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tOSU Recruiting Discussion

Which is the size of an all-purpose back, not a grinder like JT. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of Johnny's designed runs vs scrambles. Letting Tate take off against a few guys on a passing play is very different from letting 10-11 guys key on him on a QB keeper. You can do the latter, but you better not use that as your primary inside power rushing attack. Tebow and Barrett can handle that because they're fullbacks that can pass.

JT averaged 180 carries in 14, 16 & 17. That works out to 14 per game, and the blowouts distort that. Look at the top games and the carry totals, especially in 2016 when the O kept them from winning a title:

2016
17 OU (MW 18, CS 11)
21 UW (MW 11, CS 12)
17 PSU (MW 21, CS 02)
24 MSU (MW 14, CS 04)
30 U-M (MW 11, CS 07)
11 CLM (MW 05, CS 06)

20 JT 13.3 MW 07 CS avg

Take away JT's 7 carries, and it drops to

13 JT 20.3 MW 07 CS or
13 JT 13.3 MW 14 CS

2017
18 OU (JK 13, MW 3)
17 MSU (JK 13, MW 7)
14 IOW (JK 6, MW 5... 8.5 & 5.4 ypc)
15 UM (JK 15, MW 12)
16 UW (JK 17, MW 4)
16 USC (JK 13, MW 5)

16 JT 12.8 JK 06 MW avg

Give 7 of JT's carries to Mike and this is the new average (in those 6 tough games):

09 QB 20 RB1 06 RB2


Baker Mayfield averaged 6.9 carries per game. Only 3 games over 10 = 11, 11 & 12 carries.

That was an uptick from 2016, which only had 6 carries per game.
Thank you for this info...

I really hope our QB's do not average 14 carries per game going forward. It's sad that JT ran so much with guys like Zeke, Webber, and JK in the backfield with him. However, he was effective and moved the chains, so I can't complain too much. The Baker Mayfield #'s is what I hope we get to with our QB. Still a threat, but not exposing them so so many hits.
 
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Thank you for this info...

I really hope our QB's do not average 14 carries per game going forward. It's sad that JT ran so much with guys like Zeke, Webber, and JK in the backfield with him. However, he was effective and moved the chains, so I can't complain too much. The Baker Mayfield #'s is what I hope we get to with our QB. Still a threat, but not exposing them so so many hits.
I think most of us want the same thing, and were damn near begging for it all last season. Also imo, that's the reason that Haskins is the favorite by a majority of the fan base, in hopes that the offense goes away from the run heavy QB offense.
 
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TAKING SHAPE: NAMES TO KNOW AS OHIO STATE'S 2019 QUARTERBACK BOARD CONTINUES TO EVOLVE

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Ohio State's quarterback battle may very well be one of the top national storylines heading into the 2018 season. While Dwayne Haskins was the clear No. 2 option a season ago, no one is expecting Joe Burrow – or even Tate Martell for that matter – to go down without a fight.

The roster is set to feature four quarterbacks this season with Burrow being a redshirt junior, Haskins a redshirt sophomore, Martell a redshirt freshman, and newly signed Texan Matthew Baldwin having already matriculated at Ohio State.

Looking down the road a bit, Urban Meyer and Ryan Day are already hot on the trail for a number of the country's top 2019 signal callers. Even with plenty of depth on the roster, it's always wise to expect the unexpected, and taking at least one quarterback in every recruiting class is generally the standard practice.

We've mentioned it countless times, but quarterback recruiting is just a different animal when compared to the other positions. Decisions tend to be made earlier on in the process and oftentimes a commit/de-commit can have far-reaching implications across the college football landscape.

A lot is certainly yet to unfold, but the Buckeyes are sure to bring in at least one quarterback for the 2019 class. And one has to think the staff will do everything in their power to avoid another Emory Jones saga.

Ohio State has offered nine quarterbacks thus far — three of the pro-style variety and six that are listed as dual-threats. Four of these players are currently committed elsewhere, so there hasn't necessarily been a ton of reciprocated interest for each of the offered prospects.

Let's take a look at the top names to know at this point in the process; listed according to their national ranking.

GRANT GUNNELL • HOUSTON, TEXAS • 6-FOOT-6, 212 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 50
Ohio State extended an offer to Grant Gunnell – the country's No. 2 pro-style passer – last Tuesday. The Houston native then promptly turned around and backed off of his commitment to Texas A&M. That caused some excitement throughout the fanbase, but it's probably a bit too early for any optimism here.
The Aggies had been expecting the decommitment for some time even before the Buckeye offer. Both of Gunnell's parents graduated from Arkansas and schools like Oklahoma State and LSU are also firmly in the mix.

