May 18, 2013

Ohio State Presently Only School With Three Top-20 Recruits for 2013

May 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

In a tweet praising Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman notes that the “recruiting force” of Meyer has allowed the Columbus, Ohio school to be the only Division I University with three top-20 national football recruits (per Rivals.com) for the 2013 football season.

With much of the fan fare surrounding Meyer’s role in the recruitment of several top defensive players as well as Canton running back Brionte Dunn, the 2013 class includes five-star defensive back Cameron Burrows (Trotwood, OH), four-star defensive back Eli Woodard (Voorhees, NJ) and the much-discussed four-star defensive end Joey Bosa (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). Bosa had all but declared his allegiance to the University of Alabama until he had a face-to-face meeting with Meyer.

These three players will join the likes of 2012 five-star recruit Noah Spence and four-star recruits Adolphus Washington, Se’Von Pittman, and Jamal Marcus on the defensive side of the ball.

[Related: Ohio State to Raise Tuition, Issue iPads to Student-Athletes]

(Source: Bruce Feldman)

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , ,

Recruiting: Ohio State Lands DL Joey Bosa

April 24, 2012 by 4 Comments

On Monday, the Ohio State Buckeyes appear to have landed one of the nation’s top defensive ends for the 2013 class as St. Thomas Aquinas’ Joey Bosa announced his intentions to head to Columbus following his high school career.

Per Eleven Warrios, Bosa was said to be headed to Alabama but changed his mind after paying a visit to Urban Meyer last week. Bosa returned to Columbus for the Scarlet and Grey Game where he watched Meyer take the field for the first time as an employee of The Ohio State University.

Upon his arrival, Bosa will join the the likes of 2012 five-star recruit Noah Spence and four-star recruits Adolphus Washington, Se’Von Pittman, and Jamal Marcus on the defensive side of the ball.

This past February, Ohio State’s Mike Vrabel was deemed Big Ten recruiter of the year by ESPN. The Bosa commitment will only help bolster this unit.

[Related:  Meyer Turns Up the Temperature at Scarlet and Grey Game]

 

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , , ,

Ohio State Lands 4-Star QB Prospect JT Barrett

April 18, 2012 by 11 Comments

Urban Meyer has landed yet another highly thought of 4-star recruit. JT Barrett, the 7th ranked QB prospect in the country out of Wichita Falls, Texas, confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he will be a Buckeye, according to Scout.com’s Bill Greene.

Barrett is a QB very much in the mold of Braxton Miller. Though Barrett is smaller than Miller, Barrett seems to fit the mold of what Urban Meyer wants to do with Ohio State’s offense. He is agile enough to keep plays alive with his feet and operate plays in space, but he also has the ability to stand in the pocket and make good throws. The very definition of a dual threat QB.

[Scout.com: Barrett Goes to the Buckeyes]

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

ESPN: Ohio State’s Mike Vrabel named Big Ten Recruiter of the Year

February 3, 2012 by 3 Comments

Though Ohio State’s freshly hired head coach Urban Meyer is getting all of the accolades — and criticism — for his work during the 2012 recuruiting season, former linebacker and current coach Mike Vrabel has been given the nod as Big Ten “Recruiter of the Year” according to ESPN.

Vrabel moved from linebackers coach to defensive line coach with the hire of Urban Meyer. And in the process the two-year assistant helped secure one of the nation’s best defensive line classes. Five-star prospect Noah Spence (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) was the biggest signing in the class, but four-star prospects Adolphus Washington (Cincinnati, Ohio/Taft), Se’Von Pittman (Canton, Ohio/McKinley) and Jamal Marcus (Durham, N.C./Hillside) give the Buckeyes four of the nation’s top 16 players at the defensive end position. Vrabel deserves much of the credit for that.

It’s worth noting that several of these defensive line recruits were flipped from their previous verbal commitments to other Big Ten programs.  Spence, a Pennsylvania native, was a strong commit to the Penn State Nittany Lions prior to his decision to join Meyer and Vrabel in Columbus. Upon Meyer’s hiring, there was some concern that Vrabel could be replaced; turns out that his retention could have been a key factor in the strong and surprising recruiting efforts.

