Ohio State Weekend Recruiting Update

Once again, Urban Meyer has lined up a weekend packed with fun recruiting news in Columbus.

• PA S Demetrious Cox will be visiting Columbus with his father starting tonight. After he was told to delay his visit last weekend, it seemed like Ohio State was cooling on his recruitment. However, with this visit things seem to be picking up again. Are the Buckeyes targeting a safety prospect? or are they just going after another DB?
• OH S/LB Bam Bradley is the other main contender to fill that safety spot (if there is one) in the class. Bam is deciding between Ohio State, Pitt, and Stanford and will likely wait until signing day to make his choice. If I had to guess, I would say that Urban Meyer is waiting to see how the pieces fall elsewhere in the class, but if he gives the green light for Bradley he will be a Buckeye- unless the slow play doesn’t sit well with him. Isn’t recruiting fun?
• Speaking of slow playing a recruitment, that would still be my guess for what’s going on with VA ATH Joel Caleb, with AZ WR Davonte Neal being the other target. Neal is taking his time making a decision even after visiting Columbus, so that sends up red flags for me. If I had to guess, it would be Caleb or no one at ATH in the class, but there is still a tiny bit of time for some more names to pop up.
• The other player scheduled to visit this weekend is NC LB Jamal Marcus. Stay tuned to see if that visit actually takes place as rumors swirl of grade issues. If he does make it to Columbus, that would obviously be a positive sign. With the recent commitment of David Perkins and the positive vibes surrounding Camren Williams, it would seem that the 2012 class is running out of spots for LBs. A miss on an ATH could be the saving grace here in terms of room in the class. It will be interesting to see how this one develops.
• Speaking of MA LB Camren Williams, he and his teammate MA CB Armani Reeves have been in Columbus for most of this past week (they fly back home tonight). They may both take another visit to Penn State next weekend before making a decision- they are considered soft Penn State verbals, after all. Stay tuned for news on these two.
• OH OL Kyle Dodson is visiting Michigan State this weekend for his final official visit. I am still hopeful that he will be a part of Ohio State’s class. The other option is IL OL Jordan Diamond, but I don’t have much confidence in him being a part of the class at this point. Similar to the LBs, a whiff on an ATH could open up a spot for both, but we will have to wait and see.

Best Guess

Jim

OL – Kyle Dodson

LB – Camren Williams

CB – Armani Reeves

S – Demetrious Cox/Bam Bradley

Final spot – Davonte Neal/Joel Caleb/Jamal Marcus/Jordan Diamond/no one

If there is a number crunch (and really, I have no idea what the final number will be at this point) – I would put Reeves, Cox and Bradley all competing for the same spot in the class with Reeves being the primary target and Cox and Bradley being the alternatives.

That scenario would obviously eliminate the final spot guesses all together.

Joe

OL – Kyle Dodson

LB – Camren Williams

CB – Armani Reeves

S – Demetrious Cox

ATH – Davonte Neal

I think there could be as many as six spots left in the class and that there will be more transfers from players on the current roster.

For those that have been following along, Jamal Marcus is not on my list, and being my favorite target left in the class, I am disappointed that it doesn’t look like he will be a Buckeye.