Welcome to the Bucknuts OSU football recruiting Quick Read. This is a
one-stop reference where you can come to get the latest summary on Ohio State
football recruiting and where the Buckeyes stand with various in- and
out-of-state prospects. In this feature, we will list the top ten remaining
uncommitted prospects from both inside and outside of the state of Ohio, as well
as a summary of each position and the latest on the players who currently stand
as recruiting possibilities for the Buckeyes. Also included will be staff
commentary from Steve Helwagen, Gary Housteau and Duane Long as they give their
current thoughts on the state of OSU football recruiting. This feature will be updated every two weeks and more as needed as the
recruiting season starts to heat up. Read on for the latest summaries and
developments concerning OSU football recruiting.
The following is a compilation of the opinions of the Bucknuts staff and does not represent the Ohio State football program.
| Ohio Top
Uncommitted Prospects (w/OSU interest) |
Out-Of-State
Top 10 |
| Based
on Scout.com Rankings |
1.
Thaddeus Gibson, LB *
2. Ray Small, WR*
3. Derrell Johnson, ATH
4. Bryant Browning, OL *
|
Thaddeus Gibson
|
1. Elijah Fields,
WR *
2. A.J. Jones, LB*
3. Kylan Robinson, RB *
4. Colin McCarthy, LB *
5. McKenzie Mathews, DE *
6. Anthony Bowman, WR *
7. Johnnie Troutman, DT *
8. Ashton Henderson, CB *
9. Wes Lyons, WR *
10. Aram Olson, FB * |
Anthony Bowman
|
|
Ray Small
|
Ashton Henderson
|
|
* - denotes a reported OSU offer |
|
Ohio State Official Visit Weekends |
| Sept. 9-11 (Texas): |
Aaron Brown, A.J. Wallace, Steven Wesley |
| Sept. 23-25 (Iowa): |
David Ausberry, Colin McCarthy |
| Oct. 14 (MSU): |
Navorro Bowman, Wes Lyons, McKenzie Matthews |
| Dec. 2 |
Jason Adjepong, Jake Ballard, Bryant Browning,
Kurt Coleman, Ryan Hill, Dexter Larimore, Tyler Moeller, Robert Rose,
Ray Small, Joe Thomas, Chris Wells |
| Dec. 9 |
Ross Homan, Grant Schwartz |
| Dec. 16 |
Andy Miller |
| Jan. 6 |
Walter Dublin, Mark Johnson, A.J. Jones, Greg Mathews, Kylan Robinson, Johnnie Troutman, Aram Olson |
| Jan. 13 |
Anthony Bowman, Aaron Gant, Thaddeus Gibson,
Damon McDaniel, Connor Smith |
| Jan. 27 |
Elijah Fields (tentative), Antonio Henton |
| Bucknuts
Staff Commentary |
|
Steve Helwagen: |
A
week ago, we thought Ohio State might cap its 2006 recruiting class with
20 signees. However, our research shows the Buckeyes could actually go
as high as 22 signees if they like under the scholarship limit of 85.
More likely is a 21-man class, though.
The spate of recent commitments by Walter Dublin, Andy
Miller, Aaron Gant (provided that gets nailed down – at last word, he
had not phoned his new home yet) and Bryant Browning give the Buckeyes
17 players in the 2006 class.
That leaves as many as four spots left if the Buckeyes
hope to sign 21 players.
At any rate, here is who appeared to still be in the
running for those last few spots:
RB – Kylan Robinson (still a Miami lean?), Aram
Olson (fullback may be leaning to Auburn).
WR – Ray Small (could verbal anytime), Wes Lyons,
Greg Mathews (will he make the switch?), Derrell Johnson (could be a
draft-and-follow, to borrow a baseball term, due to academics).
DL – Johnnie Troutman.
LB – Thaddeus Gibson (see Derrell Johnson above,
although Gibson visited this past weekend), A.J. Jones (seems headed to
Florida or Alabama on Wednesday), Larry Grant (JUCO transfer will take a
scholarship if his transcript checks out).
