2021 BRPT Class Breakdown

[RB07OSU]

Well you fellow recruitniks, it is that magical time of the year where the BRPT (now inclusive of all those that don't even pay $79.99 a year) lays down our analysis of the 2021 early signing day period. I have grown to love this piece more than any of the storied BP lore, and this year is yet another epic class with lots of fun components to break down. Ok, I have have blabbed enough...I will jump in and can't wait to hear other's thoughts.

General Thoughts​

From top to bottom, this is probably the best recruiting class we have ever had here on paper. To make it happen during all the COVID mayhem and not being able to get kids on campus is just amazing. We filled every position of need with top talent and even if we don't sign another kid, this class is one for the books. The offense is yet again just absurd at QB and the skill positions, and defense has plenty of guys that should be stars.

Earliest Impact​

With a loaded class, this could be a "take your pick" kind of category. But I will just go with what I perceive a position of need where we got a very talented player. Jordan Hancock is my pick here. We need corners to step up and the lack of depth is very apparent this year with the departures, then you have Wade and Williamson departing this year most likely. Not bashing any of the guys we will have coming back, but there is a huge opportunity to play at CB. Imo, Hancock is a 5* talent and is the most developed guy we have at CB coming in. Don't be surprised if Hancock mans one of the starting jobs next year or is right there. Sawyer at DE or Carrico at LB get honorable mentions, both are studs at positions where PT can be had.

Most Star Potential​

Again, tough pick. I will go with Emeka Egbuka though, I really think this kid is going to dominate and be a top 10 NFL draft pick. He is seriously that good. Put him with Hartline and a talented QB (take your pick of Stroud, Miller, McCord, Ewers, etc.), Egbuka is going to have a crazy good career. Next up would be TreVeyon Henderson, game-breaking ability and an every down back...will explode in this offense and so will Pryor.

Surest Thing​

Jack Sawyer. Insane blend of athleticism, talent and work ethic. There's no world where I don't see Jack being at least a staple of our defense and more likely, the next in the line of elite DEs at Ohio State. Get ready for Mr. Sawyer to be the next household name at DE here. Next up would be Reid Carrico and Donovan Jackson. Carrico is just too instinctual and has too much production to not be a regular contributor on defense. Jackson is just too athletic and a grinder to not be a stalwart on our OL for many years. Let me also put out this name...Marvin Harrison Jr...kid has the bloodlines, talent and technique to be unstoppable imo...very much overlooked.

Most Upside​

Tyleik Williams. Kid is a borderline 4* but man does he have the physical gifts. Enormous kid with a ton of athleticism that needs some time with both Coach Mick and LJ Sr., but could be a nightmare in the interior DL once that happens. I also think that Turrentine and Burke at DB have a world of talent that we could see come to fruition.

Biggest Reach​

This is a real tough one this year, we really didn't have to reach and I always debate on getting rid of this category. In any event, I will go Jaylen Johnson...not a bad player but I just think we added him early at a position where we needed bodies and I see him as a special teams guy, not a starter.

Sleeper​

I already said Tyleik, so I will go with Zen Michalski. Kid flew under the radar until his senior year and then blew up. Has the frame and added the weight, athleticism is abundant...plus he plays nasty. I like his upside as a sleep.

Biggest Surprise​

Evan Pryor. Or Henderson. I thought both were longshots, but thought there was a slim chance of keeping two elite RBs in the same class. They stuck together and apparently are great friends...big win there but I am shocked we held on for both.

The One Who Got Away​

JC Latham by a mile. Should have had him in the fold and somehow he wound up at Bama. Adding him to this class would have rounded out the absolute perfect class imo, plus the rich get richer at Bama by landing him.

What This Class Lacks​

An elite OT. See above on Latham...really would have liked to see JC in the class. That said, I love the future promise in NPF, Dawand Jones, Wray, Parris Johnson, etc., so I don't see this as a fatal or overly concerning issue. Plus I think Christman or Jackson have the athleticism to play OT, although I feel both are best suited inside.

Top Targets for February​

Just one and his name is J.T. Tuimoloau. He will get full-court press and we are in a great spot, but holding off Bama will not be easy. But we need to pull JT in and keep our DL at an elite level, really crucial last piece of the puzzle. Tristan Leigh will stay on the market and while we are basically eliminate, no harm in pursuing with everyone else signed.

