Tag: ohio state recruiting

WATCH: Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day welcomes the 2020 early enrollees

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke to the class of 2020 early enrollees. Watch what he said here.

There’s still the latter and customary official signing day that’s still to take place in February, but for all intents and purposes, the Ohio State football program has the guys its bringing in for the 2020 class already signed and committed.

An unprecedented fourteen players reported to Columbus over this past weekend as early enrollees looking to get a jump on their college career, and the red carpet was figuratively rolled out to welcome the new crop of recruits. Of course, the main man looking to welcome new members of Buckeye Nation was none other than head coach Ryan Day.

“This is the beginning of a journey for you guys,” said Day. “A lot of stars have to align for you guys to be in the situations you’re in right here. So as you guys come in, you step into this situation — you chose Ohio State for a reason. And so with that come great expectations. You’re part of a special family of coaches, you’re part of a special family of the whole entire staff, and a campus that really cares about you. And that’s what makes this place great, are the people. The culture is as good as it’s ever been here before. This right here — this class — you guys are the foundation of what we are moving forward. And so with that, come high expectations.”

Watch as he talks to the group of fantastic football players and people that made it to campus to start class and begin workouts on the banks of the Olentangy. The video is courtesy of the official Twitter feed of Ohio State Football.

Go get ’em class of 2020. It’s sure to be an XXclusive one.

 

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Clark Phillips III speaks out on why he flipped to Utah from Ohio State

Former Ohio State football commit Clark Phillips III flipped to Utah on signing day. Here him provide insight on why he made the choice.

It was one of the most surprising moments of the early signing period. Four-star defensive back Clark Phillips III had been committed to Ohio State and considered a lock to come play in Columbus. But then rumors started circulating, and Phillips took a visit to Utah.

Still, many considered the class’ No. 4 rated cornerback and 47th overall recruit according to 247Sports to still choose the Buckeyes when it was all said and done.

And then he didn’t — opting to make a flip at the last moment to Utah. It left the OSU coaches and fans with a missed opportunity to land one one of the commits they were looking forward to bringing in to round out the class. It could have been another big-time talent for a secondary losing experience and skill.

So what changed?

Phillips sat down with Jeremiah Jensen at NBC affiliate KSL TV in Salt Lake City to discuss the change of heart. When asked why he shifted gears, and why Utah was the place for him, Phillips shed a little light on the situation.

“Honestly, I can speak a long time about the things throughout the process that I was looking for the things that changed,” Phillips said. “But it was about a two-week span I had a change in heart, and the family with a lot of conversations and a lot of prayer definitely led me and allowed me to have the discernment to choose Utah over Ohio State.”

When asked if there was a moment when the decision became clear to him, Phillips said it happened just prior to signing day.

“About a couple of days before signing day I was talking to coach (Kyle) Whittingham,” said Phillips. “And a couple of things happened with the other university I was committed to (Ohio State) that allowed me to see that door open for Utah and really just made me feel really really comfortable with the staff and realize that the guys that are at Utah and the staff and everything that’s in place — I felt really really comfortable with the stability, the players, and then the opportunity that’s at hand.”

You can listen to the entire exchange thanks to the video of the sit-down shared to Jeremiah Jensen’s Twitter feed below.

Phillips seems like a very good kid that took a lot of time to make the decision that was right for him. Ohio State is not right for everyone and he and his family have decided to go another route, and that’s okay.

Good luck young man.

Ohio State football currently has the No. 1 rated recruiting class for 2021

Ohio State football has currently has the number one rated recruiting class for 2021.

Okay, it’s way too early to get that excited by it, but a quick look ahead to the 2021 football recruiting classes show Ohio State on top of everyone. I know, I know, the 2020 cycle is still in bloom through February, but the fact that the Buckeyes have gotten off to such a strong start for the next cycle is a very, very encouraging sign for the future momentum of the program.

The Buckeyes have already hauled in seven verbals for the class, and could get another one on Wednesday. That would be eight players this early in the process, and it’s not just warm bodies.

The crown jewel of the class so far is Pickerington North product Jack Sawyer, who is rated as the No. 2 overall target in the class from the defensive end spot. All told, Ohio State already has five top 100 recruits according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The overall start rating average of .9611 us also an astronomical figure. It’s highly unlikely to stay that high, but the class is looking like another stud one.

Remember when OSU was supposed to take a downturn in recruiting when Urban Meyer sailed off into the sunset? Yeah, it ain’t happening.

Four-star offensive lineman from Texas set to make college decision Wednesday

Four-star 2021 Texas offensive lineman Donovan Jackson will choose his college of choice Wednesday. Ohio State is considered the favorite.

