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OH WR Justin Layne (Sparty Signee)

I'm sure most players look at depth charts. But is he admitting to not being open to competition?

I wouldn't say that - I read it as MSU likely has a lot of older WR's heading out and he saw earlier opportunities. I looked it up and looks like 4 of their top 5 returning WR's are going to be SR's next year.....kids want to play early, can't blame him. Early playing time is important to him and he has to look at these types of things.
 
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Can't blame him for wanting the easiest path to the field. As OSU continues to stockpile talent at many positions, we are going to miss out on some of these kids that were once penciled in to be future Buckeyes not too long ago. Like Justin said, it's not only about being comfortable and wanted but also about being needed. He didn't feel like he was needed at OSU bc of all the talent they already have. Tough miss but we are in on others. Still a great time to be a Buckeye. Justin's loss. Maybe he will come to his senses before NLOI Day.
 
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I'm sure most players look at depth charts. But is he admitting to not being open to competition?

I would read more into the part where he says "which one cares the most about me'' and" which program....wants me." Layne is super talented, but the staff has from what I have read elsewhere (and this has been for a while, not all of a sudden today) has been cooling on him. May just have a few guys they like a little more. Doesn't mean he's not a great talent. Just a matter of preference.
 
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I would read more into the part where he says "which one cares the most about me'' and" which program....wants me." Layne is super talented, but the staff has from what I have read elsewhere (and this has been for a while, not all of a sudden today) has been cooling on him. May just have a few guys they like a little more. Doesn't mean he's not a great talent. Just a matter of preference.
I don't think OSU cooled on him so much as had targets higher on their board the entire time. MSU has done an excellent job stepping in and making him comfortable and a priority.

Based on past comments from Dantonio, they may have done that in a "Hoke-ish" way that I find less than sporting, but c'est la vie.
 
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Honestly this is the only time I can remember disagreeing with the staff over an in state player. 6'3" frames that can run like that don't come out of Ohio often. His film shows great seperation and high pointing the ball on offense, and he shows elite ball tracking skills and closing speed as a safety. This one is tough to swallow at this point losing the top receiver in the state to a conference rival, but the staff must feel content where they are with other players at the moment. The state of Ohio is getting away from us this year.
 
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Honestly this is the only time I can remember disagreeing with the staff over an in state player. 6'3" frames that can run like that don't come out of Ohio often. His film shows great seperation and high pointing the ball on offense, and he shows elite ball tracking skills and closing speed as a safety. This one is tough to swallow at this point losing the top receiver in the state to a conference rival, but the staff must feel content where they are with other players at the moment. The state of Ohio is getting away from us this year.

Yep 5 of the top 11 with 2 more of those 11 favoring us... Yep Ohio is getting away from the coaches this year
 
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Well coming off a national championship and losing both top elite OL and the best WR in the state. Actually the final 3 of the top 10 are probably favoring us. The Ohio getting away from us comment might be a little extreme but hate losing out on 2 of the top 3 and one of the better receivers in the past few years. This is a great year talent wise in state.
 
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Well coming off a national championship and losing both top elite OL and the best WR in the state. Actually the final 3 of the top 10 are probably favoring us. The Ohio getting away from us comment might be a little extreme but hate losing out on 2 of the top 3 and one of the better receivers in the past few years. This is a great year talent wise in state.
I think you're not thinking of the circumstance of the O linemen we lost. We lost 2 O linemen from CATHOLIC high school, who decided to go to the most storied catholic university in the country! And tbh we only lost 1 OL since we never had a chance with Kraemer. The fact that OSU is favored by a number of higher ranked WRs makes me not worry about losing Layne. With the staff Urban has, and his preference toward scouring the nation for the best, we will tend to miss out on in state recruits. Its just th nature of the beast. And I'm sure MSU could see Layne as a top tier kid on their board, while OSU didn't see him as quite that high any longer.
 
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Good luck to Layne at MSU.

I know it can be disappointing losing talented Ohio players to other B1G schools, but I think the staff made the right decision backing down on this one. If you let the tape do the talking, Mack, Corley and Victor are simply better prospects. The staff wants dynamic playmakers, even at the X, and that just isn't Layne's game. I still think he can be a very good player for MSU, maybe in the Robiskie mold. Here's to Ohio making the B1G the best conference in college football!
 
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Good luck to Layne at MSU.

I know it can be disappointing losing talented Ohio players to other B1G schools, but I think the staff made the right decision backing down on this one. If you let the tape do the talking, Mack, Corley and Victor are simply better prospects. The staff wants dynamic playmakers, even at the X, and that just isn't Layne's game. I still think he can be a very good player for MSU, maybe in the Robiskie mold. Here's to Ohio making the B1G the best conference in college football!
Have you watched his film? Based solely on his film I'd take him over Mitchell and Corley. I don't really see the Corley hype on film. Layne shows elite abilities at WR and could play safety as well at the next level and also shows good return skills. The competition he's playin against looks better as well.
 
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I don't think OSU cooled on him so much as had targets higher on their board the entire time. MSU has done an excellent job stepping in and making him comfortable and a priority.

Based on past comments from Dantonio, they may have done that in a "Hoke-ish" way that I find less than sporting, but c'est la vie.
From 11W: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...decisions-felder-discussion-hall-working-hard

Layne...has not been a priority for the Buckeyes as they chase Austin Mack, Donnie Corley and other wide receivers who are higher on their list. Most believed that Layne was all but a done deal for the Buckeyes, but he wanted more attention and at this point was not going to get it from Ohio State, despite being an Ohio native.
 
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Have you watched his film? Based solely on his film I'd take him over Mitchell and Corley. I don't really see the Corley hype on film. Layne shows elite abilities at WR and could play safety as well at the next level and also shows good return skills. The competition he's playin against looks better as well.

I personally wouldn't call anything about Layne's game elite. I think he is a good high school player, I just like the guys I listed more.

Mack and Victor are simply in another talent stratosphere, not much needs to be said there.

Corley is not quite as good of a jump ball player as Layne, but he's a much better blocker and a better open space threat. They are close in ability, but I really like Corley's toughness and willingness to get gritty. Like Layne, I think Corley's best position in college would be safety.

Mitchell and Layne are pretty different players, so it's hard to compare them fairly. In an offense where a premium has been placed on running ability, Mitchell is the better fit. I don't know that he's a true X like some if the others, but he's an exciting prospect for sure.

That being said, I do appreciate your point of view. It's easy to rag on the guy who just picked another team, so I think it's cool you're staying true to your opinion.
 
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