Congratulations to the twenty-five young men who signed letters of intent with Ohio State on National Signing Day. By most estimates, Ohio State has secured a top five recruiting class, which should keep the Buckeyes in contention for B1G championships, and possibly opportunities to advance to The College Football Playoff.
I would like to approach this article from a different perspective – looking at the recruits from more of a numerical approach. Let me get started with the tremendous tweet from Mark Pantoni, Ohio State’s Director Of Player Personnel…
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) February 5, 2016
I am not nearly as creative as Mark Pantoni, but below is a quick visual to give Ohio State fans an idea as to how many recruits are from specific states…
Looking at the numbers of the recruiting class, Ohio State signed 5 offensive linemen, 5 defensive backs, 3 tight ends, 2 wide receivers, 2 running backs, 2 linebackers, 2 defensive ends, and at least one quarterback, defensive tackle, punter, and an athlete designation in Malik Harrison, who was the last player to commit to the Buckeyes on National Signing Day.
It is difficult to classify anyone within a class this highly ranked as a “sleeper”, but I must confess that I am openly rooting for OL Gavin Cupp and DB Jahsen Wint. Cupp had a highly publicized recruiting saga this past summer, with his Michigan State scholarship revoked by attending Ohio State’s Friday Night Lights. Fortunately for Cupp, Cupp was able to earn his Ohio State scholarship. My impression of Cupp, without watching any of his game tape, is of a player willing to scrap and fight to get onto the field.
As for Wint, he was a later addition to the recruiting class, officially committing to Ohio State at the beginning of 2016. Wint is listed at 5’11”, 186 lbs, and at safety – his reputation is one of a tenacious hitter. I will be hoping to see if his reputation is well-deserved, beginning this fall.
Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer has made the statement that he wants to play eighteen of the twenty-five players who signed on National Signing Day. Will that come to pass? With many open positions, as well as positions lacking depth, these freshmen will be given every opportunity to make it so.
Leave a Reply