DB – Elijah Fields (waiting for his visit), Marcus Udell and Ashton Henderson (will they visit?).
That’s 11 names for three or maybe four spots.
This is strictly a guessing game, but some of the
stronger possibilities, at least to me, would be Small, Lyons, Gibson
and Grant.
Again, just an educated guess. We’ll see how it
goes.
|
|
Gary Housteau: |
I
have to admit I was a bit disappointed with what I perceived was the low
turnout of Ohio's top junior prospects at the All-American combine in
San Antonio last week.
Other than Jermale Hines, Jordan Mabin and I'll even
throw in Kyle Jefferson, most of the Buckeye state's top seniors-to-be
failed to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity for exposure that
the combine affords those who attend.
Robert Rose may have secured his spot on the East
roster for the All-American Bowl with the lights-out performance he put
on in front of the many Scout.com analysts that are omnipresent at the
event every year. Rose was about as unblockable in the individual drills
at the combine last year as he was during the actual All-American game
this year.
If it's exposure you're looking for going into your
senior season, then you can't get any bigger bang for your buck at any
place other than the All-American combine.
Obviously, some of the younger players from Ohio who
attended the combine see the potential value in it. One player in
particular that caught my eye was Brandon Beachum of Youngstown Cardinal
Mooney High School.
I've known about Beachum for quite a few years now as
his arrival at the high school level in the Youngstown area was
much-anticipated, much like one Maurice Clarett. But I saw him for the
first time in a football setting at the combine. Beachum starred for
Poland as a sophomore this past season but he immediately made the
transfer to Mooney in time for the new academic term at the Youngstown
parochial school.
If you recall it was Mooney, which won the Division IV
state title in 2004, that lost to Coldwater in the Division IV state
final this past season. Their quarterback this year, Derrell Johnson was
lost for the state championship game when he was injured in a week 14
win against Bellaire. Johnson had transferred this time last year to
Mooney from nearby Cambell Memorial and his loss was way too much for
Mooney to overcome against Ross Homan and the Coldwater Cavaliers.
At just a little over 6-0 and 210 pounds right now,
Beachum is one player that college recruiters will be salivating over
during the next two years. He certainly looked every bit the prospect as
he drilled with the defensive backs at the combine. His size and speed
make for a lethal combination at such a young age.
Beachum's favorite position just might be at running
back and it's there where he'll probably make an immediate impact at
Mooney. Beachum will be a part of an extremely talented junior class at
Mooney next year which will include, among others, Danny McCarthy,
Kyle's younger brother who will probably quarterback the team; Michael
Zordich, the son of Michael Zordich who starred for Penn State in the
80's and had a 12-year career in the NFL; and Taylor Hill, an extremely
talented athlete that should be a two-way star just like the others.
The recruiters will be flocking to Mooney over the
next two years and Beachum will certainly be one of the main reasons. If
he can keep his speed as he continues to get bigger over the next two
years, he could be one of Ohio's finest in the class of 2008 and he'll
probably have a spot reserved for him at the 2008 U.S. Army All-American
Bowl.
The ironic thing about Beachum playing for Cardinal
Mooney, however, is that his father, Lock Beachum Jr., prepped for
Mooney's archrival, Youngstown Ursuline, in his playing days and he'll
now be rooting for the same Cardinal emblem on Mooney's helmet that he
once despised when he played against them. That's something that I
personally can't wait to see!
|
|
Duane Long: |
We
are seeing the Buckeye staff make the late charge with a recruiting
class that fans have longed for this year.
But they already have an eye toward next year's
stellar instate crop. We have seen the second offer go to an Ohio
junior. Huber Heights Wayne cornerback Donnie Evege was offered just
before Christmas. Lakewood St. Edward safety Nate Oliver was offered
last week.
I think it is a good sign we will see a rash of offers
right around signing day like we saw last year. It is a sound strategy.
It is almost like creating an early signing period that basketball
coaches use so successfully. It allows a coach to get an idea what he
has, and what he needs.
