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2009 tOSU Recruiting Discussion

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C-busBuck;1217617; said:
Did anyone think that maybe tOSU is taking a wait and see with Freeman. He is such an unproven commodity that, perhaps, the coaches want to see his senior season before they decide to make a push for his services. If he goes somewhere else before they make a final judgement...
Cie le vie!
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The staff was never interested in Freeman and they never will be. He's not tOSU material, and he attends a school that the staff has historically avoided.

And really, why should the staff be offering an "unproven commodity", when they can get bona fide blue chip prospects? Freeman might develop down the road, but the staff is much better served targeting players who have a more easily attainable upside.
 
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LordJeffBuck;1217629; said:
The staff was never interested in Freeman and they never will be. He's not tOSU material, and he attends a school that the staff has historically avoided.

And really, why should the staff be offering an "unproven commodity", when they can get bona fide blue chip prospects? Freeman might develop down the road, but the staff is much better served targeting players who have a more easily attainable upside.
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Well said..
 
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A couple prospects that come to mind that seem comparable to Freeman are Aaron Brown (VTech) and Branndon Braxton (Oklahoma). An Ohio kid that has amazing size and "potential", but were considered projects that could become a future superstars on the line. Both Brown & Braxton struggled at times with inferior competition, for whatever reason (conditioning, technique, coaching, who knows). With only playing one high school football in his entire life, Freeman is the poster child for project because there's not even enough film on him to properly evaluate him.

LJB's right on though. Why take a project and start everything from scratch when you can take a kid that already has the fundamentals, size, experience, and just needs some coaching, refining proper technique, and experience at the college level? Projects make good message board fodder, but we don't miss Brown or Braxton and won't miss Freeman either.
 
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John Cooper said.....

One of the bon mot's that Coop expounded has stuck with me. When recruiting someone, he said "if you miss on a star, you only have to face them once a year, but if you offer a scholarship to someone who doesn't pan out, you have to see them every day."

If you think about it, it's truly wise. Let the marginal programs take chances on the 'tweeners' or 'maybes'. Tress & Co seem to have taken the 3*s (Jenkins, Laurinitis, etc) and built them into first round pro DCs. But they fit the 'profile', etc. But if there's doubt, and it's also the mental aspect as well as the physical, then let someone else take 'em. The blog on front page shows how many we 'missed' on, and it looks like the ones we 'missed' turned out to be duds, not studs.

Dare I say it, but OSU has become an 'elite' recruiting team, and based on the success of the program, more of the elite kids are looking our way. that's a great thing, and here's hoping that it continues, a la USC, etc. Remember, it could turn around like Notre Dame, and we don't want that, not that it will as long as Tress roams the OSU sidelines.....

:gobucks3::gobucks4::banger:
 
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I saw Braxton play in high school. He moved as if he had no ankles. Try walking with out using your ankles and you will get an idea. Frankly, I was surprised a program as big as OK went for him. In addition, he moved up the depth charts there.

I bought, Althons, preseason preview this year. They give the depth chart
for each program. Here are a few related to what where talking about:

Ryan Stanchek, (WVA) OL from Cincinnati, who we didn't go after, was named to their first team all american team. Also named, who we didn't go after was Tyrell Byrd (UC) Colrain grad. Bill Nagy, made the Wisconsin 2 deep, backing up 2 positions as a SO.

I know we can't offer every Ohio kid, but I am prud of their tradition.
 
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The best thing about our recruiting situation is our flexibility. The last few classes make it easier to wait on someone or move on. tOsu has not always been in this situation...complacency and a feeling of superioroty are the biggest recruiting hurdles. Desperation leads to mistakes in judgement ie.PSU. If we miss out on a few kids because of playing time issues, that.s OK. Most successful athletes crave comp. it brings out their best. When I was a student in the 70's I too assumed tOsu was invincble and should win every game. Now I know that winning is not guaranteed, I,ve enjoyed the JT era, the ups have been amazing and if the worst thing he,s done is two NC game losses, I can live with that. The media can pontificate all they want but when all is said and done, tOSU has been as successful as any programsince JT arrived. I will ontinue to enjoy it!:oh:
 
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Column: Bucks have it, but do they know it?
By LARRY PHILLIPS ? For The Advocate ? August 3, 2008

Forget what the national media is selling. Ignore what the talking heads say.

Ohio State has it.

It is an elusive, fragile element with a vagabond personality. In recent years it found temporary residence in Tallahassee, Fla., Coral Gables, Fla., Gainesville, Fla., Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles.

