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Review of Ohio State's Class of 2022

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LordJeffBuck

LordJeffBuck

Illuminatus Emeritus
Staff member
BP Recruiting Team
General Thoughts​


LordJeffBuck: Ohio State signed the #4 class in 2022 (21 signees, 300.51 total points, 94.05 points per recruit according to 247 Composite), which marks the sixth time in seven years that the Buckeyes have landed a top-5 recruiting class. All that talent coming to Columbus has resulted in exactly zero national championships during that time, from which we can infer that stars do matter but they don't tell the entire story - you also need coaching, player development, play calling, scheme, and quite bit of luck to get to the top of the CFB mountain. Will this newly-signed crew - along with the historically great class of 2021 (321.68 total points; 94.98 points per recruit) and key members of the class of 2020 (C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Paris Johnson) - be enough to seize the brass ring in 2022? If not now, then when....?

RB07OSU: A top 5 recruiting class is certainly nothing to scoff at and prior to UFM we would be through the moon. We still should be by and large. We brought in yet another killer WR class, a stud QB to make up for the Quinn Ewers exit, and restocked on the DL with serious talent. Plus our LB class brings in two of the best in C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers, plus I am excited about DeaMonte Trayanum coming home via transfer. But for all the star power at that position, OL and DB were major letdowns overall. We somewhat salvaged OL with Carson Hinzman (absolute beast btw), but DB could be a huge problem when it looked on pace to be epic when Jaheim Singletary and Terrance Brooks were in the fold...and that is even if we have a stellar 2023 DB class. Overall though, great class with lots of potential stars.

Earliest Impact​

LordJeffBuck: C.J. Hicks is the highest-ranked signee in this class (.9949 rating; #7 overall prospect) and he plays the biggest position of current need (linebacker), so I will nominate him for my player to make the earliest impact. On offense, I don't see anyone making an early impact due to a stacked roster (including not one, not two, but three legitimate Heisman candidates), but if I had to choose one prospect l would probably select wide receiver Kojo Antwi, who looks like he could be the next JSN (smooth, quick, excellent route runner).

RB07OSU: I was actually going to say C.J. Hicks too like LJB, but that would be boring to replicate the answer and will say Caden Curry. There is going to be PT available at DL and on top of being super athletic and aggressive, he has decent polish in his technique. I think Curry plays early and often. My runner up is Sonny Styles if he doesn't outgrow safety this season...need help there and kid has the goods. So many talented guys at WR that are tempting despite our depth there...I would say Kyion Grayes if a WR sticks out, but Caleb Burton is another one that could force his way onto the field.

Most Star Potential​

LordJeffBuck: Quarterbacks almost always have the most star potential, and Devin Brown (.9808 rating; #43 overall prospect in the 247 Composite, but the #1 overall recruit in the new On3 rankings) has the actual talent to become the next starting quarterback at Ohio State after C.J. Stroud leaves for the NFL. With excellent mobility (but not a running QB), above-average arm talent (but not a rocket arm), adequate size (but not physically imposing), and a bit of a gunslinger mentality (12.9 yards per attempt, but also 14 INTs in 14 games), Brown reminds me of another former Buckeye QB, namely Joey Burrow (they even look like they could be brothers, or at least first cousins).

Brown.jpg Burrow.jpg
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RB07OSU: Give me C.J. Hicks, Captain Buckeye himself. Long, out of this world athletic, absolute wrecking ball and missile as a tackler, and extremely versatile and can cover. Probably a shock to some being at the LB position, but I think he ends up being a top 10 pick in the NFL draft one day if he puts in the work (and he will btw). His film is probably the best I have seen from any LB in Ohio ever and that is saying something. On the offensive side of the ball, give me Caleb Burton. Crazy athletic, big catch radius, and flat out gets open...maybe it is the Texas thing, but he screams Garrett Wilson to me. Lots of guys could go here (like LJB said, Devin Brown is a potential star...any of our WRs are an easy pick...the DL is just loaded).

Most Intriguing​

LordJeffBuck: Alex "Sonny" Styles was one of the top prospects in the Class of 2023, then reclassified to the Class of 2022 and managed to retain his lofty 5-star status (.9938 rating; #12 overall prospect). Listed as a safety prospect by 247 Recruiting, Sonny has already outgrown that position (6-foot-4, 215 pounds). Only one question remains: Will Sonny eventually end up at linebacker or defensive end, or will he be stuck somewhere in between? Athletic tweeners have a high risk, high-reward profile, and I present two former Buckeye safety prospects as evidence: 2014 signee Sam Hubbard (6-foot-6, 223 pounds), who morphed into a star defensive end with a long future in the NFL; and 2019 signee Craig Young (6-foot-5, 200 pounds), who couldn't add weight, couldn't play in space, and barely saw the field at Ohio State before transferring to Kansas after last season. Styles certainly has the athleticism and talent, but he might need a year or three to grow into his body and find his best position on the field.

