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Love the class, but for some reason I don't think we end up with Wagner on the OL. I see him pushed out. And I see 1-2 of the CBs being replaced as well.
And it may be a dream, but with the way he's been winning recruiting battles. I wonder if Shemar Stewart and Marvin Jones are realistic, or if you sacrifice a CB or OL to fit Kenyatta Jackson in
1. Do you think Ohio State is done at LB with just Hicks and Powers? Is Shawn Murphy (OSU in top 5) a real possibility? Does one of the safeties bulk up and get moved to LB?
2. With Wagner trending away from Ohio State, is Nichols the 4th OL? What about George Fitzpatrick (classic OT frame, needs development) and Carson Hinzman (strictly IOL), each of whom had good visits (although Hinzman would seem to be an obvious Wisky lean/lock)?
3. If Abor, Curry, Kanu, and McClellan (sick DL class, BTW) all commit, is there still room for a late addition like Kenyatta Jackson or Marvin Jones, Jr. (September OV)?
4. Finally, what about Kenneth Grant? Has PROJECT written all over him (think Dawand Jones), but he came out of nowhere to earn an "offer" at camp early in June, then got invited back for an official visit later in the month. Is he strictly Plan B (or Plan C), or is he a high-upside sleeper (has been compared to Johnathan Hankins, FWIW) who gets a later OFFER and winds up in this class?
-I respect Birm more than anyone else out there, and I don’t think he’s just randomly floating out the numbers issue. I think just getting to 25 is going to be a stretch. They’re taking two more OL, a safety and 4 more DL minimum. That’s 23. I can’t remember which insider said it, but I think they might be on to something with the staff watching Powers this season and seeing if they think he still projects at LB’er or grows into a DE. With Nwankpa playing more of bullet role, they could afford to wait and if a spot is open decide to go LB’er or DE with it.
-Sounds like Dewberry and Greene are in, and they can both play tackle. Bill Greene seems to think Nichols is trending away, but others are still confident. Fitzpatrick might be the project OT they prefer over Wagner. Obviously they’d make room for Booker, but it sure sounds like an SEC school for him.
-Jackson and Marvin Jones kind of fall into the first section, although I have t seen any insiders with a definitive answer there. Abor seems like he’s clearly separated himself. They would obviously make White or Stewart work.
-Grant sure seems like a fallback option since the emergence of Kanu. That said, Birm speaks pretty highly of him. LJ has been telling recruits he’s taking 3 DT’s in this class. Curry is an inside-out guy. Are they counting him?
It’s going to be really interesting to see how things shake out. They’re in on a ton of top prospects, but are extremely limited on space. Does a DB decommit and open up a spot? Do they process some dead weight on the roster?
-Grant sure seems like a fallback option since the emergence of Kanu. That said, Birm speaks pretty highly of him. LJ has been telling recruits he’s taking 3 DT’s in this class. Curry is an inside-out guy. Are they counting him?
You rarely (if ever) see a kid go from unknown prospect to camp standout to official visitor in less than a month, but that's what Grant did. It will be really interesting to see where he ends up.
Class Comparison: With Tuimoloau in fold, how do Ohio State and Alabama compare?
In case you have been under a rock, Ohio State got a late commitment for the 2021 class on Sunday when Washington defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau picked the Buckeyes over USC, Washington, Oregon, Alabama and others.
Tuimoloau is the nation’s No. 3 overall prospect in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Prior to his commitment, Ohio State had the nation’s No. 2-ranked class for 2021 behind just Alabama. Those rankings stayed the same after Tuimoloau’s commitment.
You would think a commitment from the No. 3 player overall could have catapulted OSU to the top spot. But the algorithms and quirks within the team ranking systems kept Alabama at No. 1.
Now, we know that winning the “mythical recruiting national championship” only means so much. It does not guarantee the No. 1 team anything in terms of on-field success in the years to come, although it is obvious that school has brought in some potential difference makers who should help that team contend for conference and national championships in the years to come.
