2009 tOSU Recruiting Discussion

[matcar]

Actually answering in all *seriousness we should be prepared for an unending stream of rumors from other schools's fans & "insiders" about alleged interest from Ohio State recruits and their possible reneging on their commitments in order to pursue said schools.


*To be honest the "making fun of Penn State" answer was serious but much like Pinky & the Brain it's the same thing we (should) do every day.

Yup, that's one area we'll hear belly-aching. The other will be that we didn't leave any spots open for the late bloomers in their Sr year that are "obviously better" than the talent we have on board. For those that want to complain, there's always an avenue.

 

[Oh8ch]

Actually answering in all *seriousness we should be prepared for an unending stream of rumors from other schools's fans & "insiders" about alleged interest from Ohio State recruits and their possible reneging on their commitments in order to pursue said schools.

Not suggesting it has happened, but when you have a class filling up one way a kid can hold his spot is to go ahead and commit. He can always change his mind.

 

[Buckskin86]

Buckeyes flourishing in JoePa's territory
Jason Lloyd, Journal Register News Service
06/25/2008
Commentary

Kyle Mitchum and Jon Skinner haven't done much during their time at Ohio State, but the two helped start a snowball that has turned into an avalanche.
There has been a flood of Pennsylvania players crossing the border to play for the Buckeyes the last five years, a sign Joe Paterno doesn't guard state lines as vehemently as he once did.

The latest defection is receiver/defensive back Corey Brown, who verbally committed to Ohio State this week, choosing the Buckeyes over Michigan and Pitt. He is the Gateway Senior High School teammate of Dorian Bell, who committed to the Buckeyes in April and is arguably the top linebacker in next year's recruiting class.

There is also, of course, a certain freshman quarterback on campus right now who comes from Pennsylvania.

Since Jim Tressel's arrival at Ohio State, it has been his mission to improve the recruitment of Pennsylvania. That has been the job of quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels, who recruits the state.

It took four years to pluck the first fruit in 2004.
Now it is coming in waves.

"With Penn State now in the Big Ten, these kids are getting exposed to Big Ten football, where before that never was the case," Daniels said in 2004. "Now they know about us, and suddenly they're realizing we're not that far away. We're only three hours away from Pittsburgh, so it's not as far as they thought."

Ohio State's 2009 class is already up to 22 verbal commitments.

The News-Herald - Buckeyes flourishing in JoePa's territory

 

[Folanator]

Buckeyes flourishing in JoePa's territory
Jason Lloyd, Journal Register News Service
06/25/2008
Commentary

The latest defection is receiver/defensive back Corey Brown, who verbally committed to Ohio State this week, choosing the Buckeyes over Michigan and Pitt. He is the Gateway Senior High School teammate of Dorian Bell, who committed to the Buckeyes in April and is arguably the top linebacker in next year's recruiting class.

There is also, of course, a certain freshman quarterback on campus right now who comes from Pennsylvania.

He should have said "He who shall not be named" or Valdemort. Too funny.

 

[mendensa]

A lot of names out there, not a lot of room left for them

A lot of big names on the board still, and not a lot of room for them. I keep hearing, "they'll save a spot for him". Well, spots are running out. I think with the added size of available ships to give this year the coaches went crazy with offers. And now you have about 10-12 guys still out there heavily interested in OSU and only a few spots to put them in.

Reality is, we are going to miss out on a few of these high profile guys that may have eventually chosen OSU over schools b/c the class filled so quickly. I think you're seeing guys panic (especially the 3 star in-state kids)that if they wait any longer, they will miss there shot. There are a lot of offers out there on the table to uncommitted players still. Towards the tail-end of filling their class last year you only had about 5 guys that I felt OSU had a really good shot of actually landing. It's so early in the recruiting season this year where those late bloomers and guys that have a restored interest in OSU during their senior years don't even get a look now.

