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The Buckeyes' Top Prospects for 2008 - December Edition

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osugrad21

osugrad21

Capo Regime
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The Buckeyes' Top Prospects for 2008​

December Edition​

Since our last blog, Ohio State has netted three new verbals - teammates Etienne Sabino (a linebacker) and Travis Howard (a cornerback) from Miami Dr. Krop, and defensive lineman Willie Mobley from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. On the down side, the Buckeyes lost out on Virginia offensive lineman Kyle Long, who decided to sign a Letter of Intent to play baseball at Florida State (although he will likely go straight into pro ball if he is a high draft pick).

Heading into the stretch run, Ohio State now has fifteen verbal commitments from highly-rated recruits. However, with over two months still left in the 2008 recruiting season, there should be a few additions to (and at least one subtraction from) the Buckeyes' current class. In this edition of our blog, we profile one new recruit and several old recruits who have suddenly re-appeared on the Buckeyes' radar screen after several months absence, plus give you the latest news on those prospects whom we have followed all year long.

Speed

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1. DeVier Posey, Cincinnati Lasalle (6' 3", 190 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on March 13th. Posey was named to the Army All-American team and also to the All Ohio first team, an honor which he earned last season as well. On the season, Devier had 48 receptions for 776 yards and 8 touchdowns. Posey made his official visit to Ohio State on the weekend of the Wisconsin game (November 3rd).

2. Cordale Scott, Cleveland Glenville (6' 5", 181 lbs, 4.46 forty); Ohio State (offered) leads. As a senior, Scott caught 24 passes for 431 yards and 5 touchdowns, and rushed 12 times for 67 yards and 1 touchdown; on the defensive side of the ball, Scott made 51 tackles and intercepted 5 passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns; and on special teams, he returned 9 kick-offs for 469 yards (52 yard average) and 3 more touchdowns. Like most Glenville kids, Cordale favors Ohio State, and very few people doubt that he will eventually end up in Columbus. Scott will make an official visit to Ohio State on the weekend of December 8th, and he may also visit Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida.

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3. Ben Buchanan, Westerville Central (5' 10", 175 lbs); committed to Ohio State on March 2nd. As a senior, Buchanan made 14 of 19 field goal attempts, but all of his misses were from 50 yards or farther; his longest kick was from 57 yards, which tied him for second-place for Ohio high school kickers (former Buckeye B.J. Sander holds the record, a 60-yarder from his days at Cincinnati Roger Bacon). Buchanan also averaged 41 yards per punt. Ben is generally regarded as one of the top kicking prospects in the country, and he was named to participate in the Army All-American game.

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4. Lamaar "Flash" Thomas, Fort Washington (Maryland) Friendly (5' 10", 166 lbs, 4.36 forty, 10.30 100m); committed to Ohio State on October 18th. We do not yet have stats from Lamaar's senior season, but we do know that Thomas was a quintuple threat for his high school squad, as he lined up at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and return man. Lamaar will play wide receiver for Ohio State, although the Buckeye staff will undoubtedly look for many creative ways to get the ball into his hands, as the speedster can take it the distance from anywhere on the field. Although Lamaar committed to Ohio State back in October, word is that Illinois is still lurking in the shadows....

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5. Travis Howard, Miami Dr. Krop (6' 1", 185 lbs, 4.43 forty); committed to Ohio State on October 26th. Travis is a teammate of Buckeye verbal commitment Etienne Sabino, and both players committed to Ohio State shortly after their official visits to Columbus on October 20th. Even prior to visiting the campus, Howard had been "sold" on Ohio State by Sabino and Dr. Krop assistant coach Sonny Spielman, the father of Buckeye legend Chris Spielman. Travis will play cornerback at Ohio State.

6. Kenny Tate, Hyattsville (Maryland) Dematha (6' 4", 210 lbs, 4.4 forty); Ohio State (offered) in the mix (Illinois, Maryland, Florida, Penn State, Virginia, all offered). Quite frankly, we'd written this kid off months ago, but his name has been popping up again recently. There's probably not a whole lot of mutal interest right now, especially with the Buckeyes running out of slots for this class, but Tate is worth keeping an eye on. Florida led early, but Maryland and Illinois seem to be the current front runners.

7. Orhian Johnson, Gulfport (Florida) Boca Ciega (6' 4", 184 lbs, 4.57 forty); Ohio State (offered?) in the mix (South Florida, Florida International, Indiana, Cincinnati, UConn, Kansas, all offered). Johnson plays quarterback in high school, but he will likely switch positions at the next level, with some posibilities being wide receiver or safety. Johnson claims to have an offer from the Buckeyes, and he did make an unofficial visit to Ohio State during the season (10/20), but at the moment he appears to be a "plan B" recruit. But then again, so were Brian Robiskie and Donald Washington a few years ago....

