The Buckeyes' Top Prospects for 2008
All Star Game Edition
Well, even though the football season has ground to another unsatisfying halt, the recruiting season is still in full swing, and things are going very well for the Buckeyes. Ohio State now has sixteen verbal commitments from top prospects, and the Buckeyes are still in great shape with quarterback Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette, Pennsylvania), offensive lineman Josh Jenkins (Parkersburg, West Virginia), defensive end Keith Wells (Gainesville, Georgia), and defensive back Brandon Harris (Miami, Florida). If the Buckeye staff can land at least three of those four blue chip prospects, then Ohio State could very well finish with the top recruiting class in the nation in 2008.
With Signing Day only a month away, teams are making their final pitches to recruits, and many top prospects are winding down their recruitments. January is also the month for rumors of silent verbals, soft verbals, de-commitments, surprise visits, sleepers, and under-the-radar prospects. Two top players who are rumored to have renewed interest in Ohio State are lineman Lucas Nix (Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania - Pitt verbal) and running back Jonas Gray (Detroit, Michigan - Notre Dame verbal). In addition, two Cleveland Glenville prospects - defensive tackle Dawawn Whitner (uncommitted) and fullback Jermil Martin (Iowa verbal) - will be making official visits to Columbus this weekend, even though neither one currently has an offer from Ohio State. Although we have not profiled any of those players below, we're keeping our eyes on them to see whether anything develops in the next few weeks. Of course, other names will pop up before February 6th, seemingly from out of the blue, so make certain to visit BuckeyePlanet frequently during the next month.
Speed
2. Brandon Harris, Miami Booker T. Washington (5' 10", 180 lbs, 4.45 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 4 (Miami, Florida, LSU, all offered). Harris is one of the top cornerback prospects in the country, and in his team's opener this year he basically shut down blue chip wide out prospect A.J. Green (Summerville, SC). Brandon has already made official visits to Florida and LSU, and he also wants to visit Miami and Ohio State before deciding. The Florida Division of the Brew Crew have been in contact with Harris. Update 01/05 - Brandon will make an official visit to Ohio State on January 11th. It might be a bit too early to say that the Buckeyes lead, but there is definitely some strong mutual interest here.
6. Steve Gardiner, Dublin Coffman (6' 1", 205 lbs, 4.52 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 4 (Northwestern, West Virginia, Pitt, all offered). Although Dublin Coffman was known for its offense this season (Mike Adams, Jake Stoneburner, Zach Stoudt, Trey Fairchild), Gardiner was the star of the Shamrocks' defense as he racked up 170 tackles on the year, including 18 in a playoff loss to eventual state champion St. Xavier. Some have pegged Gardiner as a "tweener" - too small for linebacker, too slow for safety - but the kid has the right attitude and good football instincts, so he should succeed on the next level. The Buckeyes have offered Steve as a "grey shirt", meaning that he would enroll at Ohio State in January of 2009 and be part of next year's recruiting class. Gardiner would love to be a Buckeye, but the "grey shirt" offer might be the sticking point. Update 01/08 - Gardiner was originally scheduled to make an official visit to Columbus this weekend, but he might travel to Pitt instead. Steve will decide next week from among Ohio State, Pitt, Northwestern, and West Virginia. The Buckeyes are the clear emotional favorite, but the other three schools are offering "regular" scholarships while Ohio State is still insisting on a "grey shirt".
7. Orhian Johnson, Gulfport (Florida) Boca Ciega (6' 4", 184 lbs, 4.57 forty); Ohio State (offered?) in the mix (South Florida, Florida International, Indiana, Cincinnati, UConn, Kansas, all offered). Johnson plays quarterback in high school, but he will likely switch positions at the next level, with some posibilities being wide receiver or safety. Johnson claims to have an offer from the Buckeyes, and he did make an unofficial visit to Ohio State during the season (10/20), but at the moment he appears to be a "plan B" recruit. But then again, so were Brian Robiskie and Donald Washington a few years ago.... Update 12/28 - Orhian made an official visit to Indiana (12/08), and he would also like to visit Ohio State (01/11), Tennessee (01/18), and South Florida. Update 01/08 - Orhian played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. Johnson still appears to be a "Plan B" recruit at this point, but he will apparently still make an official visit to Columbus this weekend.
