Name: Marcus Bagley. School: Cleveland Heights.

Name: Marcus Bagley.

School: Cleveland Heights.

Position: RB.

Height, weight: 5-11, 200.

Rivals.com rating: 3-star.

College: St. Francis (Pa.)

What we've written about Bagley

Sept. 11, 2013: Cleveland Heights RB/LB Marcus Bagley taking coach's challenge and running with it.

Contact high school sports reporter Bill Landis by email (blandis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@blandis25). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

It has taken John Wall four seasons to lead Washington to a winning record. That's why patience is needed with Kyrie Irving.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trade Kyrie Irving?

Not right now. Not before this summer, when the Cavaliers have a chance to offer him a five-year, $80 million contract extension.

If Irving has no interest in signing a long-term deal. … If he wants to become the first player in NBA history to reject some sort of maximum contract while still on his rookie contract …

If Irving wants out, then trade him. But that's a decision to be made after some long talks in the summer.

Many in the fan base can't decide who is more at fault for the team's problems:

A. General Manager Chris Grant.

B. Coach Mike Brown.

C. Irving, who just happens to be an All-Star.

Irving is far from perfect this season, but he doesn't belong on the short list of the biggest problems.

A very good player

Does Irving deserve to start the All-Star Game? No, but he won the fan vote.

But does he belong in the game? He's averaging 21.7 points, shooting .427 from the field and .362 on three pointers. Yes, he is an All-Star.

This season, it seems as if Irving is passing less than in his first two seasons and throwing the ball away more often. But the stats say otherwise. He is averaging a career-high 6.2 assists and a career-low 2.6 turnovers.

His defense is still shaky, but the truth is that players such as Irving rarely excel in that part of the game.

You can argue that Irving's shooting has dropped in his three seasons: .469, .452 and .427 this season. The same on three-pointers: .399, .391 and .362. And yes, he can be immature at times.

But Kyrie Irving is 21, averaging 21 points. Give him time to grow up.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers was the 2013 NBA rookie of the Year. AP

Look at the drafts

In the last four drafts, how many players have averaged at least 15 points since coming into the NBA? Nine. That's right, nine in four years. Irving is the only career 20-point scorer in the group.

While points aren't everything, you still need to create shots when the 24-second clock ticks down and put the ball in the basket to win.

Irving can be criticized for his lack of defense. He should be chastised for his tendency to force bad shots. But he's 21, and he will improve. You have to compare him with other young players in the league, which is why I examined the last four drafts.

The scoring averages below are for the players' pro careers.

From 2013: Michael Carter-Williams (17.7 points) is the only 15-point scorer -- and he's shooting .401 from the field.

From 2012: The best player is Anthony Davis (16.7 points) followed by Lillard (19.7 points) and Bradley Beal (15.1 points).

From 2011: There is Irving (20.9), Kemba Walker (16.9) and Klay Thompson (15.7).

From 2010: John Wall (17.5) and DeMarcus Cousins (17.3).

But the best player in this draft -- and perhaps the last four drafts -- is Indiana's Paul George (14.7). That's because he's started slow, 7.8 points as a rookie. He's at 22.8 this season.

The point is that recent drafts turn out few immediate stars because the players enter the league so young.That's why it's dangerous to deal Irving.

The Cavs' Kyrie Irving, right, dribbles past John Wall. Can Irving turn the Cavs into a playoff contender as Wall has done in his fourth year with Washington?AP

Wall & The Wizards

Washington is having the type of season that I hoped would happen in Cleveland. The Wizards are 24-23 and a playoff team.

Suppose they had traded John Wall at the 2013 deadline. Wall was the Irving of 2010, a point guard who played one year of college (at Kentucky) and became the top pick in the draft. In Wall's first three seasons, the Wizards were 23-59, 20-46 and 29-53.

That's very close to what the Cavs have done in Irving's first three years. Wall also had a knee injury last season. But he gave a hint of what was to come as the team was 5-28 in games he missed, 24-25 when he played.

For much of Wall's first three seasons, the charges of being immature and a bit selfish were made. The knee injury seemed to cause him to take a more serious and team approach to the game, and it showed on the court.

This summer, he signed a five-year, $80 million maximum extension. And the Wizards are over .500 for the first time in his four years with the team.

That's why the Cavs need to wait on Irving. Wait to see how he plays the rest of this season. Wait to see if he will sign an extension -- if not, then a trade is in order.

Finally, if he does sign, wait to see if the right players can be added to change all the losing.

If Washington and John Wall could do it (with a very average coach in Randy Wittman), it can happen here.

Ohio Inspector General Randy Meyer on Tuesday reinstated all but one of 17 wildlife officers charged with hunting while on the clock.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Six weeks after sidelining 17 county wildlife officers during busy hunting seasons and investigating them for deer hunting while supposedly on the job for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio Inspector General Randy Meyer backpedaled Tuesday and reinstated all but one of the officers.

The 17 officers had been required to turn in their gun, badge and state vehicle on Dec. 13. They had been limited to administrative duties at various ODOW district offices ever since.

The Ohio Labor Council of the Fraternal Order of Police had already labeled the investigation a witch hunt, and it turned out to be another black eye for the Inspector General’s office in its dealings with the ODOW. Last week, five ODOW executives sued former Inspector General Tom Charles, Meyer, Brown County Prosecutor Jessica Little and ODNR officials, including Director James Zehringer, for more than $2 million, plus attorney fees and interest. They charged in U.S. District Court in Columbus they were subject to a malicious, politically motivated investigation and unjustly demoted or fired.

The Inspector General originally reported ample evidence from vehicle radio logs of the 17 wildlife officers between 2009 and early 2011 to prove they were deer hunting while on the clock. FOP secretary Mark Drum, however, said that until 2012, ODOW supervisors wanted time sheets that were a “straight eight” reporting of hours worked.

The system of eight hours for five specific days of the week did not reflect accurate work hours, said Drum. The practice did prevent ODOW officers from receiving overtime pay.

“We’ve always wanted a concise record of the hours worked by wildlife officers,” said Drum. “Officers get calls at all hours of the day or night, and often work far more than 40 hours each week.”

Wildlife Officer Jim Carnes of Highland County is the only one of the 17 subject to a pre-disciplinary hearing. Columbiana County Wildlife Officer David Brown, on the original list of 18 officers, retired more than a year ago.

“Following the Inspector General’s investigation and our own internal investigation, recommendations were made to return the 16 officers to full law enforcement duties,” said Communications Director Bethany McCorkle of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the agency that oversees the ODOW.