Big Speed

1. Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette, Pennsylvania (6' 6", 220 lbs, 4.4 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 6 (West Virginia, Penn State, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, all offered). Pryor, a dual-threat quarterback, is one of the top recruits in the country, regardless of position. As a senior, Terrelle has led his high school team to a perfect 14-0 record, and the Jeannette Jayhawks are currently battling for a state championship. On the season, Pryor has once again posted several monster performances, and he already has amassed 4,024 yards passing and 3,883 yards rushing for his career; as a team, the Jayhawks have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 770 to 110, and they have scored at least 35 points in every game this season. Pryor continues to favor Ohio State (official visit 11/03), but he is also strongly considering West Virginia, Florida, Penn State, Tennessee, and perhaps a few other schools (no official visits scheduled).

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2. Jake Stoneburner, Dublin Coffman (6' 6", 223 lbs, 4.54 forty, 4.37 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on March 26th. During his junior season, Stoneburner emerged as one of the top receiver prospects in the nation (63 receptions, 948 yards, 8 TD's), but he far surpassed those numbers this year, as he made 74 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jake is able to use his excellent combination of size and speed to create serious mismatches for the defense. Like current teammate and future Buckeye Mike Adams, Stoneburner was named to the All Ohio first team and to the Army All-American squad.

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3. Etienne Sabino, Miami Dr. Krop (6' 3", 228 lbs, 4.74 forty); committed to Ohio State on November 8th. After posting over 130 tackles and 9 sacks as a junior, Sabino became recognized as one of the top linebacker prospects in the country. Etienne first became enamored with Ohio State while attending their summer football camp, and the Buckeyes stayed near the top of his wish list throughout the recruiting process; his official visit to Columbus (10/20) sealed the deal. Etienne was recently named to the Army All-American team. Sabino plans to graduate early from high school.

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4. Andrew Sweat, Washington (Pennsylvania) Trinity (6' 2", 225 lbs, 4.55 forty); committed to Ohio State on May 31st. Sweat's number were down a bit from his junior season totals (165 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions), as he posted "only" 113 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles while battling a nagging shoulder injury. Andrew also rushed for 430 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he has said that he would be willing to play fullback for the Buckeyes if that would help out the team. Andrew will graduate from high school in March and he plans to enroll at Ohio State in time for spring football.

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5. Devoe Torrence, Massillon Washington (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.4 forty); committed to Ohio State on March 20th. Devoe is the younger brother of 2007 Buckeye signee Devon Torrence. After a transfer Canton South to Massillon Washington, the younger Torrence had an up-and-down year on the field. However, some alleged off-the-field issues may ultimately sink this ship....

6. Keith Wells, Gainesville, Georgia (6' 5", 225 lbs, 4.8 forty); Ohio State (offered) trails Florida State (soft verbal). Wells is an active, athletic DE/OLB prospect who made a pre-season commitment to Florida State. While Keith never seemed completely satisfied with his early decision, he did not formally re-open his recruitment until a few days ago, when he called the Ohio State coaching staff and asked to schedule an official visit for this weekend. The day after that call, coaches Heacock and Haynes met with Wells for an in-home visit. Keith is also considering Auburn, Tennessee, and North Carolina along with Florida State (no official visits scheduled). Apparently, Wells is looking for a winning program with a stable coaching staff, which explains his increasing interest in Ohio State, and his decreasing interest in Florida State (56-31 record since 2001; head coach Bobby Bowden is now 78 years old and on a one-year contract).

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7. Nic DiLillo, Madison, Ohio (6' 5", 225 lbs, 4.6 forty); committed to Ohio State on July 30th. Nic's journey to Columbus can truly be described as a recruiting odyssey: Although he always favored Ohio State, Nic committed to Clemson back in April, when it appeared that the Buckeyes weren't interested in him. Then, when he realized how far away Clemson is from northeast Ohio both geographically and culturally, DiLillo decommitted from the Tigers and committed to Pitt in June. On the other side of the euation, after the Buckeyes missed out on their top two tight end prospects (Kyle Rudolph and Kevin Koger), Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel personally extended an offer to DiLillo on July 26th. Nic accepted that offer within days, and everything worked out for both parties in the end. On the field, DiLillo earned first team All Ohio honors (Division II) this season.

