March 27, 10:30 p.m.
Some quick thoughts, comments, predictions, tidbits
--There is no reason why Ohio State shouldn't challenge for national title again this season.
--The offensive line will be much improved.
--The concern I have on offense is potential injuries to Clarett, accompanied with mediocre play out of Ross and Hall, accompanied with ultra-conservative play-calling.
--OSU will blow more teams out this year.
--Winning at Wisky, PSU and Michigan in the same year would be quite an accomplishment. Those venues are typically rough on the Bucks.
--Injuries to DE's could really hurt OSU. After Scott, Smith and Fraser, you have a major drop-off due to lack of experience and few speed-rushers.
--Hawk at the Will, Reynolds at the Mike and Carpenter at the Sam seems to make a lot of sense. Then, Anthony Schlegel takes over for Reynolds in the middle next year. D'Andrea needs to make his move this year, or he will have a tough time becoming a starter.
--There has been some talk that the OSU coaches think Donté Whitner will be the nickel back at the very least this year.
--Recent rumblings say Dustin Fox will start the spring as a corner and that is not a certainty (as many think) that Fox will move back to safety.
--As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I feel Adrien Clarke is a potential starting tackle if he continues to progress like he has been doing. Olivea could play guard and may be better suited there.
--There is talk that the O-line will finally have the depth to rotate guys like the D-line does and will do just that.
--Keep an eye on Adam Olds and Doug Datish who could press for playing time on the O-line.
--OSU is loaded with inexperienced but talented safeties. Everett and Salley look like they have bright futures and keep an eye on Ira Guilford and Curt Lukens in this incoming class.
--Kudla is up to 272 pounds after recovering from serious illness. At that weight, I can't see him at DE and he didn't seem to have the flexibility and quickness to play DE last year either. However, word is, Kudla has dominated at times in practice due to his strength. Maybe DT is Kudla's true calling.
--There has been talk of Gamble playing exclusively on defense, but I believe the coaches have to play him at WR at least 20% of the time if not a lot more. He has the talent to be a big game-breaker. Prediction: he goes from zero TD catches in 2002 to five or more this year with less playing time at WR.
--Drew Carter could be a major contributor at WR this year...good hands, great speed, great size. Only question is his ability to make things happen after the catch.
--Much of the word on the street thinks that Santonio Holmes is a star waiting to happen.
--I still have am a bit concerned about BJ Sander handling the punting duties again. Good special team units will make Ohio State pay if Sander continues to take too long to get his punts off. Word is he is booming 'em in practice, but let's wait until we see it in a game. Also, there's still a lot of talk about others getting a crack at the punter job (i.e. Irizarry, Josh Huston, possibly others.) It sounds like the coaches are concerned that this could be a weak spot.
--AJ Hawk is going to be the favorite player of many Buckeye fans very soon.
--I'm almost convinced that there is no way that Maurice Clarett makes it through a season without any major injuries. But I'm also almost convinced that he will still play in almost every game and be OSU's best back even if he is playing at 80%. I am also almost convinced that Clarett will again make multiple controversial statements publicly next fall that will get many fans PO'd.
--Something tells me David Patterson gets a good amount of PT at DT this year. The word is, he is technically advanced at this stage and is physically ready to play at this level.
--The coaches will not let on as to who is ahead in the QB battle between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith unless it's cut and dry. I'm guessing that Zwick, Smith and McMullen will each take their turn as the 1st QB off the bench this year. I don't think we will get a sense as to who the 2004 starting QB will be until after the 2004 spring. And even then, with Tressel having a history of looking at two QB's early on, there is a good chance that we see both Zwick and Smith in the '04 opener.
--Ohio State's defense will be top 5 in the country (in fewest points allowed) despite the losses of Doss, Wilhelm, Peterson, Nickey and Grant. I still do not understand why Mark Dantonio is not talked about more. What OSU's defense accomplished last year was simply unreal.
--Back to Penn State on the road...this is the year that we really should beat them. On paper this year's PSU team is as bad as I can remember.
--If Ohio State beats Michigan again this year and the Wolverines lose 3+ games on the year, I expect many fans north of the border to call for the Lloyd Carr's head. Except for '97, UM has not had a great season under Carr. For a program like Michigan, they have had too many losses in the span Carr has been there. 3 straight losses to Ohio State, several middle of the road seasons, a laundry list of off-the-field issues since Carr arrived and an extremely low football graduation rate for a school that prides itself on academics and....uh, does this not have some similarities to John Cooper's career at OSU? The shared national championship in '97 is the reason why Carr has avoided a lot of criticism. I'm still not sure how a team with Henson, A-Train, Walker, Terrell, and the best O-line in the land lost 3 games in 2000.
--Has it completely sunk in that Ohio State is national champs? I'm not quite sure it has with me. It still seems like a dream to me. And when I think back to the finish of the Cincinnati game, the late TD on 4th down to beat Purdue, the OT win over Illinois, the late drive to beat Michigan and the 4th and 13 pass to Jenkins in the first overtime of the Fiesta Bowl, it seems even more like a dream. But the beauty of it is it's not. Ohio State is on top of the college football world and nothing is sweeter.
March 23, 5:00 p.m.
Page Updates
I am trying to get most of the info current on the site. Today I updated the depth charts (not much to change and we'll know a lot more in two weeks), projected 2003 roster (with some walk-on additions), the records page (through 2002 season) and added a 2004 verbal commitment page (which has OSU's two verbal commitments for '04: Shawn Lane and Ben Person.) There are still a few more things that I need to do to get things current.
You'll also see that I added a spot (that will be linked here shortly) for 2003 spring football. I will be putting together a preview in the next week to 10 days.
Ohio Future Stars
The new Ohio Future Stars is out, and as always, it is great. There is a boat-load of info for recruiting junkies out there. As I mentioned before, I have no affiliation with OFS and don't get paid to mention them, but it is "the bible" when it comes to Ohio high school recruiting in my mind. Click here to go to their site which is part of Bucknuts. The prospect on the cover is Marcus Freeman, one of the best linebacker prospects in the nation. Ohio State is looking "better than good" with most of the top prospects in Ohio for 2004, but OSU will have to fight hard to land Freeman. Freeman says that he likes OSU and Michigan. Some sources close to him think Michigan may be the school to beat. This hunt may go down to signing day between Ohio State and Michigan.
Tressel to Sport New Look
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, who vowed to sport corn rows if his team went undefeated, appeared in public recently showing the new look. "At first it was a joke, but my wife, Ellen, and my daughter, Carlee, really like it a lot. I'm thinking about keeping it like this for a while," the coach said to reporters. The coach went on to say, "Now, before you laugh, take a look at Alex's hair (referring to center Alex Stepanovich), and tell me who looks better? I may not be in Brandon Schnittker's league just yet, in terms of being GQ, but give me a month to learn how to style it a
little better and then come talk to me. My old man would probably kill me, were he alive today, but if Bryce, Donte, Courtland, and Ivan can do it, why can't I? I think the next step will be dying the rows, alternating scarlet and gray. Heck, I won't even need dye for the gray rows."
