Archives for February 2014

Here is a quick look at how I see the top of Ohio State’s recruiting board. This list is fluid and always subject to change. As we all know, the arms race of recruiting can change in a hurry.

10) Minkah Fitzpatrick DB (6’0 185 lbs Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) – Tall defensive back with range and speed. Fitzpatrick is being courted be schools all over the country. Ohio State would love to keep their recent pipeline to New Jersey flowing. However, Fitzpatrick won’t be an easy get from the Garden State. Alabama seems to be the early leader with South Carolina and Ohio State right behind them. It’ll be interesting to see if Fitzpatrick’s teammate, QB Brandon Wimbush’s destination will have any impact.

9) Devante Peete WR (6’5 195 lbs Pompano Beach, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) – The ever elusive tall split end Ohio State has coveted the past two recruiting seasons may be on his way in 2015. The answer could be south Florida’s own, Devante Peete. Peete possesses a unique blend of size and speed that Urban Meyer desperately wants on his offense. Peete attended a bowl practice down in Miami and plans on making it up to Ohio State in the near future. St. Thomas Aquinas has been a bit of a Florida pipeline for the Buckeyes and hopefully that trend continues this recruiting cycle.

8) Steven Gonzalez OL (6’5 300 lbs Union City, NJ/Union Hill) – Ohio State’s impressive 2014 offensive line haul won’t stop them from recruiting more top notch talent at the position. Gonzalez is just that and it appears that Ohio State holds an early lead for his services. Offensive Line coach Ed Warinner is the lead recruiter. The Big Ten’s expansion to the east coast may help the Buckeyes in this New Jersey native’s recruitment as well.

7) James Daniels OL (6’4 282 lbs Warren, Ohio/Harding) – Daniels is the only offensive line prospect from Ohio the Buckeyes have offered to this point. The son of former Buckeye, LeShun Daniels, James appears to be poised to join the Buckeyes at some point. Like his father, he seems destined to play guard at the next level.

6) Ricky DeBerry LB (6’2 238 lbs Richmond, VA/St. Christopher’s School) – While Ohio State has recruited well at linebacker the last few years; they still can’t seem to develop much depth. In order to change that, they need to reel in guys like DeBerry. There is no doubt; the hiring of Larry Johnson will help Ohio State immensely during this recruitment. Expect DeBerry to visit Ohio State sometime in the next month or two.

5) Nick Conner LB (6’3 230 lbs Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto) – Conner has blown up in recent weeks on the recruiting trail. He recently made a visit to Columbus and is definitely high on the Buckeyes. Urban Meyer and co. have not yet offered but that could be coming soon. Stay tuned, I think it’s only a matter of time.

4) Justin Hilliard LB (6’2 215 lbs Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) – Without a question, Ohio State has the first pick of top talent year in and year out in the State of Ohio. However, Cincinnati has been a problem area for the Buckeyes to consistently land talent. Meyer and Cincinnati native, Kerry Combs, have hit the Queen city hard the past two years and it’s time to see if their hard work pays off. Hilliard is not only one of the best Linebackers in the Midwest, but the whole nation. Ohio State has some stiff competition early on in Michigan, Iowa and Oklahoma.

3) Tim Settle DL (6’2 290 lbs Manassas, VA/Stonewall Jackson) – The strength of Ohio State’s defense is their defensive line. With that being said, that won’t stop the Buckeyes from pursuing Settle in a relentless manner. Simply put, Settle is one of the best defensive linemen in the nation. After watching his film, it’s easy to see why all the top programs in the nation are going to scratch and claw for his signature come February 2015.

2) Jerome Baker ATH (6’1 210 lbs Cleveland, OH/Benedictine) – Baker has size and speed and projects on both sides of the ball. He will either play linebacker on defense or running back on offense. I tend to think he plays linebacker at Ohio State if he signs with the Buckeyes. Given Ohio State’s success recruiting Cleveland, I expect him to be a Buckeye when it is all said and done. Don’t sleep on Penn State though; surely they will not stop recruiting Baker.

