Archives for February 2013

Billy Price

Billy Price is a 6’4″ 305 lb defensive tackle from Youngstown, Ohio. He was very solid on the defensive line for Austintown Finch High School, making plays in both the run game and the passing game. His tape shows his knack for big play ability by causing turnovers and sacking the quarterback. Like the other defensive lineman recruits, Price gets after the quarterback and possesses a very high motor. He has a chance to get into the defensive line rotation right away and still has a very high ceiling. Throughout the film he shows a mean streak which is key to great defensive line play. Price was ranked as a four star across the board by Rivals, ESPN, 247 and Scout.

Michael Hill

Michael Hill is a US Army All American who stands at 6’3″ 315 pounds and reigns from Pendleton, South Carolina. Hill had offers from every major school and chose the Buckeyes over Alabama, LSU, Florida and many others. Hill is one of the more dynamic defensive tackles in the nation and possesses great athleticism for his size. He recorded 81 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, six sacks and four forced fumbles his junior year. He is another player that could get immediate playing time on the defensive line. Hill has the size and strength to play on the interior and the speed and quickness to get some time on the outside. On film he dominated almost every lineman that he played against in both the run and pass game. We can add Hill to the long list of play makers that were recruited this year on the defensive line. Rivals, ESPN, 247 and Scout all ranked Hill as a four star defensive tackle.

Donovan Munger

Donovan Munger is a 6’3″ 285 lb defensive tackle from Shaker Heights, Ohio. Munger has the size and ability to play both sides of the ball, which he displayed dominance on both the defensive and offensive line during his highlight tape. He is not a real flashy player on either side of the ball as he seemed to just over power the opponent in high school. Could be a red shirt candidate to add some weight to his frame and would benefit from good coaching from Coach Vrable. He is a great run stopper who would see the field on goal line and running situations. Munger was ranked as a three star by Rivals and ESPN and was ranked as a four star by Scout and 247.

Conclusion

This post wraps up the excellent defensive line/ defensive end class recruited by the coaching staff. Although we could see some red shirt or transfer due to the abundance of young talent in the trenches, this is by far the deepest and most talented group recruited. Including the defensive ends, we could be seeing up to 4 freshman with significant playing time this season. Price and Hill could be three down terrors with their talents and we could see Munger as a run stopping specialist at some point. Buckeye fans should be very excited for this very deep and gifted defensive line/ defensive end class.

Joey Bosa

Joey Bosa is a 6’6″ 275 lb defensive end who played at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Bosa earned both Under Armour and USA Today All- American honors as he recorded 75 tackles and 14 sacks his senior year. Not only did he record 14 sacks but he constantly pressured the quarterback into poor throws and basically dominated every lineman he went against. Bosa could also be confused with JJ Watt as he bats down many throws by using his height and long arms to get into passing lanes. He possesses a very quick first step and every hand movement that he makes is very violent, which tends to knock opposing lineman off balance. Like Mike Mitchell, Bosa is a throwback kind of player who brings nastiness to Coach Fickell’s defense. Although there is an abundance of young talent on the Buckeye defensive line, Bosa will certainly make an impact in 2013. I will go as far to say that he will make the greatest impact on the defensive side of the field compared to the rest of this very deep recruiting class. Rivals, ESPN and 247 all ranked Bosa as a four star recruit, while Scout ranked him as a five star and the fourth best defensive end in the country.

Tyquan Lewis

Tyquan Lewis is a 6’4″ 225 lb defensive end from Tarboro, North Carolina. As a Junior, he registered 63 tackles and 12 sacks from a two point stance (see video below.) Lewis is an interesting prospect, as he has never really played in a three point stance and will need to be coached up to play on the defensive line. He excels at rushing the passer and could have potential after a possible red shirt season. Lewis does have a quick first step and could be a menace on third down, rushing the passer later on in his career. File Lewis as a project right now but he could surprise after a full camp. ESPN ranked Lewis as a three star recruit, while Rivals, 247 and Scout ranked him as a four star.

Tracy Sprinkle

Tracy Sprinkle is a 6’4″ 250 lb defensive end reigning from Elyria, Ohio. Last season Sprinkle dominated, as he recorded 103 total tackles and 19 sacks from his defensive end position. It seems as though Meyer has loaded up on the defensive line and all of these defensive ends are premiere pass rushers with supreme athleticism, and Sprinkle is yet another example. He explodes off the edge on a consistent basis and lays punishing hits on opposing quarterbacks. Sprinkle has a relentless motor and is constantly around the football making plays in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. He does have the body to play right away but we will see if he can find a niche in this loaded defensive line. Rivals, ESPN, 247 and Scout all ranked Sprinkle as a three star defensive end but as an early enrollee, he could stand out in camp.