McCorkle said the investigation was provoked by timekeeping issues among Ohio’s wildlife officers, not falsifying of time sheets. She said many of the hours the wildlife officers had worked were at their home offices, which administrators could not accurately verify. As a result, said McCorkle, policies have been put in place requiring officers to keep a daily log of all of their work, including home office hours.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Weather and game cancellations made for few chances to catch games and plays this past week, so our boys basketball plays of week poll will resume next week. Thanks to Steven Newton and Robert Holmes of 3rdcoasthoops.com for providing highlights. Check cleveland.com every Tuesday for the play of the week video and poll.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Weather and game cancellations made for few chances to catch games and plays this past week, so our boys basketball plays of week poll will resume next week.

Thanks to Steven Newton and Robert Holmes of 3rdcoasthoops.com for providing highlights. Check cleveland.com every Tuesday for the play of the week video and poll.

In last week's play of the week, Cleveland Heights' Jeremy Holmes won with 62 percent of the votes.

Do you have video of a play you think belongs in the poll? Be sure to email your highlight videos weekly to Lexi Pluym via email or Twitter by Mondays at noon. See contact information below.

You can also follow the highlights providers on Twitter (@3rdcoasthoops). 

Contact high school sports reporter Lexi Pluym by email (apluym@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@LexiPluym). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The 2 1/2-year-old study is testing more than 400 active fighters and mixed martial artists, as well as roughly 25 retirees in hopes of finding markers that will indicate which injuries are most likely to cause temporary harm as well as longterm degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rival politicians, boxers, and martial arts fighters stopped beating up on each other for roughly an hour on Tuesday to find common ground in support of a Cleveland Clinic study on head injuries.

Representatives of competing boxing and mixed martial arts programs teamed with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain - both former boxers - to announce a $600,000 contribution from the professional fighting organizations to continue the Cleveland Clinic's Professional Fighters Brain Health Study.

The 2 1/2-year-old study is testing more than 400 active fighters and mixed martial artists, as well as roughly 25 retirees in hopes of finding markers that will indicate which injuries are most likely to cause temporary harm as well as longterm degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

"We have an opportunity with this study and the support we've gotten from these organizations to begin to better understand what causes these diseases, how we can prevent them, and how they progress," said Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Delos "Toby" Cosgrove.

Clinic researchers hope the results will also apply to other sports that jolt the head, like football and hockey, as well as people who suffer head trauma in the U.S. military.

"We all know this is a problem," said McCain, a former boxer at the U.S. Naval Academy, citing the difficulties of boxing great Muhammad Ali.  "If we don't do this, I am afraid the support for these incredible, entertaining sports will wane on the part of the American people."
 
Fighters who participate in the study receive free, ongoing brain tests, including MRI scans, for a minimum of four years. Early results have shown MRI changes in some participants over the course of a year, which indicate the test might be a useful way to track brain changes in those exposed to head trauma.

Most of the work on the study is being conducted at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brian Health in Las Vegas, although tests will also be done at the Cleveland Clinic and facilities it operates in New York and Los Angeles, said the study's chief researcher, Charles Bernick.

The research team has secured a Defense Department grant for a type of imaging that will be used in the study, said Bernick, which dovetails with numerous studies the Defense Department is conducting on the effects of brain injuries U.S. soldiers suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Cleveland Clinic has already put roughly $2 million of its own money into the study, in addition to the contributions announced Tuesday from boxing entities Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Boxing, along with mixed martial arts programs Ultimate Fighting Championships, Bellator MMA and Glory kickboxing. 

"I am glad to be a part of history," said International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, a participant in the study who is also a partner in Golden Boy Promotions.

"At the end of the day, I am excited to become the best lightweight in the world, but I am also excited to be able to play football in the front yard with my children someday," agreed Michael Chandler, a lightweight mixed martial arts fighter. "To me, that is more important than any gold you can put around my waist, or any amount of money I can make."

Nick Hagadone receives lost service time, while the Indians are awarded an extra minor-league option on the left-hander.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A settlement has been reached on the grievance filed against the Indians on behalf of left-handed reliever Nick Hagadone during the 2012 season.

Hagadone received 94 days of lost service time, while the Indians were awarded an additional minor-league option on Hagadone. Before the settlement, Hagadone was out of options, which meant he would have had to make the big-league club out of spring training this year, get traded or be exposed to waivers in an attempt to send him to the minors.

Now the Indians can send Hagadone to the minors with no risk if he doesn’t open the season in the big leagues.

News of the settlement was first reported by mlb.com.

On July 6, 2012, Hagadone allowed two runs on two hits in two thirds of an inning against Tampa Bay at Progressive Field. When he left the field, he suffered a broken radius in his left forearm when he slapped or punched a hard surface in the dugout. The injury required surgery and ended Hagadone’s season.

The Indians optioned him to Class AAA Columbus and put him on the minor-league disqualified list. The move meant they did not have to pay Hagadone or honor his major-league service time.

Hagadone’s agents filed a grievance, which was not settled until recently. MLB and the players association negotiated the grievance in front of an arbitrator. Early in the process, Hagadone was awarded his lost wages. He made $480,500 during the 2012 season

The additional service time gives Hagadone one year and 127 days in the big leagues. Depending on how much big-league time he gets in 2014, he has a chance to be arbitration eligible as a Super Two player.

“The organization is pleased to have achieved resolution on this matter with the help of MLB and the MLBPA,” GM Chris Antonetti said via e-mail. “Out of respect to Nick and his teammates as they prepare to begin a new season, as well as for the process itself, we do not wish to discuss the matter in any more detail.”

The Indians acquired the 6-5, 230-pound Hagadone along with Justin Masterson and Bryan Price from Boston on July 31, 2009 for Victor Martinez. Hagadone has spent parts of three seasons with the Indians.

Hagadone, 28, throws hard, but has had control problems. Last year he went 0-1 with a 5.48 ERA, walking 21 and striking out 30 in 31 1/3 innings. He was much better in 27 games at Columbus, striking out 46 and walking 17 in 32 1/3 innings.

The Browns found a sure thing in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Waiting on Seattle's Dan Quinn to interview a second time for the head coaching position would've been the opposite -- a risk with no guarantees.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Spend enough time in a sports town stuck on the outside looking in at 48 Super Bowls, you’re not surprised what people were thinking after Seattle’s defense, coordinated by Dan Quinn, shut down Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Why didn’t the Browns wait?

The answer is obvious. Waiting would've cost them one coach: Mike Pettine and maybe even a second, Kyle Shanahan. (More in a minute on Shanahan, who would’ve been a good hire in early January but is especially so this late in the process.)

Pettine didn’t want to keep Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone hanging and told the Bills' flagship station he probably would’ve removed his name if told the search would extend beyond the Super Bowl.