1) Torrance Gibson QB (6’4 198 lbs Fort Lauderdale, FL/American Heritage) – With nearly a year until signing day 2015, Gibson appears to be one of the highest priorities in the Ohio State class. The interest is mutual and I expect the Buckeyes to remain in heavy contention into the fall. He’s got a unique blend of height and speed. He reminds many of Terrelle Pryor with his long strides but has a bit more quickness than Pryor. We’ll see what happens with this one, but with Meyer in Columbus, the Buckeyes will have a great chance to land this super talented signal caller.

Make no mistake about it, the return of senior quarterback Braxton Miller was the biggest recruiting news the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff received all off-season. Miller’s return not only provided the Buckeyes with national title hopes going in to the 2014 season, but also allowed for less experienced backup quarterbacks, Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, to prepare further more for their opportunity to start in the upcoming years. Joining that quarterback competition in January is a signal caller from deep in the heart of Georgia, Stephen Collier. Collier was not the most glamorous quarterback recruit in the 2014 class, but in my opinion the Buckeyes received a very good quarterback. Let’s take a look at his skill set and the impact he’ll have in the future.

Background
Stephen Collier
3 Star QB, Lee County High (Leesburg, GA)
6-4, 205 pounds

Senior Stats:
24 Pass TDs
2,300 Pass Yards
20 Rush TDs
1,021 Rush Yards

Arm
Collier has good arm strength. He does not have the arm of Braxton Miller, but he also has a much better arm than Kenny Guiton. You will not see him fit too many balls in to tight windows, but Collier has proven that he can most certainly throw a fifteen yard out on the money without worrying about him lofting the ball and the corner jumping the route. The majority of his throws across the middle of the field and deep down the field are in stride. He very rarely hangs a ball up for his receiver.

Collier’s accuracy may be the most concerning part of his game, but that’s not really saying much. The majority of Collier’s inaccuracy problems come from inconsistent footwork. He should clean that up very quickly with the help of Coach Herman. That is prevalent in young quarterbacks so calling it an area of “concern” is probably over reacting a little bit.

Collier’s release is very traditional. He has a compact, quick release which provides the ball with some snap and zip when it comes out of his hand.

Feet
As previously stated, Collier’s footwork in the pocket needs to become more consistent. He at times throws off of his back foot, and in high school he is able to get away with that. However, when the speed of the game increases Collier will need to have his feet and eyes in unison on a more consistent basis.

Collier is a very good runner. He is not Braxton Miller, or even J.T. Barrett, but Collier is a powerful runner. He is not afraid to lower his shoulder at the right time to pick up a first down or a touchdown. Collier is not very shifty, but he is able to maneuver throughout the pocket, while keeping his eyes downfield, and either deliver a strike outside of the pocket, or create some yards on the ground. Collier ran a similar system to the Buckeyes offense in high school, so he should be comfortable with the read option game, and also be productive on designed quarterback keepers. Do not expect to see Collier rush for more than 8-10 times in a game. If he does, the Buckeye offense will be in trouble.

Mind/Intangibles
This is my favorite aspect of this kid. He has impeccable character and comes from a phenomenal family. Collier will be a leader from day one. He is a grinder, who learns extremely quickly, and despite his 3 star status, earned a right to compete at the Elite 11 quarterback competition in Eugene, OR with some of the best quarterback prospects in the nation. He is a very composed player in the pocket, and does very well in chaotic situations. Listen to what the director of that Elite 11 camp, and quarterback guru, Trent Dilfer had to say about Collier below. Also make sure to check this interview with Collier done last summer.

Overall
I love Collier’s upside and how high his ceiling is. He already possesses the mindset of an elite college quarterback, which is generally half the battle with a lot of talented players like Braxton Miller coming out of high school. Collier loves to work on mastering his craft and I think it will lead to a very intense and tough quarterback competition next season with him and J.T. Barrett. A lot of fans were disappointed to not snag a Brandon Harris who has a very talented arm, but I think Collier is a better quarterback now and going forward than Harris. Collier is a great, great addition to the quarterbacks meeting room and in my opinion could help this team tremendously behind the scenes his freshman year, and will have the opportunity to compete for a starting job going in to his second season.