RB07OSU: Hero Kanu. Dude is a specimen that has barely played the game and has massive upside at a position that is wide open in the near future for PT. One of the most important gets in that class imo. Tegra Tshabola is another one, kid has an amazing frame and size, and a lot of room to develop in his technique at yet another position that is pretty open in the upcoming years. Kenyatta Jackson is another one I think just oozes with potential, kid has the frame and athleticism to be a nightmare on the edge. I know that is three guys but I can't help it on this category.

Biggest Reach
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LordJeffBuck: Yeah, this one ain't too hard.... Three-star offensive tackle Avery Henry (.8692 rating; #704 overall prospect) is the lowest-rated recruit in the class by nearly 300 spots, and that's after he received a massive ratings boost as the result of landing his Buckeye offer. To make matters even more dicey, Henry played at a small school (Division IV St. Clairsville), so he doesn't have much (if any) experience going against FBS prospects. However, Henry is a chiseled 6-foot-6, 305 pounds, so at least he looks like Tarzan.

RB07OSU: Avery Henry. I mean, I like his frame and you always want to root for the Ohio OL with special powers and all. However, this one feels like Stud knew he missed on his targets not named Tegra Tshabola and had to plug a hole. Plus he played against awful competition and I don't even know that we saw him in person at camp? Fingers crossed he proves me wrong.

Sleeper
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LordJeffBuck: As I've said in the past, you don't have many sleepers in your class when your average recruit has a rating of 94.05 points. With that being said, I will go with defensive back Kye Stokes, the Buckeyes' third-lowest ranked recruit (.8933 rating; #357 overall prospect), as my sleeper for the Class of 2022. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Stokes is currently slotted to be a safety in the Ohio State defense, and he certainly has the ball-hawking skills to excel at that position. But with great length and legit 10.80 speed in the 100 meters, could Stokes possibly be a Jeff Okudah clone at cornerback? Now that would make Stokes an all-time sleeper success story.

RB07OSU: Kye Stokes. Super long and athletic with big upside, could be the next Malik Hooker type for us at safety with some development from our staff. Ryan Turner is another that I think could turn out like a Damon Arnette for us. I also would have said Kyion Grayes but the cat got out of the bag how talented he is, and he is in the top 100 now.

Biggest Surprise
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LordJeffBuck: The top overall prospect for the Class of 2022 according to the 247 Composite, QB Quinn Ewers, committed to the Buckeyes in November of 2020, reclassified to the Class of 2021 a few days before the start of fall camp, enrolled at Ohio State, signed some huge NIL deals, played a few snaps against Michigan State, then transferred to Texas before the 2022 Early Signing Day - I don't think we'll every see such a surprisingly strange career path like his again. Ewers's quick departure left a noticeable hole in the 2022 recruiting class at quarterback, but Ryan Day & Company were able to snag a surprising eleventh hour commitment from former Southern Cal verbal Devin Brown, who is the top overall prospect for the Class of 2022 according to On3. It will be interesting to see who ends up with the better end of that bargain, the Buckeyes or the Longhorns.

RB07OSU: Omari Abor. I thought we would not ever get a verbal, let alone keep it. I don't care if Bama perhaps took a pass on him, there were many top-tier programs that wanted this kid and we landed him. Omari and Kenyatta Jackson should wreck the edges for years to come. Kojo Antwi is another that I thought was sure to stay in the south and he stayed solid the whole time. Carson Hinzman was also a shock, when do we ever get a top OL from WI? The answer I believe is never and man did we absolutely need that commitment.

The Ones Who Got Away
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LordJeffBuck: Jaheim Singletary and Terrance Brooks are top-10 cornerback prospects (#5 and #10, respectively) who were both committed to Ohio State at one point in time. But Singletary just couldn't feel the vibe in Columbus, so he left for the greener pastures of Athens, Georgia; while Brooks was lured down to Austin, Texas, with visions of NIL deals dancing in his head. The defections left the Buckeyes dangerously thin at the cornerback position with two just signees, both of whom should probably be placed in the "suspect" category: Jyaire Brown (.9203 rating; #201 overall prospect) and Ryan Turner (.8939 rating; #347 overall prospect).

