2017 Prospect Interview – Tyjon Lindsey

After the great haul of wide receivers in the 2016 recruiting class, Ohio State is looking to keep adding talent at the position. Tyjon Lindsey is a high-profile recruit out of Centennial HS in California. He’s a versatile athlete who models his game after former Oregon Duck and current Kansas City Chief D’Anthony Thomas. Lindsey holds offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M, as well as Oregon and a few other west coast schools. Right now, he’s crystal balled to Texas A&M, where he would join his current former high school Tate Martell. There’s still hope the Buckeyes will snag this composite four-star recruit, and he would be a welcome addition to the Ohio State #Zone6.

Lindsey recently transferred from Bishop Gorman in Nevada, where he was teammates with Martell and current Buckeye commit Haskell Garrett. “I’m very close friends with [Haskell]. We used to have sleep overs and hang out outside of school when I went to Gorman,” Lindsey says. He admits both Garrett and Martell have been trying to convince him to join them at their respective schools, but he assures me, “All in all, its [sic] going to come down to me making the decision for me.”

Relationships matter the most for Lindsey in regards to Ohio State. Mark Pantoni is his primary recruiter, but he has daily group chats with coaches Zach Smith and Urban Meyer as well. It means a lot to him that the coaches make him “feel needed more than wanted.” “[The coaches at Ohio State] are one of the only schools who know my story, and I feel comfortable telling them it.” Lindsey wants to feel at home at his school, and Ohio State will undoubtedly put on its best hospitality when he visits in March. Don’t expect a firm commitment any time soon though, because he still plans on taking his visits to other schools and exploring his options.  If he does decide to be a Buckeye, Lindsey might consider enrolling early to participate in spring practices, but he’s “not 100% sure about that just yet.”

Even though he’s a star on the field, Lindsey’s just like every other teenager off it. He enjoys hanging out with his friends, running, going to the gym, watching movies – “you know, the simple things kids do nowadays.” Most kids don’t have to juggle school, friends, and sports while fielding offers from top universities however. Lindsey is confident though. “The recruiting process is getting hectic, but [it’s] nothing I can’t handle.”

The 2016 Ohio State Recruiting Class, By The Numbers

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…

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…

2016 OSU Recruits By State

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.