The BP Recruiting Team's
2007 Wish List
2007 Wish List
This blog marks the return of the BP Recruiting Team's. This time we turn our attention to the '07 recruiting class. Keeping with the JT recruiting system, we have broken our list down into three categories: SPEED, BIG SPEED and POWER. The first thing we had to do was determine how many spots the Buckeyes will have available for this class. At the end of the 2006 season, the Buckeyes will lose 15 seniors: Mike D'Andrea, Doug Datish, T.J. Downing, Roy Hall, Brandon Mitchell, Drew Norman, David Patterson, Joel Penton, Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, Mike Roberts, Tim Schafer, Troy Smith, Stan White and Justin Zwick. Taking into account that there are a few possible early draftees and usually one or two players lost to transfer/injury, we have set the possible scholarship count at 18 for this upcoming recruiting class. With Nate Oliver and Brandon Saine already in the fold, that leaves 16 spots left. The following is a composite of the wish lists of LordJeffBuck, osugrad21 and wadc45.
Players listed in alphabetical order.
SPEED
21: A prospect that we would all gladly make room for if we were starting a team tomorrow, Copley's David Arnold looks to be one of the top players in the state of Ohio this Fall after turning many heads last season by being named 1st team All-Suburban League, 2nd team AP All-Northeast and 2nd team All-Defense by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. David is already the subject of a website (http://www.davidarnoldchs.com/) and will be the subject of a weekly feature by the Akron Beacon Journal next season. David switched from baseball to track this Spring to focus on his speed and is performing wonderfully. Illinois was the first Big 10 school to offer, joining Akron and Syracuse. Expect bigger offers to be headed his way after the summer, and look for the Buckeyes to take a long hard look at their senior camp. Should the Buckeyes extend an offer, it would not surprise us to see Arnold suiting up in the S&G next season.
LJB: A name not as familiar to some is Iowa's Jordan Bernstine. Likely to wind up at either safety or corner, Jordan is a powerful player at 5-foot-11 and 200 lbs. but also has the speed to play for just about any program in the nation. The nephew of former NFL TE/RB Rod Bernstine, Jordan was the only junior named first team Elite All-State by The Des Moines Register last season. As a junior, he recorded 75 tackles, 4 TFLs, 4 INTs, 3 FFs and 3 FRs. He returned 15 kickoffs with an astonishing 46.5 yard average and 2 TDs and also returned 9 punts with a 22.9 yard average. Jordan already has offers from the likes of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCLA and Purdue and earned MVP honors at the Nike combine held in Columbus in May, prompting the Buckeyes and Coach Beckman to pick up their interest.
21: One guy we all probably would have liked to have made room for on our lists was Georgia DB Eric Berry. Whether or not the Buckeyes have a legit shot remains to be seen, but Eric is a special talent who has already been given a rating of 5-stars by both Rivals and Scout. He has run a 4.35 and a 4.33 already this year and has great fluidity on the field...enough so that he will probably be in the rotation at corner at whatever school he chooses the moment he steps on campus. With offers from literally every major program across the country, Eric lists a top 5 of Tennessee, Miami, Texas, USC, and Georgia.
21, 45: A player already garnering praise from experts, recruiting services, coaches and fans alike is Pennsylvania standout Toney Clemons. Toney already measures 6-foot-3 and 200+ lbs. and ran a 4.53 40 on the slow track at Michigan and has recorded a vertical jump of 34-inches. What can't be measured is the "Wow Factor" that he brings to the table. Clemons excels in the air, showing tremendous athleticism and leaping ability, aggressiveness, body control and hands. He is able to make the easy catches and the acrobatic ones as well. He finished last season with 43 catches for 666 yards and 13 TDs, prompting schools like Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Pittsburgh, Purdue and West Virginia to come forward with early offers. Schools like Ohio State, Notre Dame and Syracuse look ready to be the next to offer this great prospect.
LJB, 21, 45: The first of several targets we all agree on, Eugene Clifford may be the top prospect in Ohio when it's all said and done. Although he's not as athletic as Teddy Ginn nor as physical as Jamario O'Neal, Eugene is an excellent combination of both. Clifford is a true "triple threat" player (offense, defense, special teams) who could end up seeing time at a number of different positions in college. He is adept at going up in the air and making a play on the ball and is also not afraid of delivering a crushing blow to those wandering into his territory. As a junior, Clifford registered 147 tackles and 6 INTs and was named 2nd team All-State. He already has an offer from Ohio State, as well as schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, West Virginia, Boston College and Illinois.