Sources say Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger is demanding that Coach Tressel take part in random drug testing starting next month and that Geiger may be looking for a new head coach. These sources also say that former coaches John Cooper and Earle Bruce have both sent Geiger resumés this past week.
(pictures removed; piece was just a joke)
March 20, 10:45 p.m.
Updates
The first three months of the year have been very busy for me, but things are starting to slow down a little. Spring football is fast approaching and I know everyone wants scoop on recruiting. I have been only updating the page about once a week lately, but I will be doing much more starting next week.
March 16, 11:45 p.m.
Framed National Championship Prints!
The Buckeye 50 Yard Line is pleased to offer National Championship framed prints. The framing is done by a professional that has been doing custom framing in the central Ohio for over 20 years. "The Last Stance" that shows Ohio State and Miami lined up for the game's last play in the second overtime is available. The poster of the front page of the Columbus Dispatch, with the headline "CHAMPS!" and Maurice Clarett diving into the endzone is also available. Would you like to have a framed picture of the cover of Sports Illustrated with Craig Krenzel after the Bucks won it all? That too is available (while supplies last.) And right now we are offering the new "Undefeated/Teamwork" framed print that pictures all of the helmets of the teams the Buckeyes beat this year and the scores of the games along with some nice artwork showing a top view of Buckeye players huddled together.
Online payments can be made through Paypal, but you can also pay by check. We can ship product anywhere in the United States, but as of right now, we only have Paypal links set up for shipping in Ohio. We will have Paypal links set up for shipping nationally by the end of the week. For now, if you are outside of Ohio and want to purchase something to be shipped, please email me. I can give you a quote for the shipping and you can still pay online or by check. Anyone who wants to pay by check, please email me and I will send you more info. Click here to check out the photos and for more details.
March 15, noon
Tidbits
--The Buckeye 50 Yard Line will soon be offering professionally framed prints of National Championship photos/artwork. This may be up as soon as tomorrow, but should be available by the end of next week for sure.
--Ben Person, who is considered by some to be the top O-line prospect in Ohio for 2004, apparently will be a Buckeye. His comments make it sound like he is 99% sure. Bucknuts.com is calling Person a firm verbal commitment. Person is now considered a top 10 overall prospect in the state by multiple sources. This is definitely a need area for Ohio State.
--Many Buckeyes put on quite a show at the WHAC workout yesterday for NFL scouts. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Donnie Nickey ran a sub-4.5 40 and Mike Doss ran in the mid 4.4's along with having a standing vertical jump of 39 inches. Three other defenders put up impressive numbers, also. Matt Wilhelm ran a sub-4.6 40 and even topped Doss' vertical, reaching the 40 inch mark. Cie Grant ran a sub-4.4 40. And Kenny Peterson put up 225 pounds 27 times on the bench press.
On offense, Chris Vance ran a sub-4.5 and had a 37 inch vertical jump. Returning WR Drew Carter posted an extremely impressive time of 4.26 in the 40. And get this; Andy Groom ran a sub-4.5 40 and had a 37.5 inch vertical! Groom also boomed most of his punts.
--How 'bout them basketball Buckeyes!? Beating the Big Ten champion in the tourney, when you're the 8 seed, is always nice.
--Ohio State is putting some of its extra revenue from the National Championship into renovating the weight room in the WHAC. The WHAC was considered a state of the art facility when it was constructed in 1987. Since then, many big-time football programs have built more advanced and nicer facilities and many now consider Ohio State to be a bit behind the others when it comes to workout facilities. The early word on the weight room is that it is going to be quite impressive and second to none when it comes to college weight rooms. The upgrade could be finished by the fall of 2004.
--We will soon have more recruiting info on the 2004 recruiting page for Ohio recruits and some early out-of-state targets. It seems like Ohio State is being mentioned by many more of the top out of state prospects this year. No doubt that the National Championship helped a lot here.
--Former Buckeye Andrew Lee is facing the death penalty for allegeldy raping and murdering a video game clerk a year ago. Shauna Sondercock was murdered in her store in March of last year. The trial is nearing its completion. Lee was kicked off the Ohio State football team in 2000 before he ever stepped the field for multiple issues involving conduct.
--Former Buckeye linebacker Marco Cooper likely got a much lesser sentence than Lee may get. In fact, Cooper got no jail sentence at all for his second drug offense. Judge Michael Watson placed Cooper on five years probation and has required that the ex-Buckeye do 125 hours community service. The judge is also requiring that Cooper either return to school or work full-time.
March 9, 11:00 p.m.
Tidbits
--Spring Practice has gotten underway for some schools, but Ohio State, as always, will get a later start than almost all the rest. Spring practice, for the defending national champs, will begin April 3rd and finish April 26th with the spring game in Ohio Stadium. Tickets for the spring game go on sale tomorrow. Only 70,000 will be sold, meaning we may actually see a sellout, something that has never happened before. Tickets can be purchased for $5 each by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS.
--Buckeye wide receiver Drew Carter finished 2nd in the Big Ten Indoor Track championships last weekend with a distance of 24 ft, 9 1/4 inches. Carter could see a lot of time on the field this year. There is some talk that Chris Gamble may see less time on offense as he focuses more on defense. Carter has outstanding speed to go along with his 6'4" size. Carter was a projected starter in 2001 before a knee injury ended his season early. Carter now appears to be all the way back from this injury.
--The current offensive line situation for Ohio State seems to be getting brighter. Adrien Clarke has shed a good amount of pounds. He still probably needs to drop another 20 or more pounds, but Clarke seems to be motivated to make it happen. Although I have yet to hear speculation on this, I wouldn't be surprised to see Clarke as the starting left tackle if he can get down to the 325 range. He probably has more tools than any other lineman on the team.
--Here are some recent odds (from Caribsports.com) on winning the 2004 National Championship
Oklahoma 5/1
Texas 7/1
Ohio State 10/1
Kansas St 10/1
Miami 12/1
Georgia 15/1
Virginia Tech 15/1
Florida St 15/1
Michigan 15/1
USC 15/1
I'll put my dollar on Ohio State and a chance to win $10.
--Collegefootballnews.com's pre-spring top 10 looks like this:
1 Ohio State
2 Oklahoma
3 Southern Cal
4 Texas
5 Auburn
6 Va Tech
7 Miami
8 Kansas State
9 Michigan
10 NC State
Ohio State's 2003 opponent's rankings by CFN.com:
#9 Michigan
#10 NC State
#17 Wisconsin
#19 Purdue
#20 Washington
#36 Penn State
#37 Iowa
#62 Michigan State
#81 Bowling Green
#87 Northwestern
#88 Indiana
#89 San Diego State
--From the "Did you know" file...you may know that Ohio State played in 8 games in 2002 where they trailed after halftime. But, did you also know that Ohio State lost the total yardage battle in each of their last four games this past season?
