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The Buckeyes' Recruiting Class of 2008

osugrad21

Capo Regime
Staff member
The Buckeyes' Recruiting Class of 2008​

As expected, the Buckeyes signed a stellar class in 2008, and their top target, Pennsylvania quarterback Terrelle Pryor, has yet to make his final decision, although Ohio State is currently the clear leader. About half of the 2008 signees are legitimate "blue chippers" (Mike Adams, Michael Brewster, Garrett Goebel, DeVier Posey, Etienne Sabino, J.B. Shugarts, Jake Stoneburner, Andrew Sweat, and Lamaar Thomas each made the "Top 100" list from one or both of the major recruiting sites), but the Buckeye staff also took a chance on a few "under the radar" prospects like Zach Domicone, Jermil Martin, and Orhian Johnson.

Of the nineteen current signees, only nine come from the state of Ohio. The Buckeyes signed seven prospects from south of the Mason-Dixon line (four from Florida, and one each from Georgia, Texas, and Maryland), and three more from the Great Lakes region (one each from Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota). In terms of position, Ohio State signed no running backs, one fullback, three wide receivers, one tight end, three offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, two linebackers, one defensive back, one kicker, and two athletes; of course, the Buckeyes are still waiting to hear from quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

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Mike Adams, Dublin Coffman (6' 7", 308 lbs); committed to Ohio State on March 10th. Adams is a first-rate offensive tackle prospect who has been compared to former Ohio prep stars like Alex Boone, Korey Stringer, and even Orlando Pace. The leader of the "Block O", Adams displays rare athleticism for such a big man. This season, Mike led the Coffman Shamrocks deep into the playoffs, only losing to eventual state champ St. Xavier in the semi-finals by a score of 10 to 7. Adams was named first team All Ohio, and he was also selected to play in the Army All American game, where he performed so well that Rivals moved him all the way up to the #3 overall prospect in the country (#1 OT, most athletic OL, most agile OL); Big Mike is also rated a 5-star prospect by Scout (#2 OT, #11 overall).

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Michael Brewster, Orlando Edgewater (6' 6", 305 lbs, 4.63 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on April 23rd. Brewster is one of the top offensive line prospects in the entire country. Although he will probably end up as an interior lineman (Scout 5*, #1 OC, #23 overall), he also has the height and skills to play tackle (Rivals 5*, #4 OT, #12 overall). By staying in constant contact with other Buckeye recruits, Mike has been dubbed Ohio State's "unofficial recruiting coordinator". Brewster recently had successful surgery to repair an injured shoulder, which will keep him on the sidelines until fall practice, but he graduated early from high school and he is already enrolled at Ohio State for the winter quarter.

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Ben Buchanan, Westerville Central (5' 10", 175 lbs); committed to Ohio State on March 2nd. As a senior, Buchanan made 14 of 19 field goal attempts, but all of his misses were from 50 yards or farther; his longest kick was from 57 yards, which tied him for third-place amongst Ohio high school kickers. Buchanan also averaged 41 yards per punt. Ben is generally regarded as one of the top kicking prospects in the country (Rivals 3*, #3 PK; Scout 3*, #4 PK), and he was named to participate in the Army All-American game.

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Nic DiLillo, Madison, Ohio (6' 5", 225 lbs, 4.6 forty); committed to Ohio State on July 30th. Nic's journey to Columbus can truly be described as a recruiting odyssey. Although he always favored Ohio State, Nic committed to Clemson back in April, when it appeared that the Buckeyes weren't interested in him. Then, when he realized how far away Clemson is from northeast Ohio both geographically and culturally, DiLillo decommitted from the Tigers and committed to Pitt in June. On the other side of the equation, after the Buckeyes missed out on their top two tight end prospects (Kyle Rudolph and Kevin Koger), Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel personally extended an offer to DiLillo on July 26th. Nic accepted that offer within days, and everything worked out for both parties in the end. On the field, DiLillo earned first team All Ohio honors (Division II) this season, and he earned a 3-star rating from both Rivals (#28 TE) and Scout (#39 TE).

