The Buckeyes' Top Prospects for the Class of 2009
November Edition
November Edition
At the present time, only a handful of serious prospects remain on the Buckeyes' board, namely offensive lineman Marcus Hall (Cleveland Glenville), defensive tackle Corey Adams (Scottsdale, Arizona), wide receiver Marlon Brown (Memphis Harding), tight end Ra'Shede Hageman (Minneapolis Washburn), and offensive lineman John Martinez (Salt Lake City Cottonwood). Even though Sigining Day is just three months away, some new names will likely appear on the radar between now and then, and a couple of prospects to keep an eye on are offensive lineman Taylor Lewan (Scottsdale, Arizona) and cornerback Mike Edwards (Cleveland Glenville).
Speed
1. Marlon Brown, Memphis Harding Academy (6' 5", 205 lbs). Outside of a few passing mentions of Ohio State ealry in the process, the Buckeyes have never really been in this race. Now that Ohio State's class is nearly full - including three top wide receivers (Carter, Jackson, Fields) and three other "speed" prospects who could play wide out (Green, Brown, Hall) - it looks like the staff will move in a different direction. Tennessee is the favorite, but Southern Cal will also get a visit. Update 08/26 - Brown is still talking about taking an official visit to Columbus, but let's be real - Ohio State has no chance here. Update 11/01 - Well, not so fast, my friends.... Marlon claims that he is very interested in Ohio State, primarily because he would have a chance to play with Terrelle Pryor. In fact, Brown has already made an official visit to Ohio State for the Purdue game (10/11), and by all accounts his trip to Columbus went very well. Marlon has also taken an official visit to Georgia (09/27, vs. Alabama), and he will try to make to trips to LSU, Florida, and Tennessee some time in January. Although Ohio State has made a late surge, Brown is still a southern kid with four SEC schools on his list of finalists, so the Buckeyes would have to be considered a definite long shot in this race. While stranger things have happened in recruiting, we just don't see this one going Ohio State's way ... even though Marlon could be a starter from day one in Columbus. Update 11/25 - Not much new here. the Buckeyes are still in the race, and will wait until the end.
2. Vladimir Emilien, Lauderhill (Florida) Plantation (6' 2", 188 lbs). How do you go from "stone-cold lock" to "frozen out" in one short week? Try playing the recruiting game with a coaching staff that is intent on closing out its recruiting class before the start of fall practice.... With former leader Ohio State all but out of the picture now, Vlad will look at a host of southern schools later this month (Florida, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, and Tennessee); South Florida has been doing an excellent job in-state this year (Victor Marc, James Green, Ricardo Dixon, Adaris Bellamy), so the Bulls might be a serious player as well. Update 08/26 - Well, Ohio State is now back in the picture, along with Florida, South Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Stanford. Emilien will sit out his senior season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in July, but the injury has not scared off any programs as of yet. Vlad plans to announce his college selection on his birthday, November 23rd ... which also happens to be the day after The Game. Might Emilien be in Columbus for an official visit on that date? Update 11/01 - Well, it seems that every time we check in on Vlad's recruitment, his list of favorites has changed. Currently, Wisconsin (official visit 10/11) and Michigan (official visit 10/25) are his stated leaders, but we still wouldn't be surprised to see Emilien end up at Ohio State (official visit 11/22, versus Michigan) when it's all said and done. Stanford (official visit 11/15, versus Southern Cal) is also in the mix. Update 11/03 - And now it appears that Vlad has canceled his official visit to Columbus (or more likely vice versa) and that he will not end up a Buckeye. Strange.... Update 11/24 - Vlad committed to Michigan.
3. Frankie Telfort, Miami Gulliver (5' 11", 194 lbs, 4.5 forty); Ohio State (offered) in the mix. Telfort is an undersized linebacker who plays with enormous intensity. At the college level, Frankie will likely make the switch to safety, where he could be a Jermale Hines type of player. Telfort has talked about making an official visit to Ohio State for the Michigan game (11/22), but as far as we know, that trip has not yet been confirmed. The other top contenders for Frankie's services are Southern Cal, Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke, LSU, and Florida, with the Trojans and the Gators currently being in the lead. Update 11/03 - It looks like Telfort has dropped Ohio State, and that he will not be visiting Columbus for The Game. Not a surprise....
4. Justin Green, Louisville Male (5' 10", 170, 4.4 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 22, 2008. Justin claims to be 100% solid to Ohio State ... but he still wants to take some official visits to other schools (perhaps Illinois). That doesn't sound "100% solid" to us, but we still think that Green will sign with the Buckeyes in the end.
