The new trend in recruiting seems to be bad news in the 2012 class (Greg McMullen commits to Nebraska, Kyle Kalis de-commits and visits Michigan) balanced by exciting news in the 2013 class (Jalin Marshall impresses at camp and earns an offer, Derrick Green earns an offer and vows to “bring #27 out of retirement”).
In a lot of ways, this trend makes perfect sense. Many of the players in the 2012 class are being scared off by the current uncertainty at Ohio State and are deciding to commit elsewhere.
The players that wait until the end of the recruiting process will have plenty of time to see some stability return to Columbus (whether it be a new head coach or Fickell with a long term contract) and the NCAA storm that’s currently brewing will be cleared… the trick is getting enough players in 2012 to be patient enough to wait it out.
In contrast, the 2013 players know that by the time it’s their turn to sign on the dotted line, the current storm and uncertainty will be long gone.
While a lot of the weekend camp buzz involved 2013 players, there are some encouraging stories in the 2012 class as well.
The commitment of Devan Bogard is obviously item #1 in the good news department, but there are several other encouraging signs as well.
First, as of right now, Kyle Kalis remains undecided after his trip north, so crisis averted on that front for the time being. Second, once wavering Buckeye commitment Brionte Dunn appears to be solidifying on his decision to attend Ohio State.
Recruiting tends to be a series of ups and downs for fans that follow it closely enough. I can’t remember another time where there have been so many positive and negative stories simultaneously.
It is easy to get caught up in the positives just as much as the negatives, creating some major optimistic and pessimistic mood swings these days. Attempting to stay calm and in the middle is obviously the best policy, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
Things are certainly not boring in the recruiting world these days, but the bottom line is that there are some things to get excited about in the midst of the negatives, and at the end of the day, optimism and excitement for the future is what following recruiting is all about.
As always, check out the 2012 Big Board and 2013 Big Board for a comprehensive list of players with offers and other potential targets, along with links to all of the latest news.
Read on for new offers in the 2012 and 2013 class as well as players dropped from the big board.
New Offers
2012
6’2″ 200 lbs.
Erie (PA) McDowell HS
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State, Florida State, Michigan, Penn State, West Virginia, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kent State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt
Greg Garmon is a dynamic athlete that could play anywhere from running back or wide receiver on offense to in the secondary on defense. He camped in Columbus over the weekend (where he worked out with the DBs), which makes this a highly coveted “camp offer”.
There’s no telling how seriously he is considering Ohio State at the moment, but this will be a recruitment worth tracking.
6’0″ 185 lbs.
Miramar (FL) HS
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Kentucky, Wake Forrest, West Virginia
Malcolm Lewis is the longest of long shots who is extremely unlikely to leave the south.
2013
6’0″ 218 lbs.
Richmond (VA) Hermitage HS
Highlights: Video #1, Video #2
Offers: Ohio State
Derrick Green came to camp in Columbus this weekend with a specific goal in mind: to earn an offer from Ohio State. Obviously, he achieved that goal, which is a notable accomplishment in its own right (he won RB MVP at the camp to boot). His goal and accomplishment are only half the story that make Derrick Green one of the most likable and exciting offers in recent memory.
Where to begin.
First, Green grew up an Ohio State fan and Eddie George was his favorite player. He says he wears #27 for a reason, and that when he received an offer from Ohio State (he said it at the beginning of camp), he would bring #27 out of retirement. So yeah, it’s hard not to love his attitude and the fact that he seems like just as big of a fan as you and I are.
It is important not to get too excited about players before they step foot on the field (much less on campus), just like it is important not to get too depressed when Ohio State misses out on prospects, but it is tough not to love where this recruitment seems to be going.
One final note, Green attends the same high school as 2011 LB Curtis Grant (who has also become a resounding fan favorite over the past several months) and they are good friends. Sometimes when things were meant to be, they were meant to be.
Alright, with that out of my system, there are 20 months between now and signing day for this class, so I reserve the right to say, “recruiting, what a strange game” at some point in the future.
Until then, hooray for some good/exciting recruiting news!
6’0″ 190 lbs.
Middletown (OH) HS
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
An extremely talented and versatile athlete, Jalin Marshall was offered at camp in Columbus over the weekend (hooray for camp offers!). He plays quarterback for his high school but he could end up at any number of positions in college… or he could be the heir apparent to Braxton Miller at QB.
2013 is a long ways away, but this is definitely an offer worth keeping an eye on.
Jalin was excited by Ohio State’s offer and they are his early leader. Hooray for more good/exciting recruiting news!
6’0″ 170 lbs.
Voorhees (NJ) Eastern HS
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Purdue
Eli Woodard is another camp offer from over the weekend. He reportedly ran a 4.48 forty at camp and obviously impressed the coaches.
His top three are Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Purdue, who not coincidentally are his three offers at the moment. He will camp at several other places over the rest of the summer.
Woodard is an Ohio State fan, and the last DB Ohio State pulled from New Jersey was named Malcolm Jenkins, so there are some things already trending the Buckeyes way in this recruitment.
6’0″ 175 lbs.
Hilliard (OH) Darby HS
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State
Caleb Day may or may not have an offer at this point, but either way, the Buckeyes are clearly interested after watching him at camp and Day has Ohio State as his early favorite.
6’3″ 175 lbs.
Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School
Highlights: Video #1
Offers: Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Texas Tech, Wake Forrest, Western Michigan
Another long shot Florida WR that should probably be put on the back burner of expectations unless he indicates a serious interest in the Buckeyes at some point in the future. It doesn’t hurt to get in with an early offer and Stan Drayton’s connections to the sunshine state don’t hurt either.
Dropped
OH DL Greg McMullen committed to Nebraska.
MD ATH Deontay McManus committed to West Virginia.
OH TE Sam Grant committed to Boston College (no Ohio State offer).
OH K Ross Martin committed to Duke (no Ohio State offer).
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