Overall, I'm thrilled with the Buckeyes' 2005 recruiting class. I am excited about every single player whom Ohio State signed this year. The only problems I have are with some of the players whom the Bucks missed, players who would have filled rather glaring holes in the roster.
What the Buckeyes Got
1. Blue Chip Talent - Ohio State landed six players generally regarded as amongst the best at their respective positions - QB Rob Schoenhoft, RB Maurice Wells, DE Doug Worthington, DT Todd Denlinger, CB Jamario O'Neal, and OT Alex Boone, who may be the best OL prospect in the country. Although the rest of the signees are also very talented players, the blue chippers are the guys who make the class special, at least on Signing Day.
2. Great Athletes - Did any team in America sign five better athletes than Jamario O'Neal, Freddie Lenix, Andre Amos, Brian Hartline, and Donald Washington III? Each of these kids could be track stars in college, but don't be fooled - they are all football players first, regardless of whether they end up at RB, WR, DB, or LB. Even the big guys in this class can motor - DE Lawrence Wilson runs a legit 4.6 forty, and fellow linemen Doug Worthington and Ryan Williams are in the 4.7 range.
3. Football Players - In football, intangibles are very important. Maybe LB's James Laurinaitis and Austin Spitler don't have the measurables of the five-star guys, but these two just make plays- Laurinaitis had nearly 200 tackles on route to being named Minnesota's Player of the Year, and Spitler had 135 tackles in just 10 games. Malcolm Jenkins is a CB with good size and excellent technique who led his high school team to three straight state titles. Brian Robiskie is a coach's son, an NFL coach's son, so you know that he is a student of the game. Anderson Russell is a versatile athlete who could easily see time as safety or running back, or both. Players like these usually come in as 'sleepers' and go out as 'stars'. Overall, Ohio State signed guys who know how to play the game, and that means a lot.
4. A Little Bit of Nasty - Pound-for-pound, O'Neal and Lenix are about the hardest hitters that you'll ever see. Jim Cordle just loves to knock people around - from his offensive guard position! Even Alex Boone, who is known for his excellent footwork, has a mean streak which is quite obvious when he's turning a DL into a pancake. And by the way, the son of Animal will be roaming the middle of the Bucks' defense some day. With All-American A.J. Hawk returning in 2006, a new Legion of Doom awaits the rest of the Big Ten!
5. Character - I don't see a prima donna or problem child in this group - not even close. Each of the 18 signees is a hard-working, 'team first' guy, and most of them selected the Buckeyes at least in part because of the 'family' atmosphere at Ohio State. In addition, there appear to be no academic risks in this bunch, which means that we won't have any attrition due to grades. Off-the-field problems should not affect this class.
What the Bucks Missed
1. A Big Running Back - Even with the signing of Maurice Wells, the Bucks will have only three scholarship RB's next season, and no 'big' back the likes of a Maurice Clarett, an Eddie George, or even a Brandon Joe. The Bucks narrowly missed out on Jason Gwaltney (West Virginia), and passed on Conredge Collins (Pitt); Virginia's Elan Lewis (watch out for him some day) stayed down east (Virginia Tech), and Washington's Snoop Stewart (will be great if he can stay eligible) stayed out west (Oregon). The Bucks number one priority for the 2006 recruiting class will be a big back, and the number one target will be Akron's Chris Wells.
2. Outside Linebackers - Although Laurinaitis and Spitler will be excellent in the middle, the Bucks signed no one on the outside (even though they could have used two). For some reason, DC's Rico McCoy favored the Bucks for months, then committed to Tennessee. Wisconsin's Travis Beckum had some early interest in the Bucks, but chose hometown Bucky Badger instead. On the other hand, Brookhaven's Alex Daniels didn't want to stay home, and left Columbus for the greener astroturf of Minnesota. Florida's Elijah Hodge seemed destined for Columbus until Ohio State's interest in him faded near the end; he ended up at Wisconsin. Washington's Anthony Felder might have been the best of the bunch, but he was a long shot who never visited and eventually signed with Cal. Athlete Freddie Lenix might get a look at OLB, but he could just as easily end up at safety or running back. Next year, Euclid's Thaddeus Gibson should get an early offer, and several out-of-state prospects including Maryland's Akeem Hebron and Pennsylvania's Dorin Dickerson will get some serious attention. The Bucks will probably look to sign three OLB's in 2006.
3. More O-linemen - After the neglect of the Cooper years, the Bucks have restocked this critical position to some extent. However, the numbers are still a bit thin, and Ohio State managed to ink only two additional OL in 2005 (although both Boone and Cordle should be outstanding players for the Bucks). There is plenty of OL talent in Ohio next season, and the Buckeyes have already offered Princeton's Aaron Brown, Colerain's Connor Smith, and Pickerington's Justin Boren; in addition, Brookhaven's Mark Jackson, Springboro's Jacob Ballard, Glenville's Bryant Browning, and Glen Oak's Ryan Palmer may also earn offers, and some out-of-state blue chippers will undoubtedly end up in the mix somewhere. My guess is that the Bucks will sign four OL in 2006, maybe five if the right players become available.
4. A Receiving Tight End - Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit greedy here, but a tight end who is a receiving threat would really add an extra dimension to the Bucks' suddenly potent offense. Ohio State didn't go hard after anyone in 2005 (an early offer to Georgia's Stephen Gowland notwithstanding), so a tight end or two should be on the list for 2006.