BO NIX • PINSON, AL • 6-FOOT-1.5, 194 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 75
We won't spend too much time on the Auburn commitment, but Bo Nix is at least worth mentioning. We've been told the Tiger legacy was identified early on as the Buckeyes top target at the position. The problem obviously was that everyone knew he was going to end up at Auburn, and the nation's No. 1 dual-threat passer made things official when he committed on Jan. 10.
Stranger things have happened in the crazy world of college football recruiting, so I suppose if he were to ever back off of that pledge then this one would be worth monitoring again.

DWAN MATHIS • BELLEVILLE, MI • 6-FOOT-5, 195 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 231
Dwan Mathis is the only player on our list who currently does not hold an Ohio State offer. The Belleville, Michigan native has camped in Columbus and looked spectacular on more than one occasion. A one-time Iowa State commit, Mathis has been a part of the Spartans' class since last September. Four-star teammate Julian Barnett does hold a Buckeye offer, but he too has pledged to Mark Dantonio.
There's still a lot of turmoil surrounding Michigan State athletics, and we will see if the Buckeyes choose to get involved in this one.

GRANT TISDALE • ALLEN, TEXAS • 6-FOOT-1, 204 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 276
Grant Tisdale may be the name we've talked most about this cycle, and right now the Buckeyes are the leaders in the clubhouse on the crystal ball. The Texan doesn't have the ideal size for the position, but he truly excels in the read option game. He's faster than J.T. Barrett but doesn't possess the lower-body strength at this point in his career.
The Buckeyes extended an offer last May, and that was before the nation's No. 8 dual-threat ever even started a varsity football game. The four-star would later put together a fine camp performance in Columbus and seemed well on his way to being the guy for 2019.
.
.
continued

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...es-2019-quarterback-board-continues-to-evolve
 
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Looking Forward: Ohio State Recruiting — 2019 RB Targets

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Ohio State signed two running backs in the 2018 class in Master Teague and Brian Snead, as well as an H-back in Jaelen Gill, so the Buckeye talent pool has been replenished quite a bit.

However, this is expected to be Mike Weber’s final season, and it would be wise to expect that when the 2019 recruits arrive, J.K. Dobbins will be playing in his final season. That means there will be no rest for Urban Meyer or Tony Alford in their continual search for talented ball carriers.

We have already projected how many running backs the Buckeyes may sign next winter, but now it is time to go over some of the names on the Ohio State radar.

While signing one running back is a must, with some of the names that the Buckeyes are in on, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them sign a pair of tailbacks in 2019, just as they did in 2018.

And if they continue to find success in a two-back system on offense, then it would only make sense to try and continue that trend.

Trey Sanders (6-0 216) No. 1 RB | No. 6 Overall
IMG Academy, Bradenton FL

The Buckeyes offered Sanders a little over a month ago. He holds offers from everywhere and at one time was committed to Alabama. He decommitted from the Crimson Tide early last month. He is unlikely to leave the South, however.

Quavaris Crouch (6-2 224) No. 2 RB | No. 18 Overall
Harding University, Charlotte NC

Crouch holds offers from everywhere, but Ohio State is on the outside looking in here. If they are ever going to become serious players here, they will need to get Crouch on campus. The Buckeyes offered last spring.

Noah Cain (5-11 207) No. 3 RB | No. 31 Overall
IMG Academy, Bradenton FL

Cain has named Ohio State as his leader in the past, but his recruitment is really only beginning. He has offers from all of the national powers, but he is at a place where the Buckeyes have had success in the past.

Devyn Ford (5-11 185) No. 6 RB | No. 70 Overall
North Stafford, Stafford VA

Rivals actually ranks Ford as the No. 1 running back in the nation. Ohio State is currently in his Top 6 and he is planning on committing in June. Ford has been to Ohio State before, and if OSU has a shot here, an official visit in the spring may have to be in the cards.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/02/buckeyes-forward-ohio-state-recruiting-2019-rb-targets/
 
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Looking Forward: Ohio State Recruiting — 2019 RB Targets

Devyn-Ford-Insidenovacom.jpg


Ohio State signed two running backs in the 2018 class in Master Teague and Brian Snead, as well as an H-back in Jaelen Gill, so the Buckeye talent pool has been replenished quite a bit.

However, this is expected to be Mike Weber’s final season, and it would be wise to expect that when the 2019 recruits arrive, J.K. Dobbins will be playing in his final season. That means there will be no rest for Urban Meyer or Tony Alford in their continual search for talented ball carriers.

