Eli Apple

A young Eli Apple with Coach Tressel

Eli Apple was the fourth recruit to commit to the Buckeyes in the 2013 class, so he was sort of forgotten during signing day. Depending on the recruiting service, Apple was regarded as one of the best cornerback recruits in the country. The 6’1″ 190 lb US Army All-American from New Jersey recorded 45 tackles to go along with two interceptions and 17 pass break-ups. Apple’s great instincts and ball skills jump out on film, as he makes a huge impact from his cornerback position, whether it be in run support or in coverage. He also has the size and athleticism to play right away whether it be at cornerback or on special teams. Apple has yet to play a down in his Buckeye career, but expect him to be the next great cornerback to come through Columbus. ESPN ranked Apple as a 5 star recruit and the 11th best prospect in the country. Rivals, 247 and Scout ranked Apple as a four star recruit.

Cameron Burrows

Cameron Burrows is a 5’11” 203 lb Under Armour All-American cornerback from Trotwood, Ohio. Like Apple, Burrows excels in both man and zone coverage, as well as in run support. He possesses great instincts that stand out in his film as he always seems to put himself in the right position to make a play. Burrows has great size, which could remind Buckeye fans of  an even taller Malcolm Jenkins. Rivals, ESPN, 247 and Scout all ranked Burrows as a four star recruit.

Gareon Conley

Gareon Conley is a 6’2″ 170 lb Under Armour All- American from Massillon, Ohio, who decommited from TSUN to join the Buckeyes. ESPN ranked Conley as a 4 star and described him as a “national sleeper who brings a great blend of height, speed, smarts and ball skills to the position.” He is a ball hawk with great instincts and has a knack of reading the opposing quarterback. Conley will have to fill out his tall, slender frame to make a physical impact for the Buckeyes but he has the athleticism and talent to eventually become a play making defensive back. He may be a candidate to redshirt to fill out his frame. 247 and Scout ranked Conley as a four star recruit while Rivals ranked him as three star recruit.

Conclusion:

247 Sports ranked Ohio State with the number one defensive back class (cornerbacks and safeties) in the country. With numerous players whom could see time right away either on defense or on special teams, this is the positional group to be most excited about. In all honesty, barring injury or transfer, every defensive back could make an impact by the time they leave Columbus. Their instincts and ball skills are off the charts but their size is what stands out. All three corners have great height and the talent to become lock down corners in the B1G.

To say that the WRs and TE in the 2013 class is the best group on paper would probably do injustice to the DBs group but those 2 groups were by far the best of probably the greatest class OSU has ever had on paper. With just a few weeks left in the 2013 class though I am sure most fans were wondering if the WRs that OSU needs so badly would come to fruition. WRs are a finicky group of people that’s for sure and to say they love the drama would be an understatement. Fortunately for Ohio State and Coach Meyer in the end the group of WRs and the TE came together and as you will see below it is super talented and has a lot of potential. So Lets get to them….

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jalin Marshall

Jalin Marshall is a 6’1″ 195 lbs 5 star Athlete from Middletown, Ohio. Jalin is the kind of guy you can build an entire offense around. Although he did play QB in high school he will play Wide Receiver at OSU and will be an explosive option at that. He is a barn burner in the speed department. He moves well side to side and vertically. He has great hands and instincts. He may very well end up being the best player in this class when its all said and done. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 49th best recruit in the country. Scout ranks him a 5 star and the 6th best WR in the country. Rivals ranks him a high 4 star and the best recruit in Ohio and 35th best in the country. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 5th best WR in the country. Below you can see his highlights…..

Dontre Wilson

Dontre Wilson is 5’10” 175 lbs RB/WR from Desoto, Texas. Wilson who has been a commit to Oregon since last May has been wavering on his commitment since Chip Kelly was rumored to be heading to the NFL. Once that actually happened he full on started taking visits to other schools. He has visited Ohio State and his home state school Texas in the past few weeks. Dontre is the epitome of what Urban Meyer has been looking for to fill his Percy Harvin role. He is a RB who can play slot receiver run jet sweeps and be a part of the pistol package as a RB. He is a burner in the speed dept. and has the kind of moves that breaks ankles. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the no. 100 recruit nationally. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 55th best recruit in the nation. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 10th best RB in the nation. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 113th best recruit in the nation. Below you can see his highlight reel.

James Clark

James Clark is a 5’11” 175 lbs WR from New Smyrna Beach, Florida. James is a true WR that OSU has been chasing and has the speed and deep threat capabilities that OSU needs. He is a barn burner with great hands and great route running he does need to build up his size a touch though. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the no 45 WR in the nation. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the no. 49 best WR in the nation. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the no 30th best WR in the nation. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 174th best recruit in the country. Below you can see his Highlight video which is of course super impressive.