All in all, a great job by the staff! Congrats to all 18 signees, and welcome to The Ohio State University!
What the Buckeyes Got
1. Blue Chip Talent - Ohio State landed six players generally regarded as amongst the best at their respective positions - QB Rob Schoenhoft, RB Maurice Wells, DE Doug Worthington, DT Todd Denlinger, CB Jamario O'Neal, and OT Alex Boone, who may be the best OL prospect in the country. Although the rest of the signees are also very talented players, the blue chippers are the guys who make the class special, at least on Signing Day.
2. Great Athletes - Did any team in America sign five better athletes than Jamario O'Neal, Freddie Lenix, Andre Amos, Brian Hartline, and Donald Washington III? Each of these kids could be track stars in college, but don't be fooled - they are all football players first, regardless of whether they end up at RB, WR, DB, or LB. Even the big guys in this class can motor - DE Lawrence Wilson runs a legit 4.6 forty, and fellow linemen Doug Worthington and Ryan Williams are in the 4.7 range.
3. Football Players - In football, intangibles are very important. Maybe LB's James Laurinaitis and Austin Spitler don't have the measurables of the five-star guys, but these two just make plays- Laurinaitis had nearly 200 tackles on route to being named Minnesota's Player of the Year, and Spitler had 135 tackles in just 10 games. Malcolm Jenkins is a CB with good size and excellent technique who led his high school team to three straight state titles. Brian Robiskie is a coach's son, an NFL coach's son, so you know that he is a student of the game. Anderson Russell is a versatile athlete who could easily see time as safety or running back, or both. Players like these usually come in as 'sleepers' and go out as 'stars'. Overall, Ohio State signed guys who know how to play the game, and that means a lot.
4. A Little Bit of Nasty - Pound-for-pound, O'Neal and Lenix are about the hardest hitters that you'll ever see. Jim Cordle just loves to knock people around - from his offensive guard position! Even Alex Boone, who is known for his excellent footwork, has a mean streak which is quite obvious when he's turning a DL into a pancake. And by the way, the son of Animal will be roaming the middle of the Bucks' defense some day. With All-American A.J. Hawk returning in 2006, a new Legion of Doom awaits the rest of the Big Ten!
5. Character - I don't see a prima donna or problem child in this group - not even close. Each of the 18 signees is a hard-working, 'team first' guy, and most of them selected the Buckeyes at least in part because of the 'family' atmosphere at Ohio State. In addition, there appear to be no academic risks in this bunch, which means that we won't have any attrition due to grades. Off-the-field problems should not affect this class.
What the Bucks Missed
1. A Big Running Back - Even with the signing of Maurice Wells, the Bucks will have only three scholarship RB's next season, and no 'big' back the likes of a Maurice Clarett, an Eddie George, or even a Brandon Joe. The Bucks narrowly missed out on Jason Gwaltney (West Virginia), and passed on Conredge Collins (Pitt); Virginia's Elan Lewis (watch out for him some day) stayed down east (Virginia Tech), and Washington's Snoop Stewart (will be great if he can stay eligible) stayed out west (Oregon). The Bucks number one priority for the 2006 recruiting class will be a big back, and the number one target will be Akron's Chris Wells.
2. Outside Linebackers - Although Laurinaitis and Spitler will be excellent in the middle, the Bucks signed no one on the outside (even though they could have used two). For some reason, DC's Rico McCoy favored the Bucks for months, then committed to Tennessee. Wisconsin's Travis Beckum had some early interest in the Bucks, but chose hometown Bucky Badger instead. On the other hand, Brookhaven's Alex Daniels didn't want to stay home, and left Columbus for the greener astroturf of Minnesota. Florida's Elijah Hodge seemed destined for Columbus until Ohio State's interest in him faded near the end; he ended up at Wisconsin. Washington's Anthony Felder might have been the best of the bunch, but he was a long shot who never visited and eventually signed with Cal. Athlete Freddie Lenix might get a look at OLB, but he could just as easily end up at safety or running back. Next year, Euclid's Thaddeus Gibson should get an early offer, and several out-of-state prospects including Maryland's Akeem Hebron and Pennsylvania's Dorin Dickerson will get some serious attention. The Bucks will probably look to sign three OLB's in 2006.
3. More O-linemen - After the neglect of the Cooper years, the Bucks have restocked this critical position to some extent. However, the numbers are still a bit thin, and Ohio State managed to ink only two additional OL in 2005 (although both Boone and Cordle should be outstanding players for the Bucks). There is plenty of OL talent in Ohio next season, and the Buckeyes have already offered Princeton's Aaron Brown, Colerain's Connor Smith, and Pickerington's Justin Boren; in addition, Brookhaven's Mark Jackson, Springboro's Jacob Ballard, Glenville's Bryant Browning, and Glen Oak's Ryan Palmer may also earn offers, and some out-of-state blue chippers will undoubtedly end up in the mix somewhere. My guess is that the Bucks will sign four OL in 2006, maybe five if the right players become available.
4. A Receiving Tight End - Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit greedy here, but a tight end who is a receiving threat would really add an extra dimension to the Bucks' suddenly potent offense. Ohio State didn't go hard after anyone in 2005 (an early offer to Georgia's Stephen Gowland notwithstanding), so a tight end or two should be on the list for 2006.
All in all, a great job by the staff! Congrats to all 18 signees, and welcome to The Ohio State University!
:osu: Go Buckeyes! :osu:
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