The Browns hadn’t spent nearly as much time with Quinn as they’d spent with Pettine. Certainly not enough time to know for sure that he was their man. Or that they were his team.

Despite Quinn saying after the Super Bowl he would’ve loved to talk to the Browns again, and that he considered the opportunity “big-time,” what if the Browns’ job didn’t offer him the money and/or the responsibility he sought?

Then what? Coach by committee for 2014? Bring back Chud on an interim basis? Coach Banner?

Jimmy Haslam, acting on a guuuut feeling, hires Butch Davis?

Twice in the last quarter century – yes, it’s almost been that long since Bill Belichick – the Browns waited until after the Super Bowl and hired the defensive coordinator from the latest dynasty-in-the-making. Belichick was the first. Still trying to catch the wave that swallowed them, the Browns bet on the Belichick connection again with the hiring of Romeo Crennel to replace Davis.

How’d that work out?

(By the way, speaking of Belichick, do yourself a favor and watch Frank Caliendo’s ESPN mockumentary on Richard Sherman. The Belichick impersonation is beautiful.)

There’s no guarantee Quinn will become a better head coach than Pettine. And no guarantee he won’t. Just because he’s watching Pete Carroll do it right in Seattle doesn’t mean he could replicate it here. Carroll didn't get it right his first time around.

The angst over the Browns wrapping up their search before Quinn interviewed a second time should be mitigated, in some way, by the fact that moving ahead allowed the Browns to come to terms with Shanahan.

I’m not saying there was another offensive coordinator job out there for him. But he was looking for work, and maybe wouldn’t have been Quinn’s choice had Quinn taken the job.

Shanahan has worked with mobile quarterbacks (Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins to a lesser extent) and not so-mobile quarterbacks (Matt Schaub). He’s had six years of offensive coordinator experience in two cities. His hiring should bring a sense of relief, if not comfort, for one side of the ball. Whatever you think of Rob Chudzinski’s shortcomings as a head coach, players respected him and Norv Turner for their grasp of offense.

Shanahan helps fill that void and blunt the shock that comes when a new regime pledging to bring stability turns things upside down 11 months later.

We won’t know about Pettine until next fall. We won’t know about Quinn until 2015 at the earliest. Shanahan is the surest hire the Browns made. Surer than Dan Quinn.

SPINOFFS

• Brett Favre made a pre-Super Bowl TV appearance in which he dismissed the notion that Peyton Manning had to win a second Super Bowl to cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats.

“Absolutely ridiculous,” said Favre.

Who won one Super Bowl.

• Former big-leaguer Fernando Tatis is a prolific Tweeter. After the Super Bowl, he gave the Broncos a poke:

8 points in the superbowl...i had 8 rbi in one inning

— Fernando Tatis (@FTatis23) February 3, 2014

He did exactly that, hitting two grand slams in an inning once. Tatis took some heat for his Tweet. But cut him some slack. Most of what Tatis Tweets is humorous. So he won’t mind if we point out he also had eight RBI for the season in 2006.

And six RBI for the season in 2010.

• Hearing speculation of the Browns trading for Washington’s Kirk Cousins because of the Kyle Shanahan connection.

The Browns already have that quarterback. His name is Brian Hoyer and he’s better.

• Apparently some see the standard for good quarterback play as being able to beat the Browns. Cousins is 1-0 in that department. He threw for over 300 yards against them in a 2012 victory.

All that really makes him is John Skelton, who threw for 313 in Arizona’s 2011 win over the Browns.

• In three consecutive starts to end the 2013 season, Cousins threw four touchdowns and five interceptions.

If that makes him “must-have,” we owe Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy and a lot of other quarterbacks who’ve started here since 1999 a heartfelt apology for ushering them out of town.

• Joakim Noah was ejected Monday night but not before he sought out three refs individually and told each what he could do to himself. He later apologized.

“I’m really disappointed,” Noah told reporters. “I shouldn’t have acted that way.”

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeaux said he did not believe Noah would be suspended as a result of his expletive-laden tirade.

Which must mean they’ve done away with suspensions under new NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

• The Cavs lost to Dallas 124-107 Monday night. It is widely viewed as progress.

Sadly.

• A man who claims former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez once shot him in the face in Florida was shot again in an incident outside a Hartford nightclub.

For the first time since his arrest on murder charges, Hernandez has a believable alibi.

• If there’s a greater case of culture shock than a Jamaican bobsledder being dropped onto an icy track in Sochi, Russia at the Winter Olympics, it’s Luol Deng leaving the Bulls for the Cavaliers.

• Browns defensive end Desmond Bryant Tweeted pics of his Super Bowl seats, high above Met Life Stadium. They were, in his words, a “bum-ass view.” He later deleted the Tweet.

Bryant said he paid for the seats. If so, he deserves to complain. But he probably won’t get much sympathy here, given the Super Bowl view Browns’ fans have had for the past 48 years.

• Surprised no one has submitted the obvious Separated at Birth: Eva Gabor in “Green Acres” and Joe Namath at the Super Bowl.

• Ray Guy became the first punter elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Since punters participate in about 2 percent of all plays from scrimmage, I guess what we’re saying is, don’t give up hope Ryan Pontbriand, you might still have a chance.

• Russell Wilson expects to make an appearance at the spring training camp of the Texas Rangers, who selected him in the December Rule 5 draft.

If he’s trying to prove he’s better than Brandon Weeden in two sports, that’s just rubbing it in.

• The Super Bowl MVP press conference was interrupted by a protester who shouted his belief that Sept. 11 was “perpetrated by our own government.”

My only fear when I hear these kinds of stories of ridiculous public spectacle in the national spotlight -- aside from the security lapse that allowed the person entry: don’t let it be a “You Said It” contributor.

• A Newark Star Ledger story on tax breaks afforded the NFL for bringing the Super Bowl to New Jersey points out the league brings in approximately $255 million in revenues annually while generating billions in broadcasting and licensing deals.

Roger Goodell made $29.4 million in 2011.

So, obviously, you can see why the league has nonprofit status with the IRS.

• Richard Sherman says the Seahawks cracked Peyton Manning’s code, knew what routes he favored in certain situations and even intercepted some of his hand signals at the line of scrimmage.

“Me, Earl (Thomas), Kam (Chancellor), we’re not just three All-Pro players, we’re three All-Pro minds.”

In three short weeks, Sherman has gone from screaming at the top of his lungs about Michael Crabtree’s inferiority, to a much quieter approach.

Still there's no greater trash talk than saying you’re smarter than Peyton Manning.

• The Houston Texans are said to be leaning toward using the No. 1 overall pick in the May draft on quarterback Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel.

