Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class is tops in the Big Ten and behind only Georgia in the national rankings. Urban Meyer still has a month to address the team's remaining needs – which are primarily in the trenches – as the Buckeyes could potentially still claim the national recruiting crown.
As with every recruiting class, we'll never truly be able to properly evaluate until a few years down the road. However, as the traditional February signing day approaches, the 2018 cycle already has seen plenty of big-time wins and some noteworthy defeats for Meyer and the Ohio State staff.
The Greatest Hits
1. Josh Proctor • ★★★★ • Safety • Owasso, Oklahoma
Ohio State signed plenty of cornerbacks in the 2017 class, but safety remained a big need for the current cycle. We had talked a little bit about Josh Proctor early on, but I honestly don't think anyone – including yours truly – was giving the Buckeyes much of a chance. Back in April, the No. 2 player in the state of Oklahoma headed to Columbus with a crystal ball that read 100 percent in favor of the in-state Sooners. He would go on to commit to the Ohio State staff in the midst of the spring game festivities.
The four-star is a playmaker at safety, and if you're someone who's fond of versatility, then there's plenty of reason to be excited. He's also played running and quarterback in high school, but his ability to roam the secondary and lock down receivers in coverage is the most exciting part of his game. Vonn Bell was a safety who had many of the skills needed to cover like a corner. Proctor is similar in that regard and has better size at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds.
Marcus Hooker will likely play safety for Ohio State, but he really played all over the secondary in high school. Tyreke Johnson has the skill set to play either corner or safety, though it looks as though he'll start out at corner. Proctor is probably the only pure safety in the class, and the loss of Jaiden Woodbey made his signing that much more important.
Keeping him away from the Sooners – especially during a very successful season in Norman – was a major win for Urban Meyer, Greg Schiano, and the Ohio State staff.
2. Max Wray • ★★★★ • Offensive Tackle • Franklin, Tennessee
Offensive tackle was – and still is – one of the biggest needs for the class. However, the Buckeyes already have signed a really good one in Tennessee's Max Wray. At 6-foot-6.5 and 290 pounds, he certainly has the measurables to play the position, and he proved as much last week in San Antonio. The country's No. 9 tackle got the start in the Army All-American Bowl and more than held his own against the nation's top pass rushers.
His recruitment was one of those Urban Meyer specials that seemingly came out of nowhere. A one-time Georgia commit, the Crimson Tide were thought to have the edge heading into the spring. There was reason for excitement in Tuscaloosa as Wray decommitted from Georgia shortly after visiting Alabama. The Buckeyes offered around that same time and things moved quickly from there. Wray and his family checked out Columbus in April and he made his commitment a week later.
Thanks to Urban Meyer and the great people with Ohio State football! pic.twitter.com/R2aXb9hcaM
— Sam Wray (@wray_6) April 7, 2017
Wray may very well be needed as a true freshman; even if it is just to provide some depth. A potential added bonus to his signing? His younger brother Jake is one of the country's top tackles for the Class of 2020.
3. Tyreke Smith • ★★★★ • Defensive End • Cleveland, Ohio
Signing the No. 3 player in the state of Ohio should pretty much be a given for the Buckeyes, but this year the battle was especially tough for four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith, who originally hails from the West Coast.
James Franklin and the Nittany Lions made the Cleveland (Heights) star a priority early on in the process, and the folks in Happy Valley were the presumed leader until about mid-December. Larry Johnson and Urban Meyer were able to pull this one out as the country's No. 4 weak-side defensive end announced his intentions last week at the Under Armour All-America Game.
Defensive end may be the biggest need in the 2018 class, and keeping one of the state's top players away from a conference rival was of paramount importance. Nick Bosa, Chase Young, and Jonathon Cooper are the only scholarship players returning next season, so Smith will likely be in the two deep from the get-go.
The Memorable Misses
1. Jackson Carman • ★★★★★ • Offensive Tackle • Fairfield, Ohio
We had Jackson Carman atop our recruiting board the entire cycle, and things surprisingly came crashing down leading up to the early signing period. He's the state's No. 1 prospect and plays a position of need. There's no getting around it: this one hurts.
Yes, Carman does need to slim down a bit and didn't look all that impressive in the Army All-American Bowl, but he was a five-star priority target for the Ohio State staff. He made countless trips to Columbus and the Buckeye staff actually seemed to back off other targets – with Virginia Tech signee Walker Culver being one – that they likely could have landed had they elected to make a push.
Regardless of whether he sticks at tackle or moves to the inside, Jackson Carman signing with Clemson was a surprise to many and a big loss for Ohio State.
2. Brenton Cox • ★★★★★ • Defensive End • Stockbridge, Georgia
I was tempted to put Brenton Cox at No. 1, but the fact that he plays in the Bulldogs' backyard made this an extremely difficult pull; especially considering the season Kirby Smart and the Georgia program put together.
The five-star committed to Ohio State back in April and was the first big piece in what was expected to be a three-man defensive end haul. He started flirting with Alabama during the season and ultimately backed off the Buckeye pledge following an early-December trip to Tuscaloosa. Cox then made the short trip to Athens and signed with the Bulldogs on Dec. 20.
It was a tall task for Ohio State to keep one the country's top players away from the SEC, but it still stings nonetheless. Cox is the nation's No. 23 prospect and the No. 5 player in the state of Georgia, which truly goes to show just how deep the talent pool is down there.
3. Jayson Oweh • ★★★★ • Defensive End • Blairstown, New Jersey
The recruitment of four-star Jayson Oweh had a somewhat similar feel to that of Tyreke Smith. Unfortunately for Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes, the end result wasn't quite the same. One school was the perceived early favorite and another swooped in and took the lead at one point. In this instance, it was Penn State who got out to the early lead and the Buckeyes who made things interesting.
Oweh developed a great relationship with Johnson and understood that he's a raw prospect who is nowhere close to reaching his potential. Ohio State' defensive line coach has a stellar reputation when it comes to player development, but rumors of his alleged pending retirement – and Penn State's proximity to home – likely hurt the Buckeyes a bit here.
The Blairstown, New Jersey product has some serious upside and Ohio State will have to deal with that for the next three to five years.
There are several other signees who deserve mention. Taron Vincent is the best defensive tackle in the country, landing Tommy Togiai was a huge win, and locking up Brian Snead early in the process was quite the accomplishment. Then of course there's a nice dose of in-state flavor sprinkled in as well.
The Buckeyes are likely going to try to add another couple signees, and the focus remains in the trenches. Penn State has been a thorn in the side this cycle, but Ohio State has a chance to steal one in four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. The country's No. 6 player at the position has long been thought to be a Nittany Lion lean, but a January trip to Columbus could absolutely shake things up.
Four-star defensive lineman Tyler Friday is still considering Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, and Penn State. Snagging the New Jersey native would be quite the coup for the Buckeyes, especially since he's thought to be a Michigan lean.
With less than four weeks to finalize the 2018 recruiting class, there's still plenty of work to do.