The Buckeyes added to safeties to the 2014 class.Erick Smith and Malik Hooker. These are two top notch safeties. I just see our secondary getting stronger and stronger throughout the seasons. Hopefully, with some different players and a new scheme the Buckeye defense can have a good year defending through the air.

Erick Smith: Erick Smith joined his teammate Marshon Lattimore. The both committed during the Army-All American Game. Erick is a 4 Star from ESPN. He is coming from Glenville High School in Ohio. He is just another example of being able to recruit good players in the state is crucial. Smith is 6’1 and weighs about 185. He is a very good safety being rated 11 in his position. He makes plays and is very well in zone coverage. If you watch his highlights from his State Champsionship game you can see how good of an athlete he is. Also, you can see how easy he can come up and make plays. He is going to be a huge part of that fast defense shaping up for OSU.

Malik Hooker: Malik is a 6’2 185 safety out of New Castle, PA. He was given a 4 star from ESPN. He is the 50th safety coming out of the 2014 class.If you did not know, Hooker spent his first two years playing basketball at New Castle. He started playing football his Junior year. Clearly, he adjusted to the game quickly with offers flying in. He received some solid offers from Arizona, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Michigan. This is another good commitment for Ohio State. It is important to have many good players at each position in a recruiting class. Malik brings much more depth to the class.

So late last night I was able to catch up with 2014 safety Shelby Spence. As you can imagine the young man who is also considering Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Chicago was catching up on homework so our conversation was brief as I didn’t want to ruin his GPA. 🙂

As for his visit he had a great time at OSU and enjoyed his time in Columbus. He was hosted on his visit by early enrollee QB Stephen Collier. Spent most of his time with Mark Pantoni because unfortunately Coach Meyer was out of town all weekend.

As for an offer… He is still waiting for some info from the coaches on that issue and will be in contact with them later this week. He is not sure still if there will be an offer made whether it is full ride or preferred walk-on.

He can see himself attending Ohio State and that it would be a great place for him to spend his College years but just isn’t ready to make that call yet without more information that he hopes to have soon. He does not have a timetable of when he will make a final decision but hopes to know everything he needs to know soon so he can begin the process of finalizing his plans.

We will have more on his plans and info about his contact with the coaches later this week.

Speed, versatility, and play-making ability are all characteristics of the 2014 receiver and running back recruits. Meyer and staff went out again and brought in some of the fastest players in America. Not only are these guys fast, but they are very talented at their specific craft. The receiving core last year was abysmal so Meyer went out and recruited another true number 1 type wide-out. He also recruited another Dontre Wilson type player, and a future stud H-back. With all that said, lets take a look at the future play-makers who will don the scarlet and grey.

Noah Brown
4 star WR/H-back, Pope John XXIII (Sparta, NJ)
6-2, 215 pounds

While Brown was recruited as a receiver, it is my personal opinion that he would fit perfectly in an Aaron Hernandez type role, without the jail time. Brown is a physically dominant receiver on the outside, but he also ran the ball in high school, and split some time at the tight end spot. Since he did play multiple roles in high school he is somewhat of a raw product when it comes to one specific position. However, the potential is there for Brown to be a major contributor. If he were to add another 10-15 pounds to his frame he would become a match-up nightmare. If Brown is able to find a role in the offense and master his craft, expect to see him on the field somewhat as a sophomore, and even more as a junior.