RB07OSU: Unfortunately there are many candidates on this list. But I would say Jaheim Singletary because we really needed a top-flight CB and he was it. Throw Terrance Brooks right up there while we are at it, but Singletary is going to be a top 10 draft pick and we really needed him. Perhaps it was never going to stick, but he "got away" imo. Dasan McCullough was also unfortunate to lose but I don't think that one would have ever stuck given the circumstances. Also see my comments below for what the class lacks.

What This Class Lacks
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LordJeffBuck: Someone with definite star power. Last year's class had at least four prospects who were surefire superstars (J.T. Tuimoloau; Jack Sawyer; Emeka Egbuka; and Treveyon Henderson) and they all showed flashes of brilliance (and in Henderson's case, much more than mere flashes); and of course there were massive contributions made by lower-ranked prospects such as Tyleik Williams, Denzel Burke, Marvin Harrison, Jr., and Jesse Mirco; and that's not even counting top overall prospect Quinn Ewers, who was one of the flashiest flashes in the pan. By comparison, the Class of 2022 seems very solid and very deep, but perhaps lacks early-impact superstar players like those that we enjoyed watching develop last season.

RB07OSU: Take a dart, close your eyes, and pick either DB or OL. DB has to be it for me...from losing Jaheim Singletary and Terrance Brooks, to losing a lead on Zion Branch and Xavier Nwankpa, I am truly concerned about our DBs unless we kill it in 2023 and get some developed transfer portal guys for next year. I know I identified Kye Stokes and Ryan Turner as potential sleepers, but those are sleepers you want in addition to the guys I just listed, not the only guys in your class. On OL we whiffed on about every major target except Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman, many of which we probably had a legit shot at... Kiyaunta Goodwin, Tyler Booker, Jaylen Early, Addison Nichols, Aamil Wagner, Kam Dewberry, and Earnest Greene were all legit possibilities, and truly we probably just needed one of those to make this a good OL class.

Recruiting Impact of Coaching Changes
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LordJeffBuck: In the NIL Era, all coaches will have less impact in recruiting, and recruiting will have less impact on football operations. At football factories like Ohio State, the "overall college experience" will be de-emphasized even further, and "seeing the field early" will become even more important. Recruiting will not end on Signing Day, but will be a 24/7/365 process to keep your own players happy and out of the transfer portal; conversely, much more recruiting capital (figurative and literal) will be spent in the portal looking for disgruntled free agents with lots of potential or proven players who are hoping for one final chance to boost their draft stock or compete for a title.

RB07OSU: Well, there are plenty this year. Biggest of which is new DC Jim Knowles and I think we are all excited about his coaching prowess. However, his recruiting prowess better be darned good because here is the reality on defense.... LJ Sr has to be getting close to retirement. DB Coach Tim Walton is intriguing but we will see how he recruits. OL Coach Justin Frye I think sounds like a better recruiter than Stud, but we will have to see on him as well. I think the machine will keep chugging with Ryan Day at the helm, but I think us fans should try to temper expectations on getting the early commits as recruits get to know the new staff better.

2023 Outlook
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LordJeffBuck: At this time of year, we all have eight or ten 5-star prospects pencilled into the upcoming recruiting class; we'll be lucky if we end up signing two or three. The Class of 2023 will either be very good (like the Class of 2020) or excellent (like the Class of 2022) or ridiculous (like the Class of 2021); it is now far too early to predict the overall quality of this class in general, much less the prospects who will sign with this class in particular. Rest assured that the Buckeyes are chasing most of the top prospects from around the country, and that they will get their fair share (or their unfair share, if things break our way). As usual, watch what happens from the Spring Game through the end of the early official visit period - the prospects who appear in Columbus early and often will be on commitment watch.

RB07OSU: DB and OL are a major focus, we have to hit some big targets there. We cannot afford to come up short at either position this cycle. We stocked up the DL and obviously you want to swing for the fences and keep bringing in big guys there, but I am not concerned on that position except bringing in at least one elite DT. But we HAVE to hit some major safety and CB prospects in 2023. I think we won't see a ton of commits early on, but will start rolling in about April-May.
 
Thanks LJB and RB07. Nice summary. Look forward to seeing these every year. Most of the 'talking heads' are full of big wind and BS. Nice to see some reasonable outlooks for people, without bashing our recruits. Not all of tOSU's recruits are going to be superstars, and not all of them are going to fit. Coach Day goes after positions of need, unlike previous coaches that recruited names or stars to the team. The 'one free transfer' rule and NIL will make recruiting more of a crapshoot henceforth, but I like tOSU's position of not milking the transfer portal at every opportunity. Judicious use of said portal doesn't dim the current players aspirations. Go Bucks!
 