Since most early offers are players that are solid
leans, and since the overwhelming majority of early verbals stick with
their commitments, it gives the staff a real advantage to get these
offers out early and get a verbal. |
Click
here for the latest recruiting features from Bucknuts and Scout.com network
|
Position-by-Position Rundown
(Commitments and Possibilities, listed in alphabetical
order)
Red text
indicates updated info since last quick read |
|
Quarterback |
|
Antonio Henton
Verbals: 1
Needs: 1 |
- Antonio Henton, Peach County, Ga. *
Verbal to OSU -- 6/28/05. Will likely be lone QB in this
recruiting class. Helped lead his team to a Class AAA state
championship this weekend. Was 8-of-18 for 223
yards passing with one TD and rushed six times for 38 yards with two
TDs in the title game.
- Commentary: With Henton's commitment, Ohio State is likely done with
recruiting the quarterback position this year.
|
|
Running Back |
|
Chris Wells
Verbals: 1
Needs: 1 |
- Chris Wells, Akron, Oh. Garfield*
Verbal to OSU -- 2//6/05. Visit - 12/2. Scout.com No. 1 RB prospect.
Had
a dynamite final game on 10/28, logging (unofficially) 370 yards on
37 carries to finish the season with over 2,000 yards. Garfield
missed the playoffs so Wells's high school career is done. Visited
USC on 11/4 and seemed to love the trip, but stated his desire to
play at Ohio State. Was recently named
Scout.com's top overall prospect in America. Won
MVP of this year's U.S. Army All-American Bowl, rushing for 67 yards
and 3 touchdowns on 13 carries.
- Aram Olson, Irmo, S.C. * (Fullback)
Visit - 1/6. Came up to OSU for the Illinois game on an
unofficial visit. Took official visit
to Ohio State on 1/6. Will apparently decide
within the next day or so. Staff at Inside the
Auburn Tigers (auburn.scout.com) believe the choice will be Auburn.
- Kylan Robinson, Tampa, Fla. Chamberlain *
Visit - 1/6. Enjoyed his trip to Ohio
State, but most feel the Miami Hurricanes will eventually win out.
Has risen to become one of the nation's best RB prospects since his
senior year video has surfaced. Seems
focused on Ohio State, South Carolina, and Miami (Fla.). Was still
on South Carolina official visit during the writing of this update.
Scuttlebutt says the Hurricanes will take three tailbacks this year,
and two have already committed. Robinson and Florida blue-chipper
C.J. Spiller along with possibly Pa. blue-chipper LaSean McCoy may
be Miami's top three remaining targets at RB.
- Commentary: Olson and Robinson are the lone
two remaining possibilities.
|
|
Wide Receiver |
|
Josh Chichester
Verbals: 1
Needs: 2 |
- Josh Chichester, West Chester, Oh. *
Verbal to OSU -- 7/1/05. Big receiver is having a solid
season.
- Anthony Bowman, Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary *
Visit - 1/13. A surprise visitor to Ohio
State. Previously committed to Iowa, but now says he will decide
between the Buckeyes and Iowa this week.
- Elijah Fields, Duquesne, Pa.
Visit - 1/27. our-star prospect who has been consistently listing Ohio State. Also
showing interest in Penn State and West Virginia. Fields said OSU will likely get a visit. Academics
are an issue. Moved to the wide receiver
list after stating that OSU likes him as a WR. Had an unbelievable
senior season, scoring 30 TDs and averaging 49 yards per score. Had
704 yards rushing and caught 42 passes for 1,167 yards. Fields
visited Pitt on 1/6, PSU on 1/13, and is scheduled to visit WVU on
1/20. Told Scout.com's Bob Lichtenfels on Sunday that he had an OSU
visit planned for 1/27 but also had the SAT scheduled on 1/28 and
may go on the trip after the test. Also told Lichtenfels he will
have a press conference on 1/30 after his visit to announce his
decision.
