Top 3 Recruits Ohio State Needs To Land (Guest Post)

We here at MotSaG are interviewing several potential writers and have each of them to write about a different topic and will present them to our readers so they may give some feedback. Please leave some comments for the guys and show some support. Thanks

This post is is brought to you by JT Perry and you can find him on Twitter at @Reppin614.

I was recently posed a very simple, yet very complex question. “Who are the three most important recruits for Urban Meyer to land in the 2015 Recruiting class who are uncommitted right now?” When first asked this, several names crossed my mind, but many of these names were quickly crossed off the board looking at the depth and the skill sets that Urban Meyer has acquired in previous classes. After a while of narrowing down my focus to the most important recruits for the 2015 class, I came up with three names that pack a powerful punch. Those prospects are: DE Josh Sweat, OT Drew Richmond, and RB Damien Harris.

Josh Sweat

Josh Sweat from Chesapeake, VA has crazy athletic ability and potential for a high school recruit. Many experts compare Sweat to fellow Defensive End, Jadeveon Clowney, who may be the most athletic football player that many have seen in a long time. If Josh Sweat turns into anything like Clowney, then it is very easy to see why Sweat is the top prospect Urban needs to land in 2015. Clowney was of course the number 1 pick in this year’s draft and Sweat may see his name called this early 3 years from now, especially under Larry Johnson Sr. (Ohio State’s Defensive Line Coach). Larry Johnson is one of the big reasons that Ohio State is a finalist and will receive an official visit, along with Virginia Tech, Florida State, Oregon, and Georgia. Many see Virginia Tech as a favorite to land Sweat’s services, but Tech hasn’t had much success in keeping talent in state and Sweat is too quiet of a kid to get a read of where he may be leaning, but he remains a huge need in this class.

Drew Richmond

How many of you want to see another Orlando Pace at Ohio State? Well, if Drew Richmond from Memphis, TN, were to choose Ohio State, then you may very well get your wish. Drew Richmond has stated that he grew up an Ohio State fan and reiterated his interest in the Buckeyes by attending Ohio State’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ last week. Envisioning an elite Offensive Tackle with the skill set that Richmond has with the superior coaching of Offensive Line Coach Ed Warinner spells a combination which has the potential to produce Pace 2.0. Richmond has also expressed that he looks up to Orlando Pace and even tries to mold his game after his. This is why Drew Richmond becomes the second most important recruit that Ohio State needs in this class. I mean who wouldn’t want another possible Orlando Pace? So, how hard will it be for Ohio State to land this talented prospect? Quite hard considering the Buckeyes are competing against programs such as Alabama and home team, Tennessee. Even counting this, I would not bet against Urban Meyer on this one, as this recruitment reminds me of a fellow offensive lineman’s recruitment in Demetrius Knox, last year.

Damien Harris

Why is RB Damien Harris such a need in 2015, with promising backs like Ezekiel Elliott and Curtis Samuel already in the fold at Ohio State now? Well, Damien Harris brings a total different game than fellow running backs, Elliott and Samuel. Harris reminds me more of the game that El Guapo (Carlos Hyde) brought to the Buckeyes last season. Harris has the speed with the best of them, while also supplying some explosive power and anger that he runs with. I can see Harris adding some weight once he gets with Coach Mick (Ohio State’s Strength and Conditioning Coach), and looking more like El Guapo. Right now, Damien is a little smaller than Hyde, as he sits at 5’11, 205 lbs. I feel that Elliott and Samuel both lack the natural build to ever be what Hyde was, even though both backs will most likely pay huge dividends at Ohio State. So, why is Damien Harris so important? We haven’t seen our offense without Hyde since early last season and when Hyde came back, he added a new component to our offense. The question becomes will Ohio State struggle with this component now gone? If so, Damien Harris could come in in 2015 and fill that void as a true freshman. How good of a chance does Urban have with Harris? I’ll stick with a fair to good chance. Harris is from Berea, KY and has us in his recently released final 5, along with Kentucky, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Florida. Kentucky is seen as the biggest threat as Stoops has been able to pull in some top names in the last couple classes. That combined with Damien feeling the hometown superstar pressure has Kentucky sitting in good shape as well. Harris’s relationship with Ohio State commits, Justin Hilliard and Jashon Cornell, along with relationship with Urban Meyer is why I believe he will eventually join the 2015 Recruiting Class when he decides on December 13th. Let’s not forget that Harris grew up a Michigan fan and was once committed to them, who are now eliminated from consideration. That makes this recruitment and potential win, that much sweeter.