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calibuck said:
Thanks LJB and RB07. Nice summary. Look forward to seeing these every year. Most of the 'talking heads' are full of big wind and BS. Nice to see some reasonable outlooks for people, without bashing our recruits. Not all of tOSU's recruits are going to be superstars, and not all of them are going to fit. Coach Day goes after positions of need, unlike previous coaches that recruited names or stars to the team. The 'one free transfer' rule and NIL will make recruiting more of a crapshoot henceforth, but I like tOSU's position of not milking the transfer portal at every opportunity. Judicious use of said portal doesn't dim the current players aspirations. Go Bucks!
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Recruiting is and always will be a crapshoot, nothing had changed…
And I can’t recall coaches solely pursuing names or stars. All of our coaches have done a great job or gathering talent that is needed and that will push the program forward. But not all the highest rated players panned out, that’s always been recruiting. You never know who will pan out.
 
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You guys didnt include transfers but @RB07OSU did mention Chip Trayanum so I wanted to mention the kid who is going to make the biggest impact for this season and that's S Tanner McCalister. With Knowles bringing in what might be a beautiful system, this kid coming in already knowing the system is possibly the best possible scenario. Position of need and a baller by most accounts is what this Defense needs. I think that takes some pressure off the rest of these guys to immediately contribute also so we dont lose too many by attrition. I dont care about the 5 Stars other schools recruited we got great players at our areas of need so I'm ecstatic to see these guys go in the Spring.

BTW great work on the write ups! Thats a lot of work to muddle through when you aren't getting paid.
 
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Bestbuck36 said:
You guys didnt include transfers but @RB07OSU did mention Chip Trayanum so I wanted to mention the kid who is going to make the biggest impact for this season and that's S Tanner McCalister. With Knowles bringing in what might be a beautiful system, this kid coming in already knowing the system is possibly the best possible scenario. Position of need and a baller by most accounts is what this Defense needs. I think that takes some pressure off the rest of these guys to immediately contribute also so we dont lose too many by attrition. I dont care about the 5 Stars other schools recruited we got great players at our areas of need so I'm ecstatic to see these guys go in the Spring.

BTW great work on the write ups! Thats a lot of work to muddle through when you aren't getting paid.
Click to expand...

Transfers should be a new addition to this report, we will update that in the future. Because you are right, McCalister may be the best recruit we picked up recently for a variety of reasons. Times they are a changin'.

BTW - We have tried to make this more interactive in years past. Would love to see everyone's input on the above topics. That includes our BRPT or any other recruitnik.
 
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buchtelgrad04 said:
I see you guys aren’t as high on the CB’s as I.

I think Turner is a stud. Brown is really good as well.
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I don't think its that they're not as high. But moreso, that we missed on 2 VERY elite CBs. Turner and Brown, can still be very good. But there's still a sting in losing Singletary and Brooks.
 
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Very nice write-up. Thank you both.

If Tshabola ends up at G and Styles at LB/Leo as some/most expect, we have some significant holes in the class.
This will put pressure on the '23 class and the Portal.

Nevertheless, we have some great talent coming in and I'm excited to see how these young gentlemen develop.
If you put Styles at LB/Leo, that's quite some talent for the front 7 (or should I say front 6?).
 
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brodybuck21 said:
@HotMic
Click to expand...

General Thoughts:

Another solid class. While lacking a bunch of elite top 50 types, I really think the middle of this class is as good as it’s been in awhile and is full of guys who have the potential to become stars.

On offense it was another outstanding haul at QB and WR. Getting Brown that late was beyond impressive. Stud did what Stud did every year (as I have been saying for awhile) and struggled to recruit the tackle position. Thankfully we won’t have to see excuses made for him anymore. TE is what TE is at Ohio State. Alford found a guy I really like in Hayden to bridge the year between (hopefully) superstars at RB.

On defense Larry closed strong. He was one DT away from another elite haul, but what he brought in was more than acceptable. LB was solid thanks to the in-state guys. Washington just never could seem to connect with top-end guys out of state during his time here, so it was nice to have those guys close to home. I think they were a little too focused at DB this year, and it ended up costing them down the stretch. Not a bad group by any means, but it could have been better. Sonny reclassifying definitely helped things.

Earliest Impact: CJ Hicks
Star Potential: Devin Brown
Most Intriguing: Kye Stokes
Biggest Reach: Avery Henry
Sleeper: Dallan Hayden
Biggest Surprise: Carson Hinzman
 
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