Even though the NCAA extended the dead period of coaches not being allowed to visit with recruits face-to-face, that doesn’t stop players from visiting campus on their own. With news that tight end Bennett Christian visited Ohio State and the pursuit of five-star 2022 offensive tackle Gunner Givens, it’s apparent the Ohio State football program isn’t letting up in its pursuit of elite prospects.
While coaches may not meet with players face-to-face nor visit their schools to watch games, they are still allowed to speak with players via phone and email. Face-to-face does matter to some players and parents, so it still should impact the overall recruiting throughout the NCAA. Video will be important this year, probably more so than in the past.
There are a slew of players for the 2022 recruiting class that will need to make decisions coming up, and having a dead period for a lot of programs means that the campus, legacy, and scheme will have to make more of an impact than the coach to player connection. This bodes well in a time of uncertainty, like 2020 is, for larger programs such as Ohio State.
Recruiting dead period didn't stop 2022 tight end prospect Bennett Christian – who has the Buckeyes in his final three – from making a visit to Ohio State on his own. https://t.co/ZijHLuHff1
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 15, 2020
Without knowing when the NCAA will end the dead period, and with some high school programs still uncertain about their seasons, this recruiting class could be very top-heavy for the elite schools. The Buckeyes have had top recruiting classes for years, and even without playing, there is no reason to think that will change.
Players can still talk to players, and there is nothing to stop recruits from asking questions. Players seem to really like Ryan Day and his staff, which lends to the credibility of the program even if players can’t directly talk to him or his staff. I expect as the fall and winter approaches we will all get a much clearer picture of where things stand with recruiting.
But don’t be surprised if Ohio State is right in the thick of things for one of the top classes in the country yet again.
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