'He obviously lived up to the hype.' Lakota West's Malik Hartford heads to Ohio State

Not long after 6-foot-3, 180-pound Lakota West safety Malik Hartford wraps up the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7 in San Antonio, he'll be off to Columbus to officially begin his tour as an Ohio State Buckeye football player.

The four-star recruit committed to the Buckeyes in early August and was the Cincinnati area's top-ranked recruit. Hartford finished the 13-1 campaign for coach Tom Bolden's Firebirds with 43 tackles, four tackles for loss and two interceptions, one being a pick six. Rated by 247Sports.com as one of the top seniors in Ohio and the country, Hartford made it official when he put pen to paper on the Dec. 21 early signing day.

"Our season flew by fast and I enjoyed every moment of it but it's time to start the new chapter," Hartford said. "I'm tight with all of the guys up there and tight with coach E (Perry Eliano) and coach (Ryan) Day. The connections are all there now. It's just time to play football."

Malik Hartford's big hit vs. St. Xavier went viral

Buckeyes fans are well aware of Hartford as he delivered a hit in the Lakota West opener that sent shockwaves through Columbus and the Big Ten, going viral in the process. It came at the end of their 16-13 win over St. Xavier with emotions running high. In the game's final seconds, he was ejected, but later the Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled it a legal hit.

"He obviously lived up to the hype," Lakota West coach Tom Bolden said. "He played like a kid going to Ohio State all season long. He's an awesome student but he's also a student of the game. He's a brilliant football player. From a physical standpoint, it's amazing the amount of ground he can cover in such a short period of time."

'He likes to hit and get after you': What Malik Hartford brings to Ohio State

Bolden expects the Buckeyes to bulk the young hammer up to further enhance his physical game. Out of pads and in a Buckeye hoodie, Hartford's slim build shouldn't be discounted.

"He likes to hit and get after you," Bolden said. "He just enjoys competing, which is absolutely awesome. He's as good as I've had. He checks all the boxes. I've explained to them all that you're going to get to that next level and there's going to be dudes there just like you. You're going to have to find something that separates you from those other guys. He has a leg up on that in terms of his football IQ and things like that."

Formerly a standout lacrosse player for Lakota West, Hartford has the lean frame of someone fleet of foot with youthful metabolism. The son of Jim and Zainab Hartford, both engineers, carries a 4.3 grade point average along with the ability to lay a serious hit across the middle.

With his mother, "Zee," being a Procter & Gamble employee, Hartford has lived in Maine and Nigeria as well as football-frenzied Ohio. Though she's never played a sport, his mother teases that she's the most athletic.

"They're real proud of me," Hartford said. "They're happy for me and excited for me for the next chapter that's to come. My mom doesn't want to let me go but I've got to move on. I'll always be coming back it's only an hour and 30 (minutes) away."

Austin Siereveld and Jermaine Mathews Jr. join Malik Hartford in Ohio State recruiting class

Joining Hartford on the Buckeyes from the area is offensive lineman Austin Siereveld of Lakota East and Winton Woods defensive back Jermaine Mathews Jr. Hartford was Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Ohio Division I with Mathews winning the honor in Division II.

Already on the Buckeyes are former Lakota West teammates Jyaire Brown, Tegra Tshabola and Jackson Kuwatch. Like Brown and Tshabola, Hartford will be an All-American Bowl participant.

"They've done really well here in West Chester," Bolden said of Ohio State's recruiting efforts.

Added Hartford, "We've got a lot more talent coming up. Hopefully, I'll be recruiting them like Tegra, Jyaire and Jackson recruited me."

Chris Singletary, a 247Sports.com recruiting analyst, played football at Michigan and was on the coaching staffs of Rich Rodriguez, Lloyd Carr, Brady Hoke and Jim Harbaugh. Certainly knowledgable of the Big Ten, he evaluated Hartford in March:

"Stands out with his measurables from a height standpoint with a frame to add mass. Encouraged by his growth potential once he gets into a college strength and conditioning program and how his overall physical makeup will evolve. Can add bulk to his upper body that should enable him to stay durable and to sustain and play at a high level. Possesses good as a linear playmaker at the back end. Instinctive player who has the range to make plays all over the field. Possesses better-than-average speed. Nice acceleration enables to cover a lot of ground to make plays sideline to sideline."

Before committing to the Buckeyes last spring, Hartford's offer list included Alabama, Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

Malik Hartford's Lakota West secondary partners Ben Minich and Joshua Fussell going to Division I colleges

From the same Lakota West secondary, Ben Minich is heading to Notre Dame with Joshua Fussell to Northwestern, teams Ohio State could play. Hartford is ready for all of his Firebird teammates should they appear in something other than scarlet and gray.

He also hopes to flip the script on this past year's result vs. Michigan.

"That's the rivalry. That's the first goal for each year to beat the team up north then win the Big Ten and the national championship," Hartford said. "I'll go up early. I'm real excited about that, getting the chance to lift with coach Mick (strength coach Marotti). He's going to be on me real hard. Anything to get me going early will help me out."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio State football recruiting: Malik Hartford 'lived up to the hype'