- Derrell Johnson, Youngstown, Oh. Mooney
Excellent athlete who is listed here as a receiver but could
play several positions. Prime in-state candidate for a Buckeye
offer. Offers from Penn State, Iowa, North Carolina,
others. There is
strong mutual interest. Academics are all that is standing the way
of a Buckeye offer. Johnson seems determined enough to go to Ohio
State that he seems willing
- Wes Lyons, Pittsburgh, Pa. Woodland Hills*
Visit - 10/14. Brother of OSU WR Devon Lyons. Also considering Miami (Fla.),
West Virginia, Louisville, and Boston College. Visited Ohio
State for MSU game and had positive things to say about the
trip. Ohio State has risen on Lyons's
list in recent weeks. Could be between the Buckeyes and West
Virginia. Brother Devon's move from WR to S may have helped.
- Greg Mathews, Orlando, Fla. Edgewater *
Visit - 1/6. Despite visiting OSU and family influence in favor of
Ohio State, Mathews has not publicly stated any intentions of
switching from his commitment to Michigan.
- Damon McDaniel, Virginia Beach, Va. Lordstown *
Visit - 1/13. Made a surprise official
visit to Ohio State despite being committed to Florida. However,
sources indicate that it looked likely McDaniel would stick with his
commitment.
- Ray Small, Cleveland Glenville *
Visit - 12/2. The latest in a long line of electric Glenville football
players. Can play WR or CB in college. Plans to announce in January.
Small is expected to announce soon, and most expect the choice to be
Ohio State.
- Commentary: A couple new names have been
added to the list here, making it seem likely Ohio State could add
at least two more receivers in this class. Fields, Small, Bowman,
and Johnson are very versatile and could play different positions
but appear to be getting looked at by OSU as receivers.
|
|
Tight End |
|
Andy Miller
Verbals: 2
Needs: 0 |
- Jake Ballard, Springboro, Oh. *
Verbal to OSU --6/2/05. Visit - 12/2. Scout.com No. 5 TE prospect. Picked OSU over
Michigan, several others. Team is having excellent season, one of
the top teams in Division II.
- Andy Miller, Washington, Pa. Trinity*
Visit - 12/16. Committed to Ohio State on
1/13. Kept his intentions well-hidden, so it was a surprise to some
he selected Pitt. Will be coming in as a tight end.
- Commentary: Ohio
State is likely done at the tight end position.
|
|
Offensive Line |
|
Connor Smith
Verbals: 2
Needs: 1 |
- Bryant Browning, Cleveland, Oh. Glenville *
Visit - 12/2. Was recently offered by Ohio State, making the Buckeyes the
favorites to land his signature. Also interested in Indiana,
Northwestern, others. Had good visit to
OSU but plans on taking more trips before
deciding. Committed to Ohio State
Monday evening.
- Connor Smith, Cincinnati, Oh. Colerain *
Verbal to OSU -- 7/31/05. Scout.com No. 5 OL prospect. Five-star
prospect, rated by Scout.com as tops in the Midwest. Recently
played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
- Commentary: Browning and Smith will probably
be it for OSU at OL this year.
|
|
Defensive End |
|
Robert Rose
Verbals: 2
Needs: 0-1 |
- Walter Dublin, Sarasota, Fla. *
Visit - 1/6. Ohio State has been solidly in his top five for some time.
Committed to Ohio State on 1/9. Was originally
planning to visit Clemson but liked his OSU trip enough to make his
choice and cancel the Clemson visit.
- Robert Rose, Cleveland, Oh. Glenville *
Verbal to OSU - 1/7/06. One of Ohio's top line prospects and a U.S. Army All-American selection.
Has officially visited USC and will visit Ohio State. Other schools
of interest include LSU, Florida and North Carolina.
Selected Ohio State at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and played
very well in the game.
- McKenzie Mathews, Syracuse, N.Y. Christian
Brothers Academy *
Lists Ohio State, Michigan, others. Visited Ohio State
10/14-10/16 and enjoyed the trip. Has said he will wait until signing day to
decide. Visited Pittsburgh over the
weekend of 12/2. Mathews seems
focused on other schools. Ohio State does not seem to be in the
picture at this point.