Terry McLaurin
4 Star WR, Cathedral (Indianapolis, IN)
6’0, 190 pounds

McLaurin is the most athletic kid in the country that you probably have not heard about. 4.4 forty speed, 45″ vertical, you name it this kid has the athletic ability to do it. McLaurin was Mr. Football in the state of Indiana, where he led his team to a state title with a dominant 3 touchdown performance in the championship game. McLaurin is a winner in every sense of the word. He’s a fairly polished receiver, but I see him making an early impact in the return game. As fast as Curtis Samuel and Dontre Wilson are, do not sleep on McLaurin. I see him becoming a punt return specialist early on, and later in his career being a very dangerous slot receiver.

Parris Campbell
4 Star RB/WR, St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, OH)
6’0, 184 pounds

Campbell ran the ball extremely effectively for St. V during his time there, but some scouts have him projected to play wide receiver. In my opinion I see him being more effective out of the backfield if he could add some size to his frame. Campbell shows that he has a great jump cut in the hole and he does not shy away from contact. His vision is pretty good, but it is his lack of natural hands and crisp route running that will most likely land him in the running back meetings to begin. Campbell will most likely need a red-shirt year to add some weight to his frame and adjust to the physicality of college football. After that I could see him earning a little playing time in his second year in the program, followed by a very busy junior and senior year.

Johnnie Dixon
4 Star WR, Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
5-10, 197 pounds

While Curtis Samuel possesses all of the hype going in to spring ball, Johnnie Dixon will have the biggest freshman year of any player on this team. Dixon is a number one wide receiver through and through. His route running is phenomenal, he understands how to uncover in zone coverage, and do it in rhythm with the quarterback. He has a great natural feel for when to get his head around for the ball. His body control is very good, and he plays much bigger than his height and frame. He plucks the ball out of the air with great ease, and to top it all off Dixon is a player who can beat press, gain separation, and only gets faster throughout his route. He is a very mature freshman, and enrolling early will help him compete for a starting job this spring. Even though there are seasoned veterans ahead of Dixon, I believe he possesses more natural wide receiving skills than both Devin Smith and Evan Spencer right now. Dixon will be an All-American by the end of his second year, this guy has it all.

Curtis Samuel
4 Star RB/WR, Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, NY)
6-0, 185 pounds

The buzz this spring has been around Samuel, and so it should be. Samuel’s speed is electric. He has been clocked running 4.38 forty, and sometimes looks even faster than that. Samuel will play the hybrid role in the offense, but expect the majority of his contribution to come on kick returns and at the running back spot to begin his career. Samuel is a play now guy who can line up in the backfield, where Wilson lined up last year, as I expect Wilson to be shifted out more for receiving purposes. Samuel is a very decisive runner, who makes purposeful cuts and has very little wasted movement. That reason alone makes him at times look faster than what he is. I expect Samuel to get up to around 195-200 pounds and become a serious focal point of the offense in his freshman campaign. I expect his numbers to surpass Dontre Wilson’s freshman numbers, because Samuel is a better runner and decision maker with the ball than Wilson was coming in as a freshman. Enrolling early will be huge for Samuel, and the coaching staff, as he can go through the weight training, and also learn the playbook early on. Samuel is a very gifted player and in my opinion with some added size and playing experience, he could easily become one of the most electric play-makers in the Big Ten for years to come.

Well I wrote yesterday that Ohio State fans should be on commitment watch I wasn’t talking about the young man who became commit number three for Coach Meyer and his staff. Today’s news of a commitment comes from the state of Florida and Safety Ben Edwards a 4 star 6′ 200 lbs recruit from Jacksonville, Florida. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 5th best Safety in the country and the 149th best recruit overall.

Everyone, today I committed to the Ohio State University!!!! #BuckeyeNation Aaayyyyeeee!!

— Ben Edwards (@Ben_Edwards_) February 11, 2014

Ben Edwards is likely just the first of a few recruits from the state of Florida this year. Coach Meyer is making a major push to establish Florida as a recruiting base for OSU again. Last year the only recruit they landed from Florida was WR Johnnie Dixon while he is great you need Florida kids to succeed in CFB these days.