And how about the guys who come in-season that were not really even interested in OSU and are blown away by the game atmosphere. You hear of a few of these cases every year. You see more and more of a kid taking an official visit just to see one of the top schools in the country and how they do things. Before you know it, they fall in love with the school and committ.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the shape of the class thus far I just think it could have been one of the best ever @ OSU (if the staff hadn't handed out schollies like water) purely on the size and the big names we've landed and that are still out there. Just saw Newsome just committed as well. Good luck saving spots for the big names to round out the class, there aren't many spots left.

 

[BuckeyesFan0623]

A lot of big names on the board still, and not a lot of room for them. I keep hearing, "they'll save a spot for him". Well, spots are running out. I think with the added size of available ships to give this year the coaches went crazy with offers. And now you have about 10-12 guys still out there heavily interested in OSU and only a few spots to put them in.

Reality is, we are going to miss out on a few of these high profile guys that may have eventually chosen OSU over schools b/c the class filled so quickly. I think you're seeing guys panic (especially the 3 star in-state kids)that if they wait any longer, they will miss there shot. There are a lot of offers out there on the table to uncommitted players still. Towards the tail-end of filling their class last year you only had about 5 guys that I felt OSU had a really good shot of actually landing. It's so early in the recruiting season this year where those late bloomers and guys that have a restored interest in OSU during their senior years don't even get a look now.

And how about the guys who come in-season that were not really even interested in OSU and are blown away by the game atmosphere. You hear of a few of these cases every year. You see more and more of a kid taking an official visit just to see one of the top schools in the country and how they do things. Before you know it, they fall in love with the school and committ.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the shape of the class thus far I just think it could have been one of the best ever @ OSU (if the staff hadn't handed out schollies like water) purely on the size and the big names we've landed and that are still out there. Just saw Newsome just committed as well. Good luck saving spots for the big names to round out the class, there aren't many spots left.

Man , you sound like it's a bad thing that we have one of the best recruiting years ever by any school this quickly . Also what is JT going to do , not give out schollies to the best athletes in the country . No man , i feel the opposite ( absolutely giddy ) about this recruiting class and also the recruiting process is changing kids want to commit so the can focus on their Senior year at High School and not have to worry about 500 text messages from everyone from coaches to college players . IMHO this is why players committing like crazy . But , rest assured Berry , Hall , Adams , and McGee all have spots if they want them , I remember also Brown and Newsome saying that they were under no pressure from the the Buckeye staff to commit early that tOSU told them to take as much time as they needed .

 

[Oh8ch]

There is certainly a down side to all these early commits - but with the quality we are getting I am fine with it. It also does a lot to free up the coaches time and let them focus on getting ready for this season without so many phone calls and trips (not that recruiting stops with a verbal).

What troubles/puzzles me is that now we are starting to focus on candidates for the 2010 class. Some of these kids are 15 years old and have TWO years of HS football to play. I wonder how many of the kids in this class came out of nowhere during their junior seasons.

Of course, just because we are thinking about 2010 doesn't mean the coaches are making final decisions about offers. But for 2009 we already have a full class (at least to the extent that virtually every offer we will make has been made) without a single kid playing a down of their senior season.

Some of these other schools are in a position to do some serious cherry picking.

 

[Piney]

What troubles/puzzles me is that now we are starting to focus on candidates for the 2010 class. Some of these kids are 15 years old and have TWO years of HS football to play. I wonder how many of the kids in this class came out of nowhere during their junior seasons.

Of course, just because we are thinking about 2010 doesn't mean the coaches are making final decisions about offers. But for 2009 we already have a full class (at least to the extent that virtually every offer we will make has been made) without a single kid playing a down of their senior season.

While that could be a concern. What this really might do is free up the coaches for some serious diamond hunting. So this upcoming football season (the 2010's junior season) they can really dig deep on film study to unearth the surprise players in 2010/2011. So this may lend to the staff finding those juniors that come out of nowhere this season a tad bit faster.

 

[Oh8ch]

While that could be a concern. What this really might do is free up the coaches for some serious diamond hunting. So this upcoming football season (the 2010's junior season) they can really dig deep on film study to unearth the surprise players in 2010/2011. So this may lend to the staff finding those juniors that come out of nowhere this season a tad bit faster.