8. Shayne Hale, Pittsburgh Gateway (6' 4", 218 lbs, 4.5 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 4 (Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, all offered). Although Hale is one of the top overall prospects in the nation, his recruitment has been rather subdued. While Shayne hasn't formally ruled out the Buckeyes, he also hasn't scheduled an official visit to Ohio State ... and Ohio State hasn't been calling him lately. Hale has made official visits to Virginia (11/03) and West Virginia (12/01), and those two schools should be considered his current leaders. Whether the Buckeyes can get back into the game - or if they even want to - remains to be seen....

9. Greg Scruggs, Cincinnati St. Xavier (6' 5", 230 lbs, 4.7 forty); Ohio State (not offered) in the mix. Greg's story sounds like something out of a movie script: He gave up football in the sixth grade, and joined the marching band in high school. After a few of his class mates convinced him to try out for the football squad for his senior season, Scruggs simply blew up on the gridiron, where he displayed freakish athletic ability at defensive end and helped to lead the Bombers to a perfect 15-0 record, a Division I state championship, and a top-5 ranking in the USA Today national high school poll. Miami of Ohio offered him immediately, and several other programs are now showing some interest, including Tennessee (official visit 12/08), Wake Forest (official visit 12/11), North Carolina State (official visit 12/15), Michigan State, and Ohio State. Greg has emerged from out of the blue, so it's difficult to get a handle on his recruiting status, but Ohio State seems to be taking a "wait and see" approach....

10. Nick Truesdell, Cincinnati Anderson (6' 7", 215 lbs); Ohio State (not offered) in the mix (no known schools of interest). Nick is a tall, athletic wide receiver prospect and high school basketball star who reminds many of former Lakota West recruit Josh Chichester, now with the Louisville Cardinals. On the season, Nick had 36 receptions for 711 yards and 9 touchdowns, and he recently led his team to the Division II state championship. Truesdell currently has no Division I offers, but after his performance in the state title game (5 receptions, 129 yards, 2 TD's, 199 total yards), at least forty schools (including Ohio State) called to inquire about him. Nick is a very late bloomer ... perhaps too late for some schools that are running out of scholarship slots (like Ohio State). Stay tuned to BP for details as they become available....

Power

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1. Mike Adams, Dublin Coffman (6' 7", 308 lbs); committed to Ohio State on March 10th. Adams is a first-rate offensive tackle prospect who has been compared to former Ohio prep stars like Alex Boone and Korey Stringer. The leader of the "Block O", Adams displays rare athleticism for such a big man. This season, Mike led the Coffman Shamrocks deep into the playoffs, only losing to eventual state champ St. Xavier in the semi-finals by a score of 10 to 7. Adams was named first team All Ohio, and he was also selected to play in the Army All American game.

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2. Michael Brewster, Orlando Edgewater (6' 6", 305 lbs, 4.63 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on April 23rd. Brewster is one of the top offensive line prospects in the entire country. Although he will probably end up as an interior lineman, he also has the height and skills to play tackle. By staying in constant contact with other Buckeye recruits, Mike has been dubbed Ohio State's "unofficial recruiting coordinator". Brewster recently had successful surgery to repair an injured shoulder, which will keep him on the sidelines until fall practice, but he will still graduate early and enroll at Ohio State in January.

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3. J.B. Shugarts, Klein, Texas (6' 7", 299 lbs, 4.69 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on April 24th. Shugarts is yet another "blue chip" offensive line prospect who has committed to Ohio State. After months of rumors concerning an impending de-commitment (most often LSU was the other alleged suitor), J.B. took his official visit to Columbus on November 3rd, and once again re-affirmed his pledge to the Buckeyes. Shugarts will play in the Army All-American game on January 5th and then immediately travel to Ohio State, where he will enroll for the winter quarter.

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4. Garrett "The Gladiator" Goebel, Lombard (Illinois) Montini Catholic (6' 5", 270 lbs); committed to Ohio State on July 27th. Like 2006 Buckeye signee Dexter Larimore, Goebel is a both a top-notch defensive tackle and a state-champion wrestler. Although Garrett would be a college star in either sport, he plans to play football exclusively at Ohio State. Goebel was one of three finalists for Illinois' Mr. Football Award, along with Notre Dame commitments Steven Filer and Sean Cwynar, the latter of whom was the named the winner.

5. Josh Jenkins, Parkersburg (West Virginia) Vienna (6' 3", 282 lbs, 4.62 shuttle); Ohio State (offered) leads West Virginia (soft verbal). Jenkins is a three-time all state selection, and he led his team to a state championship as a senior; he was also named to the Army All-American team and was selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia. Josh has already made an official visit to Florida (11/03), and he is scheduled to make an official visit to Ohio State this weekend (12/08); he is also considering Florida State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia (no visits set). Jenkins made an early verbal to West Virginia shortly after receiving an official offer from the Mountaineers, but he has been leaning toward Ohio State for the past few months. It looks like a two-team race with the Buckeyes in the lead, but this one might come down to the wire.