LJB, 45: Maybe one of the quietest offers so far this recruiting season is the one that went out to Leonard Hankerson of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Measuring nearly 6-foot-3, Hankerson is a big, physical, fluid WR prospect with excellent hands. Leonard is very polished for a high school player and could compete for playing time as a true freshman. Leonard is already receiving offers from the biggest programs in the country, including Ohio State, Michigan, Miami (FL), Auburn, Georgia, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. While many would argue that OSU will be fighting an uphill battle for a kid from Florida with offers from some of the Southern schools, many insiders believe Coach Hazell may be able to snag Leonard away from the Florida schools. Only time will tell, but what is undeniable is that a kid playing for powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas who scored on 14 of his 31 catches last season must be one talented player.
LJB: In this day of big/fast wide receivers, few in the '07 class fit the mold as well as South Carolina's Junior Hemingway. LJB has Junior listed as his top WR in the country for the '07 class. Junior is not a speed burner, but a long strider with excellent size, strength, hands, and body control. Hemingway catches the ball well in traffic, breaks tackles, has fine vision in the open field and best of all seems to have a nose for the end zone. J.R. recorded 52 catches for 846 yards and 10 TDs in 2005. Hemingway already boasts over 20 offers, including from schools like Florida, Florida State, Miami (FL), Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Clemson. With a summer decision looming, the school that lands Junior will be getting one heck of a special talent.
21: The undisputed #1 player in Michigan going into next season is Muskegon's Ronald Johnson, an all-around athlete with great instincts and the ability to change directions on a dime. A four-year starter in 2006, Johnson is coming back from ACL surgery but should be 100% by the Fall. Already showing offers from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA and the always dangerous USC, Ronald is thought to be a Wolverine-lean at this point despite multiple visit to Columbus already. Both Scout and Rivals have already rated Ronald as a 5-star talent and one of the top CBs going into the '06 season, which is nearly unheard of for a player coming back from such a serious injury. That just tells you a little bit about just how special Ronald is.
45: A name that has been on the radar for some time belongs to Pennsylvania standout Nick Sukay, who is already listed as a 4-star player by Scout. Tall, fast and capable of playing a number of positions, Nick seems to prefer the idea of playing WR in college, but could also end up as a free safety in the mold of former Buckeyes Nate Salley and Donnie Nickey. Nick is very polished as a wide receiver at such a young age and shows a tremendous football IQ. He was named to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's "Terrific 25" team after catching 29 balls for 660 yards and 8 TDs last year. On defense, the ball-hawking Sukay recorded 58 tackles, 6 INTs and 7 FFs. Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others, have already extended offers and the Buckeyes could be one of the next teams to join the race.
LJB, 45: One of the most popular names in recent OSU recruiting history is Devon Torrence of Canton South. Like Clifford, a player who will find a position when he gets to college, Devon is a remarkable athlete whose accomplishments on the football field as well as the baseball diamond are well documented. At 6-foot-1 and nearly 200 lbs. with a 40 time in the 4.4 range, Devon is both an electrifying RB/WR and also a game-changer in the defensive backfield. He is awaiting his most recent ACT score, at which point an offer from OSU and a verbal to the Bucks are both highly likely. He currently has offers from Penn State, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Purdue.
BIG SPEED
LJB, 21: If guys like Martez Wilson and Ben Martin are near the top of the list of top DEs in the class of '07, the guy who is at the very top is AZ's Everson Griffen. A 5-star lock by both Rivals and Scout, Everson checks in at 6-foot-4 265 lbs. with 4.46 speed. The second DE in recent memory to be nicknamed "The Freak", Everson is almost the exact same size as Philadelphia Eagle Jevon Kearse. Although likely to stay out West after being offered by such programs as Arizona, UCLA and USC, Everson is also entertaining offers from the likes of California, Colorado, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Oregon State. Regardless of where he ends up, it is not too hard to imagine him playing a role not unlike Bobby Carpenter did last season at Ohio State. Griffen has the speed to cover in space or rush off the edge, but also has the strength to take on TEs and tackles in the trenches.
45: Another relatively quiet offer is the one that went out to Brandon Lindsey of Aliquippa (PA) HS. An amazing LB prospect, Brandon has the size and speed to play outside, but could very well end up playing inside or even with a hand in the dirt given his 6-foot-3 220 lbs. frame. Brandon already holds offers from Ohio State, UConn, Pittsburgh and West Virginia and is expecting many more. The Buckeyes have the advantage of being both one of the first to offer and Brandon's mother being a former employee at OSU hospital. Also a great RB (1,234 yards and 19 TDs in 2005), Brandon particularly likes roaming the field from his LB spot, where he posted 92 tackles and 11 sacks last year.
