Has told Miles he is committing on Friday. Only offers are from Ohio State and Bowling Green as far as I know.
Ohio State really impressed him when he visited for the Michigan game. Ohio State is the school he has dreamed of playing for. OSU is the choice for Johnson.
I am just skeptical if it comes as early as Friday. Thinking it goes further than that. They can get him practically whenever they want, but I dont know if OSU will agree on Friday.
My two cents, take it FWIW.
UPDATE: Lonnie Johnson has delayed his announcement. It will not come this Friday.
His reasoning is to wait for his 2013 teammates to all announce first.
Here's to hoping this is "getting in early" as opposed to "reaching."
...assuming we take him...
"The revolution will be televised."
They're not reaching for a kid 14 months before he can sign. Obviously, they like him.
Just not sure its going to happen this soon.
Other people I've talked to seem to think it will. So I might be completely off.
You know more than us Derek...some here will "act" like they know everything but you Alex and Miles are closer to these guys and the program than we are.
I could see them slowing Lonnie down a bit bc 2014 class could be smaller than 2013... but he'll get in if the staff wants him.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
so the question that must be on everyone's mind...our first commit in the 2014 class is going to be a 3 star wide receiver with only one other offer from BGSU? here's to hoping the staff sees something that talent evaluators don't.
Wasnt on my mind. i watched his highlights on Hudl and he looks good. has good size and speed. I'm no talent evaluator, but I certainly would be happy to see a kid who looks good in highlights and want to be a buckeye since a kid become a buckeye
You nailed it HCAZ.
Makes no sense to me. For all the homers who tell us to trust Urban, explain why we couldn't wait for this kid in what may be the smallest recruiting class in the last 60 years.
that last line is silly... we'll have the same number of seniors as we did in 2012 (14) plus Roby will leave giving us 15 before absolutely any attrition... the same as this class, and we are looking to pull in as many as 24
Cause I couldn't go for three
I don't understand this either... I would assume that Urban would wait for 2014 commits until he sees how this class is going to finish out unless he already has silent verbals and knows. The rumor was that they told Snodgrass to hold up on committing until the class filled out and he's supposed to be a better talent than this kid. I'd like to get the 2014 class rolling, but with limited schollies I think we need to be very picky... With the exception of Drew Barker... GET THE KID AN OFFER!
For your viewing pleasure.
His highlights have me excited. He's a long strider with exceptional burst and change of direction.
Urban should really read some blog forums so he can get advice from people with little to no idea what they're talking about, I mean c'mon, what is he thinking?
I bet you're a subtweeter too... If you don't know, that's where you tweet something intended for a particular person but you don't tweet it @ them...
No, I have little issue with saying things to people's faces. For example, that's cool that "you don't get this", but I think the coaches probably "get this" in the grand scheme of things, better than you will ever "get this", so perhaps we should like, trust them, because they, like, get, like, paid to do it, and stuff.
Maybe you'd be better served, not reading opinions displayed in a forum, and stick with the Dispatch.com. That way you can read about what Urban decides, and don't have to sort through the rumble of another person's opinion.....just get the facts.
It pretty obvious that the OSU coaching staff calls the shots.
Can you suggest another place Buckeye fans should go to, to get information and have fun discussing football?
i don't see anything wrong with discussing talent evaluation, brother
What's the deal with the "brother"?
he's my bro
^^^^This was funny to me...I'm sure I'll get voted down for my amusement but it did make me laugh. Good stuff...give em the business 1.8;-)
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
I'm sure the staff clears every offer through the filter of internet board comments.
I don't consider myself - or anyone else I know or have spoken to - qualified to judge film, but I will say that whoever is running the camera on this video needs to be shot. Worst I've ever seen.
I for one don't blindly follow recruit rankings nor do I blindly believe that an ohio state offer makes the kid an all star. The more I watch his film the more I get it though, good play maker!
Gareon Conley (3 star) didn't have a long list of offers either. We stole him from Michigan so everyone was okay with Urban taking him. The coaches know what they are doing. Some of these recruit rankings are inflated bc some kids attend many different camps. Johnson very well could be a 4star by or during his senior year. Relax People!
Conley is a 4 star by Scout, 247, and Espn.
I usually stick with Rivals. He's a 3 on rivals. They seem to be the most consistent. IMO
Not sure if I like this or not. First, his only other offer right now is BG which doesn't say a whole lot. Second, this probably won't sit well with Snodgrass who wanted to commit last month but was told not to. Third, there are several other higher rated WR prospects that have OSU high on their list.
He only has an offer from bg and us, but according to a couple ND blogs and stuff that I have found doing a google search he is getting calls from Alabama, ND,Wisconsin, and LSU. As well as Michigan and MSU. I would think if those schools are calling our staff isn't the only one impressed.
thanks good stuff! i wonder who's on the line from wisconsin? lol
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/colleges/osu/post?id=6223
This link as well shows some the schools who have been interested in him as well. Thats why I say don't base judgement on the staff when apparently they aren't the only big time schools who like his skill set.
It's nothing against the kid. He has a lot of talent, and enormous potential.
