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Ohio State Recruiting – August Update
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
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We are less than three weeks away from kickoff for the Buckeye 2016 football season, but we are also less than a week away from two of the most awaited decisions in college football recruiting for the class of 2017. The Buckeyes have been recruiting at a level that has been unseen in Columbus or across the nation for that matter, and they look to continue that trend this month. Let’s take a look at the prospects that Ohio State are still chasing for the class of 2017 and put a prediction on where they will end up shall we?
Tyjon Lindsey – WR – Corona, CA – 4-Star – 5th Ranked WR
Tyjon Lindsey is set to make his decision public this month on the 22nd of August and it looks to be between the Buckeyes and the Cornhuskers with an outside chance of USC sneaking in. Lindsey has visited Nebraska a few times over the past few months, but his last visit was to Ohio State’s Friday Night Lights camp back in July where he got to work out with former teammate and Buckeye commit Tate Martell. The Buckeyes feel pretty confident heading into his decision date, and Zach Smith has been recruiting Lindsey hard to come in and play a role as the slot receiver in this offense. Right now the crystal balls are in favor of Lindsey selecting the Buckeyes on the 22nd, and I am right there with them.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Trevon Grimes – WR – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 5-Star – 3rd Ranked WR
Grimes has been a Buckeye lean since what seems like forever now, and it would be a huge surprise if he picks anyone else but Ohio State on August 24th. He attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School down in Florida, which has been home to the Bosa family and former Buckeye great Cris Carter has been known to roam the sidelines down there as well, so Ohio State is well represented. Grimes will make his decision between the Buckeyes, Alabama, Miami (FL), Florida, and Georiga.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Cam Akers – RB – Clinton, MS – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked RB
Cam Akers has probably been on the top of Ohio State’s recruiting board since he decommitted from Alabama back in March. They already have one back in the fold in J.K. Dobbins, but adding a second is something that the coaching staff is trying to do as there will only be four backs on scholarship after this season and depth will become an issue. Akers visited and was supposed to return for Friday Night Lights, but was unable to make it, so getting him on campus this fall for an official will go a long way to securing a verbal from one of the most sought after backs in the country. However, it has been said that if Akers were to commit to the Buckeyes that J.K. Dobbins would start to look elsewhere, and while I would take Akers over Dobbins in this class, the Buckeyes really need to get two solid running backs to add to the depth chart.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Jeffrey Okudah – S – Grand Prairie, Texas – 5-Star – 1st Ranked Safety
The Buckeyes are still looking to Texas to secure a key piece to the defensive future in Jeffrey Okudah. Okudah has made a couple of unofficial visits to the campus of Ohio State, and it is yet to be determined if he will make an official visit this fall. Okudah has 30+ scholarship offers from all over the nation, but has been favoring the Buckeyes for quite a while. Oklahoma has been the team that has come on strong of late, and have been making a big push to try and land Okudah. He visited Norman back in June, and this visit seemed to vault the Sooners into a neck and neck race with the Buckeyes for his services. It is always tough to pull kids from Texas, but with the likes of J.T. Barrett and Dontre Wilson hailing from the Longhorn State, and Tim Beck being a relentless recruiter in the state, I like the Buckeyes chances with this one.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Baron Browning – LB – Kennedale, TX – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked OLB
Another 5-Star talent out of the state of Texas, Baron Browning would fill a nice need at linebacker for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes currently have commitments from Antjuan Simmons and Brendan White at linebacker, but with Raekwon McMillian likely off to the NFL after this season, there could be a battle for playing time with not a lot of returning minutes coming back. Browning was thought to be at one time pretty much a done deal to the Buckeyes, but the home state Longhorns have come on strong recently and have made it a priority to keep the nations top linebacker at home. There are a few other guys that Texas is targeting, and receiving a commitment from one of them might help the cause of the Buckeyes gaining Browning’s commitment, and I don’t expect the Buckeyes to be in it for any other linebackers from this class.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Jay Tufele – DT – South Jordan, UT – 4-Star – 3rd Ranked DT
The Buckeyes have had their issues over the past few years signing top flight defensive tackles, and they are hoping that this is the year that changes. Right now the Buckeyes have Jerron Cage and Haskell Garrett verbally committed and are hot on the pursuit of the third ranked defensive tackle in the country in Jay Tufele. Tufele listed Ohio State his leader back in May, and since then his recruitment has gone pretty silent. Oregon and Michigan seem to be the biggest threats to the Buckeyes landing quite possibly the top defensive tackle class in the country. Expect Tufele to take his officials this fall and get acquainted with the coaching staffs at each school before making his decision.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Lamont Wade – CB – Clairton, PA – 4-Star – 6th Ranked CB
What once looked like a for sure bet to be included in the #1 class in America, Lamont Wade’s recruitment has taken a bit of a turn. While he attended Friday Night Lights, Amir Riep became the third defensive back in the class that same weekend joining Shaun Wade and Marcus Williamson. While Shaun Wade’s commitment has been less than 100% (even though he claims it is), the Buckeyes at this time do not have any more room in their class. If Shaun Wade were to change his recruitment and end up elsewhere, then things might be different for Lamont Wade. Because of the scholarship situation being so tight, this might have to be one of those times when the Buckeyes have to pass on an elite corner and hopefully end up not regretting it.