2022 Outlook​

The 2022 class is already off to a huge start and I don't see the recruiting train slowing down. That said, we do need to land at least a couple elite OL after only landing 3 in 2021 and missing on Latham. Tshabola is a great start, but we gotta land someone in the group of Dewberry, Goodwin, Greene, etc.

 

[Honor&Glory]

 

[pnuts34]

Thanks so much for your breakdown @RB07OSU , though I agree with most of your points on the signees I wanted to throw a few names out on the superlatives that you used:
Earliest Impact- JK Johnson or Jack Sawyer
Most Star potential- Trayveon Henderson or Donovan Jackson
Surest thing- Jack Sawyer or Jordan Hancock
Most upside- Marvin Harrison Jr.
Biggest reach- Denzel Burke or Sam Hart
Sleeper- Tyliek Williams
Biggest surprise- Evan Pryor or keeping Andre Turrentine
The one that got away- Agree(though it would change to JTT if we can’t sign him in Feb.)
What this class lacks- another LB

 

[HotMic]

Great write up my man. I’ll add my 2 cents as well.

General thoughts: Another amazing class for Day and company. While there’s no denying the ability of these guys on the field, you can’t ignore what an impressive group it is off the field. Every single member of the class went about the process the right way and are totally bought in to the culture that’s being built here. These young men will continue to build on the foundation that last year’s class started, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down in 2022.

Earliest Impact: I’m going Jordan Hancock here. He’s mentioned multiple times that he was brought in to play the slot-corner role that Wade played last season and Williamson is currently manning. With an opening at the spot next year, it’s not hard to imagine him grabbing the spot in camp.

Most Star Potential: It’s hard to pick just one member of the class, but if I’m having to pick one I’ll go with TreVeyon Henderson. His junior film ranks up there with one of the best I’ve ever seen. Furthering my belief is that he’ll be given the chance to be THE man at RB. It might not happen his frosh year where he’ll be splitting reps, but I could see his Sophomore and Junior seasons rivaling those of Elliot.

Surest Thing: Donovan Jackson. This guy is a meaner version of Wyatt Davis, which is a scary thing to envision. He’ll be in the two deep as a frosh, starting as a Sophomore, and off to the draft following his Junior season. He honestly might be the best offensive lineman Ohio State has landed in the last two decades.

Most Upside: Jantzen Dunn was manufactured in a lab to play the single-high, and athletically he could be another Malik Hooker roaming the secondary. If he puts it together, he has a great chance of out-performing his ranking.

Biggest Reach: Man, I really hate to even go here. Some people might say Jaylen, but he was vital to putting this class together and obviously the staff felt different given how early he was given the green light. I actually think he can get ST reps as a frosh given his skill set. Hart is another name that might get thrown around, but again, he’s another guy who was given the green light extremely early and fits what they do at TE. I don’t see either as “reaches”, let’s call them guys that will be looking to prove themselves.

Sleeper: Tyleik Williams. When you watch film the first thing that jumps out is how quick off the snap the big man is. In my opinion he’s a bit undervalued in the DT rankings due to mixture of no camps and no senior season. This guy has a chance to be what Hamilton was his senior year, earlier. He’s more advanced than Davon was coming in, and the depth chart sets up perfectly for him.

Biggest Surprise: TreVeyon Henderson went from “probably heading South” and “Clemson lean” to “Buckeye lock” in the course of about two weeks. Honestly, I’m having trouble remembering a bigger name coming out of nowhere so quick, especially considering it didn’t come on the heels of a visit. Honorable mention to Denzel Burke in this spot.

The One Who Got Away: Anybody who doesn’t list Latham here is lying to themselves. If Covid doesn’t happen, Latham visits in the spring and is a Buckeye. Alas, Covid did happen, giving Saban the opportunity he needed. Once Nick had Mom on board, this one was over.

What This Class Lacks: Pretty easy answer here, it’s an immediate impact offensive tackle. A lot of eggs were put in the Latham basket (rightfully so), and once that fell through they never seemed to gain any footing elsewhere.

