Mr. Bucknuts Bucket of Bullets

Mr. Bucknuts loves recruiting. He is so excited about what's going on at Ohio State this year that, well...he couldn't wait! That's right - his September Recruiting Review is coming out early. The last day of August. Here it is. The offers, the overall chart, the player-by-player analysis. The complete guesswork is ready for your inspection.

Things I Know, Things I Don’t Know, and Things I Know I Don’t Know

OK, take your best shots. I gave you the straight line and you can only guess at all the things that Mr. Bucknuts doesn’t know.

But as we talk about recruiting here in September (with 11 schollies already committed to…), we need to get serious about our knowledge base. I need help with all those things that I don’t know (I don’t need help with the things I know I don’t know because…all right, this is getting a little too Zen, even for me).

An easy example of each category:

Things I know: Andre Amos committed to Ohio State on August 25 (Duane Long broke the story). That is the eleventh commitment this year and 12th kid scheduled to report (don’t forget Aaron Pettrey, who is gray-shirting, we think, for that class). Amos is a terrific looking receiver from Middletown who could also pay defense. Welcome aboard, Andre!

Things I don’t know: It seems obvious that the Buckeyes need a fullback for this recruiting class. Does anyone know who they are looking at?

Things that I know that I don’t know: There are always guys that the staff is looking at that will be complete mysteries to us mere mortals. And – as we have in the past – Bucknuts will take the blame for that.

Once you admit your problem, you are on the road to solving it, right? Or, as it is said: “A captive can’t free himself”. So let’s look at our recruiting outlook by position, and see what we know and…well, you know!

Running Backs

What we know: The Bucks have no commitments yet for this class and already lost one contender from the last class (Dennis Kennedy). With two graduating seniors (Ross and Hall) and two true freshmen (Pittman and Haw), we know the Buckeyes need one or two RB’s here.

What we don’t know: Will Maurice Wells come aboard? He is still listing a top three of Georgia Tech, USC, and Ohio State. Are the Buckeyes waiting to find out about Maurice before they offer Javon Ringer? Whatever it is that we don’t know about Javon, we do know this: the kid is a stud (300 rushing yards in his first game against a good team) and he would look great in scarlet and gray.

What we know we don’t know: Will they recruit a fullback this year? We talked to Matt Clapp and he went to Arizona. The other fullback prospects that are possible include Brandon Long but he hasn’t been offered. Other prospects to ponder on this RB list are Mikell Simpson, Jonathan Stewart, Conredge Collins, and Alex Daniels. As to Stewart, only Duane Long thinks that he is a possibility at this moment because the Buckeyes are just beginning to talk with him. As to Daniels, this is an arbitrary position listing (he could play any of four…) and he seems to be deciding between OSU and Oklahoma. He wants Ohio State and his mother wants him out of town? Go figure…As to Simpson (there’s a good name for a slashing running back, eh?), he is ready to receive an OSU offer but none has been forthcoming, according to our contacts. And as to Conredge, he says OSU is in the lead group along with Michigan and the Florida schools (FWIW). Stewart is an interesting case as he says Ohio State is a leader along with Cal, Wash State, and Oregon.

My guess is that we take either Maurice or Javon as our “small back” and Stewart, Simpson and/or Daniels as the hammer. Nice possibilities to ponder.

Quarterbacks

What we know: They have a potentially hot one in Rob Schoenhoft. They have two guys with three years left to play (Zwick and Smith) and one guy with five years left (Boeckman), who could be the back-up next year.

What we don’t know: Will Bauserman ever come back? Will we care? Do the Bucks have an interest in another Florida “athlete”, Carlton Jackson, as a quarterback? What we hear is that Carlton is visiting for the Cincinnati game and that could give some clarity. He is probably seen as an “athlete”, however.

What we know we don’t know: But we assume. Next year, Ohio has two terrific QB’s with loads of potential: Miles Schichter and Mike Hartline. To space out the QB pipeline, the Bucks probably don’t need to take anyone else this year.