And if they’re saying that in February, two weeks before the scouting combine and three months before the draft, it must be true?

• An employee at Purell, based in Akron, made a joke about the Broncos playing like the Cleveland Browns in Super Bowl XLVIII, and many Browns fans did not like it. Who can blame them? When a hand sanitizing product makes fun of your football team, them’s fighting words.

Twitter is sacred ground where Browns fans take a pledge to only make fun of their team to each other.

The 34-year-old knows his Xs and Os, but he must sharpen his people skills.

BEREA, Ohio – Kyle Shanahan agreed to work for a Browns’ organization described by national media members as “toxic” and “radioactive.”

The 34-year-old offensive coordinator should welcome the improved air quality.

Redskins Park became a virtual Chernobyl on the Potomac a year ago as Washington finished 3-13 and endured season-long controversy involving quarterback Robert Griffin III and head coach Mike Shanahan. As coordinator and son of the coach, Kyle Shanahan was caught in the middle of the meltdown. He wasn’t just as innocent bystander.

His perceived lack of people skills and maturity were cited in the deconstruction of a division champion. The handling of Griffin, returning from a serious knee injury at the end of the 2012 season, produced a bevy of unflattering headlines and contributed to the Shanahans’ ouster. Kyle Shanahan was further humbled by losing out on coordinator openings in Miami and Baltimore.

Coming to Berea gives him a chance to rehabilitate his reputation, rebuild his image as a quality coordinator and take a step toward reaching his goal of becoming a head coach. If Shanahan learns lessons from what went wrong a year ago and how he can grow as a coach and communicator he could represent a good hire for the Browns.

He certainly shouldn’t be daunted by the organizational dysfunction after four seasons in Washington, where owner Daniel Snyder cultivates friendships with star players such as Griffin. Putting some distance between himself and his father probably isn’t a bad thing, either.

The NFL is a league big on second chances. Ask Bill Belichick or Tom Coughlin. But screw it up again, as Eric Mangini discovered, and you’re consigned to studio work and consultant duties.

Awarded a three-year contract, Shanahan inherits a major role under rookie coach Mike Pettine, a former defensive coordinator. Despite his age, Shanahan has 10 years in the NFL, including six as coordinator with Houston and Washington. His offenses have finished among the league’s top-10 four times and he’s no stranger to working with divas and high-profile quarterbacks. That experience could prove invaluable if the Browns draft quarterback and ESPN obsession Johnny Manziel.

Shanahan would not change his offense for aging star Donovan McNabb in Washington, but did adapt it for Griffin, who had a sensational rookie reason before injuries led to trouble on and off the field.

The coordinator has his critics, as a withering report from CBSSports.com Insider Jason La Canfora attests, but many appreciate his offensive acumen.

Shanahan is creative and intelligent, a coordinator who knows how to get receivers open. All Pro Josh Gordon, who enjoyed a breakout second season, should thrive in his offense the way Andre Johnson did in Houston. He also makes good use of tight ends, lining them up all over formations.

In Washington, Shanahan added the read-option to his playbook the past two years to capitalize on Griffin’s mobility. The diverse attack helped transform unheralded Alfred Morris from a sixth-round pick to a Pro Bowl halfback.

There’s a lot to like with Shanahan schematically. But can he build relationships with players and assistant coaches?

Fair or not, the image of an abrasive coordinator is one he must overcome. He clashed with some Redskins assistants such as receivers’ coaches Keenan McCardell and Ike Hilliard. In Cleveland, he will oversee a staff that already has three assistants hired before him.

Shanahan’s relationship with Griffin appeared to sour although in fairness, Mike Shanahan seemed to do nothing to mediate issues. Griffin, who must bear some culpability, probably felt he had no confidante seeing as the coordinator was the son of the coach. That won’t be a problem with Pettine, who knows what it’s like to work in the shadow of a famous father.

Ultimately, Shanahan must develop a good relationship with whichever quarterback the Browns elect to draft, acquire or choose from on the current roster (read Brian Hoyer). With a healthy, competent quarterback -- no given in this organization - he should improve an offense that ranked 27th in scoring last season.

Shanahan is smart enough to realize he won’t be given many more shots if things go poorly with the Browns. Whereas a couple good seasons in Berea could make him a head-coaching candidate who’s proven he can make changes.

The Browns' new offensive coordinator has the opportunity to alter perception and the future.

The Buckeyes are trying to put the finishing touches on one of the nation's top classes. Check out the profile page for each Buckeye recruit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State is trying to pull in one of the nation's best football recruiting classes for Signing Day 2014, and a couple of big-time Buckeye prospects still have not announced where they will sign on the dotted line Wednesday.

The mother of five-star defensive lineman Malik McDowell reportedly doesn't want him to attend Michigan State after she had a bad experience on her son's recent visit to East Lansing.

The 6-foot-6, 292-pound five-star defensive lineman from Southfield, Mich., is ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. Will he end up at MSU, Ohio State or even Florida State? He is expected to announce his college choice Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

The other important story line for OSU is Chicago offensive lineman Jamarco Jones, who is a soft verbal to OSU but visited Michigan State over the weekend.

Northeast Ohio Media Group will have blanket coverage all day Wednesday from the Ohio State and Big Ten angles, as well as the local scene with dozens of kids signing from high schools across the region.

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find Wednesday on cleveland.com:

A live show with segments every 30 minutes (see full lineup below). The show will start at 9 and run until 4:30. The show will feature analysis from our Ohio State and high school reporters, a look ahead to 2015 and in-studio guests, including Shaker Heights’ seven Division I recruits coming in to sign their Letters of Intent live on the air.

A live blog updated constantly with all the latest breaking news and your comments, as well as a place to find all of the high school and college stories being posted all day.

The Buckeyes have 22 pledges for their class right now. Here is a look at the class as it stands, along with each recruit's star ranking from rivals.com. Click the links to see a full profile page on each player, including photo, video and analysis of how they fit with the Buckeyes:

The Olympics have a long history of rising above bad first impressions, media misgivings and other issues. The celebration of the Opening Ceremony on Friday gives way to the exaltation of youth for 17 days of competition between the world's best athletes. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Regardless of whether there is a terrorist attack at the Sochi Winter Olympics this month, it already has earned an unfortunate distinction. Call it the Lockdown Games.

It remains to be seen whether the Olympics can overcome depressing reports of extremely high security in the wake of what U.S. officials call “specific (terrorism) threats of varying degrees.” The U.S. has two warships in the Black Sea on standby and the U.S. ski and snowboard team hired a private security firm with a 200-seat plane at the ready in the event of an attack.

