Urby has not lost his touch on the recruiting trail, and he will be challenging Hoke & Co. for the top recruiting class in the B1G. OSU's class has gotten somewhat overshadowed due to the fact that Michigan has 18 verbal commitments already, but their 11 kids are very, very good. As much as Sparty may want to deny it, if Hoke and Meyer can continue to recruit at this level, the B1G will most likely be determined by either Michigan or Ohio year in, and year out. Dantonio has done a fine job at MSU, but State fans will NEVER attribute any of their 'success' to the fact that Michigan and OSU were amidst some of their worst seasons in history. Well, I think those dark days are over for both programs, and the recruits in these classes will be battling for the B1G championship before we know it....Michigan v Ohio State for the B1G Title... the way it should be...
Jalin Marshall, ATH Middletown, OH
Marshall has been deemed the 'next Percy Harvin' by too many OSU fans, but he does draw some similarities to the electrifying utility player and current Minnesota Viking. Marshall is currently a QB for his high school team (the case for many D1 athletes), but will likely project to a Slot/RB/WR role in the future due to his ability to run up and down the field with the ball in his hands. However, his passing received high praises at the Columbus Elite 11 event, so he could potentially (not likely) get a look at QB in Urby's offense. Marshall is a pretty solidly built kid and seems like a can't miss sort of prospect. In my opinion, deserves the high excitement from Buckeye fans.
Cameron Burrows, DB Trotwood, OH
Burrows is currently the Buckeye's most highly rated recruit according to Rivals and hails from the same school as current Wolverines Roy Roundtree and Brandon Moore, as well as current verbal commitment, Mike McCray. I think Burrows is a great CB prospect due to his blend of size and speed, but some people believe he may be better suited for free safety in college. He is a rangy kid, but with his size, he has the ability to be really strong in run support as well. I still think Vernon Hargreaves and Kendall Fuller are more explosive cover corners, but Burrows brings a rare type of versatility to his game. Michigan fans like to point out the fact that Jaron Dukes had a great night against Trotwood, but Burrows is no slouch and that game should serve as a testament to Dukes's ability rather than some sort of Burrows deficiency. He is a very good prospect that excels in every facet of the game. I think he is definitely a Top 50 type player and a great get for the Buckeyes.
Eli Woodard, DB Voorhees, NJ
To me, Woodard is the more impressive pure CB prospect for the Bucks. Woodard is not as thick as Burrows, but I think he possesses more 'quick-twitch' ability. He has the agility and flexibility of smaller corners, but he still has optimal height. Some recruiting services, such as ESPNU rank Woodard as high as the 11 overall player in the nation. There is not much needed analysis on Burrows and Woodard other than the fact that they are both really good. These two commitments have to be the best CB tandem in the country for the Class of 2013.
Jayme Thompson, DB Toldeo, OH
Thompson originally committed to West Virginia, but as is the case with many OH prospects, when OSU comes calling, they listen. Thompson reneged on his commitment to the Mountaineers and joins the aforementioned studs to create a pretty stacked defensive backfield. Thompson is considered the safety of the group, but he offers some of the same skills as Burrows...a blend of size and speed. I do not know if Thompson has the 'super-star' potential of Woodard and Burrows, but he is a solid prospect nonetheless.
Joey Bosa, DE Fort Lauderdale, FL
Bosa has just about everything you look for in a DE. The kid is tall, strong, quick, and aggressive...Honestly, there's not much more to say other than he joins a group of extremely highly ranked OSU D-Linemen that will have some mighty battles with the UofM O-Linemen in the very near future. Bosa, to me, projects best at 5-Tech SDE, and because of his strength and quickness, I think he could be a terror at 3-Tech DT as well. Bosa looks like a stronger, quicker Henry Poggi (who is also a very good player).
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| Joey Bosa... at Michigan....Oh |
Tracy Sprinkle, DL Elyria, OH
Sprinkle, to me, was some what of a surprise offer for OSU, especially because of the string of superstar DL in the past few classes. Sprinkle is probably on the "shorter side of "6'4" with a larger frame. I think he will most likely bulk up and play inside at the collegiate level because he does not seem terribly agile. In his film, he beats tackles with a bull-rush or straight line speed that probably won't defeat the bigger, quicker tackles in the B1G. I think Sprinkle could develop into a solid prospect, but he does not have the film of a Joey Bosa. He sort of reminds me of current Michigan player Kenny Wilkins, to be honest.
Price created a bit of a stir early in his recruitment when he publicly rooted for the Buckeyes while on a visit to Michigan. Shockingly, Price committed to the Buckeyes shortly thereafter. Price is a thick bodied DL that will play inside for the Bucks. Michigan fans are also familiar with David Dawson's ability to stone Price in a recent camp on his way to MVP honors at the OL.
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| The Battle... |
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| Defeat... ( . )( . ) |
Lisle is the only offensive line commitment for the Bucks, which has to be a concern at some point in the near future. The Buckeyes have missed out on a couple of big prospects, and I know a lot of their fan base thought recent LSU Commit, Ethan Pocic, was a realistic target. Lisle is a highly ranked, thin tackle prospect that will have to add a considerable amount of mass before he is able to play at OSU. Because he is about the size of a large TE, he moves around very well along the line. his film reveals the ability to kick out and engage blockers in the second level. He is a very aggressive OL prospect, and once he gains the proper weight, he will be a good one for the Bucks. He reminds of an Oregon OL named Andre Yruretagoyena that Michigan recruited in the Class of 2011. Good get...
Ezekiel Elliott, RB St. Louis, MO
Elliott is a good sized tail-back prospect at 6'0 200lbs, and he recently took home the RB MVP award, an invite to The Opening, and an invite to Gridiron Kings after his performance at the Illinois NFTC last weekend. FYI, Elliott took home all the MVP honor over recent USC verbal commit, Ty Isaac... if you know who that is. Elliott displays good agility and speed for his size and should be able to make a contribution in Meyer's dynamic offense.
Marcus Baugh, TE Riverside, CA
Baugh is another top offensive recruit at Urby's disposal. After his commitment, Baugh stated that one of his largest attractions to OSU was the way in which he was going to be used in Meyer's offense. According to him, he was recruited as a hybrid TE in the mold of former Gator and current New England Patriot, Aaron Hernandez. Baugh is a few inches taller than Hernandez, but I think we all would like to hope that he will not be as good as Hernandez.
JT Barrett, QB Wichita Falls, TX
Barrett, in my opinion, is one of the most overlooked players in Ohio's current recruiting class. The ball-slinger out of Texas has pretty impressive film where he displays outstanding mobility and a pretty strong arm for a dual-threat QB. Recently, at the Dallas Elite 11 tryout, Barrett was listed as the 4th overall performer by Rivals's Brian Perroni, which happened to be one spot ahead of Michigan's own Shane Morris. Albeit, Morris had a fairly poor day, but still, Barrett brings more than just athleticism to the QB position. Barrett looks like he has a similar skill-set to Braxton Miller, but he is much less hyped.
Overall, Urban Meyer has recruited like a champ basically everywhere but the OL. If the Bucks can secure some quality linemen in the months to come, the stage will be set for some pretty intense games over the next 5 years.
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