Corey Smith

Corey Smith is a 6’1″ 180 lb 4 star WR from Akron, Ohio. Corey is a JUCO guy who went to East Mississippi Community College to get his grades up to get back into the NCAA. Corey is a talented WR who also excels at Safety. There is no doubt he is a play maker in every sense of the word. He isn’t a barn burner with his speed but he uses his route running abilities to make the DBs look stupid and get things done. ESPN ranks him a 4 star. Rivals ranks him a 4 star. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the no 9 JUCO player in the country. Scout ranks him a 3 star. Below you can see some of his highlights.

TIGHT END

Marcus Baugh

Marcus Baugh is 6’4″ 235 lbs 4 star Tight End from Riverside, California. Marcus is one of those guys who quietly went about his recruiting process and most OSU fans don’t know a lot about since he from the West Coast and we don’t hear a lot about those guys. He is a WR in a TE body though with soft hands and good instincts. His pass blocking will need improvement but I doubt he will be asked to do much of that in Urban’s offense. I would expect him to bulk up a little and lose some of his “baby fat” once he gets on campus and goes through the Strength and Conditioning program. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 102nd best recruit in the country. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 6th best TE in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 3rd best TE in the country. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 82nd best recruit in the country. Below you can see his highlights….

CONCLUSION

I just can’t say it enough on paper these guys could all see playing time very early on and add depth to a depleted area on the team. This team needs play makers and WRs badly and guys who can make plays on their own. I see all of these guys playing as Freshman except for Smith who is a JUCO guy coming in. Marcus Baugh may redshirt though because there is a little more depth at the TE spot but maybe not enough for it to make sense to do that though. Overall this group is stacked with talent and all of it will get a chance to earn a spot for sure.

I would hope by now most Buckeye fans know enough about this years basketball team that I don’t need to rehash the same played out story lines. There is the ever popular “They need to find a second scorer” or the “They need a win against a top team to save their season”.

Thad Matta is in his 14th season as a HC and now has 14 straight years of at least 20 wins yet there are still people calling for him to be fired??? At least with 2 wins last week those “fans” are a lot quieter this week. What he has done at OSU has been tremendous all things considered going up against the juggernaut that is Buckeye Football. On top of that he has coached in what has arguably been the best basketball conference in the NCAA for the last few years. Coach Matta deserves a lot more praise and a lot less criticism in my humble opinion.

But having said that lets get to the game itself….

SCORE

Ohio State 68 – MSU 60

How we won this game?

Aaron Craft seems to be a lot like Coach Matta in the way the fans react to them. When things go well Craft is given lots of praise and when things go bad he takes most of the heat. This game Craft will get a huge amount of praise for shooting 7-12 and 7-8 on FTs in scoring 21 points a career high for Sir Swoons-A-Lot. He also contributed 6 assts and 3 rebs and 1 steal. He did all that while also staying out of foul trouble and leading this team to victory.

The other key to this victory was the way Evan Ravenel played coming in off the bench scoring 10 points on 2-3 shooting and 6-7 on FTs. He also contributed 5 rebs, 1 steal, and 1 block. he gave the team a much needed spark and energy boost when they were playing ho hum and losing.

How we nearly lost this game?

Garry Harris and Adriean Payne and Derrick Nix played as well as humanly possible they shot the ball well and rebounded it even better. They just didn’t have enough support from the rest of their team.

Here is where I am going to go on a bit of a tangent about DeShaun Thomas. He once again shot a horrible 4-12 and 2-7 from 3 point range. This kind of stat line seems to be the norm for DT this season and we just can’t have that from our best player night in and night out. In the last 5 games he has shot 25%, 37%, 47%, 35%, and 40% and that is killing this team.You just can’t have your best player taking more shots than he has points if you want to win big games. He has regressed as a shooter this year and as the man in this offense that revolves around we need him to make better decisions and shot selections. Hopefully he will get this figured out sooner rather than later as he is playing himself right out of the NBA draft and will need to return next year to get back in it at this point.

Conclusion

Overall this game was fun to watch and a great win. It continues to show this team can beat anyone when they control the tempo and play with heart and desire. There are only 3 games left in the regular season and only 1 game this week which is @ Northwestern on Thursday. They need to dominate that game start to finish and notch a road win to keep this momentum going into next weeks tough games @ Indiana and home against Illinois. Anything can still happen this year and OSU has the chance to make statements and make their case for why they should be a top 4 seed.

Vonn Bell

In what Urban Meyer described as one of the greatest recruiting performances he had ever seen by safeties coach Everett Withers, the Buckeyes went into SEC country (Georgia) and wrestled away the fourth ranked safety in the country, Vonn Bell. The Buckeyes fought defending National Champion Alabama and Tennessee for the 6’1″, 190 lb 5 star safety. Bell is the complete package at safety as he has great range, is excellent in run support and possesses great ball skills. With his size and athleticism, Buckeye fans should be seeing a lot of Bell this year, either on special teams or at safety. Vonn Bell was ranked as a 5 star by both Rivals and Scout and a 4 star by ESPN and 247.

