Since taking over as Ohio's newest imperial commander, Urban Meyer's recruiting has been nothing short of extraordinary. Ohio State's depth at virtually every single position is something that can only come close to being matched by one or two other programs. The biggest thing the Meyer regime has taught us about the current state of Buckeye recruiting? Fretting is futile.
In spite of Ohio State's recent recruiting prowess, there have been some key prospects that have escaped Urban's grasp over the last few years. Some have fizzled at the collegiate level, some have excelled, and for some the jury is still out. Let's take a look at some of the more noteworthy "misses" and how they've fared thus far, starting with someone who put on quite a show in his NCAA debut.
2015 • WR • CHRISTIAN KIRK • HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
The 2015 class included two wide receivers that signed with the Buckeyes. Lakewood St. Edwards' Alex Stump and KJ Hill (Little Rock, AR) were both four-star prospects and both have bright futures in Columbus. Hill was the third Buckeye newcomer to have his black stripe removed just a few short weeks ago and Stump – who suffered a season-ending foot injury as a high school senior – is looking at a probable redshirt.
Christian Kirk, a five-star wideout from Scottsdale, AZ, would have been extremely fun to watch at Ohio State. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder made multiple unofficial visits to Columbus in 2014 but never made that all-important official visit. Despite being heavily pursued by Urban Meyer and Zach Smith, Kirk ultimately decided to sign with Texas A&M, where he would reunite with friend and former Scottsdale standout, quarterback Kyle Allen.
Kirk made his debut last weekend against Arizona State and his presence was felt early on, returning a punt 79 yards for a score in the second quarter. He also hauled in six passes for 106 yards and another touchdown through the air.
Well, it WAS a tight one. Until Texas A&M's Christian Kirk weaved through traffic for this dazzling 66-yard TD run: http://t.co/3kn9Z4PfaG
— ESPN (@espn) September 6, 2015
Other noteworthy misses: Berea, KY running back Damien Harris, Chesapeake, VA defensive end Josh Sweat, East St. Louis, IL defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr.
2014 • DT • THOMAS HOLLEY • HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
If there's been one recruiting "area" that has seen its fair share of criticism, it's probably the defensive tackle position. With so many of the nation's highly-touted defensive tackles residing in SEC territory, it's especially tough for other schools to lure them away. Make no mistake about it, Ohio State's defensive tackles have played very well and Larry Johnson Sr. is the best in the business when it comes to player development, but the star-gazers out there see a lot of names that could have done great things along the Buckeye trenches.
In 2014, Ohio State didn't sign a single defensive tackle, though they were targeting several. At 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Brooklyn's Thomas Holley seemed like the most likely to end up in Columbus. Curtis Samuel, another 2014 standout from Brooklyn, had already pledged to Ohio State, and many thought that may help draw the fellow New Yorker to the Buckeye State. Holley took an unofficial visit to Ohio State in June of 2013 and then returned for an official in October. The Buckeyes seemed to be in a great spot for the four-star defensive tackle, but after visits to Penn State and Florida, they found themselves running third.
In December of 2013, Thomas Holley committed to Bill O'Brien and the Penn State Nittany Lions. After the coaching shakeup in State College, he eventually signed with the Florida Gators. He took a redshirt in 2014 after undergoing shoulder surgery. Holley was disruptive in the Gators' 2015 opener against New Mexico State, drawing double-teams in his college debut.
Other noteworthy misses: Virginia Beach, VA safety Quin Blanding, Southfield, MI defensive end Malik McDowell, Beaumont, TX cornerback Tony Brown, Gainesville, GA quarterback Deshaun Watson
2013 • LB • JAYLON SMITH • HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
February of 2013 saw a pair of four-star linebackers sign with the Buckeyes. Mike Mitchell (Plano, TX) – who captured the 2012 SPARQ rating national championship after running a blistering 4.39 forty at 215 pounds – committed to Ohio State at month before signing day. Trey Johnson (Lawrenceville, GA) pledged to the Buckeyes a day before Mitchell. Johnson's playing career came to an abrupt end due to arthritis in his knee. Mitchell redshirted in 2013 then elected to leave Ohio State to be closer to his family in Texas. He now suits up for Texas Tech.
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith
Fort Wayne's Jaylon Smith (Bishop Luers) was the nation's top ranked 2013 linebacker and, at one point, was thought by some to be the next great Buckeye defender. Rod Smith, his older brother, signed with Ohio State in 2011. Jaylon took multiple unofficial visits to Ohio State before Notre Dame swooped in and took over his recruitment. Smith signed with the Irish and has started every game since enrolling. He was labeled a preseason All-American for 2015.
Other noteworthy misses: Crete, IL wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, Lemont, IL offensive tackle Ethan Pocic, Louisville, KY wide receiver James Quick
2012 • WR • STEFON DIGGS • HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
Out of all the past four recruiting classes at Ohio State, the work Urban Meyer did for the 2012 class may be the most impressive. Meyer was announced as Ohio State's new head coach in late November of 2011, thus giving him only two full months to convince some of the nation's top talent to join him in Columbus. Interim head coach Luke Fickell had done a decent job of putting together the class, but amidst all the question marks and turmoil, it had proven to be a tough task. With Meyer at the helm, the class skyrocketed and ended up fifth in the nation – including many key cogs in last year's title run and this year's title defense.
Given the time frame and everything else surrounding the program, chalking up any 2012 recruit as a "miss" may be a bit unfair. However, there's no denying just how badly Urban Meyer wanted five-star Stefon Diggs – the nation's second-ranked wide receiver – to be a Buckeye. The Olney, MD (Good Counsel) star had offers from everyone in the country, but his recruitment came down to the Buckeyes and his home-state Terps. After visiting Columbus in late January, Diggs then took a final official visit to Maryland the week before signing day. A few days later, he announced his decision to play for the Terps.
Stefon Diggs with a nasty one-handed catch Revine in your ready for football to start (Vine by SPORTSSS) https://t.co/Ro5nbliJAq
— $BL$ (@3pointiscash) July 9, 2015
Diggs would go on to be selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He's had a heck of a preseason for the Minnesota Vikings, notching a team high 413 all-purpose yards.
Other noteworthy misses: Phoenix, AZ wide receiver DaVonte' Neal, Chicago, IL offensive tackle Jordan Diamond, Centerville, OH defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo.
The advantage to having a coach like Meyer is that there is seemingly always another man waiting in line in case one of the top targets elects to go elsewhere. When 2014 defensive end Lawrence Marshall (Southfield, MI) decommitted from Ohio State and flipped to Michigan, Meyer went out and landed Jalyn Holmes, the nation's fourth-ranked defensive end. Damien Harris starts trending toward Kentucky and Alabama? No problem; turn up the heat on Mike Weber, who was phenomenal this summer before getting dinged up.
Sometimes it is fun to look back and wonder "what could have been?" if Player X or Player Y had made a different decision, but it's certainly not something to worry about. After all, we are in the best of hands.
