General Thoughts
LordJeffBuck: It's difficult to criticize the #3 class in the country, but I'm going to do it anyway because we are THE Ohio State and the goal is always to be #1 in everything. The class ranking is largely based on the four stellar WR prospects that signed: Julian Fleming (#2 overall in 247 Composite); Jaxon Smith-Njigba (#33 overall); Gee Scott, Jr. (#62 overall); and Mookie Cooper (#82 overall). Having four studs at WR is great, except that there's still only one football to throw around so someone's bound to be disappointed sooner or later. The Buckeyes also signed two QB prospects - C.J. Stroud (#83 overall) and Jack Miller (#290 overall) - which provides necessary depth, but the loser of that battle will win the Most Likely to Enter the Transfer Portal contest (and both might end up in the CFB Matrix if 2021 QB commitment Kyle McCord becomes The Next Big Thing in Columbus). On the OL, the Buckeyes signed two studs and four projects, which is about the right mix (so long as the projects who don't pan out can be processed in a timely manner). The Buckeyes also signed four DL, but none is a true DE, much less a pass rush specialist, much less an All American pass rush specialist like we have become accustomed to at Ohio State, so that is a definite position of need in the Class of 2021 (where #2 overall prospect Jack Sawyer is already in the fold). Linebackers and safeties are solid, but cornerback is thin with only one true CB signee (Ryan Watts) after Clark Phillips III defected to Utah. And then there's the whole RB situation....
Earliest Impact
RB07OSU: Probably obvious, but my vote is Fleming by a longshot. Incredible talent, very developed in his game, and can block. Add that to a mass exodus of talent at the WR position, and that equals immediate PT for Fleming. Also wouldn't be surprised if JSN or Scott end up being the guy either (or ends up being the best WR of this class eventually). But Fleming might be a starter out of the gate.LordJeffBuck: I'll go with a WR as well, but a different one: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. None of the Buckeye signees (with the possible exception of QB C.J. Stroud) has seen his stock rise faster, and if Jaxon keeps up that progression he should be college-ready by the start of training camp. More quick than fast (pedestrian 4.59 forty, but excellent 3.91 shuttle), I'd like to see Jaxon get a shot to replace K.J. Hill at the slot WR position. Regarding the higher-ranked Julian Fleming, he's more of a true outside receiver, so he will have to compete for playing time with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson (arguably the two best players on the entire 2020 team not named Justin Fields).
Most Upside/Star Potential
LordJeffBuck: It's hard to be a true "star" when you don't throw, catch, run, or make highlight reels, but Paris Johnson, Jr. is going to be the best Buckeye player in the Class of 2020. Maybe the best player in the entire CFB Class of 2020. Johnson is already being projected as a high first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and with his size (6-foot-7, 290 pounds) and athleticism (4.53 shuttle) and demeanor (nasty attitude) he certainly seems like a sure thing. The next Orlando Pace...?
Surest Thing
RB07OSU: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I just can't imagine a scenario where JSN he does not tear it up here. I don't think he quite has the ceiling as Fleming, but he is just going to produce here at a bare minimum.Biggest Reach
LordJeffBuck: Every 3-star prospect is a reach. Yes, I know, that doesn't include Buckeye 3-star prospects, each of whom is going to be the next A.J. Hawk or James Laurinaitis or Malcom Jenkins. But let's be real for a minute: Prospects get three stars because they simply aren't good enough to get four or five stars. Ohio State has nine 3-star prospects in the Class of 2020. They are all reaches. Or sleepers. Or future All Americans. Depends on if the glass is half empty, or half full, or overflowing. You decide.
Sleeper
LordJeffBuck: Can you imagine a Buckeye offensive line with Dawand Jones (6-foot-8, 360 pounds) and Trey Leroux (6-foot-8, 355 pounds) as your bookend tackles? Well, a year ago I couldn't either, but today they are both Buckeyes. A sleeper double feature. And if they can't cut it at Ohio State, they'd make one Hell of a WWE tag team.
Biggest Surprise
LordJeffBuck: (1)(A) Landing quarterback C.J. Stroud late in the process. (1)(B) Keeping quarterback Jack Miller after Stroud committed.
The One Who Got Away
LordJeffBuck: Running back Bijan Robison. Seems like a classic lose-lose situation to me. Who will be the bigger loser? I'm guessing that it won't be Ohio State....
