Ohio State, he already had an offer from Kentucky in his pocket.

He also had some work to do.

“What happened, I went to their camp, which was two days – the 17th and 18th,” Basil said. “On the 17th, I was at Kentucky that day, and that’s when I got my offer from them. So I went to Ohio State, and I didn’t do much kicking that first day. (The second day), I knew I would have to blow everybody out of the water.”

Apparently, that’s just what he did.

Based largely on that one-day performance at OSU, Basil was given an offer to continue his football career with the Buckeyes.

This past Thursday, he made it official. The Chillicothe High School kicker has verbally committed to becoming a Buckeye even before two-a-days start for his senior season.

“It’s an honor. It sure is,” he said. “And by me committing before my senior season, I think it will help me relax. I still have to perform my best, but this is one thing that I won’t have to think about.”

Basil got good feedback from his short performance at OSU.

“I had probably my best kicking day that Thursday (the second day of the camp),” he said. “I was getting good height off the ball, even kicking off the ground. Then, at the end we did kickoffs. And that was when our legs were tired, but I had probably my best kickoff day too. Just about every one of them went to the 5 or into the end zone, which they seemed to like.”

Long known as a standout on the soccer field, a future in football developed late for Basil.

“I actually learned how to kick back in the fifth grade,” he said. “My brother went to a camp at Thomas More College, and Doug Pelfrey was down there teaching the kids. I think I learned more from that than my brother did.

“I didn’t kick on a (football) team until my eighth grade year, but I think soccer has been a huge help in the transition to football.”

But even with this deal done, Basil still has an eye toward the future.

“My focus is on Chillicothe Cavalier soccer and Chillicothe Cavalier football,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll make it far in each sport. There are already guys working as hard as they can.”

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