Conclusion

This three man defensive end class is highlighted by Joey Bosa but both Tyquan Lewis and Tracy Sprinkle are very talented and should make an impact by the time their Buckeye careers are finished. Look for Bosa to make a splash from day one with his relentless motor and nastiness that he could bring to the defense right away. I fully expect him to play a high percentage of snaps at either defensive end or at defensive tackle depending on the scheme. Lewis seems like more of a project compared to the other two as he played his high school career in a two point stance and he could also add some weight to his frame. Sprinkle has the body and talent to play right away but will he be able to break into the stacked depth chart on the defensive line? This group has scary pass rush potential and they will be giving B1G quarterbacks nightmares for years to come if they pan out.

Frankly a lot of recruiting gurus were predicting this the moment that Lawrence Marshall announced he had committed to OSU. I always prefer to give the benefit of the doubt. While this isn’t the most surprising move ever happening so soon probably is. Below you can see a brief but detailed timeline for this whole thing….

February 10th– He commits to Ohio State and becomes the 4th member of the 2014 class

February 11th– He tells the guys at 11W in an interview the following….

“@Derek11W- Q: Is your process completely over? Do you plan on taking any more visits?

Lawrence Marshall- A: I do not plan on taking any more visits. Ohio State is the pick.”

February 12th– Visits MSU and attends the MSU vs. TTUN basketball game sitting with MSU FB players.

February 13th– Visits TTUN.

February 13th– Tweets out the following…..

I had a great time at Michigan State yesterday, I had a wonderful time at Michigan today, an and ever better time at Ohio State but I want

— Lawrence Marshall Jr (@ESPN_Lo) February 14, 2013

to consider other schools so i am decommitting from Ohio State

— Lawrence Marshall Jr (@ESPN_Lo) February 14, 2013

Clearly these past few days have been a roller coaster ride for a young man who is impulsive to say the least. Decommitments happen and who knows where he will end up at the end of this process but if history repeats itself you will never see him in an OSU jersey on the field. Most of the time they never recommit especially for Urban Meyer.

Darron Lee and Christopher Worley are both in-state, talented players but it is unknown where defensive coordinator Luke Fickell will play them. Both are athletic, heavy hitters that played safety (Lee) and outside linebacker (Worley) in high school and have the attributes to play either position for the Buckeyes.

Darron Lee

Darron Lee played high school football in New Albany, Ohio and dreamed of becoming a Buckeye. He was an under the radar recruit with offers from some mid-level BCS schools (Arizona St., Boston College, Kentucky, Toledo, etc.) but no powerhouses. Lee attended the Ohio State summer camp and actually outplayed Vonn Bell throughout the camp. After impressing the coaching staff, he earned a scholarship offer and the rest is history. Lee is a 6’2″ 200 lb athlete who could see time at either safety or outside linebacker. Personally, I see him as more of a strong safety type because of his mixture of sure tackling, closing speed and ball hawking ability. If he is not at a strong safety, he could line up at Meyer’s STAR position behind Christian Bryant. He is really impressive on tape and although I do not think we will be seeing him much this year on defense due to returning secondary talent, he may work his way onto special teams. Lee could be one of the steals of this class as he possesses excellent ball kills that are hard to find at any level. He also has great size and played well in run support which is why some say he could play linebacker for Coach Fickell. Rivals, ESPN, and 247 all had Lee as a three star recruit, while Scout had him ranked as a four star recruit.

Christopher Worley

Christopher Worley is a 6’3″ 190 lb outside linebacker who played at the Ohio State football factory, Glenville. I see him in the same situation as Lee but with more of a lean to outside linebacker than safety. Worley punishes the ball carrier on almost every hit he delivers and is a great open field tackler. I project him as an outside linebacker especially with more voids to fill at that position but Coach Fickell could put him at strong safety/ STAR as he covered a lot of running backs and slot receivers at Glenville. He constantly lined up in the slot and made most of his plays outside of the tackle box, either blowing up screens or runs to the outside. Worley could play close to the line of scrimmage for run support and covered the flats pretty well which is why he will most likely play outside linebacker. Like Lee, Worley has the size and ability to play special teams right away and Coach Fickell will ultimately decide where to play him on defense as he gets older. Rivals, ESPN and Scout all ranked Worley as a three star recruit, while 247 ranked him as a four star outside linebacker.

Conclusion

Darron Lee and Christopher Worley could line up at various positions in their Buckeye tenure and their versatility sets them apart from others. They were both under the radar recruits that caught Meyer’s eye and he felt that they both deserved offers. They played good competition in high school and I think Meyer came across two gems that should have had more scholarship offers, especially Lee. Both could either redshirt or play on special teams and neither option would surprise me. The more big, versatile athletes that Coach Fickell has to plug into his defense, the better. They are both quality football players and both will eventually be making plays at either strong safety, STAR or outside linebacker for the Buckeyes.