The world of recruiting never ends in big-time college football. Ohio State just capped off almost all of its 2020 recruiting class during the early signing period in December, and now it’s about looking forward to a 2021 class that’s shaping up to be one of the best in the country yet again.

One of the biggest prizes the Buckeye coaches have had their eyes set on is Texas four-start offensive lineman Donovan Jackson. At 6-4, 308 lbs., he is a big, strong body that should translate to the next level early on in his career. And now, he is ready to make his choice.

According to an announcement on his Twitter feed, Jackson is all set to let the world know where he’ll be honing his craft in college on Wednesday. And … Ohio State is considered a heavy favorite to land his services according to 247Sports’ Crystal Ball Projections.

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We will of course be on top of this announcement when it comes on Wednesday. If it is Ohio State, it’ll add to a recruiting class that is already ranked as the best in the country early on.

Jackson will make his choice between the Buckeyes, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.

Five-star defensive end includes Ohio State in list of final six teams

Five-star 2021 defensive end Tunmise Adeleye out of Katy, Texas has included Ohio State in his final six list of schools.

Ohio State is in the running for one of the best defensive ends in the class of 2021. Tunmise Adeleye is a 6-3, 260 lb. five-star recruit out of Katy, Texas that has offers from almost every big-time program in the country.

According to 247Sports, he’s the No. 3 rated defensive end, and No. 26 overall recruit in the entire class. He’s had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, LSU, and others. And now, he’s announced his list of final six schools that include the prospects of playing for defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the Ohio State program.

The other five schools include Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Florida. There is no timeline for a decision, and there’s a ton of time before one has to be made, but as further news develops we’ll be on top of it.

For now though, it looks like Ohio State has made enough of an impression on another Texan to at least grab his attention.

Ohio State Recruiting: Final Thoughts On The 2020 football Class … So Far

For all intents and purposes, the 2020 recruiting class for the Ohio State football team is in the books. Here’s some final thoughts.

The Ohio State football 2020 recruiting class is done … for now. It was a consensus top five class and there are some significant pieces to like across the board. There might be a change here or there when the traditional signing period finishes up in February, but for all intents and purposes, what you see is what you get for this recruiting cycle.

The Buckeyes may have turned their attention to the Fiesta Bowl, but now that the weekend is over, it feels like a good time to take stock in the haul that was the 2020 class Ryan Day and company brought in during the early signing period.

So off we go with some thoughts and observations.

Next … Thoughts and observations on the 2020 Ohio Sate football recruiting class

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Buckeye Battle Cry: Why can’t any other Big Ten team recruit at the level of Ohio State?

Ohio State once again pulled in the top rated recruiting class of any Big Ten team. Why can’t other teams compete? We discuss.

Another top-flight recruiting haul is in the books for Ohio State, one that’s a consensus top five class. It’s heavy on offensive lineman, wide-receivers, and defensive backs. But more than anything, it is heavy on talent once again.

The Buckeyes once again signed the best recruiting class in the Big Ten, and it’s not really even close. Michigan and Penn State tried to keep up, but you have to go down pretty far to find a Wolverine or Nittany Lion commit that has a rating at the top of what OSU pulled in.

But why? Why does Ohio State continue to recruit at an elite level while other programs in the conference can’t? We know it’s not for trying, but the Michigans of the world will never compete on a consistent level with the Buckeyes until they can close the gap in the talent coming in.

We’re throwing this out for our weekly Buckeye Battle Cry roundtable, and like usual, we’ll let Mark kick it all off.

Next … Mark’s theory

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Complete Ohio State football 2020 recruiting class

All the dust has settled and we have your complete Ohio State football 2020 recruiting class from the early signing period.

The Ohio State 2020 recruiting class is mostly in the books save for the potential additional signing from athlete Cameron Martinez in February, or another surprise somewhere along the way. It’s the way of the college football world now, when most of the work is signed, sealed, and delivered during the first day of the early signing period.

Now that we know what’s official, we’ve got the entire 2020 recruiting class including position, hometown, and national/position rankings and star ratings.

It’s a consensus top five class, and one that should keep Ohio State as one of the premier programs in the country. Here’s your complete 2020 Ohio State football recruiting class.

