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CBF40's look at '12 recruiting (BP's prediction thread)

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2012 Tight Ends Look Strong, Plus A WR Note | Bucknuts

Posted by Duane Long on Jan 23, 2011 at 06:46 pm

I want to get to that wide receiver update first. I just saw junior film of Akron Buchtel wide receiver Corey Smith. I saw his sophomore film and was skeptical about the reports he had early offers from Michigan State and North Carolina. I saw the state championship game and didn't see anything to change that opinion. That the Buckeyes were interested really surprised me.

They saw his junior film before I did. He really leaps out at you. Right now, he is the number two receiver on my board behind Dwayne Stanford of Cincinnati Taft. He has great hands and is an explosive leaper. He is very aggressive on the ball. He is also the only receiver in the class who has answered the speed question. Smith runs away from people. In addition I can't remember a better blocking receiver in my time covering high school recruiting in Ohio. He gets after it like a fullback. I saw him celebrate a few touchdowns but those celebrations paled in comparison to the joy he showed from peeling back and laying out defenders.

Now on to the tight ends. This is an impressive class. I don't know who I would rate the best in the class of 2012. I have four that stand out. With a gun to my head I would put Evan Jones from West Lafayette Ridgewood at the top of my tight end list but his advantage is he is arguably a top ten defensive line prospect too, not because he is the best tight end. With some exceptions a defensive lineman is more valuable than a tight end. Put him on defense first, and if he doesn't work out there he would surely be a fine tight end. He is athletic and shows good hands, is a very good blocker, and plays with a mean streak. He has a great body to fill out.

The best receiving tight end is Cleveland St. Ignatius Blake Thomas. He has great hands, is very athletic and very smooth. He makes catches against his body and makes them look easy. He is fast enough and athletic enough that Coach Kyle splits him out at times. He is a willing and very good blocker. Another advantage is he plays in the kind of offense that will make him ready to play tight end in a college offense immediately. He makes the kind of catches that will bring the schools where a tight end is a primary receiver.

Continued...
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The way I see it, offensive tackles and corners will be the priority. QB is done, unless there are injuries/transfer. RB is done, though it will be interesting to see what happens with Shell. They may grab a TE, but it would have to be a can't miss type guy. Always looking for playmakers at the wide receiver spot. How many they go after probably won't be determined until after spring ball. If the younger guys develop, this becomes less of a need. If not, they may try to pick up another two. As was stated earlier in the thread, you grab every one of those D-line types that you can fit into the class. After today's LB haul, I can only see the staff going after a real top of the line type guy. That leaves the O-line and the secondary. The early offers to the out of state tackles (and already having Kalis in the fold) tell us that tackle is a priority. I'm still watching to see what happens with position changes. Do some of the redshirt freshmen/2011 signees get moved over? I am still of the opinion that corner is still up in the air. It would be nice to see Clarke and Roby continue to make progress, maybe even a Christian Bryant could work his way in there. Sounds like Grant needs technique work if he expects to play early, and I don't know much about Gambrell. Either way, I could see a couple of corners in this class. Have to watch spring before seeing what the safety situation is like.

Last year's class seemed to come together fairly quickly. Not sure about 2012. Limited scholarships, a lot of developing youth, may cause JT and company to be a little tighter with the offers. Should be fun to watch.
 
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This class is coming together fairly quickly, with 5 already in the fold. I like your summary. I agree that tackle is a major need and it does indeed look like the staff is getting serious with that position. I would love to land Washington, Wormley, McMullen, Pitman, Shell, Stanford, Rippy, as well as a few others. That would be a heck of a class.

Not sure how many schollys would be available though.
 
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I think the class stretches to 18, so let me take a way too premature stab at this:

QB: 1 (Cardale Jones: Done)

RB: 2 (Brionte Dunn, Warren Ball: Done)

WR: 1, maybe 2 if the spots/players demand it. (Dwayne Stanford)

TE: 0, two from this past class makes this a non-need

OL: 5 (Kyle Kalis, Jacobs Boren committed. That means three more. Some offers went out today to some OOS prospects, but there also some Ohio prospects like Dodsen and Decker who will surely get longer looks) Needs: 3

DL: 5 (My prediction: McMullen, Lewis, Washington, Schutt, maybe another DT. I think Wormley goes north, unfortunately.) Needs: 5

LB: 2 (Perry committed. We seem to be in great shape with Rippy. I love what I've seen from that Centerville kid. Maybe, he's a little raw, but he's also very talented.) Needs: 1

DB: 2/3 (Bam and Wilson are two safeties that will get looks, I think. This is a tough one to project for me off the top of my head.) Needs: 2

However, next year we could also very well be in the market for a punter with Buchanan going to be a senior in 2012 and evidenced by the whispers that the staff was looking at Koser late in the game. This year's defensive class was sick and full of top-end talent, but next year's could be even greater, imo. The Ohio DL class is almost unfair.
 
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Forgot about Schutt. He looked like a beast on his film.

I would really love to land Shell in this class. He, along with the current studs that we already have committed, would be the best RB haul in the country.

Plus, I'm just plain greedy. :biggrin:
 
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I like BearBuck's synopsis. We need to stock up on the O and D lines. No need for Shell, RB won't be a position of need for some time. Our skill positions aren't needed unless its a kid who's a can't miss, ahem, Mr. Green-Beckham! We also need a look at Safety too, could be thin soon
 
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GeorgiaBuck2 said:
I would call Shell a can't miss prospect. JMHO.

I do agree however that we certainly do not need him in this class.
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In my imo, Running Backs are rarely a can't miss prospect. There is rarely NOT a talented back every year. The easiest to position to produce consistently. We've got our QB. As far as I'm concerned every other commit except WR Stanford could come from the O-Line or D-Line and I'd be satisfied.

15 openings: Washington, Lewis, McMullen, Schutt and Pittman. Boren, Kalis, Decker and 2 OOS OT's. Perry, Ball, Dunn, Stanford and Bam Bradley.

I am finished.
 
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