Top Targets For February: Obviously Tuimoloau is the big name here, and it feels like the Buckeyes will be the choice if they can hold off Alabama. Raesjon Davis is the other big name to keep an eye on. The Buckeyes are fighting with USC for Davis in my opinion, and Al Washington is going to have a fight on his hands to convince the talented linebacker to leave home. Tristan Leigh just isn’t happening, no matter how hard people keep trying to make it a thing. He’s taken 586,974 trips elsewhere, many much further away, but can’t make it to Columbus? It’s not difficult to read the tea leaves there. It’s been mentioned elsewhere, but the portal seems like a much more probable option if they look to bring in another OT.

2022 Outlook: The Buckeyes are off to a great start already, and I fully expect them to finish with another top five class. I feel really good about Grayes, as well as Murphy and Winfield if they’re given the green light. Goodwin is a massive (literally) need this year at OT, and the popular opinion is that Ohio State is in a great spot. A fair warning, keep an eye on Clemson if they offer. Wiltfong is as close to that recruitment as anyone and always throws the Tigers name out when discussing him. Finding a couple offensive tackles and a true edge rusher are musts in this class.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

General Thoughts​

I will begin the 2021 Review by quoting my conclusion from the 2020 Review:

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.

It's one year later, and my predictions were pretty darned accurate. Ohio State's Class of 2021 was almost pure Alabama, with 12 signees in the top 100, and 17 signees in the top 203. Only three low 4-star and high 3-star recruits filtered into this class (if we exclude the Australian punter), and the class average (again excluding said punter) is an amazing 95.20 per recruit. Ohio State's Class of 2021 is currently ranked #2 in the country (behind Alabama, of course), and the Buckeyes still have an outside chance to move into the top slot by the time February Signing Day rolls around.

Earliest Impact​

Next year, Ohio State's running back room will essentially consist of a plodder (Master Teague), a guy who can't stay healthy (Marcus Crowley), a guy who's not really a running back (Steele Chambers), a crowd favorite who's not all that talented (Miyan Williams), and two highly-rated true freshmen (TreVeyon Henderson (#1 RB, #24 overall) and Evan Pryor (#2 APB, #81 overall)). Looks like a pretty good opportunity for the new guys, no? Henderson is the first 5-star running back signed by Ohio State since Beanie Wells all the way back in 2006, and he's a true bell cow, so I'll give the nod to him over Pryor. Henderson may not be your Opening Day starter over a seasoned veteran like Teague, but it probably won't be too long before Buckeye fans are saying: "That new kid need to play more!"

Most Star Potential​

In a class this loaded with top prospects, it could be just about anybody. So let's go with the quarterback, Kyle McCord. Quarterbacks always have the most star potential because they play the most important (and most visible) position. And McCord is a 5-star prospect (#3 pro style, #25 overall), so his chances to succeed in the bright spotlight are pretty high. With Justin Fields 99.9999% leaving for the NFL after this season, the Buckeyes' QB room will have three likely candidates to replace him: redshirt freshmen C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller, who barely played in 2020, plus McCord. So not only does McCord have a ton of star potential, he might get a chance to show that potential from Day One.

Surest Thing​

Again, very difficult to decide amongst all of the excellent candidates. My colleague suggested defensive end Jack Sawyer, and that's as good a suggestion as any and better than most. As the #4 overall prospect in the nation, Sawyer obviously has the physical skills necessary to succeed at a high level; and under the tutelage of position coach Larry Johnson, Sawyer will get the training necessary to hone those 5-star physical skills into the next great Buckeye defensive end in the tradition of the Bosa Brothers, Chase Young, and (I hope) Zach Harrison.

Most Upside/Biggest Sleeper​

I am going to combine these two categories because they mean almost the same thing to me. It is difficult to discover a sleeper in a class in which nearly everyone is a star, but I might pick this guy as my sleeper even if we had just signed a load of 3-star prospects: offensive tackle Zen Michalski. Back on April 30th, Michalski had a 247 Composite rating of just 84.16, which put him in the middle of the 3-star range. By Signing Day, Michalski had rocketed all the way up to a 89.72 rating, which is at the low end of 4-star territory (#318 overall). Part of the reason for Michalski's rapid rise was the fact that the former Louisville commit was offered by Ohio State - a Buckeye offer tends to raise a recruit's reputation, I get that. But Michalski also has the frame (6-foot-7, 288 pounds), length, athleticism, and work ethic to become a fixture at left tackle someday.

