As stated in the visitor thread, the lone big visitor for this weekend's Illinois game is Jeb Blazevich.
My hunch is he's the top target at the tight end position currently, but the SEC schools will be tough to beat, notably LSU.
Myles Autry has mentioned coming to the game to me a few times but I'm not so sure he'll actually end up making it. Think it'd be more likely for Michigan game.
David Dawson does have a top 3 of Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin.... with Ohio State and Michigan State leading as he told Miles.
With all the smoke about him and Florida before he visited there, something had to have changed. I was telling someone recently I still wouldn't rule out the Gators.
OSU is in a much better position if Florida is indeed out of the picture.
Sorry for being off the grid a bit lately. Also, Alex was caught in the storm, is well, but out of power. With not as much content coming out recently, I will answer any questions I can that may be out there.
Thanks for the good work Derek. Do you see Urban running out of scholarships by NSD?I'm worried we won't have room for James Quick.
Quick and Dawson announce January 4th and 5th. I would think spots would still be there
I believe the staff also expects more attrition, so that would open up more spots.
Even if he waited til NSD, OSU would save a spot for Quick.
Sucks to see Tommy Brown, a kid from my HS be a possible dropout from the program. But if you cant cut it, you cant cut it
Any news on Worley? Is he favoring OSU and this is just a Glenville situation where they always wait till later in the process or is he very open at the moment? Thanks!
Favorite Buckeye: Obviously BJ Mullens
We will save at least one spot for NSD like we did last year. I dont know of any current recruits we are going after that are waiting till NSD though.
"if irony were made of strawberries, we' d all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now."
Derek (or anyone that's heard anything) -- one person I hear almost nothing about that I'd guess we're still in the running for (since he's scheduled to visit for The Game) is Marquez North. Does he have a top 3? Any news out there on him? Seems incredibly quiet.
North said Tennessee was his leader about 3 weeks ago, havent heard much other than that. He's pretty quiet.
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
Worley seems all Ohio State to me.
North is going to be one that drags to NSD. Talking to a guy I know from the south that "is in the know" with a few prospects down there, He says North has favored Tennessee, Georgia, and UNC at one point in the last year.
He also said North grew up a UGA fan, idolized A.J. Green, but that his dad would like to see him stay home at UNC.
@Triv, Derek: Ahhh makes sense. North is one of those guys I can't seem to get a sense of. Even his rating varies so much from site to site (#2 WR/28th player overall on Rivals, #9 WR on Scout, all the way at #14 WR/barely in the top 150 on ESPN), seems like most people can't even come to a consensus on how good he is haha.
Gareon Conley seems like another player that there's little to no consensus on (#9 CB/solid 4 star/61st player overall on ESPN, #56 CB/3-star on Rivals) in terms of talent.
I would argue with your point about the variance with North. There is very little space between numbers 2 and 15 in terms of correlation with success. That's basically saying all sights agree that North is firmly or at the very least marginally in the elite.
Conley, though, is just the case of being a guy that Hoke spotted before other people, for which I'll give him credit. He's a four-star on 247, which was a late bump, and it seems ESPN recognized his HS potential from the start. Rivals tends to be a bit stubborn with their original ratings, but he should get that 4th star.
Any word if the Hall redshirt is official or are they still looking into it?
How are we sitting with Stevens and when could Gibsons offer become commitable?
Also are we still recruiting Munger or are we playing the numbers game with him?
Hall redshirt could happen.
Not sure when on Gibson. I think thte pieces are beginning to fall in place though.
I'm not optimistic on Tony Stevens. Never felt good about it despite what was being said.
I think they are still recruiting Munger but he doesn't really lead on to anything.
I don't believe bell goes to Tennessee they have have the 100 ranked defense. If doley keeps his job there will be a new DC . Doley doesn't attend defensive meetings.
A recruit like Bell sees 100th ranked defense and realizes he is going to see the field almost immediately. 5 star recruits like that are looking for PT as soon as possible.