My Take: Pittsburgh Panthers
Darnay Holmes – DB – Calabasas, CA – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked DB
Again the numbers don’t bode well for Holmes, but if he were seriously interested in the Buckeyes I believe that he would be a take and worry about it later situation. He visited for Friday Night Lights and is scheduled to be back in November for an official visit as well. He holds 25 offers to date, and UCLA, Nebraska, Stanford and Michigan seem to be the biggest competitors for his services. It will be interesting to see if he does take his official visit in November and what the state of the Buckeye recruiting class looks like then.
My Take: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jaylen Harris – WR – Cleveland, OH – 4-Star – 27th Ranked WR
We will find out shortly if there is room in the class of 2017 for Jaylen Harris as Tyjon Lindsey and Trevon Grimes are set to make thier choices next week. If either one of them were to pick someone other than Ohio State, then Jaylen Harris becomes a Buckeye in my opinion. However, as I have projected above I do not see that happening and I believe that will leave Harris on the outside looking in. Harris would have been a sure fire recruit in the Jim Tressel days, as he hails from Ohio, but the tides have turned with Urban Meyer going more national, and it looks like he will be a casualty because of it.
My Take: Tennessee Volunteers
Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit, MI – 5-Star – 1st Ranked WR
At one point I thought there was an outside shot that the Buckeyes would be able to land Lindsey, Grimes and Peoples-Jones, but that has since gone by the wayside. The dwindling scholarship numbers plus the fact that Michigan has been all over Peoples-Jones leads me to believe that this one is all but over. As a matter of fact I am surprised that he has not already committed to the Wolverines, which lends a little bit of hope to all the other programs out there.
My Take: Michigan Wolverines
The post Ohio State Recruiting – August Update appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
We are less than three weeks away from kickoff for the Buckeye 2016 football season, but we are also less than a week away from two of the most awaited decisions in college football recruiting for the class of 2017. The Buckeyes have been recruiting at a level that has been unseen in Columbus or across the nation for that matter, and they look to continue that trend this month. Let’s take a look at the prospects that Ohio State are still chasing for the class of 2017 and put a prediction on where they will end up shall we?
Tyjon Lindsey – WR – Corona, CA – 4-Star – 5th Ranked WR
Tyjon Lindsey is set to make his decision public this month on the 22nd of August and it looks to be between the Buckeyes and the Cornhuskers with an outside chance of USC sneaking in. Lindsey has visited Nebraska a few times over the past few months, but his last visit was to Ohio State’s Friday Night Lights camp back in July where he got to work out with former teammate and Buckeye commit Tate Martell. The Buckeyes feel pretty confident heading into his decision date, and Zach Smith has been recruiting Lindsey hard to come in and play a role as the slot receiver in this offense. Right now the crystal balls are in favor of Lindsey selecting the Buckeyes on the 22nd, and I am right there with them.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Trevon Grimes – WR – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 5-Star – 3rd Ranked WR
Grimes has been a Buckeye lean since what seems like forever now, and it would be a huge surprise if he picks anyone else but Ohio State on August 24th. He attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School down in Florida, which has been home to the Bosa family and former Buckeye great Cris Carter has been known to roam the sidelines down there as well, so Ohio State is well represented. Grimes will make his decision between the Buckeyes, Alabama, Miami (FL), Florida, and Georiga.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Cam Akers – RB – Clinton, MS – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked RB
Cam Akers has probably been on the top of Ohio State’s recruiting board since he decommitted from Alabama back in March. They already have one back in the fold in J.K. Dobbins, but adding a second is something that the coaching staff is trying to do as there will only be four backs on scholarship after this season and depth will become an issue. Akers visited and was supposed to return for Friday Night Lights, but was unable to make it, so getting him on campus this fall for an official will go a long way to securing a verbal from one of the most sought after backs in the country. However, it has been said that if Akers were to commit to the Buckeyes that J.K. Dobbins would start to look elsewhere, and while I would take Akers over Dobbins in this class, the Buckeyes really need to get two solid running backs to add to the depth chart.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Jeffrey Okudah – S – Grand Prairie, Texas – 5-Star – 1st Ranked Safety
