Ohio State Lands Another Top Recruit: 2017 Four-Star Cornerback Marcus Williamson

Photo Courtesy: 247 Sports

Photo Courtesy: 247 Sports

The talent continues to pour into Columbus! The Buckeyes landed another talented recruit today, as 2017 four-star cornerback Marcus Williamson committed as he visited Columbus for Ohio State’s spring game. The Westerville, Ohio native is the fifth highest rated cornerback in the country in the 2017 class and the fourth highest rated overall in the state of Ohio according to 247 Sports rankings. He is the fifth recruit in an already stacked 2017 recruiting class for Ohio State. Williamson took to Twitter to express his excitement in joining the defending national champions:

Williamson stands at 5’10”, weighs 178 pounds and runs a 4.45 40 yard dash. He first unofficially visited the campus back in January before officially visiting for the past two weeks. Luke Fickell and Kerry Coombs recruited the highly rated cornerback. Williamson had offers from seven other schools, which included Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Recap of Ohio State football’s day: landed two great recruits and set the national record for spring game attendance with over 99,000 tickets sold. It’s simply another day in Buckeye Nation, as one of the richest programs in the country gets even richer (in more ways than one).

You can check out the newest Buckeye Marcus Williamson in the highlight videos below:

Three-Star 2016 Offensive Lineman Jack Wohlabaugh Commits To Buckeyes

Photo Courtesy: 247 Sports

Photo Courtesy: 247 Sports

Jack Wohlabaugh took to Twitter and announced he was officially a Buckeye today. The three-star lineman from Stow, Ohio is ranked the #30 overall offensive guard in the nation in the 2016 class according to 247 Sports’ rankings. Wohlabaugh is now the 11th player in the Buckeyes’ 2016 class, just a day after linebacker Tuf Borland became the 10th commit. He’s just the second offensive lineman in the 2016 class. Here’s Wohlabaugh’s commitment message on Twitter:

Wohlabaugh stands at 6’3″ and weighs 280 pounds. He unofficially visited Ohio State back in March and was recruited by Tony Alford and Ed Warriner. The Ohio product is officially visiting the Buckeyes today during their spring game. He received offers from 12 other schools, including Michigan, Minnesota, Boston College and Purdue. And of course the official confirmation from Mark Pantoni:

Courtesy of Hudl, check out the newest Buckeye Jack Wohlabaugh below:

Why OSU Should Ignore The UC Bearcat Challenge

First lets start off with the challenge itself which came last night as Ohio State was being honored by the Cincinnati Reds for winning the CFB Playoff National Championship this year. In what has become sort of a tradition the Reds have invited the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer to Great American Ballpark to throw out first pitches and get a round of applause from the crowd. Which in and of itself is a nice gesture and should be applauded. Then comes along the official University of Cincinnati Bearcats Twitter account to rain on the Buckeye parade…

A simple enough gesture the Bearcats want to host Ohio State in Football and/or Basketball. Getting Ohio State to play at Nippert Stadium would be great for the Bearcats. On the other hand though would do nothing for OSU and in fact would cost OSU quite a lot. How you say could it cause OSU harm? Lets discuss.

THE BAD

Loss of money– OSU is a self-sufficient Athletic Department and has the largest Athletic Dept. in the country and it takes quite a lot of money to run said AD. One home game alone on ticket sales at $80 per ticket x 106000 tickets = $8.5 million. Add in merchandise, parking, food, and other forms of income and OSU is easily bringing in 20-25 million per home game on the conservative side. Playing a game at Cincy would cost probably $500k just to travel and feed and lodge the players and coaches and OSU employees. OSU really truly cant afford to play at Cincy.

Recruiting- OSU and Cincy for the most part do not recruit the same players. When was the last time you saw a recruit with an OSU and Bearcat hat on the table when making a decision? Never is probably correct. So there is no recruiting advantage to playing at Cincy. In fact say OSU loses that would hurt OSU recruiting and give Cincy coaches a chance to make up ground on OSU on the recruiting trail.

Stadium size- Nippert Stadium holds roughly 35k fans. Sure they could play at Paul Brown which prob holds closer to 70k fans but OSU wouldnt get a cut of the money raised and would have many more fans there than the Bearcats.

Ohio Schools- If OSU caves to the Bearcats would other Ohio Schools start calling out the Buckeyes to visit their schools? Maybe? Why take the chance it is a PR nightmare.

