The Recruiting Class of 2003 Revisited
The Buckeyes' famed recruiting class of 2002 was followed by one of the worst classes in the history of Ohio State football. While the 2002 class was generally ranked the #2 class in the country, the 2003 haul was ranked 25th by Scout and 41st by Rivals, which put the Buckeyes behind such recruiting powerhouses as Stanford, Ole Miss, Minnesota, and Oklahoma State. Only fourteen recruits signed with Ohio State in 2003, and nine of them left the program early due to injuries, academics, and legal problems. Another prospect, Louis "Bigfoot" Holmes, committed to the Buckeyes but never made it through admissions despite one year of prep school and two years of junior college (he eventually ended up at Arizona).
Part of the problem with having a small recruiting class one year is that you are going to have an equally small recruiting class four or five years down the road ... or you are going to have to "undersign" during the following years in order to balance out the class sizes over time. The Buckeyes opted for the latter approach, and "banked" scholarships in 2005 and 2007 so that the 2008 class could be reasonable in size (it should contain 20 or 21 players). In the mean time, however, Ohio State filled several of the slots on its 85-man roster with walk-ons who were awarded scholarships after the fact (Antonio Smith, Tyler Whaley, Trever Robinson, etc.). Of course, the problem only got worse when most of the 2003 class left prematurely, leaving that many more vacancies that couldn't be filled by "typical" scholarship players....
Ohio State's class was further hurt by the fact that four of the top ten prospects in Ohio - Presoctt Burgess (#1), Shawn Crable (#4), Brady Quinn (#8), and Ray Edwards (#9) - opted to go elsewhere, with Burgess and Crable defecting to that school up north. In addition, during the final week of the recruiting season, the Buckeyes lost out on several top national prospects, including defensive end Stanley McClover, who originally committed to Ohio State but did a Signing Day switcheroo and ended up at Auburn.
This article takes a look back at Ohio State's recruiting class of 2003, and analyzes how each recruit turned out. Note: The players' recruiting class rankings come from Rivals, but their college performance rankings are our own.
Quarterback
The Buckeyes did not sign a quarterback for the class of 2003. Todd Boeckman was a 2003 high school graduate, but he accepted a "grey shirt" offer from Ohio State and deferred his admission until 2004.
Running Back
Although Ira Guilford had a brief stint at running back, he was primarily a safety, so he will be rated with the defensive backs. Otherwise, Ohio State did not sign a running back in the class of 2003, primarily because most of the RB recruits who were considering the Buckeyes did not want to sit behind Maurice Clarett for two or three seasons. Well, we all remember how that situation turned out ... and as a result, the Buckeyes were left with a huge gap in their depth chart at the running back position, which was not adequately filled until the 2005 season when Antonio Pittman finally took over the reins.
Fullback
Although Ohio State did not sign any fullbacks in the class of 2003, the Buckeyes did accept two preferred walk-ons that year: Tyler "Tank" Whaley (Ironton) and Trever Robinson (Richmond, Virginia). Whaley entered the program as a center, took a red shirt season, and eventually switched over to fullback; during his senior campaign, Tank split time fairly evenly with starting fullback Dionte Johnson. Whaley was put on scholarship prior to the 2007 season. Robinson also red-shirted in 2003, and then became a four-year starter on special teams, earning four letters and a scholarship (before the 2006 season) in the process. As a senior, Trever saw some action at fullback, making 3 catches for 10 yards and a touchdown. As high school seniors, neither Whaley nor Robinson was rated by Rivals.
Final rankings: Group (2-1/2*); Whaley (2-1/2*); Robinson (2-1/2*)
Wide Receiver
The Buckeye staff actually had a relatively successful wide receiver haul in 2003, but it took a position change to accomplish that. Although Anthony Gonzalez (Cleveland St. Ignatius; 4*, #16 CB) was originally brought in as a defensive back, after a red shirt season he was shifted to wide out, and the rest (as they say) is history. Gonzalez had a relatively quiet rookie campaign in 2004 until he and Troy Smith hooked up for an epic 68-yard touchdown reception during the opening drive of the Michigan game. That play propelled the Buckeyes to an upset victory over the Wolverines, and began both Smith's and Gonzalez's rise to superstardom. The two players also hooked up for the play of The Game in 2005, as Gonzo made a nearly impossible catch inside the Wolverines' five-yard line to set up the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOuEH2XP31A"]YouTube - The Catch[/ame]
Although Gonzo's career numbers were not all that impressive (87 receptions for 1,286 yards (14.8 avg) and 13 touchdowns in three seasons), he consistently displayed exceptional hands, great route-running skills, and big play ability to go along with excellent speed (4.37 forty). The Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.
