“After 5 or 10 minutes on campus, I definitely knew it was the right place. I had a feeling. »
When it comes to making an important decision, sometimes you just have to follow your instincts. This is what Maxence LeBlanc did by opting for the Ohio State University Buckeyes among the thirty largest American universities that were courting him.
Several months after announcing his commitment, he finally put his stamp at the bottom of his contract on Wednesday, at the start of the first day of signings. “I signed as soon as I got up,” he said on the line, Thursday evening, a few hours before his evening of celebrations with his relatives and friends in Saint-Bruno.
What you need to know is that the prestigious Ohio State has been the “dream school” of the Quebec pass catcher since his beginnings in football, when he was in 1D secondary. Two or three years ago, he visited Columbus and attended a Buckeyes game at Ohio Stadium. The city, the atmosphere, the supporters… His experience had “really touched” him.
LeBlanc nevertheless took his decision-making process seriously and wanted to explore all the options presented to him. “During my recruitment, I really tried not to put that in my head, to look at all my options and visit other schools first,” he said.
He visited the campus of North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan… And, lastly, that of Ohio State.
It was love at first sight.
I came home and everyone knew me, introduced themselves to me. We visited the school for a bit, I looked around, met everyone there and knew there was something special there.
Maxence LeBlanc
“I felt that I was really important to them and that they really wanted me,” he continues. That was really a big plus. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
First thing Wednesday morning, Maxence LeBlanc put his stamp on his contract with Ohio State University.
Player development was also part of his selection criteria, as he aims for the NFL. “Ohio State is the best school” for that, he notes.
The 18-year-old took a few weeks before making his final decision. “It felt too perfect and I really wanted to make sure, keep talking to the coach, see if he was really interested. After talking with my family and my coaches, after three or four weeks, I decided that’s where I was going. »
Time to prepare
Maxence LeBlanc finished his final season a few weeks ago with the Baylor Red Raiders, a private high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The team lost 34-28 to McCallie’s Blue Tornado, his good friend Jérémy St-Hilaire’s team, in the state final. “He makes jokes from time to time!” », exclaims LeBlanc in what we guess, on the other end of the line, is a smile.
The Buckeyes’ newest member injured his ankle during the game; he came off the field in the third quarter. “It was a pretty intense strain, but now it’s better and I’m already walking. I’m going to start running soon. I should be ready in a few weeks,” he says.
Otherwise, LeBlanc had a good final season at Baylor, catching 49 passes for a total of 884 yards and 10 touchdowns. “I had a good season, better than last year. That was my goal. »
The fact that I had committed before the season really took some stress away from me. […] I was just playing football and didn’t think about anything else.
Maxence LeBlanc
In the not too distant future, it will be time to prepare for the pass catcher, who will head to Columbus at the end of his school year in Tennessee. Until then, he will receive a specific training program prepared for him by Ohio State.
“It’s mainly about gaining mass, being more explosive, things like that,” he lists. My coach at Ohio State made me a plan. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Maxence LeBlanc surrounded by his mother Christine, his father Sébastien, his brothers Alexandre, Félix and his sister Raphaëlle.
There, LeBlanc will probably study kinesiology, for whom studies remain “really important”. And on the field, he hopes to contribute in his first season.
“In my opinion, if I stay focused on what I have to do between now and the end of June and I arrive 100% ready, there is no reason why I should not see the field. Tight end, it’s really a position that you have to learn; each team uses it differently. It takes time to get used to the team’s offense, but I’m going to arrive as ready as possible to have as many chances as possible. »
“I try to stay as relaxed as possible, take things one day at a time and not think too much about June, but think about tomorrow and today. »
Today – and why not tomorrow too – is the time to celebrate your contract.