While offensive line is not a glamorous area of recruiting, it was the focal point of this Buckeye recruiting class. With four starters departing, the Buckeyes needed to build depth and add talent to a very young and inexperienced unit. While the Buckeyes did not land every major target they pursued on the recruiting trail, the coaches were very pleased with the class they brought in from top to bottom. Let’s take a look at the crop of kids Coach Warriner will be receiving, and where they’ll end up at the end of their Buckeye careers.

Brady Taylor
3 Star OT- Bishop Ready (Columbus, OH)
6’5, 276

Taylor was the last offensive lineman to join the 2014 class, but may be the one with the highest upside. His frame will allow him to add around 25-30 pounds, and with Coach Marotti they will make sure that the extra weight does not take away from Taylor’s excellent athleticism. Taylor played both sides of the ball in high school, spending time at the left tackle spot, and also defensive end. He was able to bully several kids due to his freakish athletic build, but when he faces real pass rushers at the next level there will be some technical areas Taylor will need to master. First of all, his punch is very soft which will provide any competent college pass rusher the opportunity to get in to Taylor’s body and manipulate him as they please. Second, while he does do a good job of engaging defenders, he is often too high in his pad level. Most young lineman face the challenge of learning how to properly pass protect in college, and Taylor is no exception. However, his athleticism could easily speed that learning curve and help him break the two deep in his second or third year, after red-shirting his freshman year.

Marcelys Jones
4 Star OG- Cleveland Glenville (Cleveland, OH)
6’5, 325

Really like this kid a lot. Not quite sure what kept him from being a higher 4 star than what he was, but Jones is a very good looking prospect. The first thing that jumps out at you with Jones is his size. He has a college ready body, just needs to redistribute some of his weight to provide him with a more stable frame. The second thing that stands out is Jones upper body strength. Jones will not only pancake defenders, but he does a great job of getting a hold of them and never letting them go. His hands are pretty violent and his tenacity to finish is what you would like to see from a young lineman. Jones does have a tendency to play too high, probably because he knows that his technique can suffer a little due to inferior opponents. Once he becomes more disciplined in that area of his game, I expect Jones to break the two deep very early in his career. Enrolling early only helps those chances of success.

Kyle Trout
4 Star OT- Lancaster (Lancaster, OH)
6-6, 300 pounds

Trout is one of the more intriguing prospects. At 6-6, 300 pounds he still looks very lean and will need to add some muscle to his frame. His athleticism will be a positive attribute to assist him in playing tackle in college, however he will need to improve in certain areas of his game for that to become a reality. Trout is good against the run, but his pass protection skills will need a lot of refining. He plays too tall, his punch is nearly non-existent, and he often allows defenders to get in to him with ease. Trout will be a utility lineman in his career at Ohio State. I don’t see him becoming a starter at the tackle spot unless he does some major reconstruction to his pass protection. Enrolling early will help, but Trout will red-shirt this season, and most likely be a solid depth player for the Buckeyes moving forward.

Demetrius Knox
4 Star OG- All Saints Episcopal (Fort Worth, TX)
6-4, 294 pounds

A common theme with this class is lineman who can move. Knox is no exception to this rule. While he played tackle a lot in high school, you will see Knox transition to the guard spot in college. Knox is excellent in run blocking. He plays with low pad level, and will drive and shed defenders very easily. He will need to add some size to his frame to deal with the level of competition he’ll face in college, especially in the run game. In pass protection Knox possesses a lot of tools you would like to see a young lineman have. He shadows defenders well, and deals with change of direction very well. Solid feet, but he needs to increase strength and usage of his hands. If Knox can harness that, I expect him to compete for a starting job by his sophomore season, and contribute in the two deep this upcoming season.