8. Aundre Dean, Katy, Texas (6' 1", 200 lbs, 4.48 forty); UCLA soft verbal. Although Dean originally issued a verbal commitment to UCLA way back in April, he recently re-opened his reecruitment after Bruins' head coach Karl Dorrell was fired. As a senior, Aundre rushed for over 2,500 yards as he led his team to a perfect 16-0 record and a state championship. Dean claims to have an official offer from the Buckeyes, and he plans to make an official visit to Ohio State on January 20th; he is also considering Louisville (visit 01/11), Alabama (01/13), Arizona State (01/18), LSU (01/26), and possibly UCLA (no visit scheduled).
9. Martin Bayless, Chula Vista (California) Castle Park (6' 3", 190 lbs, 4.53 forty); Ohio State (offered?) in the mix (Cal, Southern Cal, UCLA, Stanford, Texas, Texas A+M, Florida, Michigan, none offered). Martin's father (also named Martin) has been involved with the NFL for the past 23 years (14 seasons as a defensive back, 3 in the front office, 6 as a coach). So far, the younger Bayless is following in his father's footsteps, as he has had a successful high school career as a safety, wide receiver, and special teams performer. This summer, the Bayless family are moving from California to Texas (Missouri City Hightower), but Martin's father also has strong ties to Ohio (grew up in Dayton, attended Bowling Green). Right now, Martin's recruitment is just starting to take off, but expect Ohio State to be in the mix for a while. Update 12/28 - Bayless is still interested in Ohio State, but the Buckeyes probably won't have any room for him in this class.
Big Speed
1. 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 possibly imagine. 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. At this point, Michigan may not even get an official visit from Pryor, but the nation's top prospect might try to make it to Ann Arbor during the first weekend in February. 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 he was awarded the MVP of the game (77 yards passing, TD; 80 yards rushing, TD). 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, he spent a lot of time hanging out with the many Buckeye verbals who were also in San Antonio, and he wore a Buckeye leaf sticker on his helmet.
6. Keith Wells, Gainesville, Georgia (6' 5", 225 lbs, 4.8 forty); Ohio State (offered) trails Florida State (soft verbal). Wells is an active, athletic DE/OLB prospect 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 a few days ago, when he called the Ohio State coaching staff and asked to schedule an official visit for this weekend. The day after that call, coaches Heacock and Haynes met with Wells for an in-home visit. Keith is also considering Auburn, Tennessee, and North Carolina along with Florida State (no official visits scheduled). Apparently, Wells is looking for a winning program with a stable coaching staff, which explains his increasing interest in Ohio State, and his decreasing interest in Florida State (56-31 record since 2001; head coach Bobby Bowden is now 78 years old and on a one-year contract). Update 12/28 - Wells had great visits to Ohio State (12/08) and Auburn (12/15), and he is still planning on travelling to Florida State, Tennessee, and either Clemson or Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are still very much in the mix, but climate and location may hurt Ohio State's chances in the long run. Update 01/08 - Wells was one of the outstanding performers in the Offense-Defense All Star Game, as he recorded 2-1/2 sacks and about 10 tackles. The longer his recruitment goes on, the more that we feel confident about Ohio State's chances. However, Signing Day is still a month away, and several southern schools (Florida State, Auburn, Miami, Tennessee) will be putting the pressure on Wells to stay "home". Keith has already made official visits to Ohio State and Auburn, and he is planning to visit Florida State, Miami, and Tennessee in the upcoming weeks.
8. Shayne Hale, Pittsburgh Gateway (6' 4", 218 lbs, 4.5 forty); Ohio State (offered) in top 4 (Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, all offered). Although Hale is one of the top overall prospects in the nation, his recruitment has been rather subdued. While Shayne hasn't formally ruled out the Buckeyes, he also hasn't scheduled an official visit to Ohio State ... and Ohio State hasn't been calling him lately. Hale has made official visits to Virginia (11/03) and West Virginia (12/01), and those two schools should be considered his current leaders. Whether the Buckeyes can get back into the game - or if they even want to - remains to be seen.... Update 12/28 - Hale finished his senior season with 114 tackles, 25 TFL's, 9 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 3 forced fumbles. His two finalists are Pitt and Ohio State; his high school teammate, cousin, and best friend Cameron Saddler has already verballed to Pitt, so the Panthers would seem to be the logical choice here. Update 01/05 - As we anticipated, Shayne committed to Pitt.
9. Tommy Streeter, Miami Northwestern (6' 6", 200 lbs); Ohio State (not offered) in the mix (Oregon, Boston College, South Florida, South Carolina, all offered). Streeter is a rangy wide receiver prospect on a loaded Miami Northwestern squad that was ranked the number one high school team in the country in the final USAToday poll. Tommy has already made official visits to Oregon and Boston College, and he is also scheduled to visit South Florida (01/11) and South Carolina (01/18). The Buckeyes only entered the mix after losing out on Cordale Scott, so the staff has a lot of ground to make up if they want to make a serious run at Streeter. Update 01/08 - No buzz here, which probably means that the Buckeye staff has moved in a different direction.