My inclination was based on the patience I expected them to have with the 2014 class, and a few other things.
I expect 2014 class to probably be around 18 or 19 but not much more. 4 of those will probably be devoted towards the offensive line, and at least 3 at LB. They'll also want to take 3-4 in the secondary I would think, with depth at safety being slim.
Yah my only surprise will be if they accept his commitment before this class is wrapped up. I thought thats what the staff did with Snoodgrass? I figured we wouldn't start seeing 2014 commitments until NSD 13 is all said and done.
First, just a rumor until I see a gray box. Second, if he commits it's because Urban wants him, and if Urban wants him enough to take his commitment more than a year away from his signing day, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's pretty good.
I had alluded to this in a post to the Vonn Bell thread about whether Bama fans get their panties in a bunch over 3-star recruits like some posters here do. As has been stated before, if you trust your staff to go after someone like Bell, who is almost unanimously considered a beast, you have to trust them to find the 3-star talent that is either under the radar or on the verge of busting out. I'm not going to say I'm oblivious to the star system or that I hate fans that get caught up in it, because I don't feel either way at all. I just think that Meyer and Co.'s track record for finding top-notch talent and getting to Columbus is proven and well-documented by recruiting analysts across the country. The fact that this kid is ready to go now doesn't diminish his skills or our staff's recruiting prowess.
It is quite curious to me that we get upset about a 3 star kid getting an offer and wanting to commit, but then if the kid turns out to be an absolute stud, we praise the coaches for finding a diamond in the rough and say how silly the star system and ranking services are...
Agreed. I believe someone else might have mentioned this in the thread, but he's already gotten quite a bit of interest from LSU, FSU, Oregon, etc.--just hasn't gotten offers from them yet.
Personally I think Derek Kief fits that same mold and is a bit better, but this guy looks for real if you watch his highlights. It's early for the 2014-ers yet, both in ratings and in offers.
Snodgrass was asked to wait due to grades..
The staff saw Johnson at camp this summer, he had a good semester in the classroom, we were in on him before anyone else and you can see the potential.
A 2014 WR class of Johnson, Lattimore and Snodgrass would not be at all disappointing.
(Caveat: Not saying those 3 are 'locks", they just seem to be at or near the top of our list)
Fair enough.
My thought is that the same reasoning that posters put forward for all-star game announcements seems to be opposite of the rationale we would want a 3 star from Illinois committing first.
Would prefer an Ohio kid; would prefer a 5 star; would prefer an OT; would prefer one in a group that tweets each other, etc. etc.
Urban Meyer is a great coach and a tremendous recruiter ... and allowing a 3-star kid with a Bowling Green offer to be the first 2014 commit is a mistake by a great coach.
As an image thing? I get that and understand that momentum in recruiting, being the perceived hot spot, is a desired thing. It seems Urban's style, though, is a great mix of flash and substance and getting this kid is just a solid recruiting move in his view, nevermind the stars. Your point is valid, though, and just another wrinkle in the recruiting game.
I am glad we are having this kid wait and that UM is on top of it.
Not sure whether the posters didn't like the sentiment that Coach Meyer could make a mistake or whether they were so sold on the kid that they didn't like someone standing in the way of a grey box.
I had not followed L Johnson and saw the video for the first time yesterday. I like the multiple touchdowns! I am a little concerned that he does not consistently run north-south, and that the stands were empty (worries me that it is lower division). I do realize that he is being recruited as a WR instead of RB, and that our staff does have a great track record in picking talent.
Still sticking to wanting a big name and/or Ohio kid to start the 2014 ball rolling.
Thanks for your patience and understanding!!
He plays for Westside high school in Gary, Indiana. They are a 5a school which is the largest school division in Indiana. His school is more of a basketball school (hence small crowd) as are most schools in Indiana lol....
yah thats exactly what I was thinking. I said it about a week ago that a WR class w/ Snodgrass, Lattimore, Johnson would be really good then the fact that we are in great shape for other top WR like Artavis Scott, Mark Andrews, Dareian Watkins, Dominique Booth, Trevion Thompson, Shaq Davidson, Jacob McCrary, Derek Kief, Demarre Kitt, & Johnnie Dixon. If we could land 1 of these studs w/ Lattimore, Johnson & Snodgrass, that would be a top 3 WR class in the nation.
#Buckeyes
Well hopefully this gets the 2014 ball rolling.
Yes please.
Yeah he's 3-star now, what will he be this time next year? he's got his senior year to go. he turns into a 5-star we're all going to be like, "Wow, awesome move OSU staff" Unless he gets hurt, he sure isn't going to get worse. I personally like those long strides, reminds me of EG27
"Sherman ran an option play right through the south" - Greatest.Civil.War.Analogy.Ever
You have a point if only because the recruiting services have barely started to review film of the 2014 guys. However, once they get their spring rankings out, there is normally very little upwards movement from guys who are committed.
One reason is because those guys tend to not hit the camp circuit as hard because they don't need to be noticed. Also, the recruiting services make more money if fans of 5 different schools are wondering who a top 10 player in the country is going ot commit to then a player who's already been committed for months and has no drama about him.