Mike Mitchell

Mike Mitchell is one of the most special players in the 2013 recruiting class. Mitchell is a 5 star 6’4″ 216 lb outside linebacker from Plano, Texas. He was named a US Army All- American and Rivals ranked him as the number one player in the entire state of Texas. At the Nike Sparq combine, he was clocked at a blazing 4.39 40 yard dash and recorded a 40 inch vertical jump. He blew away the entire field at the combine, including the skill position players. Mitchell is not just a combine freak though, he is a classic, throwback linebacker.

Mitchell has a motor that does not stop and it stands out in his film. Nicknamed “The Abusement Park”, Mitchell  brings a nastiness to the defense and he is the type of player that will get significant playing time from day one. Expect him to start off as a special teams ace on kick off with his speed and tackling ability. He will be competing with under performing Curtis Grant for one of the starting OLB positions and if Grant can not put it all together, expect Mitchell to eventually start. Mitchell has an uncanny ability to get after the passer as an edge rusher and get stops in the backfield. His vision and play recognition are second to none. Mitchell recorded 151 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 11 sacks his junior year. His supreme athleticism and motor will remind fans of AJ Hawk and his nastiness and violence reminds me of ex- Florida Gator and current New England Patriots linebacker, Brandon Spikes. Rivals ranks Mitchell as a five star and the 26th best player in the nation. ESPN ranks him as a four star and the 128th best player in the nation. 247 ranks Mitchell as a four star and the 95th best player in the country. Scout ranks him as a five star and the number two best linebacker in the country.

Trey Johnson

Four star inside linebacker Trey Johnson completes the Buckeyes two man linebacker recruiting class and fills an immediate hole for Defensive Coordinator Luke Fickell. Johnson is a 6’1″, 222 lb inside linebacker hailing from Lawrenceville, Georgia. The Buckeyes beat out Florida and Tennessee after Johnson de-committed from Auburn. Fickell is getting a southern linebacker who has the tools to start right away for the silver bullets. Coaches have raved about Johnson’s football smarts and his understanding of X’s and O’s. He may not have the crazy combine results like Mitchell but he will put himself in the right place to make the play and he will rarely make a mental mistake.

Johnson averaged 18 tackles a game as a Junior, finishing with 164 total tackles. He reads his keys quickly and makes numerous plays in the backfield. Like Mitchell, expect Johnson to get playing time in year one and possibly start or be a part of the linebacker rotation. Rivals ranked him as a four star and the third best inside linebacker in the country.  ESPN ranked Johnson as a four star and the 48th best player in the country. 247 ranked him as a four star recruit and the third best linebacker in the country. Scout ranked Johnson as a four star and the 16th best linebacker in the country.

In Conclusion

Like the offensive line, there were only two recruits for this position. Except, in my opinion, these are two “can’t miss” prospects. Other than Ryan Shazier, no one else is guaranteed a starting spot at linebacker and these two freshman could step up and make an immediate impact. Mitchell is the type of athlete and person that will not accept a seat on the bench. I expect him to have a heavy special teams role from day one and eventually take over a starting job at outside linebacker or even be used as a pass rusher off the edge in passing situations. Trey Johnson has the smarts, instincts and athleticism to start right away next to Shazier. After reading up on Johnson, it seems that he will rapidly comprehend Meyer’s defensive scheme, which will put him in place to either start or be put into a rotation at inside linebacker.

Although there is not a lot of depth in this class at linebacker, these two players have what it takes to make an immediate impact in 2013. I would give this position an A+ and I do not see either of these prospects not living up to the lofty expectations that have been placed upon them.

Over the next week or so myself and Chris (@Cjason112) will take a look back at the 2013 recruiting class via a positional recap. We have decided to break things down in groups and will post once a day a post on each of the following OL, WRs & TE, RB & QB, on offense. On Defense it will be DL, LB, and DBs. There were no ST members in the class. We will be utilizing their personal commitment post and updating their final rankings with the 4 recruiting services and where we think they will play at OSU and how they will be utilized. We will also discuss if they should or will redshirt. Hopefully we will be able to get the info so many of our readers are craving but if you have questions or thoughts we would love for you to share them with us in the comments section. To start things off I will take a closer look at the OL.

Evan Lisle

Evan Lisle is a 6’6″ 265 lbs 4 star OT from Centerville, Ohio. Evan Lisle is a huge OT recruit and Evan fills a need at position we lack depth at and has the size and agility to play either right or left tackle. He needs to put on a little more weight but he has the athletic and lean look Coach Meyer wants from his OLmen. He will have every chance to play early and often. He excelled at the HS all star game and raised his recruiting rankings tremendously. My guess is he will not Redshirt and will be a backup early in the season. His final rankings are impressive to say the least. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 106th best recruit in the nation. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 89th best recruit in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 5th best OT in the country. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 90th best recruit in the country. You can see his highlight video below.

