A little over a week ago, Ohio State put the finishing touches on what is arguably the best recruiting class in program history. However, head coach Urban Meyer and his staff can't afford to rest on their laurels if they want to keep that momentum on the recruiting trail.
“We're going to celebrate a very high-ranked class, a bunch of players on paper that look fantastic and look even better in person,” Meyer said during his National Signing Day press conference a little over one week ago. “Tomorrow, you better have the next guy on the phone for us.”
The Buckeyes currently hold only one commitment in West Virginia four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester, so there's a lot of work to do between now and the Early Signing Period. The introduction of early official visits — which can begin in April — should help the staff make up for its slow start, though.
With more than 10 months until December, it's impossible to predict the exact number of prospects Ohio State will sign in the Class of 2019. After all, the Buckeyes currently sit at four players over the NCAA-mandated scholarship number after bringing on 26 players last cycle.
The only thing we know for certain is the loophole that allowed programs to count early enrollees toward the previous signing class no longer exists. That means Ohio State is faced with a “hard cap” of 25 this cycle.
The roster as we head toward the spring features only nine seniors, but we anticipate there will be plenty of attrition — be it unforeseen injuries, early departures and inevitable transfers — that will allow the Buckeyes to sign another full class in 2019.
That said, the next logical step is for my colleague Andrew Ellis and I is to make our way-too-early predictions on who will end up a member of Ohio State's #DYN19STY recruiting class.
QUARTERBACK
ELLIS: Kansas four-star Graham Mertz
LIND: Mertz, Texas four-star Grant Tisdale
RUNNING BACK
ELLIS: IMG Academy five-star Noah Cain
LIND: Cain, Indiana four-star Sampson James
WIDE RECEIVER
ELLIS: Indiana four-star David Bell, Tennessee four-star Trey Knox, Texas four-star Garrett Wilson, Louisville four-star Milton Wright
LIND: Bell, Knox, Wilson, St. Louis four-star Jameson Williams
TIGHT END
ELLIS: Arizona three-star Brayden Liebrock
OFFENSIVE LINE
ELLIS: Nester, Cincinnati Anderson four-star guard Zeke Correll, Mentor four-star tackle Ryan Jacoby, Georgia four-star tackle Harry Miller, Florida four-star tackle Michael Tarquin, West Virginia five-star Darnell Wright
LIND: Correll, Jacoby, Miller, Nester, Tarquin, Wright
DEFENSIVE LINE
ELLIS: Cincinnati Walnut Hills four-star tackle Jowon Briggs, Olentangy Orange five-star end Zach Harrison, Kansas four-star end Marcus Hicks, Mentor four-star end Noah Potter
LIND: Harrison, Potter, Tennessee four-star end Ani Izuchukwu
LINEBACKER
ELLIS: Reynoldsburg three-star Dezman Cooper, Lexington four-star Cade Stover, Massillon Washington three-star Jamir Thomas
LIND: Cooper, Stover, Thomas
DEFENSIVE BACK
ELLIS: Oklahoma five-star Daxton Hill, Virginia Beach four-star Sheridan Jones, Tennessee four-star Woodi Washington
LIND: Hill, Jones, Washington
ATHLETE
ELLIS: New Jersey four-star “Rocket” Ronnie Hickman
LIND: Hickman, Reynoldsburg three-star Mershawn Rice