I think most coaches have services they trust (NOT Scout/Rivals type services) who watch the films and lay recommended players in front of them. But I still agree with what you are saying. Contacting those kids, establishing early relationships, clarifying level of interest, and sorting through factors that don't show up on film are all areas you want to get a jump on.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

A lot of big names on the board still, and not a lot of room for them. I keep hearing, "they'll save a spot for him". Well, spots are running out. I think with the added size of available ships to give this year the coaches went crazy with offers. And now you have about 10-12 guys still out there heavily interested in OSU and only a few spots to put them in.

Same thing happens every year ... just not in June. In November of 2006, there were "about 10-12 guys still out there heavily interested in OSU and only a few spots to put them in." Guess what happened? Ohio State signed a few of them (Heyward, Hines, Rolle, Solomon Thomas), and the rest went elsewhere (Barksdale, Martin, Still, Davis, Wright, O'Dowd, Brent, Wilson, Jeremiah....). The coaches certainly didn't "go crazy with offers" ... it's more like the kids went crazy with accepting them.

And a few years ago, everyone was complaining that Texas had something like 24 commitments in June, while Ohio State had only five ... the staff just can't win.

Reality is, we are going to miss out on a few of these high profile guys that may have eventually chosen OSU over schools b/c the class filled so quickly.

Reality is, this happens every year. Would you rather wait until Signing Day ... and then find out that you're in second place? Better to take the kids who want "in" when they want "in", rather than wait for the "if come"....

I think you're seeing guys panic (especially the 3 star in-state kids)that if they wait any longer, they will miss there shot.

I don't know whether "panic" is the right word, but clearly kids know that no offer will last forever ... and that some offers have a very limited shelf life.

There are a lot of offers out there on the table to uncommitted players still. Towards the tail-end of filling their class last year you only had about 5 guys that I felt OSU had a really good shot of actually landing.

And right now, there are only "about 5 guys" that Ohio State has "a really good shot of actually landing", namely Watt, Hall, Berry, Emilien, and Ezell, and maybe McGee. Same as last year, except that the staff isn't waiting until January to figure out who's really interested ... and who's just playing the recruiting game.

It's so early in the recruiting season this year where those late bloomers and guys that have a restored interest in OSU during their senior years don't even get a look now.

That could be a problem ... but it's a risk that Ohio State can afford to take, because of the current depth in the program.

And how about the guys who come in-season that were not really even interested in OSU and are blown away by the game atmosphere. You hear of a few of these cases every year.

No you don't ... and I really don't think that Tressel would want a kid to commit after being "blown away" by a visit. Funny how Darrell Givens's commitment lasted only about three weeks after being "blown away by the game atmosphere" of the Spring Game.

You see more and more of a kid taking an official visit just to see one of the top schools in the country and how they do things. Before you know it, they fall in love with the school and committ.

No you don't. Most kids know exactly where they want to go right from Day One. Ohio State is able to sway a few truly undecided kids every year ... but it's not by "blowing them away" on official visits, it's by showing them in an open, honest, and professional manner how Ohio State can benefit them ... and how they can benefit Ohio State.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the shape of the class thus far I just think it could have been one of the best ever @ OSU (if the staff hadn't handed out schollies like water) purely on the size and the big names we've landed and that are still out there. Just saw Newsome just committed as well. Good luck saving spots for the big names to round out the class, there aren't many spots left.

Couldn't agree less.... The Class of 2009 will be one of the Buckeyes' best ever, and they will still land some more "big names" like (perhaps) Hall, Watt, Berry, and Emilien. Ohio State had little to no chance to sign "big name" guys like Andre Debose, Jheranie Boyd, Shaquelle Evans, Marlon Brown, Kraig Apppleton, Xavier Nixon, etc., so the staff didn't waste their time on them.

BTW, who exactly would you have pursued ... and who exactly would you have not offered ... in order to make this class "one of the best ever @ OSU?"