Plus, Bauserman might come back…

Tight Ends

What we know: That Stephen Gowland is OSU's best shot at tight end. That’s already more than I wanted to know…With Frost switching sides and Irizarry switching schools (and Hoobler looking more like a linebacker), this seems to be the perfect year to bring in a Super Stud at tight end. What we do know about Gowland is that he has been offered by OSU, Wake Forest and Troy State (?!). He wants to visit Columbus but he would really like to stay in the south. It’s hard to get excited there…

What we don’t know: Is there anyone else out there? Richard Gordon was a possibility; but he has been offered by all the Florida schools, Oklahoma State and Nebraska – lists all of them as his favorites and might end up on defense! There are also some middle-of-the-roaders like aforementioned Ohioans Brandon Long and West Virginia's Derek Hardman. None of these names – with the exception of Gordon – make my heart speed up.

What we know we don’t know: Are we going to take anyone here? Nicol and Frost are first-year guys and Stan White can play a little. This could be a mystery position like fullback.

Wide Receivers

What we know: We know the Bucks have two commitments from two of the top four Ohio receivers: Brian Hartline and recently committed Andre Amos. We know that the other two “top four” will probably go elsewhere as Mario Manningham is headed off-course, north to Ann Arbor and Brian Robiske is as yet unoffered by the Bucks. Some would say that the other top wideout in Ohio, Trey Stross, should have been considered, but he is pledged now to Iowa.

What we don’t know: Hartline and Amos can both be DB’s, as well. Therefore, the Bucks might not be done recruiting at this position as some pundits would have it. Who else are they looking at? That would be…

What we know we don’t know: Selwyn Lymon (says it’s between OSU, Michigan and Purdue, probably…) and Eric Sledge (doesn’t mention the Bucks and lists every school from Florida and all the Big Ten; plus, he looks to be a safety in college) are still on the board. Lymon suggests that he will visit the Buckeyes. Big names like Derrick Williams, however are still fanciful, as we have no indication that he has a serious interest in our Bucks.

Offensive Linemen

What we know: We know the Bucks have a fantastic early class in Top 100 Alex Boone and Kevin Bemoll, along with Top 250 Jim Cordle. We think we know that OSU could take as many as two more if they are great ones.

What we don’t know: Are there any more in Ohio that would be considered “great ones”? The coaches want to see the top prospects play a few games before they can decide. Names often bandied about include Robert Brewster and Zach Hennis.

What we know we don’t know: Does Florida’s Ronnie Wilson really have the Bucks in the lead? He’s a big’un and would be a capper to this class. There are three other out-of-staters that any team would try to land: Dan Doering (his three official visits are to be Iowa, Nebraska and Notre Dame), Cory Zirbel (an official to Oklahoma, plus he likes Michigan and Miami ahead of the Bucks), and Chris Barney (Miami leads with Oklahoma, OSU, USC and NC State sharing the second spot).

Defensive Linemen

What we know: We have two great prospects in Todd Denlinger and Ryan Williams. And we know the Bucks need more.

What we don’t know: Will Denlinger play inside? Probably. Will Williams play outside? Probably. So who else should OSU chase since – typically – you want two inside guys and two outside guys?

What we know we don’t know: The Buckeyes are absolutely loaded with young great inside guys like Sian Cotton, Brandon Maupin and Nader Abdallah. We don’t know that we need any more there. But outside could be a priority, so look for a push for guys like Doug Worthington and Ray Henderson. Worthington is a real shot and a real player; he has OSU “on top” right now and will take officials to Columbus, Georgia, LSU and – probably – Vtech. Henderson is off to see LSU and has OSU in his second tier along with eight other big-name schools. Antwon Hight might be the best of the bunch but he could be a few years away, grades-wise. And don’t completely discount Glenville’s Curtis Smith. There is still also a likelihood of Walker Ashley coming aboard; he was recently offered by Tennessee and UCLA but avers that his favorite four are Ohio State, Penn State, USC and Minnesota.

Linebackers

What we know: Marcus Freeman is leading the new wave but the big name here on the second line could be budding star, Chad Hoobler. To keep this pipeline full, the Bucks need two more names in this class.