The other wide receiver signee for the recruiting class of 2003 was Devin Jordan (Massillon Washington; 3*, #29 WR). Although Jordan racked up huge numbers in high school (152 receptions for 2,511 yards and 31 touchdowns), he never really saw the field at Ohio State, and his career ended prematurely due to a severe leg injury. Despite not being able to play, Devin remained with the team as a "student assistant coach", where he helped Coach Hazell tutor the Buckeye wide receivers.
Final rankings: Group (2-1/2*); Gonzalez (4*); Jordan (1* for sticking with the program)
Tight End
Okay, here's where things start getting ugly. One of the few bona fide stars of the Buckeyes' class of 2003 was Louis Irazarry (Youngstown Ursuline; 4*; #3 TE), who was considered a "can't miss" prospect when he signed with Ohio State in February of that year. With his outstanding combination of size (6' 5", 235 lbs) and speed (4.6 forty), Irizarry was supposed to add a new dimension to a Buckeye offense that had often made "three yards and a cloud of dust" look innovative. Louis played in eight games as a true freshman (no receptions), but had two highly-publicized "off-the-field" incidents (a violent assault and an armed robbery) which prematurely ended his Buckeye career; he subsequently transferred to Youngstown State, where he finished up his eligibility this year. The other tight end signee had little better success, either on or off the field. Marcel Frost (Lyndhurst Brush; 3*, #31 TE) took a red shirt in 2003 and played sparingly in 2004 due to an "injury" (or possibly being in JT's dog house), but finally started to have some success in 2005 when he saw action in nine games and made 7 receptions for 70 yards and showed good blocking skills. The Buckeyes expected big things from Marcel in 2006, but in August of that year, he got himself suspended for the entire season and quickly transferred to Jackson State, where he had some moderate success before suffering another injury prior to his senior season.
Final rankings: Group (1/2*); Irizarry (0*); Frost (1*)
Offensive Line
The Buckeyes signed only one offensive lineman in 2003, but he turned out to be a good one. Kirk Barton (Massillon Perry; 3*, #60 OT) was a tight end in high school, and he arrived on campus weighing only 265 pounds. Most Buckeye fans thought that Coach Tressel had wasted a scholarship on this undersized, unheralded prospect, and one expert on Ohio recruits went so far as to state that Barton wasn't even the best blocker on his high school team! However, Kirk would quickly prove the fans and experts wrong. After a red-shirt year to gain some much-needed size and strength, Barton emerged as the starting right tackle half-way through the 2004 campaign, and he held that job unchallenged for the next three-and-a-half seasons. Kirk was an All Big Ten selection in both 2006 and 2007, and he was a team captain (and unquestioned team leader) as a senior. Daniel Dye (Napoleon; NR) walked on in 2003 and earned a scholarship before the 2007 season; as a fifth-year senior, Dye saw playing time in seven games as a second-string guard.
Final rankings: Group (3*); Barton (4*); Dye (1-1/2*)
Defensive Line
The Buckeyes signed four defensive linemen in 2003, but only one of them made any impact during their respective tenures in Columbus. David Patterson (Warrensville Heights; 4*, #7 DT) played as a true freshman, was a four-year letterman, and recorded a total of 72 tackles, 17 TFL's, and 8 sacks for his Buckeye career; not outstanding numbers by any means, but at least Patterson was a solid contributor and a good citizen. The same cannot be said for the other three DL signees, however. Defensive tackle Sian Cotton (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary; 3*, #48 DT) was best known as being a member of LeBron James's posse in high school; at Ohio State, he did nothing on the field, was dismissed from the team after three years in the program, and eventually transferred to Youngstown State, where he did not play football. The Buckeye career of Brandon Maupin (Lakota West; 3*, NR) was even shorter than Cotton's. After taking a red shirt in 2003, Brandon played in five games in 2004 (recording one tackle) before leaving the program. After sitting out for two years, Maupin enrolled at Lane College before the 2007 season, where he has two years of eligibility remaining. But neither Cotton nor Maupin could beat defensive end Reggie Smith (East Cleveland Shaw; 3*, #27 OLB), who lasted just one year on campus before flunking out of school.