 

[BuckeyesFan0623]

Same thing happens every year ... just not in June. In November of 2006, there were "about 10-12 guys still out there heavily interested in OSU and only a few spots to put them in." Guess what happened? Ohio State signed a few of them (Heyward, Hines, Rolle, Solomon Thomas), and the rest went elsewhere (Barksdale, Martin, Still, Davis, Wright, O'Dowd, Brent, Wilson, Jeremiah....). The coaches certainly didn't "go crazy with offers" ... it's more like the kids went crazy with accepting them.

And a few years ago, everyone was complaining that Texas had something like 24 commitments in June, while Ohio State had only five ... the staff just can't win.


Reality is, this happens every year. Would you rather wait until Signing Day ... and then find out that you're in second place? Better to take the kids who want "in" when they want "in", rather than wait for the "if come"....


I don't know whether "panic" is the right word, but clearly kids know that no offer will last forever ... and that some offers have a very limited shelf life.


And right now, there are only "about 5 guys" that Ohio State has "a really good shot of actually landing", namely Watt, Hall, Berry, Emilien, and Ezell, and maybe McGee. Same as last year, except that the staff isn't waiting until January to figure out who's really interested ... and who's just playing the recruiting game.


That could be a problem ... but it's a risk that Ohio State can afford to take, because of the current depth in the program.


No you don't ... and I really don't think that Tressel would want a kid to commit after being "blown away" by a visit. Funny how Darrell Givens's commitment lasted only about three weeks after being "blown away by the game atmosphere" of the Spring Game.


No you don't. Most kids know exactly where they want to go right from Day One. Ohio State is able to sway a few truly undecided kids every year ... but it's not by "blowing them away" on official visits, it's by showing them in an open, honest, and professional manner how Ohio State can benefit them ... and how they can benefit Ohio State.


Couldn't agree less.... The Class of 2009 will be one of the Buckeyes' best ever, and they will still land some more "big names" like (perhaps) Hall, Watt, Berry, and Emilien. Ohio State had little to no chance to sign "big name" guys like Andre Debose, Jheranie Boyd, Shaquelle Evans, Marlon Brown, Kraig Apppleton, Xavier Nixon, etc., so the staff didn't waste their time on them.

BTW, who exactly would you have pursued ... and who exactly would you have not offered ... in order to make this class "one of the best ever @ OSU?"

Couldn't have said it better myself ( no really , I couldn't ) .

 

[Oh8ch]

Couldn't have said it better myself

I could...

Instead of:

That could be a problem ... but it's a risk that Ohio State can afford to take, because of the current depth in the program.

I would have said:

That could be a problem ... but given the current depth in the program it's a risk that Ohio State can afford to take.

Same meaning, but it flows better IMO.


Other than that, it's perfect.


:)

 

[sepia5]

Just to throw this out as a conversation piece, and not that I think or have any information that it will happen, but what if Berry does decide to go elsewhere? Do we then look in-state to someone like Golden, or would we look nationally to someone like David Oku (who I believe expressed some early unilateral interest in us and wants to leave Oklahoma)? Or do we just call it a class with Hall and Hyde in tow and perhaps take two more backs in 2010? I hope it wouldn't come to this, but I'm interested in everyone's thoughts.

 

[jwinslow]

Oku is a possibility (though he may feel snubbed a bit), but with the unilateral love of Boom Herron, I don't think they will feel an urgency to fill the spot. Berry going elsewhere would also allow room for Longo & Watt, if OSU & recruits are up for said arrangement.

 

[generaladm]

Just to throw this out as a conversation piece, and not that I think or have any information that it will happen, but what if Berry does decide to go elsewhere? Do we then look in-state to someone like Golden, or would we look nationally to someone like David Oku (who I believe expressed some early unilateral interest in us and wants to leave Oklahoma)? Or do we just call it a class with Hall and Hyde in tow and perhaps take two more backs in 2010? I hope it wouldn't come to this, but I'm interested in everyone's thoughts.

That would probably depend on whether the coaches consider Flash and Hall to be true RBs or slot/option backs. I don't see another RB in 09 as a dire need, but Berry is too good to pass on.