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Zach Domicone, Beavercreek, Ohio (6' 3", 215 lbs, 4.47 forty); committed to Ohio State on January 13th. Near the end of December, Nebraska was the first major program to become interested, and Zach scheduled an official visit to Lincoln for January 17th; at that time, he anticipated that he would issue a verbal commitment to the Cornhuskers during his trip. Then, on January 11th, Zach received an offer from Oklahoma, who wanted him to visit the school the very next day. While Zach was in the process of scheduling his official visit to Norman, Ohio State came in with an offer. Domicone, a lifelong Buckeye fan, quickly dropped the Sooners and the Huskers and instead took an official visit to Ohio State, where he committed on the spot. In high school, Zach was a dual-threat quarterback (572 yards passing, 5 TD's, 3 INT's; 1111 yards rushing, 9 TD's), but his future appears to be on the defensive side of the ball, either as a safety (Scout 3*, #71 saftey) or more likely linebacker (Rivals 3*, #74 ATH). Zach is also a top student with a 3.7 GPA, a 1710 SAT, and a 27 ACT.

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Garrett "The Gladiator" Goebel, Lombard (Illinois) Montini Catholic (6' 5", 270 lbs); committed to Ohio State on July 27th. Like 2006 Buckeye signee Dexter Larimore, Goebel is a both a state-champion wrestler and a top-notch defensive tackle (Rivals 4*, #6 DT, #64 overall; Scout 4*, #4 DT, #51 overall). Although Garrett would be a college star in either sport, he plans to play football exclusively at Ohio State. The Gladiator made Buckeye fans glad when he selected Ohio State over arch-rival Michigan.

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Travis Howard, Miami Dr. Krop (6' 1", 185 lbs, 4.43 forty); committed to Ohio State on October 26th. Travis is a high school teammate of Buckeye signee Etienne Sabino, and both players committed to Ohio State shortly after their official visits to Columbus on October 20th. Even prior to visiting the campus, Howard had been "sold" on Ohio State by Sabino and Dr. Krop assistant coach Sonny Spielman, the father of Buckeye legend Chris Spielman. At Ohio State, Travis will play cornerback (Rivals 4*, #19 CB; Scout 3*, #24 CB), and with his size and aggressive style of play (78 tackles, 6 interceptions; Rivals 4th most physical CB), he certainly fits the mold of a Buckeye corner.

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Orhian Johnson, Gulfport (Florida) Boca Ciega (6' 4", 184 lbs, 4.57 forty);committed to Ohio State on February 6th. Johnson played quarterback in high school (1,200 yards passing, 15 TD's as a senior; Scout 3*, #30 QB), but he will undoubtedly switch positions at Ohio State, with some posibilities being wide receiver or safety (Rivals 3*, #35 ATH). Orhian was a rare Signing Day commitment for the Buckeyes, as he selected Ohio State over Indiana and South Florida.

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Jermil Martin, Cleveland Glenville (6' 1", 230 lbs); committed to Ohio State on January 13th. Despite the fact that he was named a first team All Ohio performer at defensive end after registering 17 sacks as a senior, Martin will play fullback for the Buckeyes (512 yards rushing). With Ohio State losing its top three fullbacks from last season (Dionte Johnson, Tyler Whaley, and Trever Robinson), Jermil should see some early playing time for the scarlet and grey. Although Martin has a fine 3.8 GPA, he still needs to post a qualifying test score.

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Willie Mobley, Eden Prairie, Minnesota (6' 2", 264 lbs); committed to Ohio State on November 30th. Mobley is a defensive line prospect who will probably start out at end (Rivals 4*, #9 SDE, #174 overall) and eventually move down to tackle (Scout 4*, #13 DT). Over the past two seasons, Willie recorded 166 tackles and 22 sacks, and led his team to a 28-0 record and consecutive Class 5A state championships.

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DeVier Posey, Cincinnati Lasalle (6' 3", 190 lbs, 4.5 forty); committed to Ohio State on March 13th. Posey was named to the Army All-American team and also to the All Ohio first team, an honor which he earned last season as well. On the season, Devier had 48 receptions for 776 yards and 8 touchdowns. Although he entered the recruiting process as somewhat of a "sleeper" prospect (as a junior, he was over-shadowed by former teammate Ben Martin, who signed with Tennessee in 2007), it didn't take long for Posey to generate national attention, and he ended up being one of the most highly-touted prospects in the nation regardless of position (Rivals 5*, #3 WR, #21 overall; Scout 5*, #4 WR, #15 overall).