Jamarco Jones
4 Star OT- De La Salle (Chicago, IL)
6-5, 290 pounds

The one that almost got away. Jones was the prize of this offensive line class. He began to flirt with Sparty closer to national signing day, but in the end stuck with his commitment to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are getting a ready now tackle in Jones. His build is fantastic for the position. He has good length, a solid frame, and is very quick on his feet. Jones does a good job, in run blocking, of keeping his pad level low, and using his lower body strength to violently drive defenders. In pass protection Jones will need some work, but is the most ready now player in this group. His lower body strength allows him to anchor in once he engages defenders. Jones is also very nimble on his feet, which allows him to mirror defenders with relative ease. When he is not able to do that however, Jones struggles to establish a solid punch, and his hand placement can be erratic at times. With one tackle spot being open on the line, Jones will come in and compete immediately for it. If he is not a day one starter, expect to see him in the two deep early and often.

This past weekend we told you that Ohio State was losing another linebacker to transfer and as any good Buckeye fan can tell you, that is like eleventy million linebackers lost in the last five years to injury or transfer or leaving for the NFL. Ohio State took four great linebackers in the 2014 class and still has some really good ones left in the cupboard from past classes. The idea was that the 2015 class would not have to focus as much on the linebacker position but, with the news of Mitchell leaving, linebacker suddenly has become a major need again.

Insert who could be the best inside linebacker in the state of Ohio and a life long Buckeye fan who lives and plays 20 minutes from the Horseshoe. Nick Conner is a 6’3″ 225 lbs 4 star ILB from Dublin, Ohio. Nick is a prototypical hard nosed linebacker. As I was interviewing Nick last night, he talked about the fact that he is a run stopping linebacker but can drop back in coverage and cover a tight end. He also mentioned playing offense last season as a tight end and running back. He was very proud of his 13 touchdowns on both offense and defense. His stats speak for themselves: 129 tackles, 19 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 3 INTs, and 2 defensive TDs as a standout LB playing the Stud position (Star for OSU).

Nick talked about what schools he has offers from and told me Illinois was his first offer and how excited he was to get that offer. He said the three offers he most seeks is Ohio State, Michigan State, and pretty much any big time warm weather school. Growing up a Buckeye fan in a family of Buckeye fans, you could hear in his voice when he spoke about Ohio State how excited he is for this visit. His main recruiter is Coach Fickell and although I think he would like more interaction with Coach Fickell, he spoke very highly of him and how he could tell Coach Fickell cared about him and his family and would always be there if he needed anything. He has his most contact with Mark Pantoni the man, the myth, and the legend of all thing Ohio State recruiting.

He has been to Ohio State for games and has recently been in touch with Coach Meyer who asked him to visit with his family this week. It made perfect sense to do it today with the huge OSU vs UM basketball game this evening. Nick and his family will head over to meet with Coach Meyer and Coach Fickell and Mark Pantoni to discuss a lot of things, I am sure. Nick is excited at the possibility of an offer being made today but knows it isn’t a sure thing. He has his head on straight and won’t get too excited before knowing if he has an offer or not.

Will Nick commit on the spot if he is offered? That is the million dollar question. He told me that he has considered all the scenarios but deep down inside he knows if he is given an offer today he could see himself committing if the moment is right for it. The important thing he knows is that he has to get the offer first and talk with his family to make sure it is right for him. But knows the gravity of being an Ohio kid and getting his dream offer. His excitement over possibly getting an offer from Coach Meyer was restrained but palpable at the same time.

Most of the people reading this story can imagine how he feels being an Ohio State fan the dream is to play for them. Nick has the ability and the grades 4.0 and 3.97 in the 2 quarters this year. He has the passion and talent to be a great LB for what ever team he lands with. If Ohio matters to Coach Meyer and landing the top talent in the state matters than I imagine Nick will get that offer and once he does can’t imagine him not committing maybe as soon as today but at least at some point in the near future.

Nick Conner will be at the Best of the Midwest combine in Indianapolis on Monday and will be tested in all of the normal things. We will update his stats info once we get them from him. Another interesting fact about Nick the kid loves him some A1 steak sauce and his last meal would include a steak dinner with a lot of it. He is undecided about what he would like to major in at college but his grades will allow him to go into any major he chooses. We will have a follow up interview with him when his visit ends and will update all of you on how it goes and where he stands.