More than 40,000 Russian forces are said to be forming a “ring of steel” around the Games. Anyone who wants to protest recently enacted Russian anti-gay laws or anything else must do so at a park far from the Olympics, with a government permit.

The fenced-in feel has served as muffled prelude to the Olympics' normally joyous mixing of cultures while a host nation puts its best foot forward – usually not in an Army boot.

View full sizeThe Jamaican bobsleld team arrived at the Olympics, but its equipment and luggage did not. JAM-1 driver Winston Watts speaks on the phone after arriving at the sliding center during a training session Wednesday in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Watts and his team were unable to practice.AP

Olympics fans and athletes just want to have fun inside and outside venues and secure zones. The anxiety about an attack has many people, including some family members of 15 Ohio Olympians, feeling nervous as they travel 5,600 miles to Sochi. The excitement of soaking up local flavor the way they did during recent games in London and Vancouver is dampened.

The Olympics, however, have a long history of rising above bad first impressions, media misgivings and other issues. The celebration of the Opening Ceremony on Friday gives way to the exaltation of youth (and in the case of some curlers, middle age) for 17 days of competition between the world's best athletes.

There will be much to exalt. More than ever, in fact. Twelve new medal events continue a trend of the expanding Winter Games, which now number 98 events in seven sports and 15 disciplines. They will be spread across 11 venues at a Sochi cluster of indoor ice venues on the mild Black Sea coast, and a nearby mountain cluster for ski and sliding events.

How we watch the Games is evolving as much as the Games themselves. During the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, neither the iPad nor NBC Sports Network existed. Now, NBC will live stream all competition through its website, nbcolympics.com, and NBC's sister cable networks will expand their coverage. NBCSN will broadcast all figure skating live from Sochi, which is nine hours ahead of Cleveland. Bob Costas, 61, still will host the primetime highlights package that airs while Sochi sleeps.

About 6,700 athletes from 88 countries are expected, including the Jamaican bobsled team, which raised its own funds to travel to Sochi only to learn its equipment, as of Wednesday, had not arrived. Seven new nations make their Winter Olympics debut. Among them, Tonga is sending Bruno Banani, who changed his name to the German underwear company that sponsors him.

Ohio has strong ties to 15 athletes from six countries. Leading the charge are a trio of Northeast Ohio women, four former Ohio State hockey players and four Columbus Blue Jackets from Russia who will be under intense pressure to win gold at home. Russia has poured $50 billion of its treasury into the most expensive Olympics on record, and hockey pride runs deep across the largest country on the planet, now hosting its first Winter Games.

“Olympic Games in Russia is probably a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. People's expectations are high,'' said Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin, who will play in his third Olympics for Russia.

It wouldn't be an Olympics without stories of personal perseverance, and all three 26-year-old local women have that and more.

Dynamic center Kelli Stack of Brooklyn Heights has recovered from major knee surgery 13 months ago and is playing the best hockey of her highly decorated career. There's a likely scenario that end with the U.S. finally ending rival Canada's streak of three straight Olympic gold medals with Stack playing a decisive role.

“It's a privilege to have that type of pressure,'' Stack said. “Every kid grows up wanting to have their number called when you are either up or down by a goal. It's a great honor to be one of those players that is called upon, and I like that pressure.''

Stack and backup goalie Brianne McLaughlin of Sheffield Village brought home an Olympic silver medal in 2010. McLaughlin is back, probably in another reserve role after a groin injury halted her run at the starting job late last fall.

Long track speedskater Kelly Gunther left Lorain at age 11 to pursue an elite skating career, but her roots remain here, as does nearly all of her family. Gunther, who cleaned apartments at night with her mother to help pay for her early career, is not a medal contender, but just the fact she is an Olympian seems triumphant. She nearly destroyed her lower leg in a gruesome on-ice crash four years ago. Gunther skates in the 1,000 meters Feb. 13.

“I never lost sight of my dream,'' said Gunther, who plans to compete through the 2018 Olympics.

They are part of what has become a juggernaut U.S. Olympic program that earned a record 37 medals (nine gold) in 2010. The U.S. team, which does not receive federal funding, could win 40-50 medals in Sochi, and more than 15 golds seems plausible. The increase is due in part to some of the so-called extreme new events that are right up the Americans' ally – halfpipe skiing, team figure skating and snowboard and ski slopestyle, which combines the tricks found in halfpipe with the added twists of downhill jumps and three on-course gliding rails, or jibs.

Shaun White, his Flying Tomato nickname gone along with his shorn red locks, is back to defend his halfpipe snowboard golds won in 2006 and 2010, but has withdrawn from slopestyle. At 27 and coming off some recent inconsistency, he was not a lock to win either event.

White and 1,000-meter speedskater Shani Davis will attempt to become the first Americans to three-peat. NBC, which paid $775 million for the broadcast rights, is happy to still have them around after injuries prevented two other major stars, figure skater Evan Lysacek and skier Lindsey Vonn, from returning to defend their 2010 gold medals, plus the retirement of America's most decorated Winter Olympian, short track speedskater Apolo Ohno, and the 2011 death of freestyle aerialist Jaret “Speedy” Peterson.

Of course, other stars will emerge. American Mikaela Shiffrin, 18, is the world's No. 1 women's slalom skier heading to Sochi, and she no doubt will absorb some of Vonn's former spotlight. She already graces one of Sports Illustrated's four Olympic preview covers.

Shiffrin is a real talent. She does not have the experience she might need, but she doesn't need to look far to find savvy teammates, including previous gold-medal winners Ted Ligety, Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso, each of whom is capable of stealing the show at any moment. Ligety should win three medals, possibly two gold.

NBC will get some more bang for its buck with the addition of team figure skating, which NBC will need because the U.S. women could experience a second straight podium shutout unless Gracie Gold at least captures bronze. The final women's showdown between South Korea defending champion Kim Yu-Na and Japan's Mao Asada, both of whom are retiring, will provide much of the ice drama. Another figure skating rivalry to watch pits defending ice dancing world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the U.S. against Canadian Olympic champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The two couples train together in Canton, Mich., alongside the effervescent Internet darling “Shib Sibs,'' Maia and Alex Shibutani.

To many, the appeal of the Winter Olympics goes well beyond the high-wattage snowboard, Alpine and figure skating events.

Some people just dig skeleton, ski jumping and cross country skiing and can't wait to see coed luge relay. It looks like crazy fun or just plain crazy, and that's fun to watch, so why not tune in? There's plenty of fodder there, including new mother Noelle Pikus-Pace coming out of retirement to get the only thing that has eluded her in skeleton – an Olympic medal. Ohioans have another reason to watch skeleton. Former Ohio resident Katie Uhlaender is the daughter of late Indians and Reds player and coach Ted Uhlaender, whose 2009 death Katie continues to struggle with. While competing, Katie wears a necklace holding her father's 1972 National League championship ring and a small silver ball containing some of her father's ashes.