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Shawntel "Shaq" Rowell, Cleveland Glenville (6' 5", 300 lbs); committed to Ohio State on December 17th. Although he played extensively on the offensive line in high school, Rowell is slated to be a defensive tackle at Ohio State (Rivals 3*, #66 DT; Scout 3*, #60 DT). Weight (or more specifically, overweight) has been an issue for Shaq, but if he can tip the scales at around 300 pounds while building up his strength, then he could be a real force inside. Shawntel's "big" brother, Chris (a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back), currently plays for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

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Etienne Sabino, Miami Dr. Krop (6' 3", 228 lbs, 4.74 forty); committed to Ohio State on November 8th. After posting over 130 tackles and 9 sacks as a junior, Sabino became recognized as one of the top linebacker prospects in the country (Rivals 4*, #1 MLB, #46 overall; Scout 5*, #2 MLB, #39 overall). Etienne first became enamored with Ohio State while attending their summer football camp, and the Buckeyes stayed near the top of his wish list throughout the recruiting process; his official visit to Columbus (10/20) sealed the deal. Etienne was named to the Army All-American team and was a Class 6A All State selection. Sabino plans to graduate early from high school.

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J.B. Shugarts, Klein, Texas (6' 7", 299 lbs, 4.69 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on April 24th. Like Mike Adams and Michael Brewster, J.B. Shugarts is yet another "blue chip" prospect (Rivals 4*, #11 OT, #87 overall; Scout 5*, #7 OT, #34 overall) who will anchor the Buckeye offensive line for years to come. Shugarts played in the Army All-American game on January 5th and then immediately travelled to Ohio State, where he enrolled for the winter quarter.

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Jake Stoneburner, Dublin Coffman (6' 6", 223 lbs, 4.54 forty, 4.37 shuttle); committed to Ohio State on March 26th. During his junior season, Stoneburner emerged as one of the top receiver prospects in the nation (63 receptions, 948 yards, 8 TD's), but he far surpassed those numbers this year, as he made 74 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jake is able to use his excellent combination of size and speed to create serious mismatches for the defense, regardless of whether he lines up at wide receiver or tight end (Rivals 4*, #3 TE, #120 overall; Scout 4*, #4 TE, #65 overall). Stoneburner was named to the All Ohio first team and to the Army All-American squad. Jake plans to enroll at Ohio State in March.

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Andrew Sweat, Washington (Pennsylvania) Trinity (6' 2", 225 lbs, 4.55 forty); committed to Ohio State on May 31st. Sweat's numbers were down a bit from his junior season totals (165 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions), as he posted "only" 113 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles while battling a nagging shoulder injury. Despite the drop in production, Andrew was still generally regarded as one of the top inside linebackers in the country (Rivals 4*, #17 MLB; Scout 4*, #6 MLB, #98 overall). Andrew will graduate from high school in March and he plans to enroll at Ohio State in time for spring football.

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Lamaar "Flash" Thomas, Fort Washington (Maryland) Friendly (5' 10", 166 lbs, 4.36 forty, 10.30 100m); committed to Ohio State on October 18th. We do not yet have stats from Lamaar's senior season, but we do know that Thomas was a quintuple threat for his high school squad (Rivals 4*, #4 ATH, #33 overall; Scout 4*, #10 RB), as he lined up at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and return man. Lamaar will play wide receiver for Ohio State, although the Buckeye staff will undoubtedly look for many creative ways to get the ball into his hands, as the speedster can take it the distance from anywhere on the field.

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Keith Wells, Gainesville, Georgia (6' 5", 225 lbs, 4.8 forty); committed to Ohio State on February 4th. Wells is an active, athletic DE/OLB prospect (Rivals 3*, #15 WDE; Scout 4*, #16 DE) who made a pre-season commitment to Florida State. While Keith never seemed completely satisfied with his early decision, he did not formally re-open his recruitment until December, when he called the Ohio State coaching staff and asked to schedule an official visit. Keith's trip to Columbus put the Bucks in the driver's seat, and subsequent in-home visits from the Buckeye staff sealed the deal for Ohio State. As a senior, Wells had approximately 80 tackles and 8 sacks.