5. Brad McDougald, Dublin Scioto (6' 1", 188 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 23, 2008. McDougald still considers himself to be an Ohio State verbal commitment ... but we're not sure that the Buckeye staff sees things the same way. Brad got suspended from his high school team for a couple of games for an "off-the-field" indiscretion, and since that incident he has re-opened his recruitment while allegedly remaining solid to the Buckeyes. Right now, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado are getting a look. We still don't exactly how this situation will be resolved, but we think that someone else will end up taking McDougald's scholarship, and that McDougald will end up somewhere besides Columbus. Update 11/25 - We have officially removed McDougald from the commitment list.
6. Mike Edwards, Cleveland Glenville (5' 10", 170 lbs, 4.5 forty); Ohio State (not offered) leads. Edwards is yet another Glenville Tarblooder who would love to head south to Coulmbus after graduation, but at the moment he does not have an offer from Ohio State ... and with the Buckeyes' class being nearly full, an offer seems rather unlikely at this point. That being said, Mike is one of the top cornerback prospects in the midwest after posting 40 tackles and 3 interceptions as a junior last season. Right now, Edwards is entertaining offers from Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan ... but he is still holding out hope that Ohio State will come through with a late scholarship. Update 11/25 - Still no Buckeye offer.
Power
1. Marcus Hall, Cleveland Glenville (6' 5", 285 lbs). From everything that we have heard, Ohio State is still the strong leader for Marcus Hall. However, Marcus did not commit at camp, and it appears that he wants to take some official visits this fall (LSU, Florida, USC, and Illinois are all possible destinations). Hall might be the best overall prospect in Ohio this year ... and the best offensive lineman nationally ... so the Buckeye staff will certainly wait on him to make his decision. Update 08/26 - LSU and USC are Hall's current "dream schools" ... but "reality" still says Ohio State. This one's not over by any means, but the Buckeyes are in good shape. Update 11/01 - The Buckeyes still appear to be in good shape here. Hall will begin taking his official visits after his seasons ends, and he will likely travel to Ohio State (12/05), Miami (12/12), Illinois, and LSU, and possibly either Alabama or Penn State. Update 11/25 - Marcus failed to attend The Game last Saturday, which has a lot of people worried. Here's a look at Hall's official visit schedule: Ohio State (12/12); Illinois (01/09); LSU (01/16); Miami (01/23); and Michigan (01/30). Obviously, we should expect a very late announcement ... unless Marcus cancels some visits after his trip to Columbus next month.
2. Corey Adams, Scottsdale (Arizona) Saguaro (6' 4", 272 lbs, 4.85 forty). Like Marcus Hall, the staff will hold a spot open for Corey Adams ... if they think that he has any serious intentions toward Ohio State. If we had to call a leader, we'd say Southern Cal, based primarily on location. However, Corey has family ties to Ohio, and he grew up an Ohio State fan, so the Buckeyes still have a chance ... if Adams can actually make it to Columbus before committing somewhere else. Update 08/26 - Corey's finalists are USC, OSU, and ASU, and all three schools seem to have a legitimate chance. Adams will likely announce his decision at the Under Armour All-American game on January 4, 2009. Update 11/01 - Corey made his official visit to Ohio State for the Penn State game, and he was very impressed with everything that the Buckeyes have to offer. If we had to make a call, we'd give the slight edge to Ohio State at this time, but Southern Cal (official visit 12/12) is always a strong contender for west coast talent, and Arizona State (official visit 9/20) and Nebraska (official visit 9/27) are still hanging around. Update 11/25 - No news here - still OSU, ASU, and USC in some order.
3. Ra'Shede Hageman, Minneapolis Washburn (6' 5", 233 lbs). Hageman's top four are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Florida. Although Ra'Shede enjoyed his camp visit to Ohio State, we believe that this top tight end prospect will end up staying a bit closer to home. Travis Beckum has obviously had great success at Wisconsin ... and that has not gone unnoticed by Hageman. Update 08/26 - Hageman's top four are still Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, and Ohio State, but he not scheduled any official visits yet. Too early to call a leader. Update 11/01 - Ra'Shede made his official visit to Ohio State for the Purdue game (10/11) and seemed to enjoy his time in Columbus, but we think that he'll probably end up staying closer to home, like Minnesota or Wisconsin. Update 11/09 - No surprise here - Hageman committed to Minnesota.