Today, it wears scarlet-colored glasses. It dons a gray sweater vest. It is an undefined feature that, in this case, makes a college football program the place to be.

Yet Ohio State's coaching staff didn't immediately recognize it in Columbus.

The Buckeyes should've discovered it when Terrelle Pryor, the nation's No. 1 high school recruit who embodies it, signed his letter of intent.

Just months later, the cupboard for the next recruiting class almost is full. The Buckeyes already have 24 verbal commitments for the 2009 class.

Eight are rated among the country's top 100 players, according to Rivals.com. They include Monroeville (Pa.) linebacker Dorian Bell (No. 23), Pickerington Central defensive back Jamie Wood (26), Garfield Heights defensive end Melvin Fellows (28), Clayton Northmont defensive back C.J. Barnett (56), Louisville (Ky.) linebacker Jordan Whiting (57), Louisville (Ky.) defensive back Justin Green (67), Corey Brown (73) of Monroeville (Pa.), and Painesville Harvey receiver Chris Fields (95).

Early entries can skirt the 25-scholarship limit, so the Buckeyes could squeeze 26 to 28 signees into the class.

Ohio State's coaches, who can't comment on unsigned recruits, would tell anyone they're ecstatic with this haul.

Still, one wonders ... Do the Buckeyes know the power it wields?

If not, they're on the road to discovery.

A whopping 10 of the top 100 prospects listed by Rivals.com still rate Ohio State among their favorite schools, including: Maryland linebacker Jelani Jenkins (No. 10), Tennessee receiver Marlon Brown (17), Florida receiver Andre Debose (31), Florida running back Jaamal Berry (40), St. Louis receiver Kraig Appleton (48), Florida linebacker Frankie Telfort (58), Cleveland offensive lineman Marcus Hall (61), Salt Lake City offensive lineman John Martinez (72), Chicago defensive end Craig Drummond (85) and Arizona defensive tackle Corey Adams (89).

Jim Tressel's staff also is tracking Minneapolis tight end Ra'Shede Hageman, Orchard Lake, Mich., tight end Dion Sims and McKees Rock, Pa., defensive back E.J. Banks.

Obviously, most will find there's no room at the inn.
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Column: Bucks have it, but do they know it? | lancastereaglegazette.com | Lancaster Eagle Gazette
 
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ESPN: Midwest staying strong with big-time O-Line commits

Midwest staying strong with big-time O-Line commits

By Bill Kurelic


Updated: August 15, 2008
Much is made about the speed and skill position talent in the SEC while the Big Ten is often thought to have more than its share of the big guys up front doing the blocking. The destinations of a number of the offensive linemen in the ESPNU 150 proves perception may in fact be reality. Of the 20 offensive linemen in the ESPNU 150, 14 have selected a college and five are headed to a college in the Midwest.

Chris Watt (No. 68) has committed to Notre Dame. David Barrent (No. 69) is headed to Michigan State. Eric Shrive (No. 72) will stay in-state and play for Joe Paterno at Penn State. Zach Martin (No. 105) will join Watt at Notre Dame. Jack Mewhort (No. 122) will head south from Toledo to play his college football, but not too far south. Mewhort committed to Ohio State in December.

A sixth, Marcus Hall, seems likely to play his college football in the Midwest. Hall says Ohio State, Michigan and LSU are his top three choices at this point, and of the three, LSU is the one school that was not among his top four choices a month ago. At this point it seems much more likely that Hall plays his college football in the Big Ten rather than the SEC.

The Big Ten also isn't doing too badly in terms of wide receiver commitments. There are 18 wide receivers in the ESPNU 150 and half of them have selected a college. Of the nine that have made a commitment, five are headed to Big Ten schools.

Bryce McNeal (No. 65) is headed to Michigan. Terry Hawthorne (No. 83) and Kraig Appleton (No. 108) have committed to Illinois. Keenan Davis (No. 111) selected Iowa. Duron Carter (No. 150) is headed north from the state of Florida to play at his father Cris' alma mater, Ohio State.

[...]

Here are five Class of 2010 Ohio prospects to keep an eye on: Jamel Turner, who (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) already has verbal scholarship offers from Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Akron, offensive lineman Matt James (Cincinnati/St. Xavier), defensive end Darryl Baldwin (Cleveland/Solon), offensive lineman Andrew Norwell (Cincinnati/Anderson) and defensive end Derrick Bryant (Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven).
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