Ski jumping finally is allowing women on the hill and 19-year-old American Sarah Hendrickson is the 2013 world champion, but has spent the last five months recovering from a knee injury.

In many countries, the only thing that matters about the Winter Olympics is cross country skiing, and the men's 50 kilometer on the final day is their Daytona 500.

View full sizeKikkan Randall has a clear shot at becoming the first American to win a gold medal in cross country skiing.Tim Warsinskey / The Plain Dealer

Norwegian cross country superstar Marit Bjoergen, 33, won a Winter Olympics record five medals in 2010 and could attempt to win six in Sochi, which would give her 13 career medals and make her the most decorated Winter Olympian. German speedskater Claudia Pechstein and Italian luger Armin Zoegeler also can break the career medals record.

When keeping an eye on Bjoergen, look out for Kikkan Randall, the confident Alaskan blonde with pink streaks in her hair and a fearlessness earned while training among grizzly bears. Competing in her fourth Olympics at age 31, she is the reigning World Cup sprint champion and could become America's first cross country gold medal.

Even though Ohio is not exactly a winter sports haven, Midwesterners can find room to identify with the likes of ski cross dark horse contender John Teller, who works as an auto mechanic to support his career, or slope ski favorite and X Games champion Nick Goepper, who got his start sliding on carpet strips lubed with dishwashing soap in his back yard in Lawrenceburg, Ind., on the Ohio border.

While retired former Olympian Brock Kreitzburg of Akron is heading up a relief agency in South Sudan, his former teammate, driver Steven Holcomb, will attempt to defend his four-man bobsled gold medal and win the United States' first two-man medal since 1948. Olympic track gold medalist Tianna Madison of Elyria had a brief, failed attempt to make the bobsled team as a push athlete, but two other Summer Olympians are in Sochi – Lolo Jones and Lauryn Williams – are push athletes. Driver Elana Meyers and pusher Aja Evans head to Russia ranked second in two-woman bobsled.

All of them, in the end, will help determine if fans and athletes feel relieved or, as they should at an Olympics, refreshed at the Closing Ceremony on Feb. 23.

That won't completely close the Olympics in Russia. The Winter Paralympics are March 7-16 and NBC will devote 50 hours of coverage to Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, sled hockey and wheelchair curling. The Paralympics are gaining popularity thanks in part to the increased involvement of wounded U.S. veterans.

Then, the Olympic movement can look forward with excitement, or dread, to the next Winter Games in yet another potential global hotspot – the Korean peninsula – at Pyeongchang in 2018.

Time will tell, and forward it marches. Let the Games begin.

First day in Sochi and I already ran into a fellow Ohioan, USA speedskater @KellyAGunther @TimsTakeCLE #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/MVmySAYM2s

— Kelli Stack (@kstack16) February 4, 2014

Slade ended up signing with the Buckeyes after originally giving an oral commitment to Nebraska and then Michigan State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – As part of its coverage for National Signing Day, Cleveland.com is putting together comprehensive player profiles for each prospect Ohio State will soon officially add to its roster. Here is the latest addition to the 2014 Buckeye recruiting class, Darius Slade of New Jersey.

Darius Slade

School: Montclair (N.J) High

Position: Defensive end

Height, Weight: 6-foot-5, 237 pounds

Rivals.com rating: Slade is rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 19 player in the state of New Jersey for the 2014 recruiting class.

Other schools: Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and West Virginia were among the schools where he took an official visit.

How he fits into Ohio State’s plans: Slade signed with OSU today in a last-minute switch from Michigan State - and he hasn't even taken an official visit to Columbus. He is scheduled to do that on Feb. 14. Slade is the 23rd signee in the 2014 class. He originally committed to Nebraska before switching to MSU, then OSU on Wednesday. As a senior, posted 67 tackles, 23.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for a Montclair. His team's defense allowed only 96 points in 12 games while posting four shutouts. He caught three touchdown passes for Montclair, who won a state title after winning all 12 of its games. Slade is the second defensive end Meyer has taken from Michigan State in three years at Ohio State. The first was Se'Von Pittman in the 2012 recruiting class.

Projection for 2014: Ohio State has all of its starters returning on the defensive line, and Slade - at 237 - is light right now to play DE in the Big Ten. Don't be surprised if he redshirts to gain strength and size.

What has been written about Slade:

• Slade said today that Larry Johnson was the person who helped him decide to be a Buckeye (nj.com)

• Slade pulls a late surprise and sends his letter of intent to OSU (cleveland.com)

• Urban Meyer didn't know a whole lot about Slade before he signed

• How Slade ended up decommiting from Nebraska (nj.com)

• . . . And how he then chose Michigan State (nj.com)

• Slade not the only Division I prospect from his Montclair team (nj.com)

Videos:

AKRON, Ohio — St. Vincent-St. Mary called off school Wednesday due to snow but that couldn't stop officials from opening the doors to celebrate seniors signing on to play at the college level. Signing were football players Dante Booker Jr., Parris Campbell Jr., Newman Williams, Travonte Junius and Aaron Bushner.

AKRON, Ohio — St. Vincent-St. Mary called off school Wednesday due to snow but that couldn't stop officials from opening the doors to celebrate seniors signing on to play at the college level.

Signing were football players Dante Booker Jr., Parris Campbell Jr., Newman Williams, Travonte Junius and Aaron Bushner.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's Dante Booker Jr and Parris Campbell Jr., both bound for Ohio State University, speak after their signing day ceremony.

Booker and Campbell are both headed to Columbus to play at Ohio State, and teammates Williams and Junius are bound for the University of Akron.

Bushner will be suiting up to play at Lake Erie College in Painesville.

“Their accomplishments off the field, in the community and in the classroom are just as impressive as their accomplishments on the field,” Athletic Director Andy Jalwan said. “I’m extremely proud of them and how they have represented our school.”

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Russ Jacques resigned Monday as Strongsville's football coach after 20 seasons with the program. Jacques, 68, had originally re-applied for the position in December, after leading the Mustangs to a 5-5 finish.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Russ Jacques resigned Monday as Strongsville's football coach after 20 seasons with the program.

Jacques, 68, had originally re-applied for the position in December, after leading the Mustangs to a 5-5 finish.

This story will be updated with more information.

Jacques' teams qualified for the playoffs 12 times, and reached the regional finals three times. The Mustangs won eight conference titles (seven Pioneer Conference, one Northeast Ohio Conference) under Jacques.