At the end of the day, if Urban can land any of these prospects in the 2015 recruiting class, he will be getting a game changer and potential, future all-American. All three of these prospects have the potential to be a factor in their first year along with their entire tenure at Ohio State. If Urban were to somehow land all three, well buckeye fans, get ready for a very intriguing 3-4 years that could see many national titles appearances and wins, if they all pan out to reaching their full potential. Not that we don’t already expect national title appearance and wins, but any three of these guys would put Urban Meyer and our Ohio State Buckeyes over the top. All three may just be a pipe dream, but a dream I’m willing to live in.

Class of 2015 Running Back Recruiting Targets

With the emergence of Carlos Hyde, the running back has all of a sudden become a major role in Urban Meyer’s offense.  Not that the running backs on previous Meyer Coached teams were not important, but Hyde became the first Meyer coached running back to total the 1,000 yard rushing mark.  Now that does not necessarily mean that the offense is not fit for running backs, but when you have the likes of Jeff Demps, Percy Harvin, and Tim Tebow to all split reps, well rushes can get clustered.  The running back is one of the more important parts of Urban Meyer’s offense now and it was showcased last season by how much we relied on El Guapo.  Below, I take a look at the running backs that I think have a good shot at becoming Buckeyes and take a guess at who I actually think will become Buckeyes.

1. Damien Harris- Berea, Kentucky
Much like Torrance Gibson from last weeks quarterback article, when it comes to running backs in this class, Damien Harris is at the top of the list.  Many, if not all, consider Harris the best running back in the nation.  I have to agree with this, as he is just the complete package when it comes to everything you’re looking for in a running back.  The one time Michigan commit recently released his top choice of schools, but I see this coming down to Ohio State and Kentucky.  Kentucky is the home state school and he has been there multiple times.  But, he has been to Ohio State multiple times too and is good friends with some of the other recruits in this class that are considering Ohio State.  I do not think that he is even close to being ready to decide again, but I think Ohio State is sitting very nice with Harris and I think that when his recruitment is all over, he will choose the Scarlet and Gray.  I am actually very confident right now that he will be a Buckeye.

2. Larry (LJ) Scott- Hubbard, Ohio
This recruitment has been one of the more interesting ones.  There is no doubt that LJ was very interested in Ohio State from the beginning, but there were some academic issues he needed to work out which he did and Ohio State offered.  Now that Ohio State is in the mix, he has visited the school multiple times.  There were some rumors that Michigan State was leading in his recruitment as he said that he was very close to committing there.  But, a visit to Ohio State a couple of weekends ago, has apparently changed his view on Ohio State and a lot of my sources and people with knowledge of the situation, feel confident that he is trending towards the Buckeyes.  In fact, some people even think that he could be the next commit for the class.  I do not think that is the case.  If he were to commit soon it would be in the summer, but he could drag out his recruitment.  His coach also told me that he is not ready to decide yet.  He is one of the best backs in the nation and would be good to keep him home. I think when his recruitment is all said and done, he will be a Buckeye.

3. Mike Weber- Detroit, Michigan
Ohio State has been recruiting the state of Michigan very hard since Meyer became the head coach, and Cass Tech has been good to them thus far.  Dame Webb, a 2014 recruit, is from the same high school as Weber.  I think that when it comes to running backs, Weber will be the odd man out.  He does love Ohio State and I know he loves Michigan State as well, but I just don’t see Weber being a part of this class.  They are waiting on Harris and then I think they are going to pick one of Scott/Weber.  I do not think that Weber is going to be a part of this class.  But if they wiff on LJ, then I think it could be game on for Weber, especially if LJ chooses Michigan State.

4. Nyehim Hines- Garner, North Carolina
Nyheim Hines would be the perfect fit for Meyer’s H-Back position.  He is blazing fast, running a 4.30 forty, has good hands, and is just great out in space.  I have talked to Nyheim on multiple occasions and he loves talking about Ohio State.  He grew up watching Percy Harvin, and how he succeeded in Meyer’s offense and tries to emulate his game after him.  But, he told me that if he comes to Ohio State, he is not trying to become the next Percy Harvin, but instead, win championships.  He does not have leaders but has visited many schools including Ohio State.  He came away speechless at everything Ohio State had to offered.  He is not ready to make a decision and is trying to narrow down his list, but he assured me that Ohio State would be on that list and also be getting a visit, either in the summer or for a game.  I know that he likes Ohio State a lot and was just excited about the idea of playing in Meyer’s system.  I think the H-Back would fit Hines perfectly and he understands that.  This is going to be my dark horse pick or surprise pick right now, for him to be a part of this class as the H-Back.