Some of the inequity involved hinges on the number of signees. For years, some SEC schools have oversigned and then sorted out their 85-man scholarship limit by “processing” expendable players to make room for the too-large incoming class. Big Ten schools – and Ohio State in particular – have been reticent to embrace that practice. Of course, the transient nature of college football with the new transfer rules will make it easier to sign and accommodate extra signees.
But this year, Alabama signed 27 players to 22 for Ohio State. Alabama’s average signee was at 95.00 rating points to 94.76 for Ohio State. In cumulative points, Alabama had 327.91 points to 316.01 for OSU.
There are two things to note: First, Alabama did not sign a kick specialist in the 2021 class, while Ohio State added punter Jesse Mirco. Kickers and punters typically don’t have ratings commensurate with position players, so by signing Mirco OSU’s class ranking could have been adversely impacted in comparison to Alabama’s.
The second thing to note is I have long been an advocate for true “apples to apples” class comparisons. By this, I think class rankings should be limited to the first 20 signees. That puts everybody on an equal playing field with the rankings. If your school signs 24 players and gets meaningful contributions from the four lowest-rated signees, then congratulations you beat the system. Your coaches found a diamond-in-the-rough player whom the recruiting experts missed out on.
But typically, the players who are going to move the needle for a school will be the ones among the highest 20 or so ranked prospects in each recruiting class.
When the two classes are ranked this close, whoever has the “top” is irrelevant. Fun thing for fans to fawn over I guess. Having a .24 higher average rating isn’t going to be the deciding factor in anything other than paper recruiting champ.
When the two classes are ranked this close, whoever has the “top” is irrelevant. Fun thing for fans to fawn over I guess. Having a .24 higher average rating isn’t going to be the deciding factor in anything other than paper recruiting champ.
2) Rankings are based on high school performance, not college potential.
3) Some recruits get better college coaching than others.
4) Some high ranked recruits aren't a great fit and end up transferring; think Justin Fields here, top recruit doesn't see the playing field because there is a 2nd year (returning starter) at his position so he transfers.
5) Rankings don't consider other intangibles (i.e. character issues, academics, team player, being able to adapt to college life away from family,.....etc.)
I’m a firm believer that if you match up Bama and OSU’s recruiting classes, you’d have a distinct advantage at a number of key positions. Sure, not everywhere (namely OL, but we got Donovan Jax), but at enough impact positions to close the gap.
2) Rankings are based on high school performance, not college potential.
3) Some recruits get better college coaching than others.
4) Some high ranked recruits aren't a great fit and end up transferring; think Justin Fields here, top recruit doesn't see the playing field because there is a 2nd year (returning starter) at his position so he transfers.
5) Rankings don't consider other intangibles (i.e. character issues, academics, team player, being able to adapt to college life away from family,.....etc.)
Ohio State makes up a cool 25 percent of the top-12 recruiters in the country, and Tony Alford ain't too far behind at No. 17. No other team even has two coaches in the top-12, but the Buckeyes have three.
Larry Johnson is going to restock the defensive line
Ohio State needs at least three defensive tackles, and in a best-case scenario, two edge rushers in the 2022 class. The month of June gave Larry Johnson his first real look at the top prospects in the class and valuable insight into what he wants.
The Buckeyes have had Caden Curry at the top of the list for a long time, and I don’t see that changing. He didn’t make an official visit but will in the fall. Curry is unique and perhaps the key piece to how the rest of the defensive line unfolds, because he’s truly capable of playing inside or outside on any given snap.
There’s been a lot of talk about Omari Abor over the last few months, and that’s to be expected. He’s a 5-star prospect and probably the most physically-ready of everyone the Buckeyes are recruiting. Still, with Alabama and Oklahoma very much involved, it’s hard to know exactly where that one goes if he doesn’t make a return trip to Columbus on his own dime. It’s unwise to bet against Larry Johnson, but that battle feels a long way from over.
So what’s the prediction? Let’s get a little crazy.
Who’s In? Caden Curry, Hero Kanu, Chris McClellan, Enai White and Kenyatta Jackson