[Related: Ohio State AD Gene Smith responds to recruiting allegations]

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , , ,

Urban Meyer’s Recruiting Prowess Upsets Big Ten Coaches

February 2, 2012 by 40 Comments

One hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”- Aesop’s Fable The Fox and the Grapes

All Urban Meyer has done since agreeing to become Ohio State’s head coach is recruit. Whether assistant coaches or players, Meyer hit the ground running and never looked back. Not surprisingly, the coaches and schools that Meyer lured those recruits away from aren’t pleased with him. Some just happen to be more vocal about it- [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Urban Meyer Lands the #3 Recruiting Class in the Country on National Signing Day

February 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

NSD made Urban Meyer a happy man

Wednesday was National Signing Day, the first day high school senior prospects are allowed to sing Letters of Intent, finalizing their commitments to the school of their choice.

For Ohio State, NSD has typically been a non-event over the last decade. Jim Tressel’s recruiting style was to secure verbal commitments early. The prospects OSU was still in on when it came to NSD typically put on the hat of other schools during their signing day announcement ceremonies.

This year, with Urban Meyer in control of the program, things were a little different. Part of it was just a matter of circumstance. With Coach Meyer being hired so late in the process, he didn’t have a chance to secure early verbal commitments. He honored every scholarship offer that was given before he arrived on campus, but for the most part, there was a shift in the way recruiting was done once he stepped foot on OSU’s campus. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Ohio State Lands First 5-Star Commitment For Class of 2013

January 31, 2012 by 12 Comments

Middletown's Jalin Marshall

Urban Meyer just doesn’t stop landing recruits. This is a period of recruiting unlike anything else I’ve ever seen before. It feels like hardly a week goes by without Meyer bringing in yet another 4 or 5 star recruit. National Signing Day for 2012 is coming up tomorrow, but that’s not stopping Meyer from already securing playmakers for 2013.

First it was Cam Burrow committing last week, now Middletown freak athlete Jalin Marshall has decided to become the 2nd member of the 2013 class and the first 5-star recruit for that class. Marshall, the top recruit in the state of Ohio for 2013 may not have been a surprise, as his long time desire to be a Buckeye was a poorly kept secret, but never the less, this is a huge get for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

Scout.com’s Bill Greene has the story: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ohio State Lands Commitment From 4-Star DB Armani Reeves

January 30, 2012 by 8 Comments

Sunday night, while Cavs fans were still basking in the joy of Kyrie Irving’s game winner over Boston, 4-star defensive back prospect Armani Reeves from West Roxbury, Massachussetts tweeted that he was going to announce his collegiate destination on Twitter.

Reeves, a potential impact player in the secondary, something the Buckeyes desperately needed, was said to be down to OSU and Michigan, with many recruiting insiders feeling like Michigan had gained a slight lead over the Buckeyes for his services. This would have been a bit of a blow to OSU’s recruiting momentum under Urban Meyer. An impact player at a position of need going to the rivals is always a bitter pill. But alas, in the end, Reeves took to Twitter to announce he was joining the Buckeyes.

From Eleven Warriors:

At the end of the day, Reeves (5-10/185) took the opportunity to come play in Columbus, where his skills are needed after the departures of Derjuan Gambrell and Dominic Clarke at the corner back position. He joins Najee Murray as the only two corners in this class, and will likely compete for the final spot in the two deep right away (Travis Howard, Bradley Roby, and Doran Grant likely have the first three).

The commitment of Reeves is a big one for the staff, as it filled a position of need and kept a very good player away from rivals Michigan and Penn State. With corner back depth being an issue these days, expect to see Reeves on the field from day one, either locking down receivers or on special teams. The Buckeyes continue to compile a very good recruiting class under Urban Meyer and only have a few slots left before things fill up.

The Buckeyes are still waiting to hear from Kyle Dodson, Devonte Neal, Stefon Diggs, and Jamal Marcus as we head to National Signing Day this Wednesday. The Buckeyes are currently holding the #3 ranked recruiting class (according to Scout.com) and if they hit on all 4 remaining players, they could move as high as #2.

 

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

While We’re Waiting… Baseball’s Age Problem, Tight End Depth and Winning the Hickson Trade

January 23, 2012 by 7 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com

“A lot of people may fault Carmona, but he is a product of a bad system. Major League Baseball is doing their best to police the problems with age and name falsification and the rampant use of steroids. On top of that players are often bribed by buscones (street agents) where they are promised food, shelter, training, and help with getting a signing bonus in exchange for a pre-arranged sum of money. There is only so much the league can do to control it.