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Nathan Williams, Washington Court House Miami Trace (6' 5", 245 lbs, 4.67 forty); committed to Ohio State on April 24th. Williams was a running back and inside linebacker for Miami Trace, but he will certainly outgrow those positions and play on the defensive line at Ohio State (Rivals 4*, #5 WDE, #156 overall; Scout 4*, #24 DE). Nate quickly established himself as one of the top players in Ohio by being selected to the All-State team in 2005, a recognition which he repeated after the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In his final two years of high school, Williams recorded 281 tackles, including 62 for losses. Nathan committed to the Buckeyes on the date he was offered.

Going Elsewhere

No school ever signs all of its top prospects, but Ohio State had an outstanding "hit ratio" in 2008. Only about half of the players listed below had "official offers", and most of those were long shots. The only real "misses" from the list below were wide receiver Cordale Scott, tight end Kyle Rudolph, tight end Kevin Koger, defensive back Danny McCarthy, linebacker/fullback Mike Zordich, offensive lineman Josh Jenkins, and offensive lineman Kyle Long, the latter of whom opted for a career in baseball.

Cory Liuget, DL,Hialeah (Florida) Hialeah (6' 3", 260 lbs, 4.8 forty); signed with Illinois
Cordale Scott, WR, Cleveland Glenville (6' 5", 181 lbs, 4.46 forty); signed with Illinois
Kevin Koger, TE, Toledo Whitmer (6' 4", 235 lbs, 4.65 forty); signed with Michigan
Johnny Adams, WR/DB, Akron Buchtel (5' 11", 157 lbs, 4.37 forty); signed with Michigan State
Steve Gardiner, LB/DB, Dublin Coffman (6' 1", 205 lbs, 4.52 forty); signed with Michigan State
Martin Bayless, ATH, Chula Vista (California) Castle Park (6' 3", 190 lbs, 4.53 forty); signed with Northwestern
Brandon Beachum, RB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (6' 1", 209 lbs, 4.65 forty); signed with Penn State
Michael Zordich, LB/FB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.7 forty); signed with Penn State
Brendan Beal, LB, Roxbury, New Jersey (6' 3", 228 lbs, 4.65 forty); signed with Florida
Gregory Shaw, OL, Miami Pace (6' 6", 285 lbs); signed with LSU
Brandon Thompson, DL, Thomasville, Georgia (6' 2", 291 lbs, 4.69 shuttle); signed with Clemson
Kyle Long, Charlottesville (Virginia) St. Anne's-Bellfield (6' 7", 280 lbs); OL, signed with Florida State (baseball)
Moses McCray, Tampa Middleton (6' 4", 275 lbs); DL, signed with Florida State
Zebrie Sanders, OL, Clayton Northmont (6' 5", 275 lbs); signed with Florida State
Richard Watson, RB, Tallahassee FAMU High (6' 1", 225 lbs, 4.5 forty); signed with Georgia Tech
Kenny Tate, WR, Hyattsville (Maryland) Dematha (6' 4", 210 lbs, 4.4 forty); signed with Maryland
Brandon Harris, DB, Miami Booker T. Washington (5' 10", 180 lbs, 4.45 forty); signed with Miami
Ben Jones, Miami Northwestern (6' 6", 270 lbs); signed with Miami
Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami Northwestern (6' 6", 200 lbs); signed with Miami
Quinton Coples, DL, Kinston, North Carolina (6' 7", 235 lbs, 4.8 forty); signed with North Carolina
Christian Wilson, FB/LB, McKees Rock (Pennsylvania) Montour (6' 3", 235 lbs, 4.65 forty); signed with North Carolina
Jeffrey Fuller, WR, McKinley (Texas) Boyd (6' 4", 200 lbs, 4.55 forty); signed with Texas A+M
Justin Thompson, DL, El Camino Community College (6' 5", 290 lbs); signed with Oregon
Aundre Dean, RB, Katy, Texas (6' 1", 200 lbs, 4.48 forty); signed with UCLA
Isaiah Pead, RB/DB, Columbus Eastmoor (5' 11", 184 lbs, 4.41 forty, 38" vertical); signed with Cincinnati
D.J. Woods, WR/DB, Strongsville, Ohio (6' 0", 169 lbs, 4.35 forty, 3.94 shuttle); signed with Cincinnati
Shayne Hale, LB, Pittsburgh Gateway (6' 4", 218 lbs, 4.5 forty); signed with Pitt
Lucas Nix, OL/DL, Pittsburgh Thomas Jefferson (6' 6", 285 lbs); signed with Pitt
DeAndre Preaster, ATH, Utica (New York) Proctor (6' 4", 205 lbs, 4.55 forty); signed with Syracuse
Josh Jenkins, OL, Parkersburg (West Virginia) Vienna (6' 3", 282 lbs, 4.62 shuttle); signed with West Virginia
Mike Floyd, WR, St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall (6' 3", 195 lbs, 4.55 forty); signed with Notre Dame
Dan McCarthy, DB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (6' 1", 190 lbs, 4.5 forty); signed with Notre Dame
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Cincinnati Elder (6' 7", 220 lbs, 4.8 forty); signed with Notre Dame
Devoe Torrence, RB, Massillon Washington (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.4 forty); undecided.