We have already projected how many running backs the Buckeyes may sign next winter, but now it is time to go over some of the names on the Ohio State radar.

While signing one running back is a must, with some of the names that the Buckeyes are in on, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them sign a pair of tailbacks in 2019, just as they did in 2018.

And if they continue to find success in a two-back system on offense, then it would only make sense to try and continue that trend.

Trey Sanders (6-0 216) No. 1 RB | No. 6 Overall
IMG Academy, Bradenton FL

The Buckeyes offered Sanders a little over a month ago. He holds offers from everywhere and at one time was committed to Alabama. He decommitted from the Crimson Tide early last month. He is unlikely to leave the South, however.

Quavaris Crouch (6-2 224) No. 2 RB | No. 18 Overall
Harding University, Charlotte NC

Crouch holds offers from everywhere, but Ohio State is on the outside looking in here. If they are ever going to become serious players here, they will need to get Crouch on campus. The Buckeyes offered last spring.

Noah Cain (5-11 207) No. 3 RB | No. 31 Overall
IMG Academy, Bradenton FL

Cain has named Ohio State as his leader in the past, but his recruitment is really only beginning. He has offers from all of the national powers, but he is at a place where the Buckeyes have had success in the past.

Devyn Ford (5-11 185) No. 6 RB | No. 70 Overall
North Stafford, Stafford VA

Rivals actually ranks Ford as the No. 1 running back in the nation. Ohio State is currently in his Top 6 and he is planning on committing in June. Ford has been to Ohio State before, and if OSU has a shot here, an official visit in the spring may have to be in the cards.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/02/buckeyes-forward-ohio-state-recruiting-2019-rb-targets/
I would take a combination of any of the players on this list, but I'd personally want Cain and James as the future at RB for OSU.
 
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Ohio State Football Notebook: ‘We will only take the elite guys’

Branching Out

Sometimes when Ohio State goes out of state to recruit a talented player, that player will have some previous connection with Ohio State. Perhaps they have family that attended OSU, or they grew up as a fan, or moved away from Ohio when they were younger.

For freshman cornerback Sevyn Banks, however, there was no previous connection, only an opportunity to experience something new and different.

“It’s a whole new branch for me,” he said. “You’ve got to get out and explore and you’ve got to get out and do things.”

When Banks was participating at The Opening last summer, he received a quick lesson on just how many other Ohio State branches are out there. Ohio State receiver Terry McLaurin was one of the coaches at the event last summer, and he let Banks know what to expect when he finally arrived in Columbus.

“Terry was the first person to reach out to me,” Banks said. “At The Opening he was one of our coaches and he was really helping out. And at the time I didn’t even know he went to Ohio State, but when he told me that, he was giving me some idea of what is going to be expected of me.”

Maximum Effort

It was clear pretty early on in Max Wray’s high school career that he was going to be a college football player. Now that he is enrolled as an Ohio State freshman, the first part of his plan for success has been met.

“I knew as soon as I was starting to get recruited I was going to do it,” Wray said of enrolling early.

Now that he is at Ohio State, there are a number of benefits that he is experiencing, even if none of it is exactly easy.

“It’s good,” he said. “Obviously I had some things to work on and it’s good to come in here and be able to work on it and be ahead of everybody else coming in. It’s going to be good to get a full offseason with the team and get to know everybody and get to know the playbook and everything.”

Great Isn’t Good Enough

Urban Meyer has often said that Ohio State could have its recruiting class completely full in a matter of weeks if they wanted to, but it wouldn’t bring them the quality of player that they are looking for.

When the Buckeyes make scholarship offers to players, they want them to know that this is no small thing.

Freshman cornerback Tyreke Johnson understood that early on, but it has only become more apparent each day since he enrolled last month.

“It’s truly a blessing to be a part of the Buckeye family, period, because we just don’t take anybody,” he said. “You have to have outstanding character, you have to be a phenomenal student and you have to be a great football player. You know, we will only take the elite guys. We don’t take good and we don’t take great. We take elite, so to be a part of the Buckeye family in this recruiting class that is going to go down in history as one of the best classes in history, it’s truly a blessing from God.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/02/ohio-state-football-notebook-will-take-elite-guys/
 
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TAKING SHAPE: IMG ACADEMY DUO, INDIANA STANDOUT TOP OPTIONS ON OHIO STATE'S 2019 RUNNING BACK BOARD

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Tony Alford and the Buckeyes have once again put together quite the stable at running back. Mike Weber is returning for his redshirt junior season, and all J.K. Dobbins did in 2017 was break Ohio State's freshman running record. Antonio Williams has been able to add some depth and we're all waiting to see exactly how Demario McCall will be utilized following a medical redshirt season.