What we don’t know: Is Brian Cushing really interested? He is of a caliber similar to the All-Americans we currently have roaming the middle. Brian says he will visit Miami, USC and Virginia and that OSU is vying for one of his final two visits with six other schools. Hmmm… And how about Rico McCoy? He plans his visits after his senior season winds down and says one of those visits will be to Columbus. Odds are - as of today – that the decision comes down to OSU, Miami, Michigan and Syracuse.

What we know we don’t know: Fabulous fast athlete Freddie Lenix could be a force here but he hasn’t been offered and might be a ‘tweener ‘tween LB and safety. Other names we need to know more about include: Travis Beckum (we are in the top four with the Vols, Seminoles and Hurricanes) and Nick Harris (no news is bad news).

Defensive Backs

What we know: We know Ohio State is off to a great start with All-World Jamario O’Neal and the solid Malcolm Jenkins, both early commitments.

What we don’t know: Will Jamario be a safety or a corner? Will Hartline and Amos be corners or wide receivers?

What we know we don’t know: Thus, the Bucks will probably take one more corner and one more safety. The safety everyone is assuming to be Adam Myers-White, a Top 100 kid out of Hamilton. The other hot prospect that is possible for the Buckeyes is Shawn Oatis. The corner de jour would be Top 20 Justin King. But Nyan Boateng might be on the “more possible” list, although he is conspicuously quiet at this point.

IF YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE 22 AND YOU’VE GOT 12…

Mr. Bucknuts Final Ten Choices

I say the Buckeyes don’t need another QB (they love Boeckman, Schoenhoft is coming and Hartline/Schichter are coming up). I say they need two running backs and one of them might have to be a fullback. And even though they need a tight end, the pickings are slim so we pass. They do take two more offensive linemen, though, for the opposite reason.

We want one more D-lineman, two linebackers and two safeties. The fudge factor is that they could take another receiver if one of the three convert to a DB. How’s about:

1. Maurice Wells

2. Javon Ringer/Jonathan Stewart

3. Ronnie Wilson

4. Selwyn Lymon

5. Doug Worthington

6. Rico McCoy

7. Travis Beckum

8. Adam Myers-White

9. Freddie Lenix

10. One more offensive lineman

Deserving more consideration: Walker Ashley, Alex Daniels, Shawn Oatis and Lawrence Wilson.

THE OFFER CHART

Here are the new rumored offerees

Elan Lewis

Aaron Brown

Brian Ellis

Terrance Taylor

Here are the guys that moved down

Callahan Bright

James McKinney

Here are the previous “rumors” that moved up

Conredge Collins

Courtney Harris

Here is the guy that committed

Andre Amos

Here’s the chart:

		OSU is amongst the leaders:
Name	POS	School/State	Height	Weight	40
Alaeze, Melvin	DE	Randallstown HS, Randallstown MD	6’3”	275	4.70
Ashley, Walker	DT	Eden Prairie SHS, Eden Prairie MN	6’5”	285	4.90
Cushing, Brian	LB	Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell NJ	6’3”	225	4.45
Daniels, Alex	ATH	Marion Franklin HS, Columbus OH	6’3”	225	4.52
Harris, Nick	LB	Alexandria SHS, Alexandria LA	6’3”	200	4.50
Henderson, Ray	DE	Oak Creek HS, Oak Creek WI	6’5”	245	4.65
Gowland, Stephen	TE	Parkview HS, Lilburn GA	6’4”	220	4.70
Jackson, Carlton	QB	Blanche Ely HS, Pompano Beach FL	6’3”	190	4.50
Lymon, Selwyn	WR	Paul Harding HS, Ft. Wayne IN	6”4”	190	4.40
Mathis, Andre	LB	Cathedral Prep HS, Erie PA	6’1”	225	4.70
McCoy, Rico	LB	St. John’s College, Washington DC	6’2”	210	4.55
Myers-White, Adam	S	Hamilton HS, Hamilton OH	6’4”	200	4.50
Oatis, Shawn	S	Chino HS, Chino CA	6’0”	205	4.60
Sledge, Eric	S	Apopka HS, Apopka FL	6’3”	190	4.40
Thomas, Carlos	WR	Banneker HS, College Park GA	6’1”	180	4.40
Wells, Maurice	RB	Sandalwood HS, Jacksonville FL	5’10”	185	4.40
Wilson, Lawrence	DL	Akron SVSM, Akron OH	6’6”	230	4.60
Wilson, Ronnie	OL	Ely HS, Pompano Beach, FL	6’4”	330	5.40
Worthington, Doug	DL	St. Francis HS, Athol Springs NY	6’7”	255	4.70