Power
5. Josh Jenkins, Parkersburg (West Virginia) Vienna (6' 3", 282 lbs, 4.62 shuttle); Ohio State (offered) leads Florida State. Jenkins is a three-time all state selection, and he led his team to a state championship as a senior; he was also named to the Army All-American team and was selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia. Josh has already made an official visit to Florida (11/03), and he is scheduled to make an official visit to Ohio State this weekend (12/08); he is also considering Florida State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia (no visits set). Jenkins made an early verbal to West Virginia shortly after receiving an official offer from the Mountaineers, but he has been leaning toward Ohio State for the past few months. It looks like a two-team race with the Buckeyes in the lead, but this one might come down to the wire. Update 12/28 - Jenkins officially de-committed from West Virginia; his finalists are Ohio State, Florida State, and West Wirginia, with the Buckeyes leading the pack. Update 01/08 - Ohio State still leads, but don't expect any formal announcement until Signing Day. Josh will make an official visit to Florida State this weekend, and then he may shut down his recruitment, although West Virginia, Michigan, and Pitt might also get visits.
8. Brandon Thompson, Thomasville, Georgia (6' 2", 291 lbs, 4.69 shuttle); Ohio State (offered) trails Clemson, LSU, Georgia Tech (all offered). Simply put, Thompson is a beast - he is big, strong, agile, and nasty with an extremely explosive first step that routinely lands him in the opponent's backfield. Brandon is both a disruptive force and a solid tackler - a good combination in an interior lineman. Brandon has long been considered to be a Clemson lock, but with Tommy Bowden constantly being on thin ice, Thompson had been checking out some other schools. Brandon made official visits to LSU (09/07), Georgia Tech (09/29), and Ohio State (11/03), and he is scheduled to visit Clemson next month (although the latest word is that he might move his visit up to this weekend). Coaching turmoil at Thompson's other three favorites had kept Ohio State in the mix for a while, but Clemson just renegotiated and extended Tommy Bowden's contract, so the Tigers are once again the strong favorite. A long shot, but worth shooting for.... Update 12/28 - The conventional wisdom said that Brandon would commit to Clemson on his official visit (12/08), but that did not happen, and now he has scheduled his fifth and final official visit for Tennessee (01/11). Coach Tressel visited Brandon earlier this month, and the Buckeyes are still in the mix despite having commitments from four potential defensive lineman candidates (Williams, Goebel, Mobley, and Rowell). Update 01/05 - For his senior senior, Brandon recorded 102 tackles, 19 TFL's, and 12 sacks. Clemson is the presumptive favorite here, but Thompson's friend, A.J. Harmon, just de-committed from the Tigers in favor of the Georgia Bulldogs (which doesn't necessarily help Ohio State, of course).
10. Cory Liuget, Hialeah (Florida) Hialeah (6' 3", 260 lbs, 4.8 forty); Ohio State (offered) trails Illinois (soft verbal) and Florida State (offered). Liuget committed on his official visit to Illinois (10/20), but then quickly backed off of that commitment after taking a subsequent official visit to Florida State (11/16). Apparently, Cory has also scheduled an official visit to Ohio State for some time in December. With two schools solidly out in front, the Buckeyes will have a tough time making up ground with this long shot. Update 12/28 - Liuget will likely make an official visit to Ohio State some time in January, and he may also visit Miami. The Brew Crew have made Cory a top priority for the class of 2008. Update 01/05 - Cory states that Illinois and Miami lead, and that the Hurricanes were his childhood favorite. No mention of Ohio State in recent updates, and the Buckeye staff seems totally focused on adding Keith Wells to fill out this year's defensive line class. However, Cory is apparently still scheduled to make an official visit to Columbus this weekend.
11. Moses McCray, Tampa Middleton (6' 4", 275 lbs); Ohio State (offered) trails Florida State (soft verbal). Although he committed to Florida State back in early May, McCray has re-opened his recruitment to some extent, and he may even schedule an official visit to Ohio State. Like current Buckeye Dexter Larimore and future Buckeye Garrett Goebel, Moses also excels at wrestling (he finished 6th in the state of Florida as a junior). Another developing situation to watch closely.... Update 12/28 - Nothing new to report here. The Buckeye staff seems to be targeting fellow Floridian Cory Liuget at the moment. Update 01/05 - There's no mutual interest here at the present time.