Perception- OSU prides itself on being the only true “BCS” school in Ohio and dominates the state and there is no reason to ruin that perception because of a funny banter tweet.

But why not Basketball?– Have you seen the chicanery that happens in UC vs Xavier games? The pent up aggression between OSU and UC is palpable and there is a lot at stake and is it even worth it? Want an Ohio Tourney with OSU, XU, UC, and Dayton? Sure would be fun play it at a neutral spot not at each others home courts.

THE GOOD

There is not a single good reason for OSU to play Cincy in Cincy ever in any sport. Can you think of one? If so let me know in the comments thanks.

OSU Recruiting: What States Does OSU Offer The Most?

Recently I took a look at how Jim Harbaugh has recruited the state of Ohio or to put it another way that he hasn’t recruited the state of Ohio. Then I looked at where he was heavily recruiting and it appears he has put the vast majority of his time recruiting California and Texas. Which is not a bad strategy considering how much talent is in those states. Just found it interesting that 3 months on the job and Harbaugh has still not stepped one foot inside the Ohio Borders. No Michigan team has ever won anything without getting Ohio recruits. Ohio is fertile ground and yearly is one of the top states for Division 1 recruits. Sure Urban Meyer has locked down the state for the best recruits. That doesnt mean you completely ignore the talent rich state. Maybe it won’t help the 2016 class but it will help build relationships that will help future classes.

So I thought to myself I wonder where Urban Meyer recruits the most and spends most of his time offering kids. So lets look at a breakdown of the 2016 class and see which states has the most offers made and which states Urban and his staff are targeting and ignoring.

Total Offers Made

134 as of 3-5-15

State and offers

Florida- 34
Texas- 14
Georgia- 13
Ohio- 12
New Jersey- 9
Michigan- 9
Pennsylvania- 8
North Carolina- 6
Virginia- 6
Maryland- 5
Washington DC- 4
Tennessee- 4
Illinois- 3
Indiana- 2
Arizona- 1
California- 1
Kansas- 1
Kentucky- 1
Minnesota- 1

So lets look at some of these numbers and what it tells us.

– There are a ton of guys who play at IMG Academy in Florida who aren’t really from Florida but I included them in Florida for ease of doing this.

– Clearly Urban Meyer is comfortable recruiting Florida extremely hard and has many connections and Florida is the most talent rich state.

– There is a real emphasis being put on the New Jersey/DMV areas. These states are top heavy with really good talent. OSU is reaching into Penn State recruiting grounds and poaching the best players.

– Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania will always be the places that Urban and OSU will consider their recruiting grounds and will be the meat of the roster each year.

– It will be interesting to see how hard OSU recruits the state of Texas now that Tom Herman has left can the staff keep making inroads into the hugely talented state?

– OSU will recruit the best player in the footprint of the B1G but wont spend a lot of time in states like Minnesota and Indiana.

– No matter where the talent is Urban will reach out to it and bring in players from all over the country but Ohio will always be the bulk of every recruiting class.

Catching Up With ’18 OT Will Lawrence

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Will Lawrence is an Offensive Tackle coming out of the Class of 2018. Already, he has piles of offers from all over the country. Being so young, he is not rated by any recruiting sites at the moment but it is clear he will be one of top tackles coming out of his class. When asked about the recruiting process Will said “It’s been great! I’ve enjoyed meeting the coaches and learning about the schools.”

Will stated that Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arizona State, TCU, West Virginia, Duke, Louisville, Kansas, Florida Atlantic, Indiana and Cincinnati as the programs that had offered him. When asked about the schools recruiting him the hardest he listed Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, Alabama, Ohio State, TCU and Florida State. “I have no favorites at this point.” Lawrence said.

Lawrence will head over to Auburn on March 7th. “That’s all I have set up right now. I’m going to set up other visits later but not right now.” he explained.

Right now, there has not been much contact with Ohio State recently, but Will stated he is planning on calling Coach Johnson soon. Will described his game as “The best part of my game right now is pass protection on the edge. I get a lot of pancakes on the run game but I really want to improve my run game technique so I’ll get more.”

The biggest thing he is looking for in a program is a team that feels like a family, and an offensive line coach that could develop him. He is also looking for a really good strength program. Already, Will squats 430, deadlifts 480, power cleans 240 and benches 250. Off the field, he likes to hunt and mountain climb. Will Lawrence will just continue to pile on the offers and he will be rated as one of the top recruits in his class in my opinion.