Recruiting
The Buckeyes will graduate 5 O-linemen after the 2003 season, but should bring in some quality linemen next February. The top two O-line prospects in Ohio, Ben Person and Brandon Braxton, are Buckeye leans. The Bucks may have to wait on Braxton a while, but Person could be in the fold (as a verbal) in the very near future. It looks like these two are now going to be considered top 10 overall prospects in the state and two of the top 10 O-line prospects in the Midwest. Both Person and Braxton have been offered by Ohio State. Two other Ohio O-line prospects, Chase Clowser and Gerald Catogen could very well be Buckeyes if Ohio State were to offer. It seems probable that each could get offers either before or during camp. And should those offers happen, it seems likely OSU will nab both of them.
The Ohio State coaches have their eyes on a few high profile QB's for 2004 already. Brian Brohm, the younger brother of former Louisville star QB Jeff Brohm, is considered by some to be the top QB prospect in the country. Brohm hails from Louisville, KY and his brother Jeff happens to be the QB coach there right now. Ohio State is probably a real long shot here, but you never know. Ohio State apparently has offered two blue-chip QB's from Pennsylvania in Anthony Morelli and Chad Henne. Morelli could be Ohio State's best shot out of these three top out of staters. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Pittsburgh have all offered. Henne is probably a longer shot. Though many programs have yet to offer many prospects for 2004, Henne has scholarship offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Miami (FL), Georgia and many others. Not too shabby, huh?
The QB getting the most press in Ohio right now is Cleveland St. Ignatius' Brian Hoyer. As a high school QB, Hoyer has not impressed St. Iggy followers as much as some of their recent QB's, like Nate Szep, Dave Ragone and Bryan Panteck, but Hoyer's physical skills are phenomenal. The sky is the limit for Hoyer, despite the fact he has yet to light the world on fire in high school. That could happen this year, however. Hoyer appears to be Ohio State's #1 in-state QB target.
Another QB that the OSU coaches are taking a hard look at is Dayton CJ's Anthony Turner. Turner has good athletic skills and has a major league arm. Turner may need to impress OSU coaches in camp or this fall to warrant an offer.
March 2, 10:00 p.m.
Tidbits
--Ohio State has apparently offered the following Ohio 2004 prospects: Hubbard CB Shaun Lane, Toledo Rogers WR Fred Davis, Cleveland Glenville CB Ted Ginn Jr., Xenia OL Ben Person and Huber Heights Wayne LB Marcus Freeman. Sources say that offers will soon be presented to Warren Harding TB Delbert Ferguson and Youngstown Ursuline OL Brandon Braxton. Davis and Ginn are top 4 prospects in the state and are considered fairly big Buckeye leans. Person is, at worst, the 2nd best O-line prospect in the state, and OSU's chances are pretty good with him. Lane, of course, has already verballed to Ohio State. It looks like OSU and Michigan may fight for Freeman's services. OSU looks good in the quest to land Ferguson and Braxton's services. Ferguson is the #1 TB prospect in the state and a top 10 TB prospect nationally. Braxton or Person is the top O-line prospect in the state as of now.
--Sources say that Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel is really selling his team on the fact that they still did not get much respect from the media and many others out there after winning the national championship. Apparently, Tressel continues to remind his team of the comments that "they were lucky to win all those close calls last year."
-Shane Olivea, Darrion Scott, Simon Fraser and Pat O'Neill will miss spring practice in April. O'Neill may or may not make it back in the fall; his career may be over. Richard McNutt's status for the spring is uncertain. His career may also be over. Sources say that Maurice Clarett's shoulder is still getting better but is still not 100%. Clarett apparently is not planning on surgery and hopes that his shoulder will heal completely without surgery.
--Keep an eye on these players this spring who apparently made great progress last year and could be ready to step up this year: DE Jay Richardson, DT Quinn Pitcock, converted TE, now OL R.J. Coleman, WR Roy Hall, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Drew Carter, OL Doug Datish, OL Adam Olds (coming off an injury), and punter B.J. Sander. And definitely keep your eye on #9, Donte Whitner, who may just explode onto the scene. Whitner is already enrolled at Ohio State and will play this spring after signing with Ohio State last month.
--You may want to buy your spring game tickets early this year. The University thinks they may do 80,000 plus this year.
--Look for the 2003 preseason All-Big Ten team to be littered with Buckeyes this year. Those who I think are all but certain to make the first team are: Maurice Clarett, Michael Jenkins, Chris Gamble, Darrion Scott and Will Smith. And I think the following guys may also make it: Mike Nugent, Craig Krenzel, Shane Olivea, Alex Stepanovich and Tim Anderson. Two guys that should be given strong consideration, but probably won't, are Dustin Fox and Ben Hartsock.
February 26, 7:15 a.m.
Shaun Lane Commits to Ohio State
Ohio State got their first verbal commitment for the 2004 class when Shaun Lane, son of former Buckeye defensive back Garcia Lane, announced that he will commit to Ohio State. Lane hails from Hubbard, Ohio and played tailback and defensive back as a junior. Lane ran for over 2,000 yards and had 8 interceptions this past season. Lane goes about 5-10, 165, can run a 4.5 or better and will almost certainly be a DB at Ohio State. Lane is considered a top 25 (or better) overall prospect in the state.
February 23, 9:00 p.m.
31 Flavors - Top Ohio Prospects for 2004 Ranked
I've done my best to come up with an early ranking of the top prospects for 2004 in Ohio. It's a work-in-progress right now and only has heights, weights, schools, positions and some 40 times. About 11 months ago, I came up with 31 prospects for '03 because there were 31 names I was hearing more than the rest. This year, I thought I'd do the same, rank 31 prospects. Click here to go to the 2004 recruiting page.
February 23, 6:00 p.m.
Buckeyes get Verbal from #1 Junior-to-be in State
This will not get much press because of the timing, but Ohio State received a verbal commitment yesterday from Jamario O'Neal, a prospect who, before it's all said and done, may be considered the top OSU prospect since Orlando Pace was considered by some to be the #1 overall prospect in the country in 1994. How good do Ohio State and other colleges think O'Neal is? Well, the word on the street is that Ohio State has offered only two in-state seniors-to-be, Cleveland Glenville's superstar corner Tedd Ginn Jr. and Toledo Rogers' phenom wide receiver Fred Davis. So that's a whole "two" scholarships that have been offered to players that have just finished their junior seasons, and O'Neal just finished his sophomore season. Also, the word on the street is that both Oklahoma and Florida State had both offered O'Neal as well.
Now, this commitment is not official until February 2005, but Ohio State has had a good track record of signing their verbal commitments, especially the early ones, in recent years. Ohio State was unable to sign Stanley McClover after he had verbally committed to Ohio State this year, but other than prospects that had grades issues, Ohio State has held on to almost all other verbal commitments in the last 6 years or so. This is as big as it gets when it comes to verbals. Had this commitment happened in January 2005, it would be getting huge press right now.
Jamario O'Neal is a 6'0", 175 pound all-everything prospect from Mansfield Senior who could play cornerback, wide receiver or both at Ohio State. This past year, O'Neal played all over the place. He made 59 tackles and picked off a pass on defense playing cornerback and later safety. He was moved to safety because no one would throw his way when he played corner. He ran for 438 yards at tailback at nearly 10 yards per carry, scoring 4 TD's. He scored another 3 TD's at wide receiver. O'Neal also saw action returning punts and kicks, averaging 44 yards per return on his three kickoff returns. O'Neal ran a 4.38 hand-held 40 time at Ohio State this past summer. His athletic ability is off the charts.
O'Neal was quoted in the Mansfield News Journal as saying, "I liked Florida State for a while, but when (Ohio State) had me down there for the Michigan game, that was it; I knew I wanted to go there."
O'Neal attended Ohio State's junior recruiting day yesterday and took in the Ohio State - Purdue basketball game. According to the News Journal, O'Neal met with current Buckeyes Maurice Clarett, Bobby Carpenter, Rob Sims and Tyler Everett Saturday. "They all said they are happy to be there," O'Neal said. "They said coach Tressel wants to know about the whole person, that you need to know your teammates, where they're from and everything. It's like a family."
February 22, 4:00 p.m.
Big 33 Game
The Big 33 game, matching 33 of the best players in Ohio vs. Pennsylvania's "big 33" will feature 8 future Buckeyes: Kirk Barton, Tony Gonzalez, Dareus Hiley, Devin Jordan, Curt Lukens, Brandon Maupin, David Patterson, Reggie Smith. Donte Whitner is not eligible for any All-Star games because he is already enrolled at Ohio State. Sian Cotton, Marcel Frost and Louis Irizarry are the other future Buckeyes that will not play in this game. The game will be held July 19, in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Junior Day
Ohio State is currently enternaining many of the top junior prospects (class of 2004) in the state and a few from out-of-state as well. Some of the prospects include
Marcus Freeman (a top national LB prospect from Huber Heights Wayne), Tedd Ginn Jr. (a top national CB prospect from Cleveland Glenville), Chad Hoobler (a top national DE prospect from Carrollton, OH), Chase Clowser (a top Ohio O-line prospect from LaGrange, OH), Ben Person (a top O-line prospect from Xenia, OH), Brian Hoyer (a top Ohio QB prospect from Cleveleand St. Iggy), and Brandon Braxton (a top O-line prospect from Youngstown Ursuline.)
February 16, 8:00 p.m.
This and That
I have put together a roster for 2003. Click here to check it out. If you know of info regarding walk-ons or see blatant errors, feel free to shoot me an email.
In case you missed it, USA Today's Danny Sheridan has early odds out for the 2003 National Title and the Buckeyes and Oklahoma Sooners are the favorites, currently at 5-1 odds.
Those of you Buckeye fans that are big NFL draft fans may need to make a decision on April 26th. The Buckeye spring game kicks off at 1:30 that day. Unfortunately, the NFL draft gets underway at noon that day.
February 9, 11:45 p.m.
Q & A
There are a lot of questions that Buckeye fans are asking about the 2003 season, scholarships and other things. I took a look at ten of the most popular ones people are asking and gave my best attempt to answer them. Click here to check them out.
February 6, 10:45 p.m.
Bucks will add Another...
...recruit to this class, should he qualify. Louis Holmes, a 6-5, 240 lb, TE/DE from (you guessed it) Ft. Lauderdale Dillard High School will could be a greyshirt (put on scholarship in January) in this class should he qualify academically. Homes, who the Sun-Sentinel described as going "mostly unnoticed in the recruiting process," was offered by Toledo and Tennessee. Should he end up a Buckeye, he apparently be a DE, a position where the Buckeyes are lacking numbers.
Careers Over?
Richard McNutt, who wanted to attempt a comeback, may have to call it off, according to Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel. Linebacker Pat O'Neill may have played his last game as a Buckeye as well, because of medical concerns.
February 5, 11:30 p.m.
Recruiting
Yes indeed...looks like a fine looking Ohio high school class for 2004. Okay, in all seriousness, let's talk about this year's class as a whole, the disappointing finish, and whatever else comes to mind. I have settled down a little and ran some #'s before I started writing. I had prepared to be pretty critical of this year's finish, but after rating each prospect on a scale of 1 to 5, coming up with an average per recruit and comparing it to the last 5 classes, I think this class comes in second behind only last year's class. But, with the smallest class in the last 6 years, you would expect the quality of individual prospects to be a little higher.
Before I get to the each recruit and a ranking, I still must say I'm disappointed. I don't think I have been one to be overly critical of Ohio State or ceratin players on this site in the last two year's (save the Bellisari DUI incident) and I don't subscribe to "the sky is falling" theories. I look back at the 1998 season and remember it as an incredible season. I don't remember it as the year we choked, like some Ohio State fans recall. And I understand that recruiting rankings can be way off. I also understand that one or two players does not make or break a program.
With that being said, I still have extremely high expectations for Ohio State. I think that is the way it should be. I expect outstanding recruiting classes every year. I admit that I follow recruiting more than I should, but because I do, I have to tell you that it's natural for me to give an opinion...good, bad, middle of the road or whatever, as to how I feel the class filled out.
We got enough talent that it's hard to say that this is a bad class. But, I can tell you that I expected a better class and I honestly believe if you asked Bill Conley behind closed doors, and he answered you honestly, he'd say he is a bit disappointed. Now, Conley would also probably say that there is still plenty potential and tell you how he likes everyone they signed, but I think if Conley had to do it all over again, he would.
The big blows were Prescott Burgess and Shawn Crable to Michigan. I take so much pride in supporting a team and a state that I can call "my own", it just baffles me how some of the top prospects in the state can choose Michigan over what we have here. Sending a child to play for Jim Tressel the football coach and learn from Jim Tressel the person would be beyond my wildest dreams. But I know that this is me, and obviously different people have different ways of viewing things along with different criteria to evaluate schools and football programs.
But looking at these two as purely "prospects," I don't think there is any question that these were big losses. They were big losses had they chosen schools that we would never face, let alone the school up north. The first goal is get the top prospects in Ohio to come to Ohio State and if that isn't going to happen, you definitely hope they are not headed to another Big Ten school, and the last place in the world you want them, is at TSUN. Some Buckeye fans may downplay their talents now that they have signed with Michigan, but these guys are two of the top players in the nation.
I guess the next most disappointing thing, is losing Stanley McClover on signing day after he had verbally committed here. I understand that these kids are 17 and 18 years old, making the biggest decisions in their young lives, but losing a verbal on signing day that you were somewhat confident was signing with you, really hurts. And when you throw in the fact that the Bucks lost out on Turk McBride, Ohio State really doesn't have a true DE in the class (save possibly Marcel Frost.) And when Will Smith and Darrion Scott leave after this season, there is not much left at the DE spot.