Final rankings: Group (3/4*); Patterson (3*); Cotton (0*); Maupin (0*); Smith (0*)
Defensive Backs
The strength of the recruiting class of 2003 was supposed to be the defensive backs, and relatively speaking, that turned out to be the case. With six DB signees, even the snake-bitten Buckeyes were unable to miss on the entire bunch. After Troy Smith became the first Tarblooder to head south to Columbus in 2002, Donte Whitner and Dareus Hiley continued the Glenville pipeline the following year. While both players were highly regarded recruits and possessed excellent athleticism, they each had radically different career paths after graduating from high school. Donte Whitner (Cleveland Glenville; 4*, #3 CB) played as a true freshman, left for the NFL after only three seasons, and became a first-round selection of the Buffalo Bills in the 2006 draft. While at Ohio State, Donte developed the reputation of being a fearsome hitter from his strong safety position, and he racked up career totals of 164 tackles, 13 TFL's, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. On the other hand, Dareus Hiley (Cleveland Glenville; 4*, #14 CB) never played a down of football for Ohio State. After red shirting in 2003, Hiley was dismissed from school for poor academic performance. After a brief transfer to a junior college in Minnesota, Hiley dropped completely out of sight, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Like Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty (Klein, Texas; 4*, #14 S) also had a fine career at Ohio State and then left early for the NFL. In his three seasons as a Buckeye, Youboty recorded 131 tackles, 9 TFL's, 2 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 23 passes broken up from his cornerback position; he also scored a touchdown on a blocked field goal against Michigan State in 2005. Ashton was a third round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2006 NFL draft. Ira Guilford (Hoboken, New Jersey; 4*, #8 S) was signed as a safety, but in an emergency move was switched to running back before the start of the 2003 season; in five games, Guilford rushed for 64 yards on 28 carries (2.3 average). Although Guilford was scheduled to return to safety the following year, he and teammate Louis Irizarry were both dismissed from school after being involved in an armed robbery on campus. The Buckeye career of Curt Lukens (North Canton Hoover; 3*, #35 S) was also cut short, but in his case recurring shoulder injuries were to blame; along with fellow 2003 signee Devin Jordan, Lukens became an "assistant student coach" for the Buckeyes (he helped with the tight ends) after his playing days were over. Cornerback prospect Anthony Gonzalez never played a down on the defensive side of the ball before being switched to wide receiver, where he enjoyed a succesful Buckeye career (see above).
Final rankings: Group (1-1/2*); Whitner (4*); Youboty (4*); Lukens (1* for sticking with the program); Guilford (0*); Hiley (0*); Gonzalez (NR)
Specialists
Ohio State did not sign either a punter or a place kicker in the class of 2003. However, Dimitrios Makridis (Warren Harding; NR) walked on that year, and he earned a scholarship before the 2007 season as the team's starting long snapper.
Final rankings: Group (1-1/2*); Makridis (1-1/2*)
Summary
What can be said about the recruiting class of 2003? Four stars (Gonzalez, Barton, Whitner, Youboty), one solid player (Patterson), and nine total busts due to injuries (Jordan, Lukens), academics (Hiley, Smith), criminal activities (Irizarry, Guilford), and various other off-the-field issues (Frost, Cotton, Maupin). Overall, a weak recruiting class from the start that became a near disaster after two-thirds of the group failed to make any significant contributions; a few walk-ons (Whaley, Robinson, Dye, Makridis) helped to add some much-needed depth.
Final overall class ranking: (1-1/2*). Eighteen players received a total of only 30 "stars" - enough said.
We plan to perform a similar analysis for every recruiting class; the initial review for the class of 2004 should be posted in a couple of weeks. Here's a link to The Recruiting Class of 2002 Revisited.
Last edited by a moderator:
Seeing in writing how tOSU nearly completely lost this entire recruiting year (in terms of helping the 2007 squad - save Barton) it makes what the Buckeyes accomplished on the field even more amazing. 
