Ohio's 2017 Top 20 Could Bring a Handful of Future Buckeyes

There are just under 14 months before signing day in 2017 and the Buckeyes top-ranked 2017 class is already basically half-full with 10 verbal commitments. One thing that makes that class interesting is that, contrary to Urban Meyer's traditional approach, six of the 10 pledges are from Ohio, which highlights a few things.

First, the Ohio class is strong, Meyer only offers in-state prospects when he's 100 percent sure that player is capable of playing at Ohio State. In most years we're not seeing a rush to offer homegrown kids until they've camped or been seen in person a couple of times by the Buckeyes' staff. Second? Schools from around the region (specifically Kentucky, which has landed early commitments from four of the state's top 20 in 2017) are making it a priority to establish relationships earlier and earlier which, in some way, forces the Buckeyes' hand a bit and could be one of the reasons for the almost premature offers.

In Ohio's Top 20 for 2017, there are 11 players committed.

As you can see, the Buckeyes' grip on the talent they want in the state hasn't loosened. No one has yet been able to take a player that Meyer and the Scarlet and Gray have offered. 

Who else in Ohio has the best odds of ending up a Buckeye in 2017? Let's examine the best of the rest in The Great State of.

• No. 3 • Jaylen Harris • Cleveland Heights • Highlights
  • ​Jaylen Harris is the clear-cut choice for the state's best wide receiver in a loaded 2017 group. He's got ideal size (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and, as one of the state's top basketball players, has excellent athleticism as well. He was offered by Ohio State over the summer. Prediction: Buckeye
• No. 4 • Lynn Bowden • Warren G. Harding • Highlights
  • ​A newer name for most folks who follow recruiting, but one that is definitely getting a lot of interest from the Buckeyes recently, is Lynn Bowden, who plays quarterback for Warren G. Harding but is more likely a wide receiver/athlete a la Jalin Marshall in college. Bowden visited the Buckeyes in September but they are not one of his seven current offers. Prediction: Buckeye
• No. 6 • Tyrell Ajian • Madison (Mansfield) • Highlights
  • ​Ajian, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive back/athlete, is one of the state's more intriguing prospects. Rated as one of the country's Top 50 prospects in early 2017 rankings, the Mansfield native has seen his ranking dip after an injury-riddled summer that prevented him from making the splash at recruiting camps that others did. He camped with Ohio State twice but really wasn't able to show them the explosion they wanted to see in order to extend an offer. He holds 13 offers, including one from Notre Dame, but if he wants to be a Buckeye he'll have to make a big impression on them this upcoming recruiting season. Prediction: Not a Buckeye 
• No. 8 • JaVonte Richardson • Maples Heights • Highlights
  • ​Without question JaVonte "Jigg" Richardson is one of Ohio's premier athletes. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Richardson, who projects at a number of positions in college (wide receiver, linebacker or safety among them) depending on how his frame continues to fill out, might be a victim of that ambiguity. Unfortunately, there isn't a clear answer where he fits in so it's hard to know where the Buckeyes could make room for him. Michigan State and Kentucky are among the schools recruiting him the hardest. Prediction: Not a Buckeye
• No. 9 • Danny Davis • Springfield • Highlights
  • ​Unlike Richardson, the 6-foot-3, 178-pound Danny Davis knows where he'll play in college — he'll be a wide receiver. That makes his projection a bit easier to flesh out even though right now he only holds four scholarship offers, with Michigan State among them. Davis is a phenomenal basketball player and, like Ajian, missed some recruiting opportunities this past summer with injury, but he's a player Ohio State is watching closely. Prediction: Buckeye
• No. 13 • Matt Bockhorst • St. Xavier (Cincinnati) • Highlights
  • ​One of the best in the state, Bockhorst is a nasty interior lineman who plays angry and 100 mph all the time. He's got the size (6-foot-5, 290 pounds) to play tackle if needed, but most schools seem to think he'll be a guard at the next level. Early on the primary battle seemed to be Ohio State and Notre Dame, but lately it's Penn State (where his teammate, quarterback Sean Clifford is committed), Michigan State and Clemson that have been at the top of his list. He's recently added an offer from Michigan and the Buckeyes are monitoring his game and would like to see him again on campus. Prediction: Buckeye
• No. 15 • Jarell White • La Salle (Cincinnati) • Highlights
  • ​White is regarded by some as the state's top junior running back but, as fate would have it, he spent most of the 2015 season playing defense because the state's top overall running back (Jeremy Larkin) was also on his team. White has not spent much–if any–time worrying about his recruitment yet, but the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is going to be one of the region's hottest commodities this offseason. Prediction: Not a Buckeye
• No. 18 • Matt Dotson • Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) • Highlights
  • ​One of only two in-state prospects with a Buckeye offer that hasn't committed to Ohio State, Cincinnati's Matt Dotson is a teammate of 2016 commitment Jake Hausmann and one of a few tight ends nationally Urban Meyer has offered. Dotson is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds and also has offers from Michigan, Tennessee, Michigan State and Arkansas among his dozen. Dotson missed half his junior season with a wrist injury, but will be heavily relied upon by the Crusaders next season. He likes the Buckeyes, but something tells me this race isn't going to be a slam dunk as Tennessee might be the favorite. Prediction: Not a Buckeye
• No. 19 • Amir Riep • Colerain (Cincinnati) • Highlights
  • ​Amir Riep is one of the state's best football players and he's a fast-rising prospect nationally, now ranked as the country's 34th-ranked safety after picking up offers from Michigan State, Kentucky and Tennessee recently. One thing working against Riep and the chances of being a Buckeye? Ohio State's current class already as four defensive backs and players like Lamont Wade, Richard LeCounte and others are still very high on their board. Prediction: Not a Buckeye

The players listed above are only the Top 20 in the state as it currently stands, but there are a few potential options for the Buckeyes just on the outside of that group that will warrant some consideration. Here are the main names to watch as rankings get reshuffled and evaluation season really kicks off in January.

• No. 22 • Joel Honigford • Garaway (Sugarcreek) • Highlights
  • ​Honigford is an interesting prospect who has been to three different Ohio State games this season. A 6-foot-6, 265-pound lineman, his current offers include Duke and Northwestern, but as you'd expect he's very interested in the Buckeyes. With Josh Myers and Jake Moretti already committed, his chances might depend on how many linemen Ohio State decides they need.
• No. 24 • Derrius Mullins • St. Francis De Sales (Columbus) • Highlights
  • ​If you were building a defensive tackle in a lab, Derrius Mullins may be the end result. He's a legitimate 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds and his game is rounding into shape as well. He, like Honigford, has been to multiple Ohio State games this year and is one of the state's most physically imposing prospects. He's got eight current offers including Boston College, Cincinnati and Indiana. 
• No. 25 • Sam Gerak • Avon • Highlights
  • ​Another offensive lineman that could get an extended look by the Buckeyes, Gerak is a 6-foot-3, 270-pound center who has an offer from Northwestern among his seven. The one advantage that Gerak has over others is that he's a natural center and that will give him a chance to see some extra looks.
• No. 26 • Trey Pugh • Jonathan Alder (Plain City) • Highlights
  • ​If Matt Dotson decides to pass on the Buckeyes' offer, there may not be any tight end more likely to be offered in his stead than the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Pugh. Duke and Northwestern are among his six offers but he's visited Ohio State multiple times this year. He tore his ACL as a sophomore and because of that he missed the majority of his recruiting opportunities this past summer. That actually may play in the Buckeyes' favor as they can take a bit of a wait and see approach as he strengthens his knee and rehabs to 100 percent.