Carmona is just another example of a system out of control. He is not the only one either as several players have been caught recently – such as Miami Marlins pitcher Leo Nunez a few months ago – and more will be caught in the future as there are probably several players in the big leagues and minor leagues currently playing with false identities.” [Tony/Indians Prospect Insider] [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Urban Meyer Bringing Recruiting Excitement to Ohio State

January 20, 2012 by 20 Comments

OSU Coach Urban Meyer

When Urban Meyer was hired to be the new head football coach at The Ohio State University, everyone knew things were going to change at Ohio State. Many predicted that recruiting in particular would be dramatically different under Urban Meyer’s watch.

That’s no slight on Jim Tressel. Urban Meyer will be lucky to match what Jim Tressel accomplished in his decade at the helm. But Jim Tressel was a rare, unique man and coach. His laid back approach to recruiting meant that Ohio State took a decent number of “projects”, if you will. If there was a player of exceptional character but borderline talent, Tressel wasn’t afraid to offer the kid a scholarship in the belief that he could coach him up. And it worked. Tressel’s track record of turning overlooked 2- and 3-star recruits and turning them into players drafted by NFL teams speaks for itself. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Urban Meyer Hangs On To Star Recruit Brionte Dunn, Looks to Keep Building Class of 2012

December 14, 2011 by 28 Comments

If you think back to Memorial Weekend, The Ohio State University football team was reaching the culmination of the darkest time in recent history. You’d have to go back to Woody Hayes’ unfortunate punch and resulting termination to find a more stunning end to such a successful period of OSU football.

With Jim Tressel being pushed aside despite the University’s administration previously proclaiming their full support of the coach, with the potential for more violations to surface in the fallout, with the heavy cloud of NCAA sanctions hanging overhead, with the daunting challenge of dealing with multiple suspensions to star players. All of these things were weighing heavily on the program.

So to think that Ohio State could have anything close to resembling hope, forget optimism, before the end of 2011 would be something of a miracle. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Ohio State Lands Top Recruit in Ohio, Adolphus Washington

November 22, 2011 by 21 Comments

It’s been a tumultuous time for Ohio State football, and questions continue to linger over the future, but on Tuesday the Buckeyes received some outstanding news on the recruiting front.

Adolphus Washington, the 6’-6”, 240 pound defensive end from Taft High School in Cincinnati announced that he will be attending The Ohio State University next season. Washington is the #1 recruit overall in the state of Ohio per Scout.com and he is the #3 DE in the country. Scout.com also has him ranked as the #1 player in the Midwest.

Being able to secure the top player in Ohio is a major accomplishment for the Ohio State staff. As mentioned, the Buckeyes are facing a lot of questions right now. They are still waiting to hear from the NCAA on potential additional sanctions, their coaching situation is still up in the air and by all accounts there will be a different coaching staff next year. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pickerington’s Roger Lewis Commits to Ohio State

August 10, 2011 by 8 Comments

With all the scandal and all the uncertainty with regard to the future, Ohio State knew that recruiting the 2012 class was going to be an obstacle. This point was driven home by the flux of top Ohio recruits committing to Michigan, including the likes of Tom Strobel and Chris Wormley. The deepest blow, of course, came from Kyle Kalis’s decision to de-commit from Ohio State and commit to Michigan.

It has become clear that while the 2012 class just isn’t interested in going to play football at a place where it is unknown yet what punishment is coming and who the head coach will be in the future. And while this is certainly understandable, it’s also unfortunate for Ohio State and puts them in a position they certainly aren’t used to when it comes to recruiting, particularly in Ohio. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Buckeyes Bolster Defense on National Signing Day

February 2, 2011 by 18 Comments

Quarterbacks always get headlines. The signing of QB Braxton Miller from Huber Heights was certainly a big deal for the Buckeyes and their rabid fan base, especially with Terrelle Pryor’s suspension. In two years however, the defense will again be the unit that has the Buckeyes in BCS contention, and this recruiting class will be a big reason why.

It starts on the defensive line with top recruit Steve Miller, a lighting fast DE from Canton McKinley. Miller committed to Ohio State back in 2009, so there wasn’t much mystery surrounding his choice, but he should be the next star defensive lineman. Miller is joined by 6’6″ Chase Farris, who may end up moving inside to DT, but could easily play outside as well. Joining the pair is DE Kenny Hayes from Toledo. All three are 4-star recruits and ESPN U top 150 players.

