'09 OH LB Will Studlien (Northwestern signee)

[wadc45]

LJB brings up a good point...you won't see the OSU staff go after kids that are committed elsewhere unless that kid reaches out to the staff. So if Will commits to Illinois you will likely see the OSU staff cut bait and head in a different direction.

[BuckTwenty]

With 2 LB's in the fold and likely only 1 more LB spot left to fill, we can afford to be picky with the last one we bring in. We've currently offered Petey Smith & Dorian Bell, which are being compared to Will right now.

LJB's right on. I would absolutely love to get the local guy, but as far as the recruiting process goes, this is the VERY beginning for a lot of guys, not the middle or near the end. If he wants to make an early decision, that's totally up to him. OSU will go on without him. But if he's patient and willing to wait or work for the offer, I'm sure he'll get it.

[crazybuckfan40]

Originally Posted by BuckTwenty

With 2 LB's in the fold and likely only 1 more LB spot left to fill, we can afford to be picky with the last one we bring in. We've currently offered Petey Smith & Dorian Bell, which are being compared to Will right now.

LJB's right on. I would absolutely love to get the local guy, but as far as the recruiting process goes, this is the VERY beginning for a lot of guys, not the middle or near the end. If he wants to make an early decision, that's totally up to him. OSU will go on without him. But if he's patient and willing to wait or work for the offer, I'm sure he'll get it.

Agreed...I think Smith has showed his hand moreso than Bell with his brother attending Auburn and some of his comments...But Bell on the other hand hasn't shown his hand even tho his teammates are attending Pitt...

As for Studlein, not a fan of his comments, but they are what they are and could in a way irk the staff in the wrong way...Lots of guys to go after, as the evaluation period is still underway...

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Makes you wonder if Zook is getting into their ears about how we don't want them or don't care about them. I haven't noticed this problem with any other school. I really think Zook is getting in on these kids early and trying to turn them against us. Maybe this post is better suited for the Zook/Illini recruiting thread but I hope it's ok here too.

Zook is not a negative recruiter. Illinois has the advantage of taking numerous "reaches" right now because they are assembling depth. If Will Studlien never becomes more than a backup for the Illini, he is an upgrade to the current backups and a step forward in the building of that program.

[BuckeyedeBrasil]

My advice to this kid is to wait. Barring injury, his status can only improve. If he wants to be a Buckeye then nothing should stand in his way. Keep working hard, give 100% this upcoming football season, do the same thing he has done in the past, and let the chips fall where they may. If in the end, there is still no offer from OSU then walk-on. That there takes the kind of determination that you only read about.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Makes you wonder if Zook is getting into their ears about how we don't want them or don't care about them. I haven't noticed this problem with any other school. I really think Zook is getting in on these kids early and trying to turn them against us. Maybe this post is better suited for the Zook/Illini recruiting thread but I hope it's ok here too.

zook is an ohio boy, hell recruit ohio. former coach in ohio. i think youll see zooker recruit ohio hard for years to come, like bo worked ohio hard during his um days.

[ShakerBuck]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

Illinois has the advantage of taking numerous "reaches" right now because they are assembling depth.

How is that different than what we are doing? I know we'll lose quite a few LBs next year, but we already have some outstanding talent behind them that have been chomping at the bit to get on the field. Shouldn't we be recruiting upside as well?

[craigblitz]

I can not speak for Grad but the way I took his comment was, Illinois can take players that might not be superstar 5 stare picks because they are building quality depth. Sure maybe Illinois has great starters, but what happends if they go down. Does a person like Will provide better options then what they currently have. I think the assumption being made is yes. Same scenerio here for the Buckeyes.. does Will provide better depth then what we have. If the coaches do not think so they will not take that reach because it is a bigger gamble then what Illinois has to take because they benefit more even if Will does not become a superstar.

This of course is just M.O

[ScarletVader]

If you think Zook is not selling in a negative way than you and I will have to disagree. He may not bad mouth other schools, but he will put more pressure on a kid than should be legally allowed. I've got a number of first hand stories of that type of behavior and most of the time the kid caved under the pressure.

Personally, I don't care for his method. However, it is very successful when it comes to dealing with the mind of a 17 or 18 year old kid.

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by ScarletVader

If you think Zook is not selling in a negative way than you and I will have to disagree. He may not bad mouth other schools, but he will put more pressure on a kid than should be legally allowed. I've got a number of first hand stories of that type of behavior and most of the time the kid caved under the pressure.

I guess we will have to disagree then. I have my own share of first hand accounts from players and coaches that say he is extremely thorough but clean. My first impression of him was a guy who was into the "pampering" process...I still believe that, but its not in the way I originally thought.

The same thing I keep hearing over and over is that when recruits are with him, they feel like they are the absolute most important thing in his world.