Mitchell, Bell, Dawson or Dorian Johnson..... which is most likely a Buckeye on NLOI Day. or are you < 50% sure on all?
Tennessee has a rough schedule year florida, bama and oregon.
I feel good about Mike Mitchell from what I have heard and thats OSU is still team to beat.
Got a good feeling about Dorian Johnson based off speaking to him and reading the tea leaves
Vonn Bell and David Dawson I just do not have enough intel to really lean one way or the other.
Will ball our freshman RBI who has a foot injury all year be a red shirt!
Ya, he hasn't played, he's redshirting.
up vote THE STAFF. Thanks for the response. Love Eleven Warriors, Go Bucks!
Think anyone commits during or soon after The Game?
I'm starting to think Worley and Gibson will be next. I'd be surprised if Worley hasn't announced by the end of November.
2014 WR Thaddeus Snodgrass committing soon, probably the Buckeyes but Notre Dame in mix as well.
How many commits do you think we'd take a WR, LB, and OL? Meaning, does the staff see a bigger need at one position vs. the other, or is it a first commit, first spot filled basis?
There's certain kids that will have a spot no matter what if they want in.
At 17 now, see it getting 24. Thought 25 with the exit of Jordan Hall but he may stay. Still could get to 25.
I see 3 LB's. 1 or 2 more OL. 2 WR's possible. And Vonn Bell and Gareon Conley in mix too.
Thanks for all the info Derek!
Question Derek: did Kyle Dodson ended up redshirting this year or not? I could not find out based on my search. Kid did not see the field all season long and he should have redshirted this year IMO.
Aside from Dawson and Conley do you see us having a shot at flipping anyone else?
Alex has confidence in flipping another player. Won't name him yet.
Whatever freshman having not seen the field yet this year will redshirt, which would be Dodson.
Do we have any chance at Deon Hollins, the UCLA commit?
Another play as in one in addition to the names we've already heard about (Dawson, Conley, LaRue, Trey Johnson, McMillan) or just in adition to Dawson and Conley?
When is our next commit coming? After The Game? I understand the staff is focused on the season and not recruiting heavily right now, but one would figure these kids would see what's going on at OSU and commit.
I think once the recruits' seasons end we'll start seeing guys commit to schools in general. Then of course another wave will start committing at the All Star Games, and the last wave on signing day. Hopefully, after The Game, we'll see a few commit.
I'm still dying to find out that secret flip player
Also... Can somebody please explain what is going on with QB offers? Drew Barker is traveling all over the southeast visiting schools. I feel like if offered he would commit rather quickly. I knew the staff had said they wanted to watch some game film of the QB's, but I didn't realize they would let a whole season go by. With Barrett having the injury, I feel like the 2014 QB recruit is a HIGH priority. Can anyone shed some light or have any info?
@Golden Buckeye: In the article where Alex mentioned someone flipping, a lot of people guessed Mike Heuerman based on the clues Alex was giving. I personally hope it isn't Heuerman haha. Even though Jeff Heuerman is great for us, I really don't see the need for another TE at this point. I'd rather save that scholarship for next year, or another impact player outside the TE position.
I have heard several colleges plan on attending the anticipated game between Barker and Timmons next week if they both make it out of first round thi Friday.
^^ I would hope OSU is one of them. It is our bye week so I expect the staff to be doing some serious recruiting
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
Mike Heuerman is an impact player at TE with more speed than Baugh and any TE on our roster plus we need more depth at Boren's old FB position and little Heuerman would be an absolute nightmare for teams pass defense in that role.
Am i the only person who beleives it also could be Adam Brennamen(butched). I thought there was talk about him possibly leaving once the sanctions came down and it seemed like we were right there during his commitment. With Dorian possibly committing i think he could to. His family i believe said that they will talk about recruiting later on in the year which i honestly havn't heard anything about him since the sanctions. THOUGHTS?