4. Dion Sims, Orchard Lake (Michigan) St. Mary's (6' 5", 230 lbs); Ohio State leads Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, Michigan, and Michigan State. Sims is an athletic tight end prospect from a Buckeye-friendly school (Taurian Washington, Aaron Gant) located behind enemy lines, and as of today, Ohio State is his leader. Dion is also a top-flight basketball player, and he is still undecided as to which sport he will play in college; however, all of his best offers have been for football, so expect to see Sims on the gridiron rather than the hardwood. This recruitment could still go a number of different directions, but the Buckeyes are in a good position right now. Update 11/01 - After injuring his knee early in his senior season, it looks like Sims may concentrate on basketball instead of football.
5. John Martinez, Salt Lake City Cottonwood (6' 3", 270 lbs). Martinez came all the way from Utah on his own dime to try to earn a Buckeye offer, but to date that hasn't happened ... and with Hall, Watt, and Longo still higher up the Buckeyes' "board", it looks like John will have to "settle" for either USC (visit 09/13, vs. Ohio State), LSU (visit 10/25, vs. Georgia), or UCLA. However, Martinez still has an official visit scheduled to Ohio State (11/22, vs. Michigan), and if a scholarship opens up by that date, then Ohio State should have a very good shot. Update 08/26 - John continues to speak very highly of Ohio State ... and to wait for the Buckeyes to offer. If Marcus Hall should choose to go elsewhere, then it looks like Martinez would be the next in line for a scholarship. In the mean time, USC and UCLA appear to be the leaders ... but an offer might vault Ohio State into the lead. Update 11/01 - Martinez recently made an official visit to LSU (10/25), and he is also planning to visit Ohio State (11/22, versus Michigan), USC (possibly 11/29, versus Notre Dame), and UCLA (12/06, versus USC). All four schools are still in the mix, although Ohio State has not offered yet. Update 11/25 - Martinez has offers from LSU, USC, and UCLA, but he is willing to wait on OSU. Whether the Buckeyes offer remains to be seen, but if they did, then Martinez would likely commit to Ohio State. John was unable to attend The Game last weekend due to a playoff game, but he would eventually like to make an official visit to Columbus.
6. Taylor Lewan, Scottsdale (Arizona) Chapparal (6' 7", 272 lbs, 4.72 forty); Ohio State (not offered) in the mix. Lewan is long, lean, and athletic, and he plays with a whistle to whistle attitude. His father was an offensive lineman for Minnesota (offered), so the Golden Gophers will definitely have a good chance to land this legacy recruit. Arizona State (offered) is the local favorite, and Michigan (offered) is also getting a serious look. Although Ohio State has not offered yet, Taylor is "on the board" and getting some attention from the Buckeye staff. Update 11/25 - No movement here, which probably means that the staff is looking in another direction.
:osu: The Ohio State Buckeyes' Recruiting Class of 2009 :osu:
C.J. Barnett, Clayton Northmont (6' 1", 171 lbs, 4.4 forty); committed to Ohio State on February 10, 2008Dorian Bell, Pittsburgh Gateway (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on April 23, 2008
Adam Bellamy, Aurora High School (6' 4", 280 lbs, 4.8 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 10, 2008
Jaamal Berry, Miami Palmetto (5' 11", 184 lbs, 4.31 forty); committed to Ohio State on August 30, 2008
Justin Boren, University of Michigan (6' 4", 305 lbs); announced transfer to Ohio State on April 23, 2008
Zach Boren, Pickerington Central (6' 0", 250 lbs, 4.65 forty); committed to Ohio State on April 30, 2008
Corey Brown, Monroeville (Pennsylvania) Gateway (6' 1", 179 lbs, 4.58 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 23, 2008
Duron Carter, Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (6' 3", 180 lbs); committed to Ohio State on June 20, 2008
Dominic Clarke, Frederick (Maryland) Tuscarora (5' 10", 178 lbs, 4.41 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 8, 2008
Melvin Fellows, Garfield Heights High School (6' 5", 265 lbs); committed to Ohio State on April 24, 2008