LJB, 21, 45: One player who needs no introduction is Cincinnati La Salle's Ben Martin, arguably the top player in Ohio for 2006. A tall, rangy prospect whose best football is still way ahead of him, Martin terrorized QBs from his defensive end spot last season to the tune of 71 tackles, 16 TFLs and 10 sacks. While many pit this as an OSU/ND battle, Martin also has offers from the likes of Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Martin, who patterns his game after Dwight Freeney, also carries a 3.4 GPA to go along with his 4.55 40 at 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs. Whether he ends up in Columbus, South Bend or somewhere else, we are all confident that Ben is going to be playing on Sundays a few years from now.
LJB, 21, 45: Another Ohio product that we all expect to receive an OSU offer eventually is Trotwood-Madison's Carlton "C.J." Peake. Already rated the #7 safety in the country by Scout, Peake is a tremendous combination of size and speed at 6-foot-2 216 lbs. and 4.46 speed. Not shy about his desire to suit up for the Bucks, C.J. already has offers from such schools as Boston College, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Wisconsin. A transfer from Dayton's Meadowdale HS, Peake totaled 109 tackles and 6 INTs on defense and 800 rushing yards and 11 TDs on offense. The question about Peake is where does he end up at in college: linebacker or safety. Only time will tell, but as you can see, we all agree that regardless of what position he ends up at, C.J. would look great in the S&G.
21, 45: If Ben Martin is the #1 DE in Ohio, then #1a just might be Lakota West's Solomon Thomas. Measuring nearly the same 6-foot-5 225 lbs. as Martin, Solomon is a little more unpolished, but no less gifted as an athlete and is another prospect whose best football days are well ahead of him. Thomas is a high energy player who can play sideline to sideline, which is rare for a guy his size. Last season he registered 58 tackles, 13 TFLs and 7 sacks and also used his great wingspan to break-up 9 passes. Already having received offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Louisville, Minnesota and North Carolina St., we expect the Buckeyes to enter the mix before long. Whichever team ends up with Solomon will have the option of using him as either a strong side or weak side defensive end; he's that good and that versatile despite still being a little raw.
LJB, 21, 45: Yet another player we all agree on is Chicago's Martez Wilson, who is already rated as 5-stars by both Rivals and Scout, the latter of which rates him as the #2 DE in the entire country in the class of 2007. A beast who put up unreal measurables at the Nike Combine in Columbus (6-foot-4 228 lbs., 4.58 40, 4.30 shuttle and 18 bench reps at 185 lbs.), Martez is already garnering offers from the big names in college football, including the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State Tennessee and USC. A WR/LB in high school who will likely find a hand in the dirt in college, Martez recorded 99 tackles, 25 TFLs, a mind-boggling 18 sacks, 7 FFs and 2 FRs last season and looks to be one of the top defensive recruits in the country.
LJB: A relatively new name on the recruiting radar is Latravis Washington from Bradenton, FL's Bayshore HS. Most in the know claim that OSU is not looking at any QBs in this class, which may hurt the Buckeyes chances of landing Latravis seeing as though he is not only a talented safety prospect but also good looking dual-threat QB prospect. The cousin of former Nebraska Cornhusker and current Oakland Raider Fabian Washington, Latravis is open to playing on either side of the ball in college but seems to prefer the idea of playing quarterback. Large (6-foot-3 220 lbs.) and quick (4.55 40), Latravis is already entertaining offers from the likes of Auburn, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina and most recently, Ohio State.
POWER
LJB, 21, 45: Considering this is the one category that we almost completely agreed upon, it is fitting that we start with the player that is #1 on almost everyone's recruiting board; Detroit Cass Tech's Joseph Barksdale. Already rated as 5-stars and the #3 DT in the country by Rivals, Joseph could come in at a position of need for the Buckeyes (DT) and probably end up on the depth chart the moment he gets to Columbus. Thanks in no small part to his friendship with Vernon Gholston, the Buckeyes seem to hold a slight edge over Michigan as well as a Who's Who of college football program to have offered (including Florida State, LSU, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and USC). Joseph is extremely powerful, as he displayed at the Nike Combine in Columbus, and has great hands and nimble feet for such a massive human being. Last year he put up some gaudy numbers on the D-line, posting 83 tackles, 20 TFLs and 8 sacks.
LJB, 21, 45: Another player we all agree upon that the Buckeyes have offered and may be in the lead for is Evan Blankenship of Monaca, PA. A massive lineman who projects as a prototypical guard at the next level, Evan holds offers from his two favorites, Ohio State and Pittsburgh, with the Buckeyes thought to be in the lead given family ties to Columbus. Evan is the definition of road grader who is built for the interior line and will be a four-year starter in 2006. With Joe Daniels beginning to open up the lines of communication between OSU and the high schools in Pennsylvania, we expect it is only a matter of time before Blankenship ends up offering his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes.