- Commentary: The Buckeyes are likely done
at defensive end this year.
|
|
Defensive Tackle |
|
Dexter Larimore
Verbals: 1
Needs: 1-2 |
- Dexter Larimore, Merrillville, Ind. *
Verbal to OSU - 12/18. Visit 12/2. Offered by Ohio State in September and a Michigan offer came
quickly after. Has been to games at OSU and UM and has officially
visited both. Rated as the nation's top heavyweight wrestler. Committed
to Ohio State in December. Selected the Buckeyes over
Michigan.
- Corey Peters, Louisville, Ky. Central *
Will apparently take an official visit to
Ohio State. Also interested in Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville,
and Michigan.
- Johnnie Troutman, Browns Mills, N.J. Pemberton
Township *
Visit - 1/6. Talented DE /DT ended season early due to an ACL injury.
Ohio State is among many who have offered. Took
an official visit to Penn State on 12/2 and had a good visit. Enjoyed
his trip to Ohio State and listed the Buckeyes and Penn State as
co-leaders after his visit. Visited Maryland
this past weekend and plans to visit Virginia before deciding. Ohio
State and Penn State are still on top.
- Commentary: In most likelihood, Larimore
will be the lone DT, but Troutman and Peters's situations have yet
to play themselves out.
|
|
Linebacker |
|
Mark Johnson
Verbals: 3
Needs: 1 |
- Ross Homan, Coldwater, Oh. *
Verbal to OSU -- 2//7/05. Visit - 12/9. Solid commitment to
Ohio State. Wrapped up his outstanding high
school career with a state championship ring as Coldwater defeated
Youngstown Mooney this past weekend. Was named Ohio High/ONN state
player of the year. Will be enrolling at OSU in January.
- Mark Johnson, Los Angeles, Calif. Dorsey*
Verbal to OSU - 1/8/06. Visit - 1/6. Committed
to Ohio State over LSU, Cal, others. Big-time prospect.
- Tyler Moeller, Cincinnati (Oh.) Colerain *
Verbal to OSU -- 9/14/05. Visit - 12/2. Having a
fine year as Colerain is in position to defend its Division I state
title. Had several big plays in nationally televised win over Tyler
(Texas) Lee.
- (NEW) Larry Grant, CC of San Francisco
Originally committed to Florida, Grant did
not get accepted as a result of not having taken a math course
required by the SEC. Grant now is looking elsewhere, and he is
zeroing in on Ohio State. If everything is good with Grant's
transcript, he will visit this weekend and will likely become a
Buckeye soon after.
- Thaddeus Gibson, Euclid, Oh. *
Visit - 1/15. Top remaining uncommitted recruit in Ohio. One of the best
defensive prospects in the Midwest. Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Penn State
are among his schools of interest. Academic situation could be a
concern. Had a good visit to Ohio State
and could decide this week. Most feel Gibson will select the
Buckeyes.
- A.J. Jones, Tampa, Fla.
Middleton *
Visit - 1/6. Had a very
good trip to Ohio State, but has since announced he will choose
between Alabama and Florida.
- Colin McCarthy, Clearwater, Fla. Central
Catholic *
Visit - 9/24. Outstanding athlete who visited for Iowa weekend. Has roots in Pa. Plans to take all
visits before deciding. All has
suddenly gone quiet out of McCarthy camp. Ohio State and Miami seem
to be the top two choices, but
- Commentary: Three linebackers are already
in, but OSU would love it if Gibson became the fourth, and they
appear ready to take Larry Grant as well if things work out
there.
|
|
Cornerback |
|
Chimdi Chekwa
Verbals: 2
Needs: 0-1 |
- Chimdi Chekwa, Clermont, Fla. East Ridge * -
Verbal to OSU - 12/21. Visit - 12/14. Not many had
heard of Chekwa before December as he was looking at other schools
besides OSU, but the Buckeyes came on quickly and strongly, getting
a verbal commitment a short time after his visit.
- Kurt Coleman, Clayton, Oh. Northmont
Verbal to OSU -- 6/26/05. Visit - 12/2. Outstanding
athlete; listed over 40 offers. Plays WR and CB exceptionally
well.