Chris Fields, Painesville Harvey (6' 1", 181 lbs, 4.39 forty, 38" vertical); committed to Ohio State on February 21, 2008
Reid Fragel, Grosse Pointe (Michigan) South (6' 8", 251 lbs, 4.88 forty); committed to Ohio State on May 27, 2008
Justin Green, Louisville Male (5' 10", 170, 4.4 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 22, 2008
Jordan Hall, Jeannette (Pennsylvania) High School (5' 9", 185 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on April 23, 2008
Adam Homan, Coldwater, Ohio (6' 2", 230 lbs); committed to Ohio State on December 29, 2007
Carlos Hyde, Naples (Florida) Naples (6' 1", 230 lbs, 4.55 forty); committed to Ohio State on June 22, 2008
James Jackson, Grand Ledge, Michigan (6' 0", 175 lbs, 4.31 forty); committed to Ohio State on May 12, 2008
Storm Klein, Newark Licking Valley (6' 2", 210 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on October 14, 2007
Corey Linsley, Boardman High School (6' 4", 285 lbs); committed to Ohio State on April 28, 2008
Sam Longo, Bellbrook, Ohio (6' 5", 250 lbs, 4.94 forty); committed to Ohio State on July 7, 2008
Jack Mewhort, Toledo St. John's (6' 6", 283 lbs); committed to Ohio State on December 28, 2007
Jonathan Newsome, Cleveland Glenville (6' 3", 215 lbs); committed to Ohio State on June 24, 2008
John Simon, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (6' 4", 265 lbs, 4.7 forty); committed to Ohio State on December 26, 2007
Jordan Whiting, Louisville (Kentucky) Trinity (6' 1", 226 lbs, 4.61 forty); committed to Ohio State on September 1, 2007
Jamie Wood, Pickerington Central (6' 1", 185 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on February 24, 2008
Prospects of Note Who Are Going Elsewhere
Justin Turner, Massillon Washington (6' 2", 185 lbs); committed to Michigan on March 29, 2008
Vladimir Emilien, Lauderhill (Florida) Plantation (6' 2", 188 lbs); committed to Michigan on November 24, 2008
Darrell Givens, Indian Head (Maryland) Lackey (5' 11", 178 lbs, 4.46 forty); committed to Penn State on May 10, 2008
Eric Shrive, Scranton (Pennsylvania) West (6' 7", 280 lbs); committed to Penn State on May 15, 2008
Patrick White, Pickerington Central (6' 1", 175 lbs); committed to Michigan State on June 8, 2008
Steve Hull, Cincinnati Sycamore (6' 2", 175 lbs); committed to Illinois on June 29, 2008
Kraig Appleton, East St. Louis, Illinois (6' 3", 190 lbs, 4.50 forty); soft verbal to Illinois on August 11, 2008
Craig Drummond, Chicago Morgan Park (6' 5", 265 lbs); committed to Illinois on October 31, 2008
Ra'Shede Hageman, Minneapolis Washburn (6' 5", 233 lbs); committed to Minnesota on November 9, 2008
Chris Watt, Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Glenbard West (6' 4", 270 lbs); committed to Notre Dame on July 13, 2008
E.J. Banks, McKees Rocks (Pennsylvania) Montour (6' 1", 180 lbs); committed to Notre Dame on August 8, 2008
Mike Marrow, Toledo Central Catholic (6' 2", 235 lbs, 4.7 forty); committed to Alabama on June 20, 2008
Russell Sheppard, Houston Cypress Ridge (6' 2", 183 lbs, 4.4 forty); committed to LSU on March 3, 2008
D.J. Hunter, Middletown High (6' 0", 196 lbs, 4.4 forty); committed to Tennessee on July 9, 2008
Ryan Cheek, Lancaster, Ohio (6' 1", 235 lbs, 4.51 forty); committed to North Carolina State on May 23, 2008
John Prior, Portsmouth, Ohio (6' 6", 280 lbs); committed to Florida State on July 21, 2008
Brandon McGee, Lauderhill (Florida) Plantation (6' 0", 169 lbs, 4.38 forty); committed to Miami on August 11, 2008
Chris Snook, Medina Highlands (6' 2", 212 lbs, 4.6 forty); committed to West Virginia on April 22, 2008
Ricardo Dixon, Hallandale, Florida (5' 10", 160 lbs, 4.42 forty); committed to South Florida on June 21, 2008
James Green, Tallahassee Leon (6' 2", 184 lbs, 4.61 forty); committed to South Florida on June 21, 2008
Victor Marc, Hallandale, Florida (5' 11", 208 lbs, 4.59 forty); committed to South Florida on June 21, 2008
Tyron Ezell, Homestead (Pennsylvania) Steel Valley (6' 4", 248 lbs, 4.75 forty); committed to Pitt on August 9, 2008
Ricky Harris, Westerville South (6' 2", 305 lbs); committed to Cincinnati on June 25, 2008
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