Dan Hessler
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Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class looks outstanding early
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
With National Signing Day past us, the Buckeye coaching staff sets its focus on the 2017 class.
National Signing Day was less than a week ago, but recruiting never stops in Columbus. After bringing in 23 new Buckeyes in the 2016 class, Urban Meyer and Ohio State's recruiting staff have already started looking at the 2017 class.
Next year's class looks to have the makings of one of the best recruiting classes Meyer has ever amassed. Even with the '16 class consistently ranked in the top 3 across multiple platforms, the class of '17 has the chance to be even better. The Buckeyes are looking at adding approximately 18 future players in the class, and the team has already received 10 verbal commitments, including two five-star recruits and seven four-stars.
The 5-stars
Josh Myers, of Miamisburg, Ohio, is the cream of the crop in Meyer's '17 class. Ranked by 247Sports composite as the No. 3 overall player of his class, the 6'6, 290 lb. OT will bring strength to the Buckeyes' offensive line as soon as he steps on the field. With the Buckeyes losing all but one starter on the O-line after this past season, Myers should have the opportunity to receive playing time early on in his Buckeye career.
Shaun Wade has been an important recruit for Meyer and the Buckeyes for a long time now. The 6'2, 185 lb. DB is highly regarded in his class, being ranked the No. 12 overall player in his class, as well as the No. 3 DB. Wade originally committed to Ohio State in January of 2015, early on in his recruitment. While the five-star has taken unofficial visits to top-tier schools such as Alabama and Georgia, the early and continuous work of the Buckeye coaching staff has made his commitment to the school a solid one.
The 4-stars
Isiah Pryor might "only" be rated as a four-star safety, but he is one of those recruits that, if he puts in the time and effort and has a strong senior season, he could earn that fifth star when it is all said and done. Pryor is currently slated as the No. 2 S of his class and is a top-50 player in 2017, regardless of position. The 6'2, 190-pounder committed to the Buckeyes in July of last year but has recently been receiving plenty of attention from LSU. The Buckeyes have put in a lot of work in on Pryor and will need to continue to do so to keep his commitment.
Jake Moretti is the second OT commitment of Ohio State's '17 class. Moretti is just slightly smaller than Myers, standing at 6'5, 285 lbs., but his motor cannot be measured. Moretti works hard every play and together, the two OTs in this class could solidify the Buckeyes up front for years to come. Moretti committed to OSU on Independence Day in 2015, but is also being heavily recruited by his home-state school, Colarado. It wouldn't be surprising to see his recruitment last until NSD 2017, because he has a strong connection with both schools.
Marcus Williamson is another DB commit for the '17 class. The tandem of Williamson and Wade could become a solid core in the Buckeye secondary in the coming years. With only one member of Ohio State's secondary returning after this past season, there could be an opportunity for at least one of these two to see the field early on in their collegiate careers. Williamson doesn't have the size of Wade, standing at just 5'10, 178 lbs., but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with speed and athleticism. He is currently looked at as being in the top ten at his position and is ranked in the top 100 in his entire class. Meyer and the Buckeye recruiting staff dedicated a lot of time last year in recruiting Williamson, but as of recently he has received offers from Louisville, Miami and LSU.
Todd Sibley and Danny Clark are teammates in high school, and look to continue as teammates in college. Sibley, a running back and the fourth-best recruit in Ohio, has been vocal about his love for Ohio State. He committed to the Buckeyes in April of last year and Buckeye Nation should have no fears in him changing his mind. Clark is the QB at Archbishop Hoban and together, the two led the school to a state championship this past season. The two-headed monster at Hoban lost just one game last year, and never had a bad game on offense. Clark is a pro-style QB but like '16 QB commit, Dwayne Haskins Jr., he has the athletic ability to scramble out of the pocket when need be. Like Sibley, Clark has been vocal about his excitement to be a Buckeye and there shouldn't be many questions on the solidity of his commitment.
Brendon White is another Ohio kid and comes in ranked as the fifth-best player in the state. The 6'2, 195 lb. safety committed to the Buckeyes in the latter part of last year and hasn't shown much interest in many other schools. White has been recruited by Kentucky, Notre Dame and Michigan State, along with the Buckeyes, and theoretically he could end up at any of those schools. Kentucky held its junior day Saturday, but White was not in attendance, which should come as good news for Buckeye fans.
Jerron Cage is already an important member of the '17 class. With the visible struggles Ohio State has this past year in recruiting DTs, Cage is coming in at a position of great need. Standing at 6'3, 275 lbs., Cage is another commitment for this class out of Ohio, keeping with the trend. Cleveland.com reported that Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh are looking to steal recruits out of Ohio after not having a single recruit from the state in the school's '16 class. With this in mind, locking up as many of the top recruits from the state is of a bigger importance than it has been.
Last but not least
Blake Haubeil is the tenth commitment of the '17 class and will be a member of the special teams. Haubeil is a kicker, and like many other players at this position, isn't rated by recruiting databases such as 247Sports. However, the fact that Meyer was so impressed with his leg that he offered him a scholarship should be enough for Buckeye fans to feel comfortable.