As far as expectations, I must admit that the 2002 class and the National Championship have spoiled me. And when you follow recruiting day in and day out, it's hard to accept losing top Ohio kids to Michigan and going 0 for 4 on signing day, when you thought you had a decent shot at getting two of them. But the sun will still rise tomorrow, and we will still see players from this class that were not thought highly of in the recruiting world outperform our expectations. I'm done complaining and ready to move on to look at the class and what each recruit brings to the table.
This year's class has two early enrollees, like last year's did. No one will ever forget the impact Maurice Clarett made, now maybe cornerback Donte Whitner can do similar. Defensive Coordinator Mark Dantonio was quoted earlier today as saying, "I've recruited Ohio for eight years, and in those eight years he is the best defensive back prospect I've seen coming out of high school. I don't want to slight any of those other guys, but he is the total package." Whitner has world class speed, being clocked below 4.3 on multiple occasions, and many have compared him to Antoine Winfield, a smaller corner that can flat out hit. Whitner is probably the jewel of this class.
The other prospect who is already enrolled early is Houston, Texas' Ashton Youboty. Youboty is also slated for corner at Ohio State although he could get a look at safety. Youboty put on quite the show for the Buckeye coaches last June at the Buckeye camp.
Since we are talking DB's, let's talk about Donte Whitner's high school teammate Dareus Hiley. Hiley is nicknamed "Superman" or "Supe" for short because he could play about anywhere on Cleveland Glenville's team. Hiley has drawn some comparisons to Charles Woodson and could play CB or WR at OSU. Sources say that Hiley will first get a look at WR. Before Whitner became a household name in Ohio high school football and recruiting (two years ago), Hiley was considered by some to be the top overall prospect in Ohio. Hiley may still need to qualify.
Another incoming frosh that could play DB or WR is St Iggy's Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez was the first to commit in this class, last spring. Gonzalez has some serious wheels and has played against some tough competition in high school.
A name that few Buckeye fans had heard of a few months ago, Ira Guilford, could turn out to be the most valuable of the incoming freshmen. Guilford can hit like a truck at safety and could provide depth at a thin TB position. The Buckeye coaches pushed hard for this kid, and I have a feeling he could be the next Mike Doss.
Still another DB that OSU landed this year is North Canton Hoover's Curt Lukens. Lukens was not well known in the recruiting world until he had a great camp at Ohio State last June, received an offer, and then committed to Ohio State shortly thereafter. Lukens could also get a look at LB at OSU. He's a pretty big safety at 6-3, 200+ pounds.
The lone LB that Ohio State landed is East Cleveland Shaw's Reggie Smith. Smith has drawn some comparisons to Cie Grant and saw his stock rise significantly after a huge year. Smith still needs to qualify academically.
The prize of the D-line recruits appears to be David Patterson, who played DE at Warrensville Heights, but is likely slotted for DT at Ohio State. Patterson is a beast who may be physically ready to play right away at Ohio State.
Ohio State also landed Brandon Maupin from West Chester Lakota West. Like Patterson, Maupin played DE in high school, but with his size, he may be better suited for DT at OSU. Maupin was pursued by many big-time programs across the country. He may be a bit raw at this point, but has some big upside.
The third D-lineman that OSU landed is DT Sian Cotton from Akon St. Vincent St. Mary. Cotton improved his stock with an outstanding senior year and was courted by Florida before committing to Ohio State.
Another potential D-lineman for Ohio State is Lyndhurst Brush's Marcel Frost. Frost was originally being recruited as a TE and could still get time there, but committed to Ohio State as a DE.
On offense, the prize recruit is TE Louis Irizarry. Irizarry is a pass catching machine that some have compared to the Kansas City Chiefs' Tony Gonzales. Irizarry's athletic skills are truly phenomenal.
At WR, Ohio State added Justin Zwick's #1 target from Massillon Washington, Devin Jordan. Jordan has great size and good speed for a kid his size.
The Bucks did not see any O-linemen that they liked in Ohio until deciding on TE Kirk Barton in the fall. Barton is slated for tackle at Ohio State. Barton is not a big name at all in the recruiting world, but the OSU coaches love his upside, because of his 6-6 frame and excellent footwork.
The lone QB that OSU signed was St. Henry's Todd Boeckman. Boeckman may actually enroll in January and be part of the 2004 class. The Buckeye coaches want to get some separation (class wise) between Boeckman and Zwick and Troy Smith. Boeckman was not a big name in recruiting this year, but is a four-year starter at QB and a coaches' son.
Using the scale below, I came up with a rating for each prospect. These ratings average out to 3.13 stars per player. As I mentioned above, that is the 2nd highest average in the last 6 years.
***** Elite prospect, one of the tops in the nation
**** Considered by some to be an elite prospect; received some top 100 recognition
*** Generally a top 300 type of prospect or considered by many locals to be a sleeper
** Not much national recognition
* Not well known at all in the recruiting world and recruiting rankings
Donte Whitner *****
Louis Irizarry****
David Patterson****
Ira Guilford****
Dareus Hiley****
Sian Cotton****
Brandon Maupin***
Ashton Youboty***
Tony Gonzalez***
Reggie Smith***
Marcel Frost***
Devin Jordan***
Todd Boeckman**
Curt Lukens*
Kirk Barton*
Finally, it was also reported today that JUCO DL/OL Evans Desir, from Ft. Lauderdale Dillard H.S will attend Ohio State. Desir actually played his ball this year at West Hills C.C., but hails from Chris Gamble's stomping grounds. Desir did not sign a letter of intent, but plans to enroll in the spring as a walk-on. Desir could play O-line or D-line at Ohio State.
February 5, 6:30 a.m.
The Day is Here
Unfortunately, this will be the last update on the site until this evening. Now, real quickly before I go to work, here's the latest....
Shawn Crable - He has made his decision and will announce at a press conference at 1:30 EST at his school. Pitt is out. It's OSU or Michigan. The word on the street keeps saying Michigan, but this recent link has Crable quotes (from yesterday) that sound pro-OSU to me. I guess I'll say 55% on OSU's chances with Crable. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Michael Bush - Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State or Tennessee. Tough to call here. No real hints lately. Press Conference at 3:15 EST today. My guess: OSU 35%
Stanley McClover - 10 a.m. EST press conference today. It looks like OSU, but this is worrying me a bit. He still could choose Auburn. My guess: OSU 65%
Claude "Turk" McBride - OSU or Tennessee. 10 a.m. EST press conference. Sources say it looks like Tennessee. Let's hope they are wrong. My guess: OSU 25%
James Lee - Verbally committed to Georgia
Devin Stearns - Reports say that he will commit to Cali today. Was to give a verbal to Cali last night.
Marcel Frost - Is this one over? I hope so, but word on the street says that Iowa was still recruiting him hard after he changed his commitment to OSU.
Moe Dampeer - Will announce Friday between Illinois and Oklahoma.
David Dyches - Kicker verbally committed to Nebraska.
Jamesly Jean - Verbally committed to NC State.