Originally Posted by ShakerBuck

How is that different than what we are doing? I know we'll lose quite a few LBs next year, but we already have some outstanding talent behind them that have been chomping at the bit to get on the field. Shouldn't we be recruiting upside as well?

If the staff views Studlien as a kid who may never push the current crop, why take him? Illinois does not have that depth yet and is looking to improve their 2-4 deep. A few years ago, tOSU was there and made some reaches...some of those reaches turned into stars and some got caught in traffic. Right now, the current depth has raised the bar to a new level.

[el mastiff]

Originally Posted by ScarletVader

If you think Zook is not selling in a negative way than you and I will have to disagree. He may not bad mouth other schools, but he will put more pressure on a kid than should be legally allowed. I've got a number of first hand stories of that type of behavior and most of the time the kid caved under the pressure.

Personally, I don't care for his method. However, it is very successful when it comes to dealing with the mind of a 17 or 18 year old kid.

I wouldn't consider putting pressure on a kid to commit as "dirty". Often that type of pressure backfires too.

[ShakerBuck]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

If the staff views Studlien as a kid who may never push the current crop, why take him?

agree 100%. If this is the case, end of discussion....but given by the reaction here, it seems like that is not a belief that is held by the fans (which I know means nothing). Folks seem to think he just needs to be patient, which has indeed worked out for many current buckeyes

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by ShakerBuck

agree 100%. If this is the case, end of discussion....but given by the reaction here, it seems like that is not a belief that is held by the fans (which I know means nothing). Folks seem to think he just needs to be patient, which has indeed worked out for many current buckeyes

I think it was JWins and I having this discussion...Studlien is one of those kids that just makes plays. Side by side with other prospects, he probably won't measure up...but he is a gamer and that is all natural.

If the numbers are right, I'd offer him.

[LordJeffBuck]

Originally Posted by ShakerBuck

If this is the case, end of discussion....but given by the reaction here, it seems like that is not a belief that is held by the fans (which I know means nothing).

Every year, the fans come up with a list of 30-40 Ohio recruits whom they deem to be worthy of an Ohio State offer ... but the Buckeye staffs' list contains only 10-15 such names. That's why there is always so much discussion (which sometimes devolves into outright panic) about "borderline" prospects like Will Studlien and Chris Fields (and Chauncey Incarnato and Gerald Cadogan and Ryan Brewer and Tyrell Sutton and Javon Ringer and Kyle Jefferson, etc. from past seasons). The fans tend to see Ohio kids "getting away", rather than appreciating the unknown, unheralded OOS recruits who took their places (Gamble, Holmes, Gholston, Laurinatis, Washington, Chekwa, and Russell, just to name a few during the JT era).

If the fans had their way, then every "three-star" prospect from Ohio would have an offer from Ohio State, but with scholarship restrictions, that's obviously never going to happen. And besides, there's just too much talent nationwide to be overly focused on Ohio - the staff really has to take a shot at the OOS "blue chippers" before they start offering the "bleed scarlet and grey" types in-state. Because of scholarship limitations, there will always be kids who dreamed of being Buckeyes who end up playing in Champaign or East Lansing or Oxford or Athens.

[stowfan]

Originally Posted by LordJeffBuck

Every year, the fans come up with a list of 30-40 Ohio recruits whom they deem to be worthy of an Ohio State offer ... but the Buckeye staffs' list contains only 10-15 such names. That's why there is always so much discussion (which sometimes devolves into outright panic) about "borderline" prospects like Will Studlien and Chris Fields (and Chauncey Incarnato and Gerald Cadogan and Ryan Brewer and Tyrell Sutton and Javon Ringer and Kyle Jefferson, etc. from past seasons). The fans tend to see Ohio kids "getting away", rather than appreciating the unknown, unheralded OOS recruits who took their places (Gamble, Holmes, Gholston, Laurinatis, Washington, Chekwa, and Russell, just to name a few during the JT era).

If the fans had their way, then every "three-star" prospect from Ohio would have an offer from Ohio State, but with scholarship restrictions, that's obviously never going to happen. And besides, there's just too much talent nationwide to be overly focused on Ohio - the staff really has to take a shot at the OOS "blue chippers" before they start offering the "bleed scarlet and grey" types in-state. Because of scholarship limitations, there will always be kids who dreamed of being Buckeyes who end up playing in Champaign or East Lansing or Oxford or Athens.

I agree with you. I'm not one of those who wants every Ohio kid offered and my posting history bares that out. It seems though every year I watch at least one Ohio kid I hope the staff offers. This past recuiting season it was Nick Truesdell.

What brought this to mind was your mentioning Tyrell Sutton who was my guy a few years back. The OOS guy we took instead was Mo Wells. I know TS did with next to no help at Northwestern. I would loved to have seen spelling Beanie instead of Mo.