Tim Gardner

Tim Gardner is a 6’5″ 310 lbs 4 star OLman from Indianapolis, Indiana. When OSU first started recruiting Tim they asked him to lose some weight and he put in a lot of hard work and earned his spot in the class. OSU coaches have raved about how willing he is to do what they ask from him and how determined he is to get better and become a part of OSUs class. In the end though I think he will move from OT to OG and will redshirt his freshman year. He is the kind of recruit who will have to fight and work extra hard to keep his body in shape and also to ever have a chance to play at OSU over higher ranked recruits. He has the ability but will always have an uphill battle. He does seem to have the heart and determination he needs to succeed so we will have to wait and see as time goes on. he isn’t nearly as highly ranked as his fellow OT Evan Lisle. ESPN ranks him a 3 star and the 11th best player in Ohio. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 24th best OT in the country. Scout ranks him a 3 star and the 31st best OG recruit in the country. Rivals ranks him a 3 star and the 17th best prospect in Ohio. Sadly I couldn’t find a highlight reel for him.

In Conclusion

This wasn’t a huge class for OLmen for OSU mostly because they missed out on so many they were chasing due to a numbers crunch. I can see Evan Lisle getting playing time early as a backup and if injuries occur it could be a lot of playing time. Tim Gardner is more of a project OLman who under Coach Warinner’s watch he can develop into a great OLman. In the end I would rank this OL class a B+ with a chance in 4 years to be a A+ or a F because it is so small there is very little wiggle room.

Don’t forget to comeback tomorrow and every day this week and next week for the rest of the recruiting class positional recaps.

So this will be the last new commit from this past weekends big haul but I have no doubt in my mind that some of the guys who were here and didnt commit will soon enough. Urban wants OSU to be fast and to be football fast and with each recruit he lands you can see a real change in philosophy of the kind of players he wants compared to what Jim Tressel always recruited. Not saying either way is right or wrong but they are completely different and time will tell if this new philosophy will pay off over the long haul. With this 3rd and last commit of the weekend comes from a super fast RB/athlete.

PARRIS CAMPBELL JR.

Parris Campbell Jr. is a 6’0″ 180 lbs RB/Athlete from Akron, Ohio. Parris is a 2 time state champion sprinter and a state champion FB player from the high school that brought the world LeBron James St. Vincents/St. Marys in Akron. Obviously he is a speed guy who at his size will project to WR at OSU but if he gets bigger could play the RB spot as well but will for sure be used in the role of the Percy Harvin type back Urban is ALWAYS seeking. None of the 4 recruiting services have ranked him yet. Will update once they do. Watch his highlight reel below.

Every year it seems to be the same story for some Ohio State fans always screaming about Ohio kids going to to TTUN and how the OSU head coach isnt doing enough to keep the in state kids. Here is the problem with that statement though every year Ohio produces over 100 division 1 prospects and on a good year OSU can take 25 kids total. You can do the math and see it is impossible to take every Ohio kid. So every year a number of disgruntled Ohio kids upset over not being offered by OSU defects to TTUN and many other schools. Most of the time though those kids arent what OSU needed or just werent good enough to get an OSU offer. Now take what is happening in this years class TSUN produces FAR less division 1 talent and what they have pales in comparison to what Ohio produces and then you insert Urban Meyer sending Coach Coombs up north to plant a flag and all of a sudden you have 2 of the best TSUN recruits picking OSU over home state schools TTUN and MSU and their fan bases are flipping out big time. TSUN cant afford to lose any in state talent to OSU when there are so few to get to begin with but now OSU already has 2 of the top 4 and is in striking distance of the other 2. Ohio State already landed Damon Webb from TTUN pipeline school Cass Tech in Detroit who spurned Brady Hoke and now you have another recruit who was heavily recruited by TTUN and MSU picking OSU yesterday in…..

LAWRENCE MARSHALL

Lawrence Marshall is a 6’4″ 225 lbs 4 star DE from Southfield, TSUN. Lawrence comes from the heart of TTUN recruiting base and was thought to be a TTUN or MSU lean and OSU was a distant 3rd heading into the weekend. Lawrence brings a ton of speed and athleticism to the DE position that Urban wants and seeks. He will need to bulk up some but I have a feeling the OSU S&C coach will handle that nicely. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the no 246 best recruit in the country. None of the other big 4 recruiting sites have ranked him yet but when they do I will update this post. In the meantime enjoy some of his JR year highlights below.