Ohio State Football 2020 Recruiting Class
Name Position Hometown National Rank/POS Rank Star Rating
Julian Fleming WR Catawissa, PA 2/1 *****
Paris Johnson, Jr. OL Cincinnati, OH 7/1 *****
Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Rockwall, TX 33/5 ****
Gee Scott, Jr. WR Sammamish, WA 62/12 ****
Lathan Ransom DB Tuscon, AZ 79/5 ****
Mookie Cooper WR Maryland Heights, MO 82/15 ****
CJ Stroud QB Rancho Cucamonga, CA 83/2 ****
Luke Wypler OL Montvale, NJ 96/2 ****
Cody Simon LB Jersey City, NJ 123/9 ****
Kourt Williams LB Bellflower, CA 153/11 ****
Jacolbe Cowan DL Charlotte, NC 161/15 ****
Darrion Henry DL Cincinnati, OH 166/16 ****
Ryan Watts DB Little Elm, TX 258/17 ****
Lejond Cavazos DB Bradenton, FL 259/26 ****
Jack Miller QB Scottsdale, AZ 290/14 ****
Joe Royer TE Cincinnati, OH 406/11 ***
Josh Fryar OL Beech Grove, IN 428/20 ***
Grant Toutant OL Warren, MI 464/37 ***
Mitchell Melton LB Olney, MD 541/37 ***
Miyan Williams RB Cincinnati, OH 621/46 ***
Ty Hamilton DL Pickerington, OH 753/36 ***
Jakob James OL Cincinnati, OH 834/53 ***
Trey Leroux OL Norwalk, OH NA/89 ***
Jake Seibert K Cincinnati, OH NA/2 ***

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Longtime Ohio State 2020 DB commit Clark Phillips III flips to Utah

Ohio State has lost out on the services of 4-star DB Clark Phillips III. He has officially flipped his commitment to the Utah Utes.

The writing was on the wall.

After being committed to the 2020 Ohio State recruiting class, four-star DB Clark Phillips III took an official visit to Utah just before the first day of the early signing period to put things up in the air. He then postponed his decision a day and decided to reveal his commitment today at 2PM.

In the end, he has chosen to go with the Utah Utes over Ohio State, completing what can be considered as the only real drama in the signing period for the Buckeyes to date. Four-star Michigan athlete and OSU commit Cameron Martinez is also still out there, but he won’t decide until likely February.

Phillips is the No. 4 rated cornerback in the country, and No. 47 overall recruit in the entire class according to 247Sports. There’s no doubt this is a big miss for Ohio State, but there are still some very talented DBs on the roster and on the way to take the sting out a bit.

So what precipitated this move? It’s most likely collateral from Jeff Hafley accepting the head coaching position at Boston College. Hafley had been instrumental in developing a relationship and recruiting Phillips, and his departure seems to have at least somewhat fractured the relationship and intentions of the 5-10, 178 pounder out of La Habra, California.

We wish nothing but good things for Phillips and we’ll keep tabs on how he does in Utah.

A whopping fourteen 2020 Ohio State football recruits are expected to enroll early

An unbelievable fourteen of the so far 24 commitments for the Ohio State 2020 recruiting class are expected to enroll early.

It used to be that a college football prospect would still finish out his senior year in high school and look to join good ‘ole State U in the fall to begin his development on a “normal” schedule. But over the last fifteen years or so, early enrollees are becoming more and more common.

More of your blue-chip recruits want to graduate from high school early and get a jump on their football life in college. So, they get on campus in January and hit the ground running. It’s no different at Ohio State, but this year specifically has a slew of early enrollees ready to hit campus and get to work.

In fact, an OSU record 14 of the 24 signed recruits from the first day of the early signing period are expected to enroll early and jump into winter conditioning. Here’s the complete list of which players are expected to pack up their belongings and come be a part of all the fun — in order of 247Sports Composite recruiting ranking.

Julian Fleming, 5-Star WR, St. Louis, Catawissa, Pennsylvania

Paris Johnson, Jr, 5-Star OL, Cincinnati, Ohio

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 4-Star WR, Rockwall, Texas – Signed

Clark Phillips III, 4-Star CB, La Habra, California (*pending OSU signing)

Gee Scott, Jr., 4-Star WR, Sammamish, Washington – Signed

Mookie Cooper, 4-Star WR, Maryland Heights, Missouri- Signed

C.J. Stroud, 4-Star QB, Rancho Cucamonga, California- Signed

Luke Wypler, 4-Star OL, Montvale, New Jersey – Signed

Kourt Williams, 4-Star LB, Bellflower, California – Signed

Jacolbe Cowan, 4-Star DL, Charlotte, North Carolina – Signed

Darrion Henry, 4-Star DL, Cincinnati, Ohio – Signed

Ryan Watts, 4-Star CB, Little Elm, Texas – Signed

Lejond Cavazos, 4-Star S, Bradenton, Florida – Signed

Jack Miller, 4-Star QB, Scottsdale, Arizona – Signed

Say what you will about staying a kid and finishing out your high school experience, but there’s a proven track record of kids getting on campus early and making inroads towards an early role with the team.

The fact that so many kids are ready to get things going says a lot about the work ethic and hunger of this 2020 class.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

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