As impressive as the defensive line haul is, the group of linebackers may be even better. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , ,

Ohio State Lands Terrelle Pryor’s Heir Apparent in Braxton Miller

June 3, 2010 by 9 Comments

It’s impossible to discuss the QB position at Ohio State without looking at it through the context of Terrelle Pryor. While the jury may still be out of Pryor’s ability to live up to the hype surrounding his recruitment, there’s no escaping or mistaking the weight of that publicity. So while Wayne High School (Huber Heights, OH) quarterback Braxton Miller may not have been the most hyped player Jim Tressel ever landed, he just might be the best QB Coach Tressel has ever pulled in.

At a press conference at his high school this afternoon, Braxton Miller, the #2 QB in the nation according to both ESPNU and Rivals (Miller was the #1 QB according to Scout.com), announced his intentions to join the 2011 class at The Ohio State University. Miller had offers from over 40 schools, and prior to making his announcements, his finalists were Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, with Florida and OSU the supposed final 2 schools.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

While We’re Waiting… Grading the Offense, OSU Recruiting and an Updated 2010 Mock Draft

January 19, 2010 by 47 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

90043133AB018_Cavs_WarriorsMid-season grades take on the Cavaliers offense: “This has been an underachieving facet so far, not using [Shaquille] O’Neal enough and failing to develop a late game bedrock routine like their defense has done. When the Cavs have lost, it is rarely because they were dominated. It is often because their offense let them down with self-inflicted wounds, like lack of ball movement or high-volume turnovers.

The team has some of the best shooters and 3-pointer shooters in the league — they rank high in the league in both categories. But seeing the difference in their first-quarter execution and fourth-quarter execution is a referendum on their mental toughness so far. Grade: C+.” [Brian Windhorst]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

While We’re Waiting… Tommy Likes Mike, Tribe Winter Development, and Andy’s New Approach

January 12, 2010 by 27 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

the who TommyGo to the Mirror! “The turning point in the recruitment of the high-respected executive was the involvement of Holmgren.  Last year around this time, Heckert had the opportunity to interview for the GM job made available by the firing of Phil Savage.  However, the more Heckert talked with owner Randy Lerner and others around the league, the more it became crystal clear that not only would Eric Mangini become “his” head coach if he accepted an offer, but that Mangini would wield considerable power and clout within the organizational structure.   That dynamic has changed, however, by Holmgren’s presence atop the club’s flow chart.” [Lane Adkins & John Taylor/The OBR]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

While We’re Waiting…Draft Options, Wallace’s Plans, New Buckeye QB

June 24, 2009 by 7 Comments

While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

benwallacemediaday

Other NBA teams are starting to make moves. Richard Jefferson to San Antonio. The Wizards are getting Mike Miller and Randy Foye, for the #5 pick and some change. Is anything in the works in Cleveland? Besides this I mean. (How is this a story?) Mary Schmitt Boyer/Plain Dealer

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

National Signing Day: Marlon Brown On the Clock

February 4, 2009 by 8 Comments

In what is becoming more and more like a national sports holiday every year, today is “National Singing Day” for the 2009 NCAA football season. 

At approximately eight o’clock this morning, we caught word that one of Ohio State’s top recruits – cornerback Justin Green - has actually signed a letter of intent with Big Ten rival Illinois.  It is never good to lose a four-star recruit, especially one that was ranked in the top ten at his position.  Green was also ranked as the second CB overall in terms of speed and athleticism by Rivals.com as he currently holds the record for the 100-meter dash for the state of Kentucky.

Thankfully, we can still hold out hope that four-star wide receiver Marlon Brown decides to come to Columbus.  The 6’5″ pure athlete out of Tennessee is ranked fifth overall at his position and is third in terms of athleticism.  As we mentioned a few days ago, Jim Tressel has some stiff competition for Brown’s services as Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss are all considered to be options.

With their 25 commitments, Ohio State is currently second (LSU) in the recruiting rankings.  Brown makes his announcement at 3:45PM.  We will keep you updated as needed.

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ohio State Adds Four-Star Offensive Lineman

February 2, 2009 by 3 Comments

Perusing the list of the top offensive line recruits in the nation, it was a bit painful to see that the top tier of kids that have committed to this point are all staying south.  The top two offensive tackles in the land will be playing their freshman ball in Alabama (DJ Fluker) and Texas (Mason Walters) respectively.  The third- and fourth-ranked recruits?  Well, one is heading to Gainsville, Florida to protect Tim Tebow.  The other will be staying in his home state of Louisianna playing for the Tigers of LSU. 

But while the recruits in the south are opting for the SEC, Buckeye coach Jim Tressel has added Cleveland’s own Marcus Hall to his list of commitments for the 2009 football season.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts