ESPN College Football Recruiting

He is ranked as the No. 12 offensive tackle in the country by ESPN Scouts Inc., but his final high school season will always be remembered most for an injury.

Andrew Norwell of Cincinnati Anderson broke his left tibia during the fourth game of this season, immediately putting an end to his prep career.

States of Recruiting: Ohio

For more on Andrew Norwell and the heralded recruits in Ohio, read Bill Conley's look at the state's top prospects and how the FBS schools are faring in the recruiting battle. Story

• Ohio prospects: Seniors | Juniors
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Norwell verbally committed to Ohio State this past summer, and he's thankful the injury won't have an impact on recruiting. However, not being on the gridiron with his teammates has been a challenge.

"It's been real difficult," Norwell said. "Especially this being my senior year, the one you look forward to the most. But I'm working hard with my rehab and the doctors say this won't have an affect on me down the line at Ohio State as long as I work hard."

Ranked No. 115 on the ESPNU 150, the 6-foot-7, 275-pound Norwell hopes he can make an immediate impact for the Buckeyes in 2010. He knows playing as a true freshman after coming off a serious injury won't be an easy task, but that's what he's shooting for.

"I'm working on mainly upper-body right now, just trying to get my weight up," he said. "I'm working hard and just getting ready for next season at Ohio State. No one wants to redshirt -- I am going to come in with the mindset that I'm going to play right away. But if the coaches decide redshirting me is the best thing, then I'll be all for it. But yeah, I want to play, especially after sitting out most of my last high school season."

As for the rehab, Norwell is putting in long hours and says he is a bit ahead of schedule according to the medical experts.

"It's going pretty good," Norwell said. "I went to the doctor [on Oct. 27] and I can now walk without crutches. The doctors have said, if I continue on my current pace, I'll be able to start doing everything by Jan. 1.

"I'm sure I'll have to knock some rust off, but I should be fully cleared by then to run and do everything that I want to do as far as working out."

'Fluke' injury

Anderson was facing Columbus (Ohio) DeSales on Sept. 18 when Norwell was injured. He was pass blocking on a rollout when someone rolled into his legs from behind.

"It was the third play of the game," Anderson coach Jeff Giesting said. "Andrew was out on the edge and it was a fluke thing. Someone fell into him and he broke his leg and tore some ligaments."

Added a somber Norwell: "My leg was planted back and it was just bad timing and that's what happened."

Despite the injury, Giesting fully expects Norwell to become a good offensive linemen at the next level. He's a big, athletic player and has the right kind of mindset for a player in the trenches.

"The first thing that stands out about Andrew is his attitude about playing football," Giesting said. "He's a very competitive, physical player, and he has a little bit of a nasty streak. You add in his physical attributes with the long arms and his balance, he has the chance to be an excellent college football player and maybe beyond.

"He's definitely a student of the game. He wants to improve. He'll bring a competitive edge, and that's contagious with other kids. He's got physical tools that he's just starting to tap into for a guy that's 6-7, 275. I think Ohio State is getting a really good player.

"And the good news is that the doctors say he will make a full recovery from the injury."

As for the recruiting process, there wasn't much drama for Norwell. Once his boyhood favorite offered a scholarship, that's all he needed to hear.

"Cincinnati offered him as a sophomore, but as soon as Ohio State offered, you could tell he was very excited," Giesting said. "That's what he was hoping for from the beginning. He's always been a Buckeye fan, even though his brother went to Illinois and played there."

Chris Norwell was a defensive tackle for the Fighting Illini from 2004-07 and set a school record for defensive linemen with 46 career starts.

"It's going to be great," Andrew Norwell said of playing for the Buckeyes. "My school is only going to be about two hours away from my house. If you grow up in the state of Ohio and love football, you dream of playing for Ohio State, and it's going to be really cool for me."

Dave Biddle is a staff writer for ESPN affiliate site Bucknuts.com.