Biggest Reach​

As I said in my introduction, the Buckeyes signed only three players who weren't star recruits, and one of those three was the aforementioned Zen Michalski, who is my sleeper in this class. So that leaves our three star prospects: tight end Sam Hart (#390 nationally) and defensive back Jaylen Johnson (#411 nationally). Tight ends are always a reach at Ohio State because they never get the chance to do much during their careers here, so Hart is definitely in the running. Johnson is the lowest rated non-punter and he enters Ohio State without a set position (is he a safety, or will he grow into linebacker), so he's a strong candidate as well. Both players might turn out to be very good at Ohio State, and unlike some recent recruits, neither is truly in the "reach" category. So take your pick for this dubious distinction, or ignore it altogether for the Class of 2021.

Biggest Surprise​

Back in the summer, the Buckeyes were chasing some of the top defensive line prospects in the country: Tunmise Adeleye, Damon Payne, Tywone Malone, and J.T. Tuimoloau (more on him in a minute). Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (#12 DT, #161 overall) was barely a blip on our radar, but next thing you know he's verbally committed to Ohio State. It sure surprised me.

The One Who Got Away​

Not many got away in the Class of 2021, but offensive tackle JC Latham was the biggest one who did. The #2 overall prospect in the nation was long thought to be a Buckeye lean, but due to family pressures he eventually opted for Alabama.

What This Class Lacks​

Nothing, really. Yes, a future All American left tackle like JC Latham would be nice, but no school is ever going to sign everyone on its wish list. Unlike every previous class, I can't really complain about who we signed or who we didn't sign. This is a nearly perfect class as is, and there is a good chance that it will get even better in February....

Top Targets for February​

Defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau (#3 overall) is the obvious choice here, and at the present time he is leaning toward Ohio State (with Alabama, Southern Cal, Oregon, and home state Washington still in the running). Offensive tackle Tristan Leigh (#11 overall) is still unsigned and is still considering Ohio State, but Oklahoma seems to be the current leader with Louisiana State, Clemson, and Florida somewhere in the mix. Linebacker Raesjon Davis (#45 overall) has long been committed to Louisiana State, but with that program in disarray, he held off signing his Letter of Intent and plans to keep looking around until February; Ohio State should get a serious look.

Outlook for Class of 2022​

In a word, excellent. Ohio State has a big early lead with verbals from 5 of the top 55 prospects (including #1 overall prospect, QB Quinn Ewers), and plenty of momentum with several other blue chip recruits. It's way too early to say that the Class of 2022 will be even better than the amazing Class of 2021 ... but it probably will be. Enjoy!

 

[RB07OSU]

Great feedback guys! I completely missed Davis not signing with LSU, he is one we definitely will go after hard and are very much in the thick of it. Wouldn't it be amazing to round out this class with JT and Davis? Talk about a scary good front 7 in this class if that happens.

 

[calibuck]

As always, much forethought went/goes into a summary like this. On losing an elite OT, tOSU has a starter next year at LT in Paris Johnson. The rest of the OL proved out to be more than satisfactory when 3 starters went down with Covid (at MSU). Wray surprised, Enoch as expected, and Dawand all stepped up their game. Might add that (I believe) there were fewer sacks against MSU than Indiana, which featured our starting OL. On not having another LB, one might want to consider that this year 'doesn't count' as far as eligibility. I believe that all of our SR LBs will take their sheepskin and go, but the really great JR class will STILL BE Jr's! That will give our very good LBs (Carrico & name excapes me) a chance to be blooded and play a bunch, plus the 2022 class looked absolutely loaded (and BIA if Smalls commits). For my sleeper, I'm picking Mike Hall (DL) to make a big impact. Yeah, he won't start, got too much tried and true talent inside, but believe he'll crack the two-deep, and Coach LJ like to rotate to 'keep 'em fresh'. Just my two cents, and certainly not up to the efforts of those above. All in all, believe Day got (1) talent; (2) 'hole fillers' where needed. Go Bucks!