We've spent a lot of time discussing the future of Ohio State's defensive line, and it's for a very good reason. Larry Johnson's unit is expected to be the team's greatest strength this coming season, and there will be several new starters come 2018.
While much of our focus has been at defensive end, the Buckeyes are still looking to add one more to the inside to team up with five-star tackle Taron Vincent. As the edge-rusher recruiting efforts have heated up, it's been a bit more quiet at defensive tackle.
As we approach the halfway point of the current recruiting calendar, let's take a look at the key targets who are still out there right now. We previously looked at some names to know back in April, and interestingly enough, not a single one of those names will re-surface here in mid-July.
| Prospect | Hometown | Measurables | Rating | Pos. Rank | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOMMY TOGIAI | Pocatello, ID | 6-foot-3, 290 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 9 | No. 115 |
| NESTA SILVERA | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 6-foot-2, 308 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 20 | No. 234 |
| *ANTWUAN JACKSON (JUCO) | Ellenwood, GA | 6-foot-3, 305 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 7 | No. 51 |
We will start at the bottom of the list with a familiar face who's got a long history with the Buckeyes and may be a bit of a wildcard for the 2018 recruiting class.
Antwuan Jackson was without question one of Ohio State's top defensive targets just two to three short years ago. It's been nearly impossible to score tackles from SEC country, but the Peach State star was one the Buckeyes nearly landed.
Alas, the country's No. 7 player at the position sided with the Auburn Tigers when he committed back in December of 2015. I remember holding onto a glimmer of hope just minutes before the announcement as there was some uncertainty surrounding the selection. The Buckeyes still have some crystal ball picks in his profile, one of which actually was submitted the day of the college decision.
His above recruiting rankings date back to the 2016 class because Jackson has yet to be re-classified in the 247Sports database. He elected to pursue other options after redshirting as a freshman at Auburn. One of those options was not Ohio State since Auburn had blocked him from doing so.
From TheState.com:
“They just put Ohio State on there for no reason. My question to them is why are they blocking me from a Big Ten school when they don’t have anything to do with Big Ten schools? Why didn’t they block me from Michigan or Indiana or any other Big Ten school? Why would they do that immediately?” Via
Jackson and his family didn't seem all too happy with the Tigers' tactics, but does that necessarily mean there was interest in heading to Columbus? We will probably have to wait and find out as the former four-star is heading to Blinn Community College in Texas. Ohio State just signed Kendall Sheffield from Blinn, so it will be interesting to see if Larry Johnson targets Jackson for a second time.
There's not quite as much to say about the two top targets at the position as neither Tommy Togiai or Nesta Silvera have as much history with the Buckeyes. Still, it looks as though we'll know a lot more in the upcoming weeks.
Urban Meyer and Larry Johnson are targeting the not-so-fertile recruiting grounds of Idaho for Togiai, a four-star who hails from Pocatello; the same town where ESPN NFL analyst and former Steeler Merril Hoge was born and raised. As for Togiai, the 6-foot-3, 290-pounder hasn't been a name we've discussed much at all, but a lot should be learned by the end of the month.
The country's No. 9 tackle is expected to be in town on July 21 for Friday Night Lights, and he's also planning an official visit for the Oklahoma game, according to 247Sports' recruiting analyst Bill Kurelic. Washington and USC also appear to be very much in the hunt with the Trojans holding a comfortable lead in the crystal ball.
American Heritage defensive tackle Nesta Silvera is committed to the Miami Hurricanes, but we recently talked about the Buckeyes' pursuit of several prospects suiting up for the Patriots. The interest from Silvera's side definitely seems to be legit, but this won't be an easy one for the Ohio State staff.
The 6-foot-2, 308-pounder recently told our very own Andrew Lind that he plans on visiting Ohio State with teammate and Buckeye commit Andrew Chatfield. I feel that Andrew's evaluation of Silvera is extremely accurate, and who doesn't want a guy like this lining up on the interior portion of the defensive line?
Nesta Silvera. Man. There's no other way to describe him other than a tank on a mission. Has a mean streak, too.
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) July 3, 2017
The Buckeyes will continue to put in work on Silvera and Togiai, and we will see if things take off again between Larry Johnson and Antwuan Jackson. New names will likely surface over the next several months, and it's important to remember that guys like Robert Landers and Davon Hamilton were both late-in-the-cycle additions that have made an impact.
The search continues.
