After eight player departures over the last two years and some late recruiting misses in this most recent cycle, Ohio State’s roster for the 2017–18 season is rather thin.
The Buckeyes only have nine scholarship players at this point in time — a number that’s far from ideal for new head coach Chris Holtmann.
Adding a player or two that could immediately contribute next season would be quite beneficial. However, at this point, in mid-June, would that even be a possibility?
“Potentially,” new assistant coach Ryan Pedon said Thursday. “But only if it’s the right fit. I think the worst thing you can do at this time of the year from a recruiting standpoint is settle. If you settle and you bring the wrong guys on the bus, that can set your program back and we’re not going to do that.”
Most of the high school prospects in the class of 2017 are already signed with programs and some have even reported to campus already. A lot of graduate transfers have already picked a destination to play their final season. Junior college prospects are always an option, but those are often a risk. The pickings are slim.
Ohio State is in a unique situation, though, because Holtmann brought his entire coaching staff — Pedon included — with him from Butler to Columbus. As a result, the players who signed with the Bulldogs in the 2017 class — the highest-ranked class in program history — would be eligible to get a release from their national letters of intent if they wanted due to the coaching change.
One player who has been a hot topic of conversation is former four-star forward Kyle Young. A native of Massillon, Ohio, Young picked Holtmann and Butler over Ohio State during his recruiting process and there has been plenty of chatter he could ask for his release and ultimately enroll with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s assistant coaches didn't speak directly nor were they asked directly about Young because he is signed to another program, but all three — Pedon, Mike Schrage and Terry Johnson — said it was a possibility a player could be added to next year’s roster.
“To be determined. To be determined,” Schrage said. “The last thing we're going to do is settle. When I say settle, I don't just mean playing ability. I think we're building a culture. Coach [Thad] Matta had a great culture. We're used to being involved with the great culture at Butler and different places that we've all been. So the young men that we bring in this program better fit. And sometimