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BPRT's Recap of the Class of 2014

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BuckeyePlanet Recruiting Team's Class of 2014 Recap​

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General Thoughts - For such a highly rated class, there is no true superstar like we've seen in past years (Maurice Clarett, Teddy Ginn, Beanie Wells, Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller, Noah Spence, to name a few). A lot of the 2014 signees should be solid contributors, and there are very few "reaches" in this group. Ironically, the highest rated recruit, Sam Hubbard (5*, #2 OLB, #29 overall according to Scout), might be one of the bigger risks in this class. Hubbard is not really a tweener in the classic sense of the term, but where exactly will he play? VERY good class with several kids that can contribute early. From top to bottom, I'd say this is the most complete class we've seen in the Urban Meyer era at Ohio State and has addressed several areas of need. Urban Meyer's best class to date. Addressed immediate concerns at linebacker and offensive line. Added more elite speed at the RB and WR positions. Also added immediate depth in the defensive backfield. Landed a few projects but you can afford to do that when you've filled all the holes early in the process. I think hanging on to Jamarco Jones and flipping Darius Slade was as exciting a finish this year as Wilson, Clark and Bell were last year. As my comrade said, this might be the most complete OSU class we've seen in quite some time.

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Earliest Impact - Raekwon McMillan. My choice for most talented player in this class, and he fills a position of need (MLB). Could be a starter before the 2014 season is over. Urban Meyer needs this guy to reach his potential quickly and become the cornerstone of the Silver Bullets defense. Johnnie Dixon. Johnnie has everything you want in WR. Speed, great hands, great route running, body control, etc. Johnnie enrolled early and I see him making an impact this fall and will eventually be a starter. Both are great answers and I think both see the field early next year. Since McMillan and Dixon have been named I will throw out another name that I think we could see as an early contributor: Erick Smith. Outside of McMillan and Nuernberger, Smith might have the clearest path to a starting position, if he stays at safety. The thought of Smith teaming with Vonn Bell, Malik Hooker and Cam Burrows is enticing, especially when you have corner talent like Eli Apple, Gareon Conley, Damon Webb and Marshon Lattimore waiting in the wings. OSU has the kind of quality depth in the secondary we expect but have lacked.

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Most Star Potential - I'll say Curtis Samuel, just because he is such an explosive playmaker. Curtis Samuel for me. Kid is electric and can absolutely FLY. I agree. I'm excited to see how his game translates to the college level. Damon Webb is my other answer. I think he could be a major awards candidate in four years.

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Surest Thing - Demetrius Knox. Should be a three-year starter and future All Big Ten player. Demetrius Knox. Showed really well in the camp circuit & I think he'll be in the mix early. I would agree with my counterparts but I will go with Sam Hubbard. When you add the work ethic to the size and athleticism and the fact that he could project at 3-4 different positions, I don't see any way this kid doesn't make some sort of an impact during his time in Columbus.

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Most Upside - Jalyn Holmes - is he the next Will Smith? He's got a long way to go, but he seems to have All American potential. Jalyn Holmes. Quick, uses his hands well & has a great frame. I like Holmes here and I like Slade as well but I don't think we've seen Dante Booker even scratch the surface of what he is capable of. He has a chance to be really special if he can put it all together.

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Biggest Reach - Easy question: Marcelys Jones. The kid needs to put in a ton of work to be Ohio State material. Marcelys Jones. Marcelys has a TON of work to do in order to be a contributor at Ohio State. Jones is the obvious answer. My other concern is Parris Campbell, Jr. He has no experience at WR whatsoever, as he proved at The Opening. Not sure he has the hands to play receiver either. My see him slotted as a RB. Does he have the build to play RB at Ohio State? I'm not sure. I have gone on record saying they need to seriously consider trying him at cornerback when he gets to Columbus. That might be his most natural position.

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Sleeper - Has to be Darius Slade, a consensus three-star prospect with tremendous raw athleticism. Despite being a 4-star, I'm going with Malik Hooker. Kid is a heck of an athlete and could play on either side of the ball. 6'3", great speed and can JUMP (see recent bball highlight in his thread). Needs to add some muscle, but that shouldn't be an issue. I have said a couple of times the two kids I think people are sleeping on are Malik Hooker and Dylan Thompson. Hooker could be anything from a career backup to a guy who pushes Smith and Burrows. Can he be the kind of nickel back OSU lacked this year? His athleticism suggests he can. Thompson is a kid I've seen others compare to Joel Hale but I compare him more to Mike Kudla from a projection standpoint. Kudla left OSU as a pretty good one and I think Thompson can too.