No chance its Adam Breneman, kid loves Penn St, is enrolling early there and correct me if I'm wrong but Penn St is also in some way helping him with his rehab.
Favorite Buckeye: Obviously BJ Mullens
I seriously doubt it Adam Brenermen, I remember Urban saying something about not recruiting Penn State's committed players. Another reason has been the play of our TEs here lately, they've really been stepping their games up which is another reason why they were able to move Boren from FB to LB.
"Alex has confidence in flipping another player. Won't name him yet."
You had me at flipping another player! Can we make Urban into a verb?
Urban verb: To get a highly ranked committed player to switch to another school. Example Sentence- Man, I hope we urban another LB this year.
What about mackensie alexander heard he really like UFM any chance he comes for a visit?
For those interested in alexs mystery flip player we had a decent discussion and list of possibilities here
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/blogs/hcazualcc/mystery-flip-player-per-alexs-roundtable-allusion
My source says the obvious flip is going to be Dawson, all OSU...but the "secret" flip is..........Bielema, hes going to be our new water engineer. Sorry for ruining the suprise...Urban is so relentless, hes flipping coaches...
Damn it feels good to be a Buckeye....
@waycracken-more importantly, what would that say if OSU coaches weren't there for that game (if both teams make it)?
I know I'm not a recruiting expert but I just read an article on him the other day. He says OSU is still recruiting him and he talks to Herman (his regional recruiter), but when asked who was recruiting him hardest he said Notre Dame, Utah and Washington. I wouldn't count on him becoming a Buckeye based on this article ($)
I would think they would surely be there to see Barker. He is a rare find at QB. Does not have the speed of Miller but is strong with a better arm. So you would have a dual threat
Go to Scout.com and see the latest on Dawson. His high school coach talks about his de-commit from SUN. It sounds like the young man has some serious troubles and isn't even playing right now.
I'm still hoping for Mitchell, Johnson, Quick, Bell and Gibson. That would be a great haul.
jerryt-go bucks
@Waycracken... It would be nice if they BOTH had huge games, BOTH got offers, and BOTH committed on the spot...
Waycracken, I'm assuming that game is going to be at Franklin County? I'd love for it to be at Conner, that's like 10 minutes from here, but I may make the drive to FC to see it.
I Think it might be at Conner. I think their Region draws home team this year.
Oh really? Nice, I figured it went by record. That would be awesome. I'll definitely go if it's at Conner.
No way Franklin County will lose, they play Scott. That's going to be a laugher. Conner, I never know what to make of them. They put up a ton of points but their D sucks.
What's the deal with Corn Elder? I thought I saw somewhere that he named Georgia Tech as his new leader. If he did, welp, that was fast.
4-6 seconds of relentless effort
If that is true about Corn, we probably told him he couldn't play basketball
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
I don't understand why these D-1 programs are giving him a look at basketball... I talked to a high school and AAU coach here in the area who watched Elder grow up and he plainly told me that Elder could NOT play D-1 hoops... He is only 5-10... He said that hoops is Elder's #1 passion so he's going to go where they will let him play 2 sports.
Uh Oh, maybe inching closer to that Timmons offer afterall
I am correct that Snodgrass is announcing his commitment this weekend right? with him and Mike Thomas, don't need anymore outside threats. Although, Gibson, Quick and Timmons are my top 3 WR to get.
^Snodgrass is Nov. 8th last I heard.
I'm sending Waycracken a bottle of champagne the day Timmons gets an offer...if he's old enough to drink...he deserves it.
When told OSU set school record for 50+ games this year, UFM said "That's good. We're gonna break that next year."
Buckeye in SEC. I agree with you. Why would Corn Elder ever want to play D1 Basketball as well as football. He is a very average lower D1 bb play at best with 0 chance in the NBA. Football he is legit and could help any program out there and potential to be in the NFL. Matter of fact I would say if he took up baseball this spring(have no idea if he plays or not) he would stand a better chance getting drafted based solely on his athleticism.