Here are some highlights: 

Follow him on twitter @will_lawrence76

 

MotSaG Chat With 2017 QB Commit Danny Clark

This week I had the privilege of interviewing Danny Clark, who was the first verbal commit in the 2017 class for Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Clark hails from legendary Massillon, Ohio where he plays for arguably the greatest high school football team in world history. Sound dramatic? Here is a little history lesson for you: From 1935-1965, the Massillon Tigers won 9 national championships and 20 state championships. That is incredible and will never be replicated again. The Tigers are also involved in the greatest high school rivalry in the nation when they square off against archrival Canton McKinley. Great tradition, great rivalry… sounds like another team I root for.

He is ranked at No. 2 for players in great state of Ohio (trailing only OL Josh Myers from Miamisburg- Ohio State commit) and as the second ranked Pro-Style Quarterback in all of America for the 2017 class. Clark is ranked as the 48th best player in the nation according to 247 Sports. I highly suggest getting to one of his games this season because he is fantastic to watch on the football field. You will not be disappointed. So without further adieu, here is my Q&A with 4 star Massillon Tigers Quarterback, Danny Clark.

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NB: When did schools start recruiting you?

DC: I’ve started taking unofficial visits in 7th grade but schools weren’t allowed to recruit me until I was a freshman on varsity.

NB: What was the first school where you had an unofficial visit?

DC: Tennessee Volunteers, me and my dad went to a Tennessee Alabama night game as a guest of Tennessee.

NB: What schools have made a strong impression on you besides Ohio State?

DC: None. No other school comes close.

NB: What has it been like playing in the football crazed town of Massillon?

DC: It has been a great experience there’s only one Massillon.

NB: What has been your favorite memory playing for them so far?

DC: The second play of my of varsity career was a 59 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Rogers, I’ll never forget it.

NB: How does your rivalry game against Canton McKinley help prepare you for Ohio State’s game with the team up north?

DC: It’s the greatest high school rivalry in the country. There’s nothing like playing in that game. Its huge. 20,000 people. It’s a must win. NB: Who is your favorite current or former NFL quarterback and why?

DC: Peyton manning. There’s no one like the sheriff. He’s a great quarterback, a great leader, and a good guy off the field.

NB: What is a hobby you enjoy outside of football?

DC: I love lifting weights, boating, working on cars, motorcycle, and watching the Buckeyes.

NB: Have you gotten to know a lot of other 2017 recruits looking at Ohio State?

DC: Yes. Josh Meyers and I are real close, and I’ve developed a strong relationship with Bruce Judson. Trevon Grimes and I are real tight too. They’re all good guys I just try to let them know how great Ohio State is and what we can do together here. There has never been a better time to be a Buckeye.

NB: Do you know what you will be majoring in yet?

DC: Right now I’m thinking journalism. Or maybe sports broadcasting.

NB: Last question: favorite movie of all time?

DC: Predator or The Program.

I would like to thank Danny Clark for taking the time out of his day to give me this interview, my first as a member of the staff at Men of the Scarlet and Gray. Out of all the players that the Buckeyes have, either on the team already or in the midst of recruiting, Clark is one of my favorite ones. He will be something to behold when he heads to Columbus.

Below is a Danny Clark highlight tape:

Offensive Tackle Jordan McNair Talks Recruiting

The Class of 2017 is full of talent, including four star Jordan McNair. McNair is a highly recruited tackle out of Owings Mills, MD. 247Sports has his rating at 92 and the 8th Offensive Tackle coming out of the Class of 2017.  The recruiting process has started to pick up for McNair just this past year as he was able to take some visits to a couple of Big Ten schools. “The recruiting process has been going good so far.” McNair said.

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When asked about schools showing interest McNair said “Ohio State, Penn State and Maryland have offered me. I also have interest from Georgia, Tennessee and NC State.”

McNair plans to visit Ohio State over this upcoming summer. The staff was able to get out to his HS for a visit. He had many positive thoughts about Ohio State. He explained his relationship with Ohio State as “I talked to coach Larrry Johnson when he visited and told me that he liked my tape and then later that day my coach told me that they have offered me.”

Having a scholarship on the table from a top program means a lot to McNair. He explained how it was a huge honor to get an offer to play for a championship team just as only a sophomore. “Ohio State is at the top right now.” McNair said.

There is no set date on a commitment right now. Jordan just wants to improve on his game and become better. “I think I could always get stronger and work on staying on blocks longer.” he explained.

Jordan also plays basketball for his high school team. In college, he wants to study sports medicine and later become a physical therapist.

