With the recent commitment of Doran Grant, the 2011 recruiting class is close to being finished… two or three additional players close.
It is safe to assume that Aundrey Walker will be one of those players.
Yes, it appears that Walker has safely navigated through the treacherous Glenville academic waters and will do the usual Tarblooder dance by committing on or close to signing day.
It is also safe to say that one of the other spots will be filled by a linebacker. Who that linebacker will be is the big question left in 2011, and the answer could be an exciting one for Buckeye fans.
There are three main players vying for the final linebacker spot. Interestingly enough, two of them are back on Ohio State’s radar thanks to coaching changes at Florida and the possibility or Jim Harbaugh leaving Stanford.
The story is several weeks old at this point, but in case you missed it, Curtis Grant went from a heavy Florida lean to seriously reconsidering the Buckeyes following Urban Meyer’s resignation. It now appears to be a 50/50 race between the two schools
Grant is one of the better prospects in the entire country and would be a huge addition for the Buckeyes. He has already made an official to Columbus and has one scheduled for Florida in the near future.
The late visit to Florida combined with Tressel’s less than aggressive approach to recruiting aren’t very encouraging developments for the Buckeyes, but Ohio State is at least in the race for Grant, and that is good enough to keep a glimmer of hope.
Like Walker, you can catch Grant in action tomorrow in the Army All-American Game.
The other elite national linebacker that is just now re-emerging in Ohio State circles is James Vaughters.
Vaughters has been committed to Stanford for some time now, but the speculation is that he could open things back up if Harbaugh moves on. Additionally, there is speculation that Ohio State would have an above average shot at landing Vaughters if he does re-open his recruitment.
Speculation stacked on top of speculation is clearly not the most reliable thing in the world, but it is certainly an interesting scenario for Ohio State fans if the speculation is even remotely close to being true.
Finally, there is long time Ohio State target Ejuan Price. The least exciting linebacker prospect of the three but also by far the most likely to be a Buckeye, Price would be a solid but much less flashy addition to the 2011 linebacker class.
There is a slim possibility that a third player will join the 2011 class, but at this point the chances of that happening seem pretty slim. Some names of interest are Florida wide receiver Ja’Juan Story and Maryland athlete Darius Jennings.
Story is a soft verbal to Florida who may pull a Ryan Shazier and switch over to the good guys. He has an official visit in Columbus set, so we will see what happens.
Jennings is a dynamic play maker who may be lured by the chance to play QB at an ACC school rather than on defense or at receiver for the Buckeyes.
It would be a pretty big surprise if any player outside of Walker and one of the linebackers ended in the class, but stranger things have happened.
The most likely end to the class will be Walker and Price. Anything beyond that would be a welcomed surprise.
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