Ohio State and Penn State meet this weekend in what will be one of the biggest matchups of the college football season. The Nittany Lions are undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country. The Buckeyes have one blemish on their record but are still right in the thick of the playoff hunt.
It really shouldn't be a surprise that the two programs are sitting atop the conference. James Franklin and Urban Meyer are two of the best coaches in college football and both have become known as relentless recruiters. Their work on the trail is clearly paying off, and there have been countless head-to-head battles between the two recruiting aces.
Meyer and Franklin are currently duking it out for a pair of four-star defensive ends in Cleveland's Tyreke Smith and Blairstown, New Jersey's Jayson Oweh. While the Wolverines have also been able to make some noise with their recruiting efforts, it's clear that the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are leading the way in the conference and are among the country's elite.
One particular recruiting hotbed has been a recurring battleground for the Big Ten rivals, and their success in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region—better known as the DMV—has been an integral part of each team's success.
| PLAYER | HOMETOWN | POS. | CLASS | RATING | NAT. RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalyn Holmes | Norfolk, VA | DE | 2014 | ★★★★ | No. 80 |
| Isaiah Prince | Greenbelt, MD | OT | 2015 | ★★★★ | No. 106 |
| Matthew Burrell | Woodbridge, VA | OG | 2015 | ★★★★ | No. 108 |
| A.J. Alexander | Burke, VA | TE | 2015 | ★★★ | No. 510 |
| Dwayne Haskins | Potomac, MD | QB | 2016 | ★★★★ | No. 93 |
| Keandre Jones | Olney, MD | LB | 2016 | ★★★★ | No. 96 |
| Wayne Davis | Norfolk, VA | DB | 2016 | ★★★★ | No. 335 |
| Chase Young | Hyattsville, MD | DE | 2017 | ★★★★★ | No. 7 |
*Including the entire state of Virginia and not solely the northern region that borders DC/Maryland.
Ohio State's recruiting footprint extends all across the country, so it's really not a surprise that Urban Meyer has prioritized the DMV much like he has Texas, Florida, and other talent-rich areas. The efforts from the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, and other teams like Florida State have made things especially tough for D.J. Durkin and the Terrapins. Yes, the Terps have landed a few local kids here and there, but a lot of the talent continues to end up elsewhere.
Chase Young is the highest rated DMV player that Meyer has signed thus far, and the true freshman has already made his presence felt despite a depth chart that is loaded with talent — including former Virginia four-star Jalyn Holmes. Isaiah Prince played as a true freshman, struggled a bit as a sophomore, but has bounced back nicely during his junior season.
Dwayne Haskins has flashed at times this season and will battle Joe Burrow for the starting duties in 2018. Keandre Jones, Matthew Burrell, and Wayne Davis are likely in line for expanded roles next year. Burke, Virginia native A.J. Alexander is out this season with a knee injury, but he too could be in line for more playing time with the departure of Marcus Baugh.
When it comes to Penn State, the roster features 13 players from the state of Maryland alone and 10 from Virginia. The Nittany Lions' best defensive player – senior safety Marcus Allen – hails from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Linebacker Cameron Brown is from Burtonsville and attended Bullis High School, the same school as Haskins.
Perhaps the most important DMV native is quarterback Trace McSorley. The junior from Ashburn, Virginia has formed quite the duo with Heisman frontrunner Saquon Barkley, and McSorley will present a challenge similar to that of Baker Mayfield on Saturday. His favorite target – senior wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton – attended Mountain View High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The region's pipeline to Columbus and Happy Valley is showing no signs of slowing down.
| Prospect | Hometown | Pos. | Rating | Nat. Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taron Vincent | Baltimore, MD | DT | ★★★★★ | No. 13 | Ohio State Commit |
| Ricky Slade | Woodbridge, VA | RB | ★★★★ | No. 27 | Penn State Commit |
| Teradja Mitchell | Virginia Beach, VA | LB | ★★★★ | No. 37 | Ohio State Commit |
| Nana Asiedu | Stafford, VA | OT | ★★★★ | No. 65 | Penn State Commit |
| P.J. Mustipher | Owings Mills, MD | DT | ★★★★ | No. 100 | Penn State Commit |
| K'Vaughan Pope | Dinwiddle, VA | LB | ★★★★ | No. 168 | Ohio State Commit |
| Daniel George | Oxon Hill, MD | WR | ★★★★ | No. 210 | Penn State Commit |
The Buckeyes already have a five-star Maryland native committed for the Class of 2018. Taron Vincent spent two years at Baltimore's Gilman School before making the move to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. There's no doubt Ohio State took advantage of Larry Johnson's Maryland connections to help with the pursuit of the country's top defensive tackle.
A pair of Virginia linebackers also will be arriving in Columbus next year. Teradja Mitchell chose the Buckeyes over Florida State and a number of other offers. Dinwiddle's K'Vaughan Pope made his pledge known back in August.
Penn State holds commitments from the nation's No. 2 all-purpose back, and Ricky Slade is a player Ohio State absolutely was interested in as well. Offensive tackle Nana Asiedu held offers from pretty much every powerhouse program in the country before settling on the Nittany Lions.
Waldorf, Maryland offensive tackle Rasheed Walker is expected to check out Columbus in the near future, and the four-star's recruitment is likely going to come down to the Buckeyes and Nits.
We will certainly be seeing a number of talented players from the region Saturday afternoon in Columbus, and don't expect the Urban Meyer/James Franklin saga to come to an end anytime soon. The country's top prospect for the Class of 2020 hails from Damascus, Maryland, and while it's a little too early to start looking out that far, don't be surprised if the recruitment of defensive end Bryan Bresee boils down to two familiar adversaries.