Maurice Smith - Will sign with Michigan State today.
Adam Graessle - Last word was that he would stick to his Pittsburgh committment.
February 4, 6:45 a.m.
Recruiting
It appears that everyone and their brother and sister will be making their decision on signing day. Sources now say that Claude "Turk" McBride will decide between Ohio State and Tennessee on signing day. Along with McBride, Ohio State is also waiting on decisions from James Lee, Shawn Crable, Stanley McClover and Michael Bush, all of which are expected to announce tomorrow. Things apparently again look good for the Buckeyes in regards to McClover. If the Bucks could land McBride and McClover, that would be two special DE's in the same class. Unfortunately, OSU may be the longer shot between themselves and Florida in the hunt for James Lee, meaning OSU would only get one true O-lineman in this class in Kirk Barton, and Barton actually played tight end lthis past season. Bush and Crable are still tough to call.
Not exactly recruiting, but Air Force MLB Anthony Schlegel will indeed transfer to Ohio State. Check out the link on him. AAU national wrestling champ, two world records in weight lifting, a captain as a sophomore, 118 tackles this past season...wow. And those who have seen him play (not me unfortunately) say that the kid can flat out ball. Ohio State would not be taking him if he wasn't big-time. Schlegel would come aboard as a scholarship player and have two years of eligibility left starting in 2004.
February 2, 10:30 p.m. (updated)
Recruiting
The recruiting page has been updated. I have also started to put together a recruiting wrapup page for 2003. For now, I have just ranked the top 50 prospects in the state of Ohio and have listed where they are headed.
As for the prospects OSU is going down to he wire with...
--LB Shawn Crable - still plans to announce on signing day between OSU, Michigan and Pitt. My guess on OSU's chances: 45%
--QB/ATH Michael Bush - still plans to announce on signing day between OSU, Ky, Tenn and Louisville. My guess on OSU's chances: 60%
--DE Stanley McClover - plans to announce between OSU and Auburn on signing day. Was once thought to be a solid OSU verbal, and according to today's Dispatch, the OSU coaches still expect McClover to honor his commitment, although they won't be sure until he signs the LOI. McClover is apparently very close to qualifying. My guess on OSU's chances: 80%
--OL James Lee - plans to announce on signing day and it appears to be between OSU and Florida (with Rutgers possibly in the picture.) My guess on OSU chances: 40%
--DE Claude "Turk" McBride - still in OSU's sights? Heck, I don't know. Seems to change daily. The word is that McBride could announce at any time. My guess on
OSU's chances: 10%
--WR/DB Devin Stearns - OSU finally got the visit from this west coast athlete and sources say Stearns is calling Washington, California and Ohio State even. OSU has apparently offered. My guess on OSU's chances: 35%
Also, there are a couple of prospects that I do not list on the recruiting page that may have outside shots at landing in Columbus...
--K/P Adam Graessle (Dublin Coffman) - Has verballed to Pittsburgh, but OSU has offered a chance for Graessle to grayshirt and be placed on scholarship in January 2004. Early word was that Graessle decided to stick with his Pitt commitment, but sources say that OSU could still be in the picture.
--FB/LB Maurice Smith (Warren Howland) - Visited OSU this weekend. Sources say that he could get an offer. Whether this would be a grayshirt offer or a normal offer, I don't know. OSU apparently would want Smith at FB. It does however seem unlikely that Smith will end up a Buckeye.
--K David Dyches (Alto Springs, TX) - Dyches may have been offered a grayshirt by the Buckeye coaches. Dyches has always seemed to be high on the Buckeyes.
January 31, 9:30 p.m.
Misc. Notes
--I have decided to take Stanley McClover off of Ohio State's commitment list. McClover is saying that he is giving strong consideration to Auburn and that there is a 50% chance that he will sign with Ohio State. McClover also may not be qualified yet. The Ohio State coaches may have backed off if grades/test scores are an issue. I don't know. McClover says that he will make his announcement on signing day. Because of the potential grade issue and the recent statements by McClover, I now feel there is a less than 50% chance that McClover signs on the dotted line (for OSU) next Wednesday.
--Mike Bush, Shawn Crable and James Lee have said that they will also announce their decisions on signing day. They may need to make Wednesday a national holiday. How will a Buckeye fan that follows recruiting closely be expected to work on Wednesday? It's a tight call on all three of these guys. I'll say OSU's chances are the following: Bush 60%, Crable 50% and Lee 40%. I'll guess 30% on McClover.
--As for the others OSU was/are in on. Aaron Sears seems to be a long shot now. Jamesly Jean does not list OSU anymore (maybe because OSU does not list Jamesly Jean anymore.) It seems that OSU is not pushing for Moe Dampeer anymore because of Dampeer's potential academic problems. Turk McBride might barely be in the picture for OSU. It does not appear that OSU is going to offer Justin Valentine. Apparently, OSU will not offer Ernie Wheelwright because of his academic situation. David Stearns is supposed to be visiting OSU this weekend, but is a long-shot to end up a Buckeye. So, let's take a stab at OSU's chances with these guys: Sears 10%, Jean 5%, Dampeer 5%, McBride 10%, Valentine 5%, Wheelwright 5%, Stearns 5%.
--Ohio State does not seem to have much of an issue now with having enough letter-of-intents (LOI's) to mail out on signing day. There is a new Big Ten rule in effect that allows Big Ten schools to send out three more LOI's than they have scholarships available. The catch is that schools must only have 85 players on scholarship when fall football starts. It was originally thought that OSU had at least 17 scholarships to give. So, bump that up to 20 with the additional three. And, Boeckman could be counted toward the 2004 class if he does not go on scholarship until next January. So if you take Boeckman and now McClover off this year's scholarship verbal commit list, you only have 14 verbals right now. So it could be possible that OSU can take 6 more, but it is highly unlikely that they will this many. The grade situations with some of these prospects seem to really be keeping OSU's hands tied.
--Ohio State could potentially have several high profile walk-ons on the team this year. We talked about Boeckman already (potentially being a walk-on in the fall) and we have also mentioned Cedric Scott (Darrion's younger brother) being a walk-on in the fall as well. Ohio State also appears to have a pretty good linebacker coming in that will not fill a football scholarship, in Cliff Reynolds. Reynolds is in the marines and apparently will get his release so that he can enroll at Ohio State. Reynolds is said to be in the 6'3", 235 range. He played his high school ball in Lancaster some four years ago, but sources say that this kid could be a real diamond in the rough. It is also possible that Indiana MLB John Kerr, who has already announced that he is transferring, could end up at Ohio State. Chances are though, that Kerr will take a scholarship at Notre Dame. Ohio State can not give Kerr a scholarship because Big Ten transfer rules prohibit it.
--News is also circulating today that Air Force star middle linebacker Anthony Schlegel may transfer to Ohio State. This kid is a tackling machine. Schlegel apparently got turned on to Ohio State by Chris Spielman. He is a former state heavyweight wrestling champ in the state of Texas. Schlegel lead the Falcons in tackles this past season with 118 and was a team captain in just his sophomore season. This could become an intriguing story.
