Update: Josh Perry verbally committed to Ohio State today, becoming the first commit in the class of 2012. Welcome to Buckeye Nation Mr. Perry!
When you are on a recruiting roll like Ohio State is, it is never too early to look ahead.
But first a quick look at the 2011 class.
Rumors are swirling that TE Nick Vannett (within a few days) and S Ron Tanner (announces on Friday) are both extremely close to officially committing to the Buckeyes.
Also, it appears that Ohio OL/DL prospect Donavon Clark may have earned himself an offer at Ohio State’s Senior Advanced Camp this past weekend. If he did in fact receive an offer, he may be another likely candidate to commit sooner rather than later, even though he says he would like to take some official visits before making a decision.
Regardless of what happens with Clark, with Vannett and Tanner in the fold, that brings the 2011 class to 17 players… before fall practice even starts.
With the 2011 class coming together so nicely, and with many more outstanding prospects waiting to fill those last few spots (Doran Grant, Aundrey Walker), it seems like a good time to take a look at 2012.
The 2011 class is going to be outstanding (no matter who fills the last few spots). The 2012 class could be even better.
I know, I know, you are probably saying to yourself that 2012 is way too far away to be making bold predictions like that. You are also probably saying that I am hopelessly optimistic as well. But seriously, the amount of in-state talent in the 2012 class is tremendous, and there are quite a few verbal offers already on the table. Best of all, it appears that almost every single stand out Ohio prospect has Ohio State as their early and overwhelming favorite.
Still don’t believe me? Well, take a look for yourself.
QB
With Braxton Miller in the 2011 class, Ohio State is relatively set at QB for the time being. Still, you can never have too many QBs in the pipeline. An extremely early target for Ohio State in 2012 is Hueytown, Alabama QB Jameis Winston. Apparently Ohio State has indicated to Winston that he is their #1 target at QB for the class and they have already extended a verbal offer.
At 6’3″ and 180 lbs. Winston is a dual threat QB in the mold of Pryor and Miller.
It is way too early to be making any predictions on this one, and I wouldn’t even say that Ohio State is at the top of his list, but he is certainly one to keep an eye on moving forward.
Highlights:
He clearly has a cannon and some solid rushing skills. One thing to remember when watching his highlights is that he is only a sophomore in those clips. Pretty impressive.
RB
If you have been reading the blog long, you know that I have said over and over that the lack of RBs in the 2011 class is nothing to worry about because of 2012.
Well, here it is. Enjoy.
First up is Columbus St. Francis DeSalles RB Warren Ball.
At 6’1″ 200 lbs. Ball is just about the perfect size for a RB. Throw in the fact that he has an outstanding combination of vision, balance, and speed, and recruiting gurus a lot smarter than I am are the most excited about Warren Ball. Given the other highly talented backs in the class, that is saying something.
Bonus points for almost certainly being a Buckeye if offered.
Next up is Florida running back Keith Byars II… yes, he is exactly who you think he is. Former Buckeye great Keith Byars also happens to be the younger Byars high school coach.
At 5’9″ 170 lbs. it seems like he could use a bit more growing, but based on who his dad is and the fact that those numbers (and the video) are from his freshman year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up quite a bit larger than that by the time he is ready to arrive on a college campus (if he isn’t already).
As a legacy, you have to think that young Byars would seriously consider Ohio State if he received an offer, but he is up against some stiff competition to receive that offer.
Another in-state back that has a lot of people excited is Canton GlenOak’s Brionte Dunn.
At 6’1″ and 225 lbs. Dunn is a classic Ohio State RB in the mold of Eddie and Beanie. He is certainly one to keep an eye on and is a heavy Buckeye lean if an offer is presented.
Finally, there is Hopewell, PA RB Rushel Shell.
At 5’11” and around 210 lbs. Shell is another back with a great combination of size, speed, balance, and vision. It is difficult to judge the mutual interest between Shell and the Buckeyes at this point, but he is apparently a big fan of Pryor and Ohio State would certainly be in the mix if they offered.
With so many solid options at RB, it will be interesting to see how long Ohio State waits to extend their first offer, and to whom.
LB
After back to back years of the top Ohio LB wavering on the Buckeyes (DePriest recruitment pending), 2012 offers Ohio State fans some relief.
Clayton Northmont LB Kaleb Ringer is one of the (if not the) top LBs in Ohio for 2012. He is also a heavy, heavy Buckeye lean. No matter what happens with DePriest in 2011, Ringer will most likely help to erase any worries about depth at LB.
Another LB to keep an eye on in the 2012 class is Michigan prospect James Ross. By all accounts, the interest that Ohio State has shown to Ross is mutual, even though the Michigan schools may put up a fight.
Finally there is Josh Perry from Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, OH.
Perry is listed at 6’4″ and 225 lbs. With the athleticism to play WR, Perry could end up anywhere from WR, LB, or even DE.
Regardless of what position he projects at, Perry impressed Ohio State coaches so much with his combination of size and athleticism that they recently extended a verbal offer. Shocker, but he is a heavy Buckeye lean and might even be the first commit in the 2012 class… and it might happen very soon.
DE
Ohio State’s defensive line is in great shape after the 2011 class (Steve Miller, Kenny Hayes), but the 2012 class looks to be outstanding as well. Out of all of the positions, Ohio State extended the most verbal offers to DEs in the 2012 class following summer camps, which indicates to me that there is plenty of talent here.
First there is Toledo Whitmer DE Chris Wormley.
At 6’6″ and 250 lbs. Wormley projects as a strong side defensive end. While Wormley really likes Michigan, it is looking more and more like he will be joining his teammate and 2011 DE prospect Kenny Hayes in scarlet and gray. He already holds a verbal offer from OSU.
Next up is Cincinnati Taft DE Adolphus Washington.
Washington is another strong side DE prospect at 6’5″ and 240 lbs. He also holds a verbal offer and appears to be a heavy Ohio State lean.
Finally there is Akron Archbishop Hoban DE Greg McMullen.
McMullen is more of a LEO DE at 6’4″ 220 lbs. and also received a verbal offer from Ohio State after a strong performance at camp. You are going to be shocked by this, but he has Ohio State as his early favorite.
Three verbal offers, three heavy Buckeye leans. The 2012 DL (or at least the DE) class is looking really good really early.
DB
Trotwood Madison DB George “Bam” Bradley already has a verbal offer. Not surprisingly, he is one of the top players in the state and an early Buckeye lean.
Another player to keep an eye on is Sylvania Soutview WR/DB prospect Allen Gant. Even though he is from Ohio, he has heavy family ties to tsun. Fortunately, that isn’t quite the recruiting hurdle it used to be for the Buckeyes. Thank you Rich Rodriguez.
WR
Missouri WR Dorial Green is already on Ohio State’s radar with a verbal offer. At 6’6″ and 215 lbs. as a sophomore he is a freakish athlete and prospect. It is hard to determine what his interest level is for Ohio State at this point, but the early verbal offer makes him worth mentioning.
Conclusion
There is a lot of time before anyone needs to start worrying about the 2012 recruiting class. However, it is never too early to start getting excited about it. The 2012 class looks like it will start out strong with the early in-state verbal offers (as mentioned, word is that Josh Perry could commit very soon). With that core group of talent in place and some elite out of state prospects already on the radar, 2012 is looking very good.
I know that Tressel has talked about retiring before he gets too old, but if he keeps recruiting like he has been, it will be extremely hard to walk away.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