As if that weren't already enough, the Buckeyes are also welcoming in two of the country's top backs in 2018 signees Brian Snead and Master Teague. Snead – a Seffner, Florida native and the country's No. 3 tailback – will arrive in June. Teague is already in Columbus and has been taking classes since January. Sprinkle in a little bit of Jaelen Gill at H-Back and there's a lot to be excited about in the running game.

For the Class of 2019, the position isn't going to be quite the need it was this past year, but the Buckeyes have already extended offers to 11 of the country's top backs. In the early stages of the cycle, a few are already standing out above the rest.

TREY SANDERS • PORT ST. JOE, FL • 5-FOOT-11.5, 216 POUNDS • ★★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 6
The nation's No. 1 tailback committed to the Crimson Tide back in April of 2016. That marriage lasted more than a full calendar year before coming to an end last month. The Buckeyes extended an offer shortly after the decommitment, but at this point there's no reason for too much excitement.
Ohio State has done well at IMG Academy, but right now the crystal ball would lead one to believe that this recruitment may end up like that of Cam Akers in 2017. Nation's top back makes early commitment to Alabama, backs off pledge, and ends up at Florida State? That may be the case for Sanders, and the fact that Tallahassee is less than two hours from his hometown certainly could help Willie Taggart's cause.

NOAH CAIN • DENTON, TEXAS • 5-FOOT-10.5, 209 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 31
IMG Academy is also home to the country's No. 3 tailback in four-star Noah Cain. The Texan is a player the Buckeyes absolutely have a shot at, and he's already built up quite the relationship with Tony Alford. Ohio State offered just about a year ago, and Cain has made the trip to Columbus since that time.



The crystal ball is all over the place with submissions for Texas, Ohio State, Miami, LSU, and Oklahoma. If I were a betting man then my money would be on the Buckeyes or Longhorns, but there's a long way to go with this one.

Cain may very well be Ohio State's top target at the position, but it won't be easy to top Tom Herman for the Texas native.

EVYN FORD • STAFFORD, VA • 5-FOOT-11, 185 POUNDS • ★★★★ • NAT. RANK: 70
A four-star in the composite rankings, Rivals.com actually has Stafford, Virginia's Devyn Ford as a five-star and the nation's No. 1 tailback. Ford has already been to Columbus multiple times and Ohio State has had plenty of success recruiting the state of Virginia.
Ford recently named a top-six that included Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, North Carolina, Clemson, and Oklahoma. He made trips to Happy Valley and Blacksburg in February. The Hokies are the heavy crystal ball favorite and a decision is expected to come in June. The Buckeyes will look to get Ford back on campus before that time.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...p-options-ohio-states-2019-running-back-board
 
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Going to try my hand at a "way too early" 2019 Ohio State recruiting class...

QB Grant Gunnell/Sam Howell/Grant Tisdale/Graham Mertz
RB Sampson James
WR
Garrett Wilson
WR Milton Wright/Lance Wilhoite
WR Jameson Williams/John Dunmore
WR David Bell/Trey Knox
OT Doug Nester
OT
Darnell Wright/Devontae Dobbs
OT/OG Ryan Jacoby
OT
Harry Miller/Michael Tarquin
OG William Putnam
OG/C Zeke Correll
DE Zach Harrison
DE Noah Potter
DE Ani Izuchukwu/Antonio Alfano
DT Tyler Davis/Jowon Briggs/Mazi Smith
LB/DE Cade Stover
LB Tommy Eichenberg
LB Kane Patterson
CB Sheridan Jones
CB/WR Ronnie Hickman
CB Mershawn Rice/Jaylin Simpson
S Daxton Hill
 
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This kid can play. IMO he has it all and does it all. Does not get the pub for some reason. Just watch the film.

2019 OL John J.D. Duplain (Strongsville OH Strongsville) visited Ohio State 2/10/18.
He plays Left OT for Strongsville but translates best to Guard in college.



Should start a separate player thread for him.
 
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LOL me too!

But where are your predictions?! What do we pay $79.95 for???

My worthless prediction is 4 out of:
Milton Wright, Trey Knox, Ronnie Hickman, Brayden Liebrock and Garret Wilson.
Good predictions, except that Liebrock is a TE and Hickman will play safety for the scarlet and gray.

EDIT: I think that David Bell and Jameson Williams need to be on that list, and Boobie Curry already has an official visit set for April.
 
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