January 31, 8:00 p.m.
Frost a Buckeye
Lyndhurst Brush TE/DE Marcel Frost announced earlier today at a press conference that he will attend Ohio State. Frost had originally committed to Iowa, but the Buckeye coaches recently turned up the heat in their pursuit of Frost and it has paid off. The word is that Frost will first get a look at defensive end. Frost becomes the Buckeye's 16th verbal commitment.
January 29, 11:45 p.m.
Ira Guilford commits to Ohio State
Ohio State landed their 15th verbal commitment earlier today when Hoboken, NJ safety/tailback Ira Guilford announced that he will attend Ohio State. After losing safety Prescott Burgess, Guilford became one of the OSU coaches' highest priorities. Guilford chose Ohio State over Notre Dame and will likely first get a look at safety. But Guilford could also get a look at tailback, with the Buckeyes only having 3 scholarship tailbacks returning.
Guilford is extremely strong, bench pressing nearly twice his 185 pound weight. He also has a jaw-dropping vertical leap of 39 inches. Guilford is considered to be one of the top 10 safety prospects in the country.
Misc. Thoughts/Tibits
--Word on the street is that Ohio State commitment Todd Boeckman will be a "greyshirt" this fall. Greyshirting means that you push your enrollment back until January, after the fall quarter/semester. This is unconfirmed at this time, but it is possible that Todd Boeckman may be with Ohio State as a walk-on this fall and may not be given a scholarship until January 2004. If true, Ohio State could then count Boeckman toward the '04 class, one that will have more room than this incoming class of '03. Ohio State would then possibly be able to give out one more scholarship this year, likely 18 instead of 17. Stay tuned.
--Shawn Crable? Man, this is a tough one to call. Grades/test scores could be an issue for OSU and/or Michigan. Pittsburgh is still in this one as well. I have no idea where he is going. There's contradicting evidence supporting both Ohio State and Michigan, and some close to the situation swear that Pittsburgh is legitimately in the picture.
--The need for O-linemen. As many know, Ohio State may start 5 seniors on next year's O-line (L to R, Douglas, Clarke, Stepanovich, Bishop and Olivea.) And this year's class so far only includes one offensive lineman, Massillon Perry's Kirk Barton. There now seems to be a 50/50 shot or better that Ohio State will land Belle Glades, FL O-lineman James Lee. This would be a great get for Ohio State. Lee is not rated high by many services, but like Chris Gamble a few years ago, Lee seems to be one that the Florida guru's missed. Sources now say that Aaron Sears is now a long-shot for OSU, so Lee may be OSU's only chance at landing a second O-lineman in this class. Former tight end R.J. Coleman will be moving to offensive guard however. And there is still talk that Joel Penton or Tim Schaefer could move from D-line to O-line. Incoming D-line recruits Brandon Maupin and Sian Cotton could also potentially be an option on the O-line as well.
--Michael Bush may be favoring Ohio State. Out of his four finalists, I would think OSU is definitely the school to beat and may be a 50/50 shot or better.
--Lyndhurst Brush TE/DE Marcel Frost who verbally committed to Iowa is said to be making a formal announcement Friday as to whether he will stick with that decision or instead sign with Ohio State. Sources say that Ohio State has offered Frost and want him as a DE. This seems like another recruiting battle that may be a 50/50 or better chance for Ohio State.
--Definitely more on this later, but I have talked to several OSU fans that don't have high expectations for next year. I guess I don't understand why that is. I am not willing to say that I'd take Ohio State vs. the field to win the national title again, but I do think that Ohio State will have a more talented team in '03. Will fate be on their side again? I have no idea, but I expect Ohio State to dominate more in 2003 than they did this year. I think the offense will be much improved and I don't think there will be a whole lot of drop-off with the defense. I think Ohio State will be preseason #1 and definitely be worthy of the ranking.
--Where will Dustin Fox play? That's the million dollar question right now. It could be corner or safety and we may not know for a while. A lot may depend on how Donte Whitner (who is part of the '03 class but is already enrolled at Ohio State) and E.J. Underwood do in the spring. Everyone who has seen Whitner play raves about this kid. He could make an impact as early as this spring. Of course, the decision to move Fox or keep him at corner may also be affected by what is done with Chris Gamble. The early talk is that Gamble will again be used both ways at WR and corner.
January 26, 10:15 p.m.
Recruiting
You can officially cross Kyle Thornton and Tim Washington off of Ohio State's prospect list. Thornton has committed to Texas and Washington has committed to LSU. It also now seems very unlikely that Moe Dampeer will end up at Ohio State.
So who still seems to have OSU on their radar screen and vice versa? I've taken a shot at the current chances of these prospects becoming Buckeyes:
Ira Guilford 75%
Shawn Crable 50%
Michael Bush 40%
Jamesly Jean 40%
James Lee 30%
Aaron Sears 30%
Ernie Wheelwright 20%
Justin Valentine 20%
Claude "Turk" McBride 15%
Marcel Frost 10%
Moe Dampeer 5%
Devin Stearns 5%
More recruiting talk this week (of course.)
January 23, 8:00 p.m.
Irizarry a Buck Once Again
It was announced today that Louis Irizarry has again verbally committed to Ohio State. Irizarry makes 14 verbal commitments for Ohio State. Ohio State may only have three spots left. Ohio State is still in on so many prospects; it is certainly going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
January 22, 7:45 a.m.
Cotton appears to be a Buckeye. Irizarry Leaning OSU's way again?
The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Akron St. Vincent St. Mary defensive tackle Sian (pronounced SHEE-on) Cotton is expected to commit to Ohio State, possibly as early as today. Another source says that Cotton has already verballed to Ohio State. The Dispatch is also reporting that Youngstown Ursuline tight end Louis Irizarry is said to be leaning towards recommitting to Ohio State.
This recruiting class, which seems to be stuck in neutral lately, may fill up rather quickly now. Ira Guilford, a safety from Hoboken, NJ is still calling Ohio State his leader after his last visit to Notre Dame, which was Guilford's last visit. If the Buckeyes reel these three guys in, that only leaves room for two or three more.
In the hunt for the elite of the elite prospects, Moe Dampeer seems to be leaning toward Oklahoma and Wesley Jefferson committed to Maryland, but the Buckeyes still have their sites set on All-Everything athlete Mike Bush and offensive tackle Aaron Sears, who is considered by some to be the best OT prospect in the nation. OSU seems to have close to a 50/50 shot (some would say better) with Bush, and at least a legitimate shot at Sears.
January 21, 10:00 p.m.
Recruiting
January 19, 11:45 p.m.
Celebration
There isn't much else in the world that would have made me spend 4 hours out in the bitter cold Saturday. But I can tell you that it was truly worth it. Hearing Cie Grant sing Carmen Ohio for what was probably his last time as a Buckeye brought tears to my eye. Get that kid a contract. Not just an NFL contract, but a singing contract.