- Ashton Henderson, Tallahassee
(Fla.) Lincoln
OSU and Henderson have
seemingly been on again, off again in recent weeks. Would most
likely take a visit if OSU wanted to bring him in, but things appear
uncertain right now. He will remain one to keep an eye on. Ole Miss
and UCLA are likely at the top of his list.
- Wondy Pierre-Louis, Naples
(Fla.) Lely - A new name
on the OSU recruiting scene as the Buckeyes were just recently given
a tape and liked what they saw. Pierre-Louis and his teammate Culmer
St. Jean were expecting contact soon from OSU coaches regarding
possible offers. Committed
to West Virginia.
- Marcus Udell, Tallahassee (Fla.)
Godby *
Like Henderson, Udell has
been on again-off again, but the latest news appears he may be off
again. Latest news is that his remaining two official visits will
likely be to LSU and South Carolina.
- Commentary: It's tough to tell if OSU
will add another cornerback to this class. There is versatility in
this class though, so if another true corner is not added, one might
be able to move there.
|
|
Safety |
|
Grant Schwartz
Verbals: 1
Needs: 1 |
- Grant Schwartz, Dana Point, Calif. Dana
Hills *
Verbal to OSU - 10/27. Fine athlete and the son of ex-Buckeye Brian Schwartz. Committed
to Ohio State on 10/27, not long after receiving an offer. Chose the
Buckeyes over Oregon and others.
- Aaron Gant, Orchard Lake,
Mich. St. Mary's *
Visit - 1/13. Under-the-radar prospect
who has emerged with several quality offers, including reported
offers from Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Had
a strong visit to Ohio State with his teammate Anthony Bowman. Was
originally scheduled to visit Michigan this coming weekend but told
Bucknuts after his trip that he planned on calling Jim Tressel on
Monday to commit. We have not been able to confirm yet that he made
the call.
- Culmer St. Jean, Naples, Fla.
Lely - He and
teammate Wondy Pierre-Louis joined the list of possibilities after
getting the attention of OSU coaches on his senior tape, but no
offer has been made or visit has been scheduled as of yet. Could
play several positions although safety is most likely. West
Virginia and Wisconsin are his favorites.
- Commentary: After Donte Whitner's early exit
to the NFL, Ohio State may want to grab one more safety. Gant,
if he commits, will likely be the one.
|
| Underclassmen
Watch
By Steve Helwagen
|
 |
|
Nate Oliver |
As Duane Long mentioned above, at least two Ohio
prospects have been offered for 2007 – Lakewood St. Edward’s Nate
Oliver and Huber Heights Wayne’s Donnie Evege.
There may be others who have already been offered. One
poster in NevadaBuck’s Chat on Monday asserted that Cincinnati LaSalle’s
Ben Martin has already been offered. We will check on that in the days
and weeks ahead.
There are a number of programs that are trying to get
a foothold in Ohio, especially with such a strong class in 2007. Schools
like Indiana, Illinois, Notre Dame, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Michigan State and
West Virginia realize they can get a leg up on Ohio State if they come
in and make early offers to Ohio’s best junior prospects.
Accordingly, Ohio State’s hand may be forced and we
may see the Buckeyes start to offer prospects for 2007, although – at
least at present – OSU will start with a class of just 15 or 16 spots
for next year.
Outside Ohio, the Scout.com database says OSU has
already offered at least two offensive linemen, Pennsylvania’s Evan Blankenship and Arizona’s Kris O’Dowd.
It seems that the Buckeyes may have also already
offered Wisconsin OL Josh Oglesby (6-7, 315) and Michigan DB Ronald Johnson. Another name that keeps popping up is Deonte Thompson, a 6-0,
180-pound wide receiver from Belle Glade, Fla. (where have I heard of
that hometown before?).
|
Full List Of Ohio Recruits
Big Ten Recruiting Classes
Illinois | Indiana |
Iowa
| Michigan |
Michigan State |
Minnesota
| Northwestern
| Ohio
State | Penn
State | Purdue
| Wisconsin
Check back soon for the next Bucknuts recruiting Quick
Read!
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