Still Waiting....

Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette, Pennsylvania (6' 6", 220 lbs, 4.4 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 6 (West Virginia, Penn State, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, all offered). Pryor, a dual-threat quarterback, is one of the top recruits in the country, regardless of position. As a senior, Terrelle has led his high school team to a perfect 14-0 record, and the Jeannette Jayhawks are currently battling for a state championship. On the season, Pryor has once again posted several monster performances, and he already has amassed 4,024 yards passing and 3,883 yards rushing for his career; as a team, the Jayhawks have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 770 to 110, and they have scored at least 35 points in every game this season. Pryor continues to favor Ohio State (official visit 11/03), but he is also strongly considering West Virginia, Florida, Penn State, Tennessee, and perhaps a few other schools (no official visits scheduled). Update 12/28 - When Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan, Terrelle immediately dropped the Mountaineers and added the Wolverines to his list. Michigan is scheduled to get an official visit on January 11th, and the Buckeyes are now in a real battle with that school up north, and the bad guys are gaining momentum; Florida, Oregon, Penn State and perhaps a few other schools are also still in the mix. On the season, Terrelle led his team to a state championship, amassing 1,899 yards rushing and 36 touchdowns to go along with 1,889 yards passing and 23 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions. Update 01/05 - Over the next month, you will be inundated with more information, mis-information, and dis-information about Pryor than you could imagine possible. Until we have some credible information to the contrary (i.e., something more than wishful thinking from Michigan Man), we'll continue to assert that Ohio State leads for Terrelle's services. As far as the Army All American game, Pryor was the starting quarterback for the East squad, and he looked solid both running and throwing. And by the way, if you are truly interested in recruiting minutiae, Terrelle insisted on rooming with Michael Brewster even though he had been assigned another roommate, and he wore a Buckeye leaf on the back of his helmet. Update 01/14 - Pryor's interest in Ohio State has already been a factor in one Buckeye quarterback's decision to transfer (Rob Schoenhoft to Deleware). As his MVP performance at the recent Army All American Bowl demonstrated, Terrelle is ready to earn significant playing time at the college level and he will upset the depth chart the minute that he steps foot on campus, regardless of which school he decides to attend. Update 01/16 - Terrelle is scheduled to take an official visit to Michigan this weekend, and before Signing Day he might also try to visit LSU (01/25) and Oregon (02/01). Expect a lot of rumors, theories, and innuendoes to emerge over the next three weeks, but remember that Pryor has developed long-term relationships only with the Buckeyes coaches and recruits. Will those relationships be enough to secure Terrelle's signature on an Ohio State Letter of Intent? We think so ... but we'll be sweating this one out until February 6th, just like the rest of you. Update 02/07 - Well, it looks like we'll be sweating this one out past February 6th.... As you are all aware by now, Pryor has decided to postpone his ultimate decision in order to appease his father, who has suggested that Terrelle make official visits to Penn State and possibly Oregon before signing his Letter of Intent. In the mean time, Michigan will take advantage of this delay to keep their hats in the ring. As far as we know, Pryor is still set on becoming a Buckeye, but an official visit or two (and his family's input) could always sway his mind away from Columbus.
 
Buckeyedynasty;1086811; said:
Great break down of the 2008 class. Thanks for all you guys do and thanks to coach Tressel and staff for a fantastic recruiting class. Big things are in store for these guys I'm sure.

Couldn't of said it better myself. Thanks for all the work guys!! It's a great time to be a Buckeye fan!!

:oh:
 
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