Here are some highlights of Jordan.

 

 

Four Star Offensive Lineman Isaiah Prince Officially Signs with the Buckeyes

Source: 24/7 Sports

Source: 24/7 Sports

The 2015 National Signing Day has certainly been a good one for the Ohio State Buckeyes, picking up some great players to round out a stellar 2015 class. One of those great players they were able to get at the last-minute was four star offensive tackle Isaiah Prince. The 2015 recruit is from Greenbelt, Maryland, stands at 6’6″ and weighs 272 pounds. Prince is the fourth offensive lineman added to the 2015 class, which overall is another top ten recruiting class for Urban and the Buckeyes. According to 24/7 Sports composite rankings, Prince is the 7th highest rated offensive tackle in the nation and the top offensive lineman in the state of Maryland in the 2015 class.

Prince chose the Buckeyes over Maryland and Alabama. Both schools were recruiting Prince hard and Maryland was especially thought to be a favorite by many with Prince being a home state recruit. It demonstrates how great Urban and his coaching staff is on the recruiting trail to go into other states and “steal” players right from under their home schools. Prince visited Ohio State on January 23rd and was recruited by Ed Warinner and Larry Johnson. Here’s video of Prince making his decision at his high school, Eleanor Roosevelt:

Welcome to Buckeye Nation, Isaiah Prince!

Here are his senior year highlights, courtesy of Hudl:

And here are his junior year highlights:

To see more of Prince’s highlights, click here.

Buckeyes Land Another Highly Rated Recruit: Five Star 2017 Offensive Tackle Josh Myers

Photo Credit: 24/7 Sports

Photo Credit: 24/7 Sports

The Ohio State coaches have landed yet another commit from a highly rated recruit today. Five star 2017 offensive tackle Josh Myers has officially committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2017 recruit is from Miamisburg, Ohio, stands at 6’6″ and weighs 290 pounds. Myers becomes the four commitment of the 2017 class for the Buckeyes. That makes three five-star players and one four star player in the 2017 class, which is absolutely remarkable. According to 24/7 sports, he is the third highest rated player overall, the top ranked offensive tackle overall and the number one player overall in the state of Ohio in the 2017 class.

Myers knew his mind was made up once he saw the Ohio State-Michigan game in-person. Myers said this to 24/7 Sports:

“I think my mind was probably made up for sure after the Ohio State-Michigan game,” Myers said. “That was what did it in for me. That was a great experience. I thought I connected with that coaching staff after the game and I felt in my heart it was the right place for me.

Myers said he felt a deep connection with offensive coordinator Ed Warinner, who recruited him to Columbus along with tight ends/fullback coach Tim Hinton. He really complimented the coaching staff and was impressed by how great of a team the Buckeyes have. Myers also said more than anything it felt great to finally announce it to everybody.

Myers comes from a family that is very talented athletically. His father Brad Myers was an offensive lineman at Kentucky from 1984 to 1987. His mother Julie Myers was a basketball player at the University of Dayton and his older brother Zach is also an offensive lineman who signed with Kentucky in 2012. Myers had a plethora of offers from other schools that included Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Kentucky, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Take a look at the future “big slob” below. Here are his highlights against Troy:

To see more of Josh Myers highlights, click here.

Welcome to Buckeye Nation, Josh Myers!

2016 Four Star Tight End Jake Hausmann Commits to Ohio State

Jake Hausmann

The Ohio State Buckeyes have added another great player to their 2016 recruiting class. 2016 four star tight end Jake Hausmann has officially committed to the Buckeyes. He is the sixth player added to the 2016 class, making him the fifth offensive player of the group. Hausmann is from Cincinnati, Ohio, stands at 6’5″ and weighs 235 pounds. The 2016 recruit is the third highest rated tight end nationally and seventh overall in the state of Ohio in the 2016 class.

Hausmann had several offers from other schools, including Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Cincinnati and many more. The Archbishop Moeller product was recruited by Kerry Coombs and Tim Hinton. Many were worried when Urban Meyer took over that tight ends would be underutilized, but he has certainly proved that wrong and Hausmann is another big body for Ohio State’s plethora of quarterbacks to throw to in a few years. Hausmann announced his decision to become a Buckeye via his Twitter page:

Boom! Welcome to Buckeye Nation!

Here are his junior year highlights, courtesy of Hudl:

And here are his sophomore highlights:

To see more of Hausmann’s highlights, click here.