Jacques' coaching career has spanned nearly five decades between the high school and college levels.

He had previously been offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Wisconsin, offensive coordinator at Northwestern, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, backfield coach at Ohio University and secondary coach Bowling Green, his alma mater.

A three-year letterman at Bowling Green, Jacques was quarterback from 1964-66, leading his team to Mid-American Conference titles in 1964 and 1965. He also lettered in baseball.

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The United States Fed Cup team features four players with an average age of 20 years old, and only one player who has participated before.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – There are positives and negatives about having a United States Fed Cup team filled with young, up-and-comers instead of established winners such as Serena Williams or Sloane Stephens.

First, the women all are giddy simply to be there. On Wednesday, Christina McHale, Lauren Davis, Madison Keys and Alison Riske were all smiles and giggles, all jokes and laughter.

"You bring a lot of excitement and energy and enthusiasm when it's your first time," captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "You get this great experience to play for your country, represent your country."

And then there's the innocence. Riske, a Pittsburgh native, couldn't even bother to bash on her rival city, even as a snowstorm raged outside Public Auditorium, where the United States was practicing and the matches will be played this weekend.

"I know I wasn't sure what to expect once I got here, but it's absolutely beautiful," Riske said of the ornate auditorium where matches will be played. "I think it's unique. I was talking to Christina because she's been in other ties, and she agreed it was something special."

The Americans are all smiles and optimism for their match against Italy, even though the U.S. team has lost to Italy the last three times they have played, including in last year's World Group Quarterfinals, and in two World Group Finals (2009 and 2010).

These are different teams, however, both with inexperience and question marks. On the U.S. team, only McHale has previous Fed Cup experience; on Italy's team, only Karin Knapp has played.

On the American side, 23-year-old Riske is the oldest competitor; 26-year-old Knapp is the oldest Italian.

"I think it's pretty clear the future is very bright, and this is an example of it," Fernandez said. "We have different game styles, which is great, and personalities, but it's very positive. It's extremely exciting to be part of and to see the young players grow and develop as people and as players, as well."

Davis is one of the up-and-comers, a Gates Mills' native who is just as delighted to be playing in the Fed Cup as she is to be playing in front of her hometown.

"It's a huge honor," Davis said. "I'm just really excited. I never thought It would be in Cleveland, so this is a really pleasant surprise. I'm going to have my whole family and all my friends come support me, so I'm just really, really excited."

As for negatives?

"I don't really see any negatives," Fernandez shrugged. "Obviously not having played under the pressure of Fed Cup before you never know how someone is going to handle it. I think that's a positive, regardless, because of the experience and the feedback you get in it. For me, really, it's all positive."

Fed Cup

United States vs. Italy

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. – USA No. 1 vs. Italy No. 2 / USA No. 2 vs. Italy No. 1. Sunday, noon – USA No. 1 vs. Italy No. 1 / USA No. 2 vs. Italy No. 2. Draw to determine player position is Friday.

Where: Public Auditorium.

Tickets: Single-day tickets for $25 per day are available at www.usta.com/fedcup or by calling 888-334-USTA (8782).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Go behind the scenes with Shaker Heights' football team as five players signed and faxed their National Letters of Intent live on video on Wednesday. Joe Henderson (Tennessee), Odell Spencer (Cincinnati), Ja'Merez Bowen (Cincinnati), Trey Johnson (Bucknell) and Rameses Owens (Robert Morris) faxed their letters to their respective Division I programs live from the cleveland.com office in the West Bank of the Flats....

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Go behind the scenes with Shaker Heights' football team as five players signed and faxed their National Letters of Intent live on video on Wednesday.

Joe Henderson (Tennessee), Odell Spencer (Cincinnati), Ja'Merez Bowen (Cincinnati), Trey Johnson (Bucknell) and Rameses Owens (Robert Morris) faxed their letters to their respective Division I programs live from the cleveland.com office in the West Bank of the Flats.

Watch video of the players signing and faxing their offer sheets here.

The players were joined by their families and were relieved and happy to see their letters go through the fax machine, making their dreams that much more tangible. "It feels like the weight of the world is off my shoulders," Spencer said. "It was such a stressful process, I'm glad it's over so I can enjoy the rest of my senior year."

Henderson has been committed to Tennessee since last May but was still moved by the signing experience.

"I knew I was going to UT for a while but knowing that my letter is now in the office feels amazing," Henderson said. "It was also great sharing the moment with my brothers, we had a lot of great times and I'll miss them."

Shaker Heights coach Jarvis Gibson is proud of this class and is excited to see what the future holds for them. Also signing with Division I programs were Nolan Jackson-Daniel (Buffalo) and Greg Claytor (Duquesne).

"They've worked just as hard on the field as they have off of it," Gibson said. "We have these seven signing Division I, three more signing Division II and another three going Division III. I'm proud of these boys. They've set a foundation for themselves and our program to build on. Everybody is a winner today."

Watch Gibson talk about his players here:

Also see separate videos with each of the five seniors who came in to fax their letters. You can watch them here. 

Joe Henderson tells us why he ignored overtures from Big Ten schools and chose to play at Tennessee in the SEC.

Cincinnati signee Odell Spencer proclaims his game goes off the field as he lets us know he won "best dressed" from his peers and wants to be prom king.

Bucknell signee Trey Johnson looks forward to the academic challenges as much as the football.

Ja'Merez Bowen is looking forward to hitting the ground running at Cincinnati.

Rameses Owens is elated to be able to play near his family at Robert Morris.

See a chart on every local football senior signing with a Division I school.

$(function(){
var mySize = $('.entry-content').width();
if(mySize $('.col2').add('.col3').hide();
} else if (mySize { $('.col3').hide();
}
$('#flexTable td').css('background-color','#ffffff');
$('#flexTable tr:odd td').css('background-color','#e9e1d2');
$('#tableControls input[type=checkbox]').attr('checked',false);
});

#flexTable .col1 {
min-width:100px;
}
#flexTable .col2 {
min-width:100px;
}
#flexTable .col3 {
min-width:100px;
}
#flexTable .col4 {
min-width:100px;
display:none
}
#flexTable .col5 {
min-width:100px;
display:none
}

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is a look at Northeast Ohio high school football players who are expected to sign Division I Letters of Intent with Football Bowl Subdivision and Championship Subdivision programs on Wednesday, which is National Signing Day.
Athletic directors or coaches who have a Division I football signee to add to this list should send an email to kdavis@cleveland.com with all the pertinent information included. 

"When he moved and went to Ohio State, it changed something," Slade told NJ.com. "It changed something in my heart."

