With the season winding down and it being a bye week, we figured it would be a good time to preview the targets for the next 3 months leading up to signing day, as well as look into our magic 8 ball for 2014. In the first part of this 2 part series we will take a look at 2013 class.
With 17 verbals already in the bag already we will take a look at the guys that we will likely finish with to get to a top 5 class. WR, OL, LB, and DB appear to be the positions we are targeting- Keeping in mind as we sift through the rest of this article that recruiting is very fluid so the most likely targets could change even by the time this article is published.
At the WR position James Quick and Shelton Gibson are the two most likely targets at this point; they are very different receivers but both high in talent. Quick is the higher rated of the two by most services, and he’s down to OSU and Louisville. This recruitment is really dependent on Charlie Strong and his coaching career.
Gibson seems to be a Buckeye as long as everything lines up off the field. Other names are still on the board but we will turn our focus to them if anything changes and there is reason for excitement.
One big name is still left on the OL big board; one time PSU commit Dorian Johnson, who will be back in town for Michigan game on an unofficial visit, and back in December for an official. It certainly looks like we made up lots of ground on his visit for the Nebraska game.
Also, although it’s just a teaser at the moment but one time OL commit David Dawson maybe back on the market and one to keep an eye on if he truly does want to stay close to home and Michigan doesn’t let him back in.
Donavan Munger is a DT that we have been tracking for quite awhile and is difficult to get a read on him. He’s from Ohio but certainly seems to be open to leaving the state. We will continue to track as he seems to be wanted by the staff.
Mike Mitchell is a player at a huge position of need and we all hate to say ‘this is the guy that will make a huge impact as a freshman’ but he is a freak athlete at LB with a nose for the football. At this point things are pointing towards the good guys, but no official date has been set yet. However, he has stated over and over again that he will be in for a visit.
Skai Moore is probably the most recent name to move onto the big board with a good chance at being in Columbus in the fall. I like him for his name alone but look for a quick turnaround after his visit for the Michigan game.
Chris Worley seems to be in. After watching his film I am beginning to think we may be looking at a solid olb that can cover and play against the spread.
Gareon Conley is another name to pop up lately. He was on the board early in the season but didn’t receive an offer and verbally committed to Michigan. Recently he has thrown the idea of opening his recruitment, but with Michigan that means if he takes a visit they no longer consider him a part of their class. If he takes visits it appears we will be in the game with Oregon who up to this point has not offered. After watching film the Bucks would be really happy to steal this one from TTUN.
Last but not least is Vonn Bell, who is a top 5 safety in the country at a position that since Donte Whitner has been lacking in terms of top tier talent. Ohio State would certainly love to get someone of his skill set back there ball hawking and playing strong against the run. Bell is a tough one to get a good read on, although most would say we are in the top 3, with home school Tennessee maybe having the slight edge, but a question mark at the coaching position with Derek Dooley maybe on his way out.
At this point the max is probably 7 more recruits. Any of the 7 with at least 1 WR and 1 LB would make for another great class. Also look for new names to come and go over the next 3 months but look for the above 9 to stay consistent. We will add new names where we see fit and also feel free to take a look at our recruiting links, with thanks to the guys at Buckeyeplanet.com for keeping us all up to date on recruiting info.
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