52,000 fans? If that is the total that was there, that is unreal. How many would have been there if it was 35 to 40 degrees? A full house? It certainly would have been at least close to a capacity crowd had it been that warm. Once again, Ohio State fans showed how incredibly loyal they were.
And for those of you who don't know, having non-band members dot the "I" in Script Ohio is a rarity. Until yesterday, Bob Hope and Woody Hayes are the only one's who have ever done it. It was quite a site to see the eleven seniors that were present, dotting the "I"
Recruiting
I updated the recruiting page yesterday. Offensive lineman James Lee, defensive tackle Moe Dampeer, offensive lineman Aaron Sears and linebacker Cedric Scott were (or are still) here this weekend. Cedric Scott, who is the younger brother of current Buckeye Darrion Scott has announced that he will be a Buckeye. Scott does not have an offer from the Buckeyes but apparently will be given a scholarship next January should he get his academics in order. Scott will enroll at Ohio State in the fall.
The Buckeyes, who currently have 12 commitments that will fill scholarships, likely will land 5 to 6 more. Richard McNutt will attempt a comeback in the spring, so that is not an available scholarship right now. Here is my guess on the chances with the remaining guys OSU is targeting:
Stanley McClover - 95% (Counted as one of the 12 commitments above)
Ira Guilford - 70% (Still looks like OSU)
Michael Bush - 50% (Grade uncertainties)
Shawn Crable - 50% (OSU, Mich or Pitt)
Lawrence Dampeer - 50% (Grade uncerntainties)
Marcel Frost - 50% (OSU has now offered; soft Iowa verbal)
Sian Cotton - 45% (Florida may nab him)
Jesse Holley - 40% (Va and OSU are close)
James Lee - 35% (Odds still say he likely stays in south)
Jamesly Jean - 35% (Will not have 'ship available should OSU get a commitment from Frost)
Aaron Sears - 20% (Would be HUGE get)
Travis Tolbert - 10% (Could get an offer if Guilford does not come aboard.)
Kyle Thornton - 5% (OSU does not appear to be pursuing any longer)
Claude McBride - 5% (OSU now looks like a long-shot)
Ryan Brown - 5% (Looks like he will be a Gamecock)
David Stearns - 5% (Likely will stay out west)
Ali Highsmith - 5% (Somewhat negative comments after visit to OSU)
Tryone Moss - 5% (Unlikely that OSU steals Moss from Miami)
Tim Washington - 0% (OSU now out of the picture)
Miguel Scott - 0% (OSU no longer pursuing)
Eric Moncur - 0% (Committed to Miami)
Wesley Jefferson - 0% (Maryland is almost a certainty to be Jefferson's choice)
January 15, 11:15 p.m.
All Juniors Decide to Stay
Will Smith and Michael Jenkins both confirmed today that hey will be back for their senior seasons. This will make it very hard for AP voters and coaches who vote not to vote Ohio State #1 to start the 2003 season. Ohio State, of course, will be the defending national champs and will return 17 starters (all 11 on offense and 6 on defense.) Also, projected starters A.J. Hawk and Will Allen have started games before. E.J. Underwood could also claim a starting job if Dustin Fox moves back to safety. Underwood has also started before. Let the "back-to-back" talk begin.
January 14, 11:45 p.m.
The Calm Before the Storm
Well, we are still waiting on Will Smith and Michael Jenkins. As of 11:00 tonight, there does not seem to be any public word on whether these guys are staying or going. Tomorrow is the deadline to declare for the NFL draft, so we will know shortly.
We are also waiting on a number of recruits' decisions. Here are the prospects that OSU has offered and still has at least a legitimate chance at landing:
--Wesley Jefferson, one of the most sought after MLB's in the nation, will apparently announce his decision next week and OSU is one of the finalist. Tough call here between OSU, Miami and Maryland. OSU is probably less than a 50/50 shot here, but you never know. (1/15 update - The Washington Post is reporting this morning that Jefferson will announce that he will attend Maryland.)
--Michael Bush, possibly the best all-around athlete available this year, is still mulling over his options. Ohio State still appears to be near the top or at the top of his list. Bush wants to play QB at OSU, but could play a number of other positions if QB did not work out for him.
--Moe Dampeer, one of the nation's finest DT prospects, is visiting OSU this weekend, and the Buckeyes are definitely in the thick of things with Big Moe.
--LB/DE prospect Shawn Crable is being recruited hard by Pittsburgh, Michigan and Ohio State. He visits Pittsburgh this Saturday. Seems like a tough call here, with some guru's disagreeing on where they see Crable ending up. Crable is a high priority for OSU.
--Claude "Turk" McBride, one of the top DE prospects nationally, visits Virginia a week from Friday and will then be done with visits. OSU has a legit shot with McBride.
--Defensive Back Ira Guilford has said that the Buckeyes are his leader for sometime now and chances seem very likely he'll be a Buckeye. Guiford is a top notch safety prospect.
--Ohio State also has a decent chance with WR/DB Jesse Holley. Holley is probably a top 25 WR prospect nationally. Holley looks like he'll choose between OSU, Virginia or North Carolina.
--Offensive tackle prospect Aaron Sears has to be near the top of OSU's want list right now after his strong showing in the Army National All-Star game a week and a half ago. Sears visits OSU this weekend and Tennessee the following weekend. OSU is in the mix here and this could be the biggest fish for the Ohio State coaches considering the lack of depth the Buckeyes have on the O-line, especially after the 2003 season.
--Jamesly Jean is a high upside TE prospect from Florida that is giving OSU a hard look right now. OSU got a visit from Jean this past weekend. Jean has two visits left and it's hard to tell what he is going to do. OSU stands a decent chance with Jean.
--The Buckeyes are still right in the mix for in-state DT Sian Cotton from Akron St. Vincent, St. Mary. Many think Cotton has favored OSU all along. Cotton is a top 15 to 20 DT prospect nationally.
--Belle Glade, Florida O-line prospect James Lee is a fast rising prospect. OSU is still in the picture with Lee, who will visit OSU this weekend and Georgia the following weekend.
--DB Miguel Scott from Miami, Florida isn't ranked real high on many guru's list, but has some impressive offers. OSU will entertain Scott this weekend and Scott will visit Georgia the following weekend. OSU is in the mix with a handful of other teams in their attempt to land Scott.
--Offensive lineman Kyle Thornton from Texas, is another possibility for the Buckeyes. Thornton is not rated that highly on many recruiting ranking lists but does have some nice offers. Thornton has favored OSU for some time.
Now, the question is, if several of these prospects decide on Ohio State, will the Buckeyes have room for them? Ohio State has 12 spots filled in this class. If you do the math, it looks like OSU has 19 total spots available, if Michael Jenkins and Will Smith come back for their senior seasons. There has also been talk that OSU may take less than 19. The first six prospects I mentioned above, along with Sears (listed 8th) are the kind of prospects that you almost can't turn down and have to find room for.