Jayme Thompson

Jayme Thompson is another hard hitting commit for Coach Fickell’s defense. Thompson is a 6’2″ 185 lb safety from Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio. Thompson is more of a strong safety prospect compared to the ball hawking Vonn Bell. He tends to play better in the box, where he is strong in run support and is a very good blitzer. Thompson may have to be coached up a bit by Coach Withers to improve his coverage skills, but he possesses great athleticism to play safety at a high level. He could be a candidate for a red shirt with three safeties already on the roster and Bell, but we shall see. Jayme Thompson was a consensus 4 star prospect by ESPN, Rivals, 247 and Scout.

Some have said that Vonn Bell was the most important player recruited by the Buckeyes, as it proved that Meyer could go down into the south and battle the SEC for a big time recruit. With injuries and inconsistency from the elder safeties, Buckeye fans could be seeing Bell earlier than expected, but if not he will get his chance to start next season. Thompson is a player who could play strong safety or the STAR position with his size and athleticism. Overall, Buckeye fans should be ecstatic with both players and especially Bell who could turn into one of the all-time Buckeye greats at safety if he lives up to the high expectations.

With every recruiting cycle there are lots of players for fans to gush over and for them to declare as the next great player for insert school name here. Mostly though the QBs and RBs are given the biggest virtual parade to welcome them to the class and school. Ohio State and its fans are no different. The 2013 class brought us only 1 QB and officially 1 RB and both are super stars in waiting and perfect for the system that OSU has in place now and will utilize in the future. So here to remind you and update you are the guys from the 2013 class who will be the future of the program for the next 5 years or so.

QUARTERBACK

J.T. Barrett

J.T. Barrett is a 6’2″ 205 lb 4 star Dual-Threat QB from Wichita Falls, Texas. According to 247sports Barrett is the no. 3 ranked Dual-Threat QB and the no. 100 overall best recruit in the nation. Rivals has him listed as the 152nd best prospect and Scouts has him as the 13th best QB in the country. Unfortunately for Barrett he suffered a severe knee injury in his SR year and dropped in the rankings because he was out of sight and out of mind but the reality is if he heals well he has the tools to succeed big time. JT being a dual-threat QB will fit in perfectly in the Coach Meyer spread offense. He is the perfect combination of thrower and runner. He has the accuracy and the speed to confuse defenses. At the same time he is a natural leader who will command the offense and make everyone around him better. This is a huge pick up for Coach Meyer and his staff. You can see his highlight reel below. It is from his JR year….

RUNNING BACK

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott is a 6’1″ 210 lbs RB from St. Loui, Missouri. Big Zeke is a scat back at heart. He isnt small by any sense of the word but has elusiveness and shiftyness that will fit so well in Urbans system. He has great hands and will be a threat to catch the ball a lot and make plays out wide. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and 84th best prospect in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and 109th best recruit in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and 9th best RB in the nation. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and 70th best recruit in the country. Below you can view his highlight reel.

Conclusion

Both of these guys are the future of Ohio State football. JT Barrett will surely red shirt his freshman year as he is still recovering from his knee injury. Ezekiel Elliott on the other hand will see some time on STs and most likely on offense in the jet sweeps and pistol formation. The future is very bright with this duo of offensive stars.

Well it is the weekend which means Urban Meyer and company are hosting a list of top tier recruits who are at the very least interested in playing for Ohio State. This weekend is no different with 3 big time visitors on tap that include Lonnie Johnson a 3 star WR from Gary, Indiana and Malik McDowell a 5 star DE from Detroit, TSUN, and Clifton Garrett a high 4 star LB from Plainfield, Illinois.

Lonnie Johnson tried to commit a few months back when OSU offered but the coaching staff and his mentors decided he should wait until he was more knowledgeable about the process. If he still wants to commit this weekend would the staff accept it this time? That is the million dollar question. In his JR season he had 31 catches and 777 yards and 13 TDs. Watch his highlights below….

Malik McDowell is the biggest target this weekend because it would further decimate TTUN and MSU to lose the best player from TSUN and would cause even more uproar from their fan bases which pleases us here at motsag to no end. Malik is a special player for sure and a national prospect that has all of the top schools in the country chasing him. His JR season he had 63 tackles and 15 TFL and 1 FF. Watch his highlights below….

Clifton Garrett is one of 4 LBs from the 2014 class that many OSU fans will hear a lot about over the next year. He is a big time player and a top of the board recruit for OSU. He seems to be as big of fan of OSU as OSU is of him so although he has said he wont commit anytime soon don’t be surprised if he does sooner rather later. His JR seasn stats were 78.5 tackles and 3 TFL and 3 FFs. Watch his highlights below….

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.