Continue reading...
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
With National Signing Day past us, the Buckeye coaching staff sets its focus on the 2017 class.
National Signing Day was less than a week ago, but recruiting never stops in Columbus. After bringing in 23 new Buckeyes in the 2016 class, Urban Meyer and Ohio State's recruiting staff have already started looking at the 2017 class.
Next year's class looks to have the makings of one of the best recruiting classes Meyer has ever amassed. Even with the '16 class consistently ranked in the top 3 across multiple platforms, the class of '17 has the chance to be even better. The Buckeyes are looking at adding approximately 18 future players in the class, and the team has already received 10 verbal commitments, including two five-star recruits and seven four-stars.
The 5-stars
Josh Myers, of Miamisburg, Ohio, is the cream of the crop in Meyer's '17 class. Ranked by 247Sports composite as the No. 3 overall player of his class, the 6'6, 290 lb. OT will bring strength to the Buckeyes' offensive line as soon as he steps on the field. With the Buckeyes losing all but one starter on the O-line after this past season, Myers should have the opportunity to receive playing time early on in his Buckeye career.
Shaun Wade has been an important recruit for Meyer and the Buckeyes for a long time now. The 6'2, 185 lb. DB is highly regarded in his class, being ranked the No. 12 overall player in his class, as well as the No. 3 DB. Wade originally committed to Ohio State in January of 2015, early on in his recruitment. While the five-star has taken unofficial visits to top-tier schools such as Alabama and Georgia, the early and continuous work of the Buckeye coaching staff has made his commitment to the school a solid one.
The 4-stars
Isiah Pryor might "only" be rated as a four-star safety, but he is one of those recruits that, if he puts in the time and effort and has a strong senior season, he could earn that fifth star when it is all said and done. Pryor is currently slated as the No. 2 S of his class and is a top-50 player in 2017, regardless of position. The 6'2, 190-pounder committed to the Buckeyes in July of last year but has recently been receiving plenty of attention from LSU. The Buckeyes have put in a lot of work in on Pryor and will need to continue to do so to keep his commitment.
Jake Moretti is the second OT commitment of Ohio State's '17 class. Moretti is just slightly smaller than Myers, standing at 6'5, 285 lbs., but his motor cannot be measured. Moretti works hard every play and together, the two OTs in this class could solidify the Buckeyes up front for years to come. Moretti committed to OSU on Independence Day in 2015, but is also being heavily recruited by his home-state school, Colarado. It wouldn't be surprising to see his recruitment last until NSD 2017, because he has a strong connection with both schools.
Marcus Williamson is another DB commit for the '17 class. The tandem of Williamson and Wade could become a solid core in the Buckeye secondary in the coming years. With only one member of Ohio State's secondary returning after this past season, there could be an opportunity for at least one of these two to see the field early on in their collegiate careers. Williamson doesn't have the size of Wade, standing at just 5'10, 178 lbs., but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with speed and athleticism. He is currently looked at as being in the top ten at his position and is ranked in the top 100 in his entire class. Meyer and the Buckeye recruiting staff dedicated a lot of time last year in recruiting Williamson, but as of recently he has received offers from Louisville, Miami and LSU.
Todd Sibley and Danny Clark are teammates in high school, and look to continue as teammates in college. Sibley, a running back and the fourth-best recruit in Ohio, has been vocal about his love for Ohio State. He committed to the Buckeyes in April of last year and Buckeye Nation should have no fears in him changing his mind. Clark is the QB at Archbishop Hoban and together, the two led the school to a state championship this past season. The two-headed monster at Hoban lost just one game last year, and never had a bad game on offense. Clark is a pro-style QB but like '16 QB commit, Dwayne Haskins Jr., he has the athletic ability to scramble out of the pocket when need be. Like Sibley, Clark has been vocal about his excitement to be a Buckeye and there shouldn't be many questions on the solidity of his commitment.
Brendon White is another Ohio kid and comes in ranked as the fifth-best player in the state. The 6'2, 195 lb. safety committed to the Buckeyes in the latter part of last year and hasn't shown much interest in many other schools. White has been recruited by Kentucky, Notre Dame and Michigan State, along with the Buckeyes, and theoretically he could end up at any of those schools. Kentucky held its junior day Saturday, but White was not in attendance, which should come as good news for Buckeye fans.
Jerron Cage is already an important member of the '17 class. With the visible struggles Ohio State has this past year in recruiting DTs, Cage is coming in at a position of great need. Standing at 6'3, 275 lbs., Cage is another commitment for this class out of Ohio, keeping with the trend. Cleveland.com reported that Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh are looking to steal recruits out of Ohio after not having a single recruit from the state in the school's '16 class. With this in mind, locking up as many of the top recruits from the state is of a bigger importance than it has been.
Last but not least
Blake Haubeil is the tenth commitment of the '17 class and will be a member of the special teams. Haubeil is a kicker, and like many other players at this position, isn't rated by recruiting databases such as 247Sports. However, the fact that Meyer was so impressed with his leg that he offered him a scholarship should be enough for Buckeye fans to feel comfortable.
Continue reading...