What This Class Lacks
LordJeffBuck: Turn back the clock to July 25, 2018, when Ohio State received a commitment from Arizona running back Darvon Hubbard. Fast forward to February 21, 2019, when Hubbard "decommitted" from Ohio State after receiving negative feedback from new Buckeye head coach Ryan Day. Since that time, the Buckeye staff has targeted and missed on the following running backs (in no particular order): Zachary Evans; Bijan Robinson; Kendall Milton; Jaylan Knighton; Sam Adams II; Blake Corum; Kevontre Bradford; DeaMonte Trayanum; and Lawrence Toafili (and maybe a few other long shot guys who never really entered the mix). The Buckeyes did finally get a running back in the Class of 2020 - Miyan Williams from Cincinnati Winton Woods - but he was at best their Plan J or K option. Ohio State should never have to go that far down its recruit board to get a prospect, especially at a position where an impact player could win the starting job as a true freshman. Depth chart and recent success (Ezekiel Elliot; J.K. Dobbins) should have been huge factors in favor of the Buckeyes; I'm guessing that negative recruiting ("air raid offense") was an even bigger factor against them.
Top Targets for February
LordJeffBuck: Cameron Martinez is still verbally committed to Ohio State, but he is looking around (primarily at Northwestern, who sees him as their version of Chris Gamble, or something). Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is currently a Georgia Tech verbal, but he is scheduled to officially visit Ohio State on January 17th (and Florida January 24th, and Georgia Tech January 31st). APB Michael Drennan II (Dublin Coffman) is still unsigned, but the Buckeye staff has had numerous chances to evaluate and pursue the state's #4 prospect and to date they have chosen not to do so. Walnut Ridge ATH Qian Magwood has been mentioned from time to time, but he seems more like a MAC level player and he doesn't really fill a position of need for Ohio State. There's always a chance that we see a name arise out of nowhere, like Enokk Vimahi in last year's class. I'm hoping for a 4-star DE with top-end speed. I'm probably banking that scholarship.
Recruiting Impact of Coaching Changes
LordJeffBuck: The loss of DB coach Jeff Hafley definitely cost the Buckeyes CB Clark Phillips III, and it might cost them ATH Cameron Martinez as well (he will sign somewhere in February). If an 18-year old kid thinks that he's got a better chance for success at Utah than Ohio State, then more power to him. Life comes at you fast.... And life at Ohio State will be just fine with or without Jeff Hafley.
And a word about coaching changes in general, and assistant coaching changes in particular. Some people say that recruiting is all about comfort and relationships, meaning primarily comfort and relationships with position coaches. Here is the Ohio State coaching staff for 2014, the year that the current fifth-year seniors were being recruited to Ohio State:
Head coach: Urban Meyer
Quarterbacks: Tom Herman
Running backs: Stan Drayton
Wide receivers: Zach Smith
Tight ends: Tim Hinton
Offensive line: Ed Warinner
Defensive line: Larry Johnson, Sr.
Linebackers: Luke Fickell
Defensive back: Kerry Coombs
Defensive backs: Chris Ash
It's just five years later, and the only name still on that list is Larry Johnson, Sr. Every other position has changed at least once, and six assistants came and went within that five-year window (Greg Schiano; Bill Davis; Alex Grinch; Taver Johnson; Jeff Hafley; Mike Yurcich). A fifth-year senior like K.J. Hill has seen no less than 25 coaches on the sidelines, plus numerous graduate assistants and quality control coaches. College coaches move around a lot. Good coaches move up, bad coaches move on, and every coach eventually retires. Any recruit who commits to a school because he likes his assistant coach is being ... short-sighted. That's a nice way to put it.
2021 Outlook
LordJeffBuck: Someone stated (and I agreed) that the Class of 2020 was half Alabama, half Michigan, meaning an unusual mixture of 5-star studs (8 players in top 100) and 3-star reaches (9 players #400 or higher). So far the Class of 2021 is all Alabama, with a ridiculous (and unsustainable) recruit average of 97.43 (by way of comparison, Ohio State's best ever recruiting class, the Class of 2017, had a recruit average of 94.59). Five of Ohio State's commitments are in the top 75, and the sixth is #121. The low 4-star and high 3-star recruits will eventually filter into this class, but I would be shocked if Ohio State's Class of 2021 finished outside of the top five, and it could easily be #1 overall.
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