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6. Willie Mobley, Eden Prairie, Minnesota (6' 2", 264 lbs); committed to Ohio State on November 30th. Long runored to be a Buckeye lean/lock, Mobley finally made it official when he pulled the trigger less than one week ago. Mobley is a defensive line prospect who will probably start out at end and eventually move down to tackle. Over the past two seasons, Willie led his team to a 28-0 record and consecutive Class 5A state championships.

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7. Nathan Williams, Washington Court House Miami Trace (6' 5", 245 lbs, 4.67 forty); committed to Ohio State on April 24th. Williams is currently a running back and inside linebacker for Miami Trace, but he will certainly outgrow those positions and play on the defensive line at Ohio State. Nate quickly established himself as one of the top players in Ohio by being selected to the All-State team in 2005, a recognition which he repeated after the 2006 season in which he recorded 149 tackles including 24 for losses. Nathan committed to the Buckeyes on the date he was offered.

8. Brandon Thompson, Thomasville, Georgia (6' 2", 291 lbs, 4.69 shuttle); Ohio State (offered) trails Clemson, LSU, Georgia Tech (all offered). Simply put, Thompson is a beast - he is big, strong, agile, and nasty with an extremely explosive first step that routinely lands him in the opponent's backfield. Brandon is both a disruptive force and a solid tackler - a good combination in an interior lineman. Brandon has long been considered to be a Clemson lock, but with Tommy Bowden constantly being on thin ice, Thompson had been checking out some other schools. Brandon made official visits to LSU (09/07), Georgia Tech (09/29), and Ohio State (11/03), and he is scheduled to visit Clemson next month (although the latest word is that he might move his visit up to this weekend). Coaching turmoil at Thompson's other three favorites had kept Ohio State in the mix for a while, but Clemson just renegotiated and extended Tommy Bowden's contract, so the Tigers are once again the strong favorite. A long shot, but worth shooting for....

9. Moses McCray, Tampa Middleton (6' 4", 275 lbs); Ohio State (offered) trails Florida State (soft verbal). Although he committed to Florida State back in early May, McCray has re-opened his recruitment to some extent, and he may even schedule an official visit to Ohio State. Like current Buckeye Dexter Larimore and future Buckeye Garrett Goebel, Moses also excels at wrestling (he finished 6th in the state of Florida as a junior). Another developing situation to watch closely....

10. Cory Liuget, Hialeah (Florida) Hialeah (6' 3", 260 lbs, 4.8 forty); Ohio State (offered) trails Illinois (soft verbal) and Florida State (offered). Liuget committed on his official visit to Illinois (10/20), but then quickly backed off of that commitment after taking a subsequent official visit to Florida State (11/16). Apparently, Cory has also scheduled an official visit to Ohio State for some time in December. With two schools solidly out in front, the Buckeyes will have a tough time making up ground with this long shot.

11. Ben Jones, Miami Northwestern (6' 6", 280 lbs, 5.22 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 3 (Miami, LSU, both offered). As a sophomore at Miami Springs, Jones racked up 60 tackles and 10 sacks. However, after transferring to Miami Northwestern at the end of the year, Ben suffered a knee injury and missed his entire junior season. Despite the forced lay off, Jones is still one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country. Jones has official visits to Clemson and LSU scheduled for January, and he is also still looking at Ohio State, Tennessee, and Miami (no visits set). Academics are an issue, so don't expect the Buckeyes to pursue Ben too seriously until he can improve his test score (reported 15 ACT).
 
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I'm really not a rumor whore...but what is this referring to?

5. Devoe Torrence, Massillon Washington (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.4 forty); committed to Ohio State on March 20th. Devoe is the younger brother of 2007 Buckeye signee Devon Torrence. After a transfer Canton South to Massillon Washington, the younger Torrence had an up-and-down year on the field. However, some alleged off-the-field issues may ultimately sink this ship....

I went to his thread which does not shed any light either. MODS feel free to delete this if its in poor taste...but I am kinda curious...
 
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This has been beaten to death, and you're not going to get any answers over here, as we have much more respect for Devoe and his privacy at BP than some other Ohio State boards do. Try going over to the BN free board... they usually have a topic or two over there....
 
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No, Brandon Washington is a candidate as well if Jenkins sticks with WVU (though, unlikely). However, it seems as though Washington isn't the only Miami Northwestern player we are going after... I'd expect some news with a certain uncommitted recruit as well... but maybe this is better suited for the Rumor Mill.
 
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