Urban Meyer and the coaching staff are always recruiting. It is a 24/7 process and sometimes there is not a lot of sleep involved for the coaches. But all of that tireless recruiting has paid off; according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, the Buckeyes have a top-five class.
23 recruits make up Ohio State's class at present, and the the Buckeyes hope to add two or three more before February. There are several prospects who could end up in the class, most likely these three.
MIKE WEBER / / CASS TECH (DETROIT, MICHIGAN)
The running back situation has been a little unclear in the 2015 class. Ohio State once seemed like the favorite for Damien Harris, but for some time now there has been no reason to think he will commit to OSU. Some staffers believe Harris to Ohio State is just not going to happen.
That means it's time to start looking at other options, such as Cass Tech (Mich.) running back Mike Weber. Weber, who hails from Detroit, is one of the top running backs in the nation. He was once a Wolverine commit, but he de-committed the Monday before the Ohio State-Michigan game.
As Birm wrote about the other day, Ohio State has made Weber the primary focus at running back. Other schools will negatively recruit against OSU, suggesting that Weber is the "backup plan." It's an issue the Buckeyes will have to address.
Weber is planning to announce a commitment at the Army All-American Game on Jan. 3, 2015. He also plans to take an official visit to Ohio State before then. If the visit happens, I think Weber will be a part of the class.
LAWRENCE CAGER / / CALVERT HALL COLLEGE (TOWSON, MARYLAND)
It's little secret that Lawrence Cager is a priority to this staff. Standing 6-foot-5, Cager is the prototypical, vertical receiver that presents a difficult one-on-one matchup for opposing secondaries. Cager has long liked Ohio State, even having it as his leader at a couple of points in the process, and the Buckeyes have maintained a spot on his list.
Cager visited for The Game, and the visit continued by what most accounts has been a smooth recruitment. Birm spoke with Cager during the summer on what he liked about each of his final seven teams, and he had nothing but great things to say about Ohio State, including they were the school that he wanted an offer from.
Cager is set to visit Notre Dame next weekend and then Alabama for an official visit on Jan. 16. Alabama is a team that could make a strong push, particularly in the aftermath of the Sugar Bowl, but in the end I think Cager will play for Ohio State.
JUWUAN BRISCOE / / THOMAS STONE (WALDORF, MARYLAND)
Juwuan Briscoe has had a whirlwind recruitment these past couple of weeks. Briscoe was committed to Clemson since May, but he decided to open things back up after his visit to Ohio State on Nov. 1, which went well according to people around him.
When we've addressed the defensive back issue before, it wasn't clear what the Buckeyes' overarching strategy was. The Buckeyes have been rummaging for another DB even though they already have six in the 2015 class, and Briscoe may be their man.
I think Briscoe will decide between Ohio State and Georgia, which he visited on Thanksgiving weekend. I think Ohio State stands ahead of the Bulldogs, so I am predicting him to end up in the class and join the Elite '15.