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Biggest Surprise - That Ohio State underperformed at offensive tackle and quarterback, two positions of relative need. The Buckeyes did sign Jamarco Jones (#6 OT according to Scout) and Kyle Trout (#23 OT), and took a flyer on Brady Taylor (#77 OT), but lost out on Damian Prince (#5 OT), Roderick Johnson (#7 OT), and Alex Bookser (#13 OT), as well as JUCO stars Jermaine Eluemunor, Chad Mavety, and Avery Gennesy. Similarly, the Buckeyes missed on their top four quarterback targets in Kyle Allen (#1 QB, to Texas A+M), Jerrod Heard (#2, to Texas) Deshaun Watson (#3 QB, to Clemson), and Brandon Harris (#6 QB, to LSU), while settling for three-star prospect Stephen Collier (#51 QB). Darius Slade. Many thought he would be a Buckeye when offered, but he committed to Michigan State shortly after. Nice to see Urban & Staff flip another one. Slade was the biggest surprise for me. I had heard there was someone that was trying to visit last weekend but I had no idea it was him. I had all but written him off. I have said he reminds me of Melvin Fellows at the same stage. Imagine what Fellows could have been if he could have stayed healthy and could have learned under Larry Johnson, Sr. That's Darius Slade.

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The One Who Got Away - I can't really identify a single heartbreaking recruiting loss like we've seen in past years. If pressed, I'd say one of the QB's that I mentioned above, specifically Kyle Allen who was a Buckeye lean during the early stages of the recruiting cycle. Chad Mavety. Would've been a starter Day 1 at a position of need. Never like to see in-state kids with offers get away but there were very few this year (Jimmy Byrne and Mike Ferns come to mind...not sure Thad Snodgrass could have committed if he wanted to). Chase Winovich is a guy I was shocked OSU lost although OSU hit a homerun with Booker, McMillan, Berger and Hubbard. Solomon Thomas is a guy Vrabel absolutely loved but I've heard others say they think his frame is maxed out.

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What This Class Lacks - A punter? Seriously, this is a well-balanced class that doesn't really lack anything, except for an obvious superstar. A true DT. I think we'll see Dylan Thompson slide inside, but I don't see that dominant force that's needed on the inside. Probably wasn't needed in this class, but the question needed answered. An elite quarterback. It's no secret they offered a lot of guys before they got to Collier (Kyle Allen, Brandon Harris, Deshaun Watson, Jerrod Heard). The upside is this will be an easy sell to guys like Torrance Gibson and Brandon Wimbush next cycle. I can overlook the tackles they missed on because I am very happy with Trout, Knox, J. Jones and Taylor. The lack of an elite QB is the only thing that keeps this class at an A instead of an A+.
 
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bigdog3300 said:
I agree on Thompson being a sleeper in this class; I'd compare him more to Goebels than Kudla or Hale but if he turns into any of them I'll be happy.
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I agree on the Goebel comp and not just because they went to the same high school. Should be a good swing man SSDE/DT in a couple years along with Tracy Sprinkle.

I still laugh at Thompson's pic from the game where half the class visited. He comes in with basketball shorts and Timberlands and looks like a 25-year old man.
 
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BuckTwenty said:
One of the really cool things about this class is that you could come up with 10 answers for "Surest Thing".

Mine would be Damon Webb. He's been dominant since his JR year against any and all competition & he has a massive amount of drive and motivation. That's a heck of a deadly combination.
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Agreed with multiple guys being a surest thing, especially, Damon Webb. He gets my vote.
IMO, Dante booker has the most upside.
My sleeper is terry mclaurin or Darius Slade. Mclaurin often gets lost in the WR talk but had a very productive HS career and is a high character kid. Any kid that has 40 sacks in 2yrs and is only a 3star is under the radar in my book.
One that got away is Solomon Thomas, he seemed to be all Buckeye until Vrabel left.
Star potential to me, is between Curtis Samuel and marshon lattimore, with parris Campbell having an outside shot. Samuel has been noted why, but marshon is pretty elite on offense and defense, and if he focuses solely on defense, he can be an all American shutdown CB, and push for early PT. Campbell will need some time to work on one single position and get that locked down, but his speed alone makes him someone that each offensive coach will covet. If he is even only used in the return game like urban used Brandon James, then we can get a lot out of him as well. But I personally feel hell eventually be a RB. He can be fine under or around 200lbs as he doesn't need to be a primary RB, he can be part of a committee and be a change of pace back in a rotation. With Samuel and Campbell in the same RB rotation, that would keep a defense on it's heels late into games, especially when we would have EzE as a RB and a RB from the 2015 class.
 
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After seeing Parris in person a few times I would agree he could end being a DB. He has the height and speed to play multiple positions. It will be interesting to see how much more he grows as he is so young.
 
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Lots of terrific talent in this class.
Great write up guys!
Campbell is a talent, it will be interesting to see what he becomes. What position he plays.
Hooker, same thing. Very talented guy.
The guys that were solid on the camp circuit will be solid players. Booker, Smith, McLaurin, etc.
The question of when and if Urban can get an Elite QB remains. But a team loaded with Elite speed and talent can make a average QB look like a star.
 
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