If Deon Hollins makes a visit, then maybe there's a chance. But I don't see it happening at the moment.
Next commit could come around Michigan game, or could come this bye week. Too tough to predict. Technically, it's probably going to be Thursday... 2014 WR Thaddeus Snodgrass
Real offers to 2014 QB's probably happen after the season. The staff is playing their cards right now. If they felt they were slipping on radar of some kids, they'd accelerate the process. Obviously, they havn't felt a need to do that just yet.
I have little to no knowledge on the Corn Elder situation. Didn't know about GT being the leader. I would think OSU right in the mix for him.
With Elder, I think that might've just been the reaction to a visit to GT, seems a consensus that OSU is currently the leader. If you look now, there doesn't seem to be much buzz at all on him and the yellow jackets. Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead anyone, just was posting about something I had seen earlier.
4-6 seconds of relentless effort
This is from about 2 weeks ago, but here's a 247 write-up on Corn Elder and his desire to play football and basketball on the next level. Not really new info, but thought I would pass it along.
http://247sports.com/Article/Two-sport-standout-Cornelius-Elder-still-thinking-hoops-97585
Also, Derek, according to Rivals, Drew Barker considered committing to South Carolina after his recent visit, do you think OSU is starting to lose him as a Buckeye lean, or is still a matter of just getting the offer? I realize you kind of just addressed this, but I'm just curious what you think in this specific case, since most of the fans on here seem to be on board with Barker being 'the guy'.
4-6 seconds of relentless effort
I think he may have been a Buckeye lean throughout summer but that was before some other schools got involved and got more serious.
He has told me that alot changed for him on Sept. 1st when schools were allowed to first initiate contact with the 2014 kids. I don't think Barker is an OSU lean and havn't since beginning of September.
I think OSU in the mix for him but I just don't think it's been as cut and dry as many seemed to indicate over the last few months. He's one of my favorites in the 2014 class though as far as character AND talent.
Special kid.
Derek,any word on Mackensie Alexander CB read somewhere loves UFM and chance comes for a visit?
Derek. You should try to make it down for Drew Barkers Conner teams game when they play Franklin County. It promises to be a barn burner. I would guess 120 points between 2 teams. High School version of Kansas State and Oregon.
@waycraken if you only had one scholly for 2013 and 14 does it go to barker or timmons?
mark may wins douchebag of the year... again
I would have to go with Timmons. QB is in great hands with Soph QB Miller. So immediate needs are better suited for Timmons.
But for some reason I believe I am being set up for some heavy scruttiny.
I think it is a no contest. Miller is a Sophmore. Barker still has his Senior year. By the time he would be on campus Miller would be a Senior. This is even more significant in my mind with Barretts injury.
I want Barker on this team, but I'm one who believers Barrett's injury just won't be that big of a deal. Plus, people keep talking about how good Cardale looked in warmups, he has plenty of time to grow up a bit. This is a hypothetical that just makes no difference anyway, but the idea that we absolutely have to have a guy like Barker in the 2014 class isn't neccessarily true, especially if there are great QB's in the 2015 class we'll be in on.
Waycracken, or anyone else for that matter, are you going to the Conner/FC game Friday?
If I can make arrangements, it'd be nice to attend.
Also, I don't think anything substantial will occur between Mackensie Alexander and OSU.
I should be back from Texas on Wed evening so I should make it to that game. If you think you can go just let me know Ill leave ya tickets in will call. It should be a good one.
I'm going to try and make it. I work til 6 but I work from home so I can pretty much hit the ground running once my shift is over. I'm going to try to get down there. I never thought to take 71 and 127 as you had suggested the other day. If you can get there from CVG in an hour I should be able to do it too, I jump 75 at the Mt Zion Exit so I'm not very far from the 71 interchange. I've never driven to Frankfurt and only went as a kid so it's been a while. Anyway, as it gets closer to Friday I'll see if I can get there or not and be sure to let you know.