45: Bloomington (IL) Central Catholic's Josh Brent recently received his official offer from assistant coach Dick Tressel and OSU, bringing his total to 11. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri and Oklahoma State are some of the other programs that have already offered this talented DT/OL prospect. Head coach Jim Tressel recently told Josh that he reminded him of current Buckeye David Patterson. Josh has only been playing football for two years, so his best days are obviously in front of him, but he is already coming of age as he registered 109 tackles, 29 TFLs and 6 sacks last year on his way to being named all-area and all-conference. Notre Dame was once thought to be the front runner here, but appears to fallen out of favor a bit and as more offers have poured in, it has become obvious that this state champion shot putter will take his time making a decision.
LJB, 21, 45: Everybody's newest favorite big man, Georgia's Nick Claytor is another POWER recruit with ties to Ohio, having family in the Toledo area. A 4-star lineman by both Rivals and Scout, Nick could end up manning a tackle spot in Columbus. And given his 6-foot-6 312 lbs. frame, the idea of the Buckeyes returning to the running game of yesterday behind mammoths like Nick is enticing. Regardless of where he ends up, his future QB will also be able to sleep at night knowing that a guy like Nick could end up protecting his blindside at tackle, given his height, wingspan and footwork. Nick was one of the biggest names at the OSU camp this past weekend and was apparently very impressive according to several onlookers, including BP's own jwinslow and crazybuckfan40.
LJB, 21: A Columbus product receiving early national attention is Hilliard Darby's Antonio Jeremiah. Already a 4-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout and also a member of Rivals' early Top 100, Antonio is already listing offers from the likes of Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Syracuse and West Virginia. We expect the Buckeyes to follow suit, possibly with a strong showing at the the senior camp later this month. At the Nike Combine in Columbus, Antonio put up 5.05 40, 26-inch vertical and a 4.88 pro shuttle despite being listed at 6-foot-5 290 lbs. Once a hidden gem, the word is out on Antonio, especially given his long arms and athleticism which will allow his future college coach to play him on either side of the ball.
LJB, 21, 45: Yet another name we all agree on is Arizona's Kris O'Dowd of Tuscon's Salpointe Catholic. A virtual 5-star lock with future tackle written all over him, Kris, who says himself that he excels in run blocking, is entertaining offers from a number of schools out West (Arizona, California, USC, UCLA) but is also paying a lot of attention to the Buckeyes. O'Dowd's film from the L.A. Scout.com Combine, where he went up against fellow Arizonan Everson Griffen in the one-on-one drills, is already becoming legendary. A self-proclaimed fan of Columbus and the Buckeyes style of play, Kris has been in contact with recruiting coordinator and assistant coach John Peterson and is strongly considering an official visit to OSU this Fall.
SLEEPERS
LJB: Myles Caragein of Pittsburgh, PA is LJB's choice for the sleeper of this class. A physically impressive young man (6-foot-2 265 lbs., 4.86 40, 340 lbs. bench max, 505 lbs. squat max, 4.62 shuttle) Caragein plays fullback (54 pancake blocks) and defensive end (68 tackles, 14 TFLs, 8 sacks) for his high school team. In addition to excelling on the football field, Myles is a national champion Greco-Roman wrestler and an honor student with a 3.73 GPA. Currently, Caragein has 15 offers from the likes of Clemson, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina St., Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Toledo. And the Buckeyes are giving him a serious look.
21: Hamilton's Charlie Hatcher is 21's pick for the sleeper in this '07 haul. A POWER prospect who reminds some of a younger Kirk Barton, Charlie is a hard-nosed combo OL/DL who has already pulled in offers from Cincinnati, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Indiana and Illinois. An All-Southern Ohio pick as a junior after registering 62 tackles and 9 sacks, Hatcher uses his arms well and has a great motor. Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State and Duke have picked up interest lately and it looks like Charlie will have his chance to prove to the OSU staff that he deserves an offer this summer at the senior camp. If there is an in-state kid who can come out and earn an offer, we think it's Charlie.
45: 45 gives the nod to Massillon Washington's Andrew Dailey as the sleeper in this class. Another one of the many LB/S prospects (6-foot-3 215 lbs.) in OH this year, Andrew will likely battle C.J. Peake to see who is the best. Scout is already listing Andrew as one of their picks for top 10 in the Midwest next year after he helped lead his team to the state title game in 2005. Andrew works well in traffic and can get around the field very quickly (4.5 40). Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue are just some of the schools that have already offered Andrew, and the Buckeyes will be watching him closely this Summer and Fall. It probably won't shock anyone if Andrew ends up apart of the '07 Buckeye haul.
Feel free to post your own wishlists in this thread or offer up any comments and/or suggestions about our lists!
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