The Buckeyes are still looking to Texas to secure a key piece to the defensive future in Jeffrey Okudah. Okudah has made a couple of unofficial visits to the campus of Ohio State, and it is yet to be determined if he will make an official visit this fall. Okudah has 30+ scholarship offers from all over the nation, but has been favoring the Buckeyes for quite a while. Oklahoma has been the team that has come on strong of late, and have been making a big push to try and land Okudah. He visited Norman back in June, and this visit seemed to vault the Sooners into a neck and neck race with the Buckeyes for his services. It is always tough to pull kids from Texas, but with the likes of J.T. Barrett and Dontre Wilson hailing from the Longhorn State, and Tim Beck being a relentless recruiter in the state, I like the Buckeyes chances with this one.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Baron Browning – LB – Kennedale, TX – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked OLB
Another 5-Star talent out of the state of Texas, Baron Browning would fill a nice need at linebacker for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes currently have commitments from Antjuan Simmons and Brendan White at linebacker, but with Raekwon McMillian likely off to the NFL after this season, there could be a battle for playing time with not a lot of returning minutes coming back. Browning was thought to be at one time pretty much a done deal to the Buckeyes, but the home state Longhorns have come on strong recently and have made it a priority to keep the nations top linebacker at home. There are a few other guys that Texas is targeting, and receiving a commitment from one of them might help the cause of the Buckeyes gaining Browning’s commitment, and I don’t expect the Buckeyes to be in it for any other linebackers from this class.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Jay Tufele – DT – South Jordan, UT – 4-Star – 3rd Ranked DT
The Buckeyes have had their issues over the past few years signing top flight defensive tackles, and they are hoping that this is the year that changes. Right now the Buckeyes have Jerron Cage and Haskell Garrett verbally committed and are hot on the pursuit of the third ranked defensive tackle in the country in Jay Tufele. Tufele listed Ohio State his leader back in May, and since then his recruitment has gone pretty silent. Oregon and Michigan seem to be the biggest threats to the Buckeyes landing quite possibly the top defensive tackle class in the country. Expect Tufele to take his officials this fall and get acquainted with the coaching staffs at each school before making his decision.
My Take: Ohio State Buckeye
Lamont Wade – CB – Clairton, PA – 4-Star – 6th Ranked CB
What once looked like a for sure bet to be included in the #1 class in America, Lamont Wade’s recruitment has taken a bit of a turn. While he attended Friday Night Lights, Amir Riep became the third defensive back in the class that same weekend joining Shaun Wade and Marcus Williamson. While Shaun Wade’s commitment has been less than 100% (even though he claims it is), the Buckeyes at this time do not have any more room in their class. If Shaun Wade were to change his recruitment and end up elsewhere, then things might be different for Lamont Wade. Because of the scholarship situation being so tight, this might have to be one of those times when the Buckeyes have to pass on an elite corner and hopefully end up not regretting it.
My Take: Pittsburgh Panthers
Darnay Holmes – DB – Calabasas, CA – 5-Star – 2nd Ranked DB
Again the numbers don’t bode well for Holmes, but if he were seriously interested in the Buckeyes I believe that he would be a take and worry about it later situation. He visited for Friday Night Lights and is scheduled to be back in November for an official visit as well. He holds 25 offers to date, and UCLA, Nebraska, Stanford and Michigan seem to be the biggest competitors for his services. It will be interesting to see if he does take his official visit in November and what the state of the Buckeye recruiting class looks like then.
My Take: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jaylen Harris – WR – Cleveland, OH – 4-Star – 27th Ranked WR
We will find out shortly if there is room in the class of 2017 for Jaylen Harris as Tyjon Lindsey and Trevon Grimes are set to make thier choices next week. If either one of them were to pick someone other than Ohio State, then Jaylen Harris becomes a Buckeye in my opinion. However, as I have projected above I do not see that happening and I believe that will leave Harris on the outside looking in. Harris would have been a sure fire recruit in the Jim Tressel days, as he hails from Ohio, but the tides have turned with Urban Meyer going more national, and it looks like he will be a casualty because of it.
My Take: Tennessee Volunteers
Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit, MI – 5-Star – 1st Ranked WR
At one point I thought there was an outside shot that the Buckeyes would be able to land Lindsey, Grimes and Peoples-Jones, but that has since gone by the wayside. The dwindling scholarship numbers plus the fact that Michigan has been all over Peoples-Jones leads me to believe that this one is all but over. As a matter of fact I am surprised that he has not already committed to the Wolverines, which lends a little bit of hope to all the other programs out there.
My Take: Michigan Wolverines
The post Ohio State Recruiting – August Update appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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