Just look at a guy like Tracy Sprinkle. Based of his film and what I've seen of him, if he hadn't committed to OSU, taken all his officials and went to the camps, he probably would be at worst a mid 4 star. Alas, he is still a 3 star.
This kids situation seems a lot like Ryan Timmons. Is Lonnie's level of competition better or is Timmons?
Yes by leeps and bounds, its also a lot diffrent playing a true wideout postion and putting up numbers then playing all over the field.
Not sure if this is really a like-for-like comparison as Lonnie is about 6'2 190 true WR while Timmons is about 5'10 160 soaking wet RB....the staff probably see a body in Lonnie that presents a lot more potential than a guy like Timmons
As an OSU fan named Lonnie, I think I'm contractually obligated to anoint Lonnie Johnson as my new favorite player (conditional upon the fact that he actually commits to OSU, of course). Hooray Lonnies!
There was a blog post a few months back describing how the recruiting/ranking system works. If a kid doesn't have the access to multiple camps to get recognized they tend to be ranked a bit lower (Tavion Jacobs). After that, they rankings are based on $$$$$$. They try to emphasize recruits and rankings to get readers to buy subscriptions. If you can find it under the blogs I'd recommend reading it.
Updated: Lonnie Johnson delays decision. Not announcing Friday.
Just like we thought, OSU may not be ready to accept his commitment a la Snodgrass
Yah I thought the samething. I bet they wait until after nsd before accepting any 14 commitments to not scare anybody off.
It certainly feels like Urban is behind the curtain pulling the levers to control all of this.
I think he might be mulling an offer from Illinois, or just not ready to make the decision yet. I think he should take his time, make the right decision for him. I pity him if that decision leads him to pick Illinois over Ohio State... that would be tragic, in my opinion.
Respectfully,
Larryp713
Well now everyone on this thread who was freaking out can relax...
Nothing concrete, but as I said before, the timing didn't seem to agree on this one.
A pretty small class for OSU, and other elite guys they are in on. Need more time to separate all the ones they are in on. In a small class, you HAVE to get each one right.
I think this is OSU's doing, not the kid's, IMO.
Do you think the staff starts accepting 2014 commitments after NSD?
On kids they are sold on yes. I expect booker jr and snodgrass to commit pretty quick once urban allows it.
O'Deez330
stark county football
It could be before, but if its before.... It has to be a stud, I would think. A NATIONAL stud. A guy that's name you KNOW.
A Raekwon McMillan, Dante Booker, Da'Shawn Hand, Jabrill Peppers, Clifton Garrett, Quin Blanding, Jalen Hurd, Orlando Brown Jr., Jamarco Jones, Jalen Tabor, Quincy Wilson, Damon Webb, or a Marshon Lattimore.
Somebody like that, somebody that will be in contention to be a Top 50 player, has name recognition, and can ball out.
Look at what like Meyer did last year... First 3 commits were Burrows, Marshall, and Woodard.
^out of context of your actual comment, that would be a dream class if you could add DeShaun Watson to it.
Champions Bleed Scarlet & Gray
I think Meyer and the staff could be playing a media/publicity game with the commits. It's a very smart move. Doesn't hurt to have national exposure in January and February since we aren't in a bowl game. I think the 2014 class will get rolling soon after NSD.
Yep just like last year. You know Jalin Marshall, Billy Price, Cam Burrow and Eli Woodard were ready to commit whenever Meyer told them to. I'm sure there are a few in this next class that will be the same.
"I think Meyer and the staff could be playing a media/publicity game with the commits."
Have to agree with you, and for the same reason I don't think it's an accident that Mike Mitchell, Trey Johnson, and James Quick are all announcing at UA & Army AA games on national television. Skeptical about Quick, but think we get the other two, and wouldn't be surprised if Urban had said "hey, why not wait and do it on national TV? Create a buzz for yourself and the school!"
Raekwon McMillan/Dante Booker/Da'Shawn Hand/Clifton Garrett/Jalen Hurd/Marshon Lattimore would be a great first commitment.
Help is on the way.
I'd be ok if Deshaun Watson had an epiphany and committed right now
LOL. Contain yourselves. Don't take it out of context. Thats the type of players that they'll take first. They took Burrows and Marshall in January last year.
Possibilities at early commitments: Dante Booker and Montae Nicholson come to mind.
Those are the two I'd think of too. Also Marshon Lattimore. Word is he loves OSU and I wouldn't be surprised to see him commit early.
Lonnie himself said he delayed it because he wanted his 2013 teammates to announce first, I'm sure that's a lie there.
His uncle and coach I'm sure are the ones that told him to hold off on the early decision though.
His statement on twitter was certainly better prepared than other tweets. I agree, he was advised to delay the announcement.
Respectfully,
Larryp713
This is definitely the same thing that happened with Snodgrass. Johnson fell in love and wanted to announce but the staff told him to hold off for a while then came some sorta halfway excuse to why they weren't going to commit. I think both he and Snodgrass are silent verbals until after signing day. Maybe even around April. The only thing I will worry about is Snodgrass committing to Notre Dame before he is given an opportunity to commit to us.