Darius Slade's decision to change his commitment from Michigan State to Ohio State on National Signing Day was a surprising last-minute flip, but the call might as well have been made when Slade was in grade school.

More specifically, on the day when Slade first met new Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

The pair formed a bond during the time that Slade's cousin Jared Odrick played for Johnson at Penn State from 2006-09, the three-star defensive end tells NJ.com.

"I definitely love Michigan State," Slade told NJ.com. "But Larry Johnson has been a very great friend of my family ever since he was at Penn State. The first time I met him was when I was probably in sixth or seventh grade after one of my cousin's games. We went into the locker room, and I got a chance to meet him."

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound Slade committed to Nebraska in December before flipping his pledge to Michigan State in January. But the pull of playing for Johnson became too strong after the longtime Happy Valley fixture landed on Urban Meyer's staff.

"When he moved and went to Ohio State, it changed something," Slade said. "It changed something in my heart. I knew for a fact I wanted to at least check it out."

A talented pass rusher, Slade recorded 67 tackles, 23.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his senior season for Montclair High School in New Jersey.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Football players Jimmy Byrne, Kyle Berger and Dameon Willis headlined the National Signing Day ceremony at St. Ignatius on Wednesday afternoon. Byrne is now officially headed to Notre Dame to play on the Fighting Irish’s offensive line. Berger is headed to be part of Urban Meyer’s defensive unit at Ohio State. And Wildcats defensive back Dameon Willis...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Football players Jimmy Byrne, Kyle Berger and Dameon Willis headlined the National Signing Day ceremony at St. Ignatius on Wednesday afternoon.

Byrne is now officially headed to Notre Dame to play on the Fighting Irish’s offensive line. Berger is headed to be part of Urban Meyer’s defensive unit at Ohio State. And Wildcats defensive back Dameon Willis will play in the Big Ten at Indiana. Willis, a three-star recruit on Rivals.com, also received offers from Cincinnati, Ball State and Louisville.

Byrne spoke after signing his National Letter of Intent on his decision to play for Notre Dame and how he looks to make an impact.

Byrne, a four-star recruit on Rivals.com, is ranked 30th in the nation and 19th in the state as an offensive lineman. Byrne also received offers from Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana.

Berger talked about signing with Ohio State at St. Ignatius’ ceremony. He spoke about hoping to make an impact early and what it means to be part of the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class, behind No. 1 Alabama.

Berger is a four-star recruit on Rivals.com, and ranked 11th in the state and 17th in the nation at the linebacker position. He also received offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. 

Contact high school sports reporter Lexi Pluym by email (apluym@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@LexiPluym). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - These high school seniors will play sports next season for these NCAA Division II, III, NAIA or junior college programs. Coaches or athletic directors should sent an email to rrozboril@cleveland.com with additional college signings not included below or in a list earlier this school year. Also see a roundup of recent Division I signings/oral commitments.

Brecksville softball player Nicole Best has signed a letter of intent to play for Scottsdale CC. She is one of several athletes looking to continue their athletic careers in college. (Robert Rozboril, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - These high school seniors will play sports next season for these NCAA Division II, III, NAIA or junior college programs. Coaches or athletic directors should sent an email to rrozboril@cleveland.com with additional college signings not included below or in a list earlier this school year.

Also see a roundup of recent Division I signings/oral commitments.

Josh Armbruster, Brecksville, baseball, Notre Dame College; Tim Benner, Walsh Jesuit, baseball, Tiffin; Nicole Best, Brecksville, softball, Scottsdale CC; Perry Dellavalle, Brecksville, baseball, Seton Hill; Anthony Demeo, Brecksville, baseball, Geneva; John Kunakowsky, Brecksville, baseball, Tiffin; Ally Dipre, Mentor, soccer, Lake Erie; Ellen Falko, Brecksville, lacrosse, Ohio Wesleyan; Ashley Fortuna, Mentor, bowling, Notre Dame College; Allie Gurka, North Royalton, soccer, Walsh; Kylie Haslage, Amherst, soccer, Ursuline; Julie Lacock, Amherst, soccer, Ashland; Bridget McEldowney, North Royalton, soccer, Ashland; Maddie McQuiston, Avon Lake, swimming, Ashland; Lexi Medalis, North Royalton, soccer, Edinboro; Olivia Morales, Amherst, soccer, Notre Dame College; Josh Murphy, Brecksville, wrestling, Drexel; Melissa Rains, Brecksville, cross country, Slippery Rock; Kelah Saunders, Cleveland Heights, soccer, Lake Erie; Frank Savena, Brecksville, lacrosse, Walsh; Angela Spilker, North Royalton, soccer, Walsh. 

The signing of first baseman Bryan LaHair means the Indians have invited 23 non-roster players to spring training.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians have signed free agent Bryan LaHair, who spent last season playing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan, to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

LaHair, who plays first base and the outfield, has spent three years in the big leagues with Seattle and the Cubs. He represented the Cubs in the 2012 All-Star game after hitting .286 (66-for-231) with 12 doubles, 14 homers and 30 RBI in the first half. The 6-5, 240-pound left-handed hitter lost his starting first base job to prospect Anthony Rizzo after the break and hit .202 (22-for-109) with five doubles, two homers and 10 RBI for the rest of the season.

In November of 2012, LaHair signed a two-year $4.7 million deal with the Hawks after being designated for assignment. After hitting .230 (80-for-348) with nine doubles, 16 homers and 57 RBI last season, he exercised an out in his contract and became a free agent on Jan. 23.

LaHair is a .289 (131-for-453) lifetime hitter against right-handers. As a pinch-hitter, he’s a career .326 (14-for-43) hitter. If he makes the club, he could help the Tribe as a bench player.

The Mariners drafted LaHair in the 39th round in 2002.

LaHair is a .260 (139-for-535) career hitting in the big leagues with 21 homers and 56 RBI in 195 games. In the minors, he’s a .295 (1070-for-3624) with 159 homers and 651 RBI in 970 games. He has a .865 OPS in the minors and a .764 OPS in the big leagues.

The Indians have invited 23 non-roster players to camp. They include:

Pitchers (eight): David Aardsma, Scott Atchison, Travis Banwart, Matt Capps, Tyler Cloyd, Shaun Marcum, J.C. Ramirez, Mike Zagurski.

Catchers (five): Luke Carlin, Jake Lowery, Roberto Perez, Matt Treanor, Tony Wolters.

Infielders (six): Jason Giambi, Elliot Johnson, Bryan LaHair, Francisco Lindor, Ryan Rohlinger, Joey Wendle.

Outfielders (four): Matt Carson, Jeff Francoeur, Nyjer Morgan, Tyler Naquin.