Gateway junior Dorian Bell didn't feel the need to wait any longer.

A trip to Ohio State University on Saturday and experiencing the pageantry of the Buckeyes' spring football game convinced him Columbus was the place for him.

Bell verbally committed to Ohio State on Monday and celebrated the decision in front of family and his Gator teammates and coaches.

"It felt like I never left home," said Bell said about the atmosphere at Ohio State.

"The coaches, fans, everybody there, were great. It was a fun time. There was no one afraid to talk to me. It felt like a really big family."

More than 30,000 people turned out for Ohio State's spring football game.

"Even though it was raining, the fans really turned out for the game," Bell said.

"There were a lot of people tailgating. That atmosphere was everything a recruit could ask for."

Bell made a total of four visits to Columbus, and the Buckeye experience eliminated other top candidates, including Florida State, Florida, Penn State and North Carolina.

He said Ohio State was in the lead for a really long time.

"When I walked into the (football) hall of fame and saw every trophy, I was like, "Wow, I know I'm going to enjoy this,'" Bell said.

"It will be hard to compare any other school to Ohio State."

Gateway head coach Terry Smith said is happy to see all of Bell's hard work pay off.

"He felt very comfortable there and felt it was time to put an end to the recruiting process," Smith said. "This is great for our team and the Gateway community. Hopefully, we have many more of these days."

Bell currently is ranked the top player in the state of Pennsylvania and the 14th best player in the nation by scout.com.

In the latest rivals.com rankings that came out on Monday, Bell is the 22nd-rated player in the nation and the fourth linebacker.

Bell said he is focusing on his grades, the SAT and getting ready for his senior season with the Gators.

As a junior, Bell earned first-team All-Quad East honors at linebacker after recording a team-high 120 tackles and 10 sacks. He made 23 tackles for a loss.

Gateway finished 11-2 in 2007 and fell in overtime to Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the WPIAL Quad-A championship game.

Bell officially will make his decision final on signing day in February. "Dorian's decision is 100 percent concrete," Smith said. "We'll try to keep the other teams away and focus our energy to the other kids looking to make a decision."

Fellow junior Corey Brown is another Gateway player getting a great deal of Division I attention.

He is ranked 37th in the country by scout.com and already has received 32 Division I offers.

All-star football

Bell and Brown will get the chance to show the nation what they can do at the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Football Game in San Antonio in January.

"We're extremely happy and excited for them," Smith said.

"It is the most prestigious high school all-star football game in the country."

Bell and Brown are the third and fourth players from Gateway to play in the contest.

Shayne Hale, a Pitt recruit, played in the game in January and Justin King took part in the 2005 game. "You're talking about the top 90 players in the country, and to have two players from one school in the game is special," Smith said.