		OSU is just one of many
Name	POS	School/State	Height	Weight	40
Adkins, Spencer	LB	Naples HS, Naples FL	6’1”	225	4.50
Beckum, Travis	LB	Oak Creek HS, Oak Creek WI	6’5”	220	4.50
Boateng, Nyan	DB	Abraham Lincoln HS, Brooklyn NY	6’3”	190	4.45
Bright, Callahan	DL	Hariton SHS, Bryn Mawr PA	6’2”	315	4.90
Collins, Conredge	RB	Monsignor Pace HS, Miami FL	5’11”	220	4.60
Doering, Dan	OL	Barrington HS, Barrington IL	6’6”	280	5.00
Eaton, Byron	ATH	Lincoln HS, Dallas TX	5’11”	210	4.40
Felder, Anthony	LB	O’Dea HS, Seattle WA	6’3”	225	4.55
Gordon, Richard	TE/DE	Norland HS, Miami FL	6’4”	245	4.80
Harris, Courtney	DE	Jupiter HS, Jupiter FL	6’4”	230	4.70
Herring, Ray	WR/S	Holy Trinity Academy, Melbourne FL	5’10”	185	4.50
Jackson, DeSean	WR	Polytechnic HS, Long Beach CA	5’11”	170	4.40
King, Justin	CB	Gateway HS, Pittsburgh PA	6’0”	180	4.30
McKinney, James	DT	Central HS, Louisville KY	6’4”	255	4.90
Moffett, Neefy	LB	Palm Bay Sr. HS, Melbourne FL	6’1”	215	4.50
Rouse, Fred	WR	Lincoln HS, Tallahassee FL	6’4”	185	4.40
Rutland, Tray	QB	Tri-Cities HS, East Point GA	6’2”	180	4.60
Simpson, Mikell	RB	Harrisburg HS, Harrisburg PA	6’1”	200	4.40
Taylor, Terrance	DT	Muskegon HS, Muskegon MI	6’1”	285	4.80
Weston, Kade	DT	Red Bank Reg. HS, Little Silver NJ	6”6”	310	5.00
Williams, Derrick	WR	Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt MD	6’0”	190	4.40

		OSU is rumored to have offered
Name	POS	School/State	Height	Weight	40
Barney, Chris	OL	Northwestern HS, Miami FL	6’6”	330	5.60
Brown, Aaron	WR	Northeast HS, Zachary LA	6’2”	200	4.50
Byrd, CJ	WR	North Augusta HS, N. Augusta SC	6’3”	190	4.50
Davis, Mike	RB	Columbia HS, Columbia SC	5’11”	208	4.45
Ellis, Brian	TE	Mainland HS, Daytona Beach FL	6’3”	235	4.60
Jackson, RaShawn	RB	St. Peter’s Prep, Jersey City NJ	6’2”	250	4.55
Lewis, Elan	RB	Phoebus HS, Hampton VA	5’8”	215	4.50
Owens, Jeff	DT	Plantation HS, Plantation FL	6’2”	265	4.85
Selmon, Paul	OL	Lee HS, Montgomery AL	6’6”	290	5.00
Smalls, Sean	DB	Huguenot HS, Richmond VA	6’1”	180	4.50
Stewart, Demitri	LB	Northeast HS, Oakland Park FL	6’4”	220	4.50

		Committed Somewhere
Name	POS	School/State	Committed School
Amos, Andre	WR	Middletown High School, Middletown OH		Ohio State
Bemoll, Kevin	OL	Mission Viejo HS, Mission Viejo CA		Ohio State
Boone, Alex	OL	Lakewood St. Ed, Lakewood OH		Ohio State
Cordle, Jim	OL	Lancaster HS, Lancaster OH		Ohio State
Denlinger, Todd	DL	Troy HS, Troy OH		Ohio State
Gwaltney, Jason	RB	N. Babylon HS, N. Babylon NY		West Virginia
Hartline, Brian	WR	GlenOak HS, Canton OH		Ohio State
Jenkins, Malcolm	CB	Piscataway HS, Piscataway NJ		Ohio State
Manningham, Mario	WR	Warren Harding HS, Warren OH		Michigan
Monroe, Eugene	OL	Plainfield HS, Plainfield NJ		Virginia
O’Neal, Jamario	DB	Glenville HS, Cleveland OH		Ohio State
Perrilloux, Ryan	QB	East St. John HS, Reserve LA		Texas
Phillips, Randy	DB	Glades Central HS, Belle Glade FL		Miami
Roche, Brian	OL	Don Bosco Prep HS, Ramsey NJ		Rutgers
Roark, Craig	OL	Ada HS, Ada OK		Nebraska
Robinson, Lamont	LB	Salem HS, Salem NJ		Virginia
Sanchez, Mark	QB	Mission Viejo HS, Mission Viejo CA		USC
Schoenhoft, Rob	QB	St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati OH		Ohio State
Williams, Gerald	DE	Boyd Anderson Lauderdale Lakes FL		Florida
Williams, Ryan	DL	Mission Viejo HS, Mission Viejo CA		Ohio State
Wilson, Marcus	WR	Camden Catholic HS, Cherry Hill NJ		Iowa

· = New name or change in position on the chart from last time.

THEN THERE’S THE (ALMOST) FAMOUS CHART

Changes in the chart:

Off the Chart

Brian Roche: He committed to Rutgers.

James McKinney: We’re not in his top 10…

Callahan Bright: Not in his top 30…

Elijah Hodge: No interest in the Buckeyes.

Nick Harris: Not enough interest in the Buckeyes.

New to the Chart

Lawrence Wilson: Tearing up a lot of charts, this big Buckeye could become a collegiate Buckeye this year.

Shawn Oatis: California safety that is returning much of the Ohio recruiting love.

PLAYER POSITION	NUMBER NEEDED	COMMITMENTS	NUMBER STILL NEEDED	PLAYERS I WANT	GRADES SO FAR (BASED ON NEED)
TAILBACK	2		2	Javon Ringer, Maurice Wells, Conredge Collins, Mikell Simpson, Alex Daniels
FULLBACK	0		0
QUARTERBACK	2	Rob Schoenhoft	1		B
TIGHT END	0		0	Richard Gordon, Stephen Gowland
WIDE RECEIVER	2	Brian Hartline, Andre Amos	0	Derrick Williams, Selwyn Lymon, Carlos Thomas,	B
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN	5	Alex Boone, Jim Cordle, Kevin Bemoll	2	Ronnie Wilson, Cory Zirbel, Dan Doering, Chris Barney	A-
DEFENSIVE END	2	Ryan Williams	1	Antwon Hight, Doug Worthington, Ray Henderson, Melvin Aleaze, Curtis Smith, Lawrence Wilson	B
DEFENSIVE TACKLE	1	Todd Denlinger	0	Walker Ashley, Kade Weston	B
LINEBACKER	2		2	Brian Cushing, Rico McCoy, Travis Beckum
SAFETY	2		2	Adam Myers-White, Eric Sledge, Freddie Lenix, Shawn Oatis
CORNERBACK	2	Jamario O’Neal, Malcolm Jenkins	0	Nyan Boateng, Justin King	A-
KICKER/PUNTER	1	Aaron Pettrey	0
TOTAL	21	11	10		Too early, still…

LEGEND

Red Player: He has already committed

Gray Player: Gray shirt from 2004 that will be part of the 2005 class

Blue Player: I absolutely want this kid!

Green Player: Great potential; I might want him

Well, that’s it until, well…October. By that time, the Bucks will be looking for their fourth straight win and we will still be salivating over the recruiting opportunities. A couple more guys will probably commit between now and then and a couple of new names will arrive that no one was aware existed at all.

That’s the charm of recruiting…

The Buckeyes are off to a sensational start this year on the recruiting front with one of the top 2-3 classes (at this point) in the nation. Can we keep the momentum? Can we follow all the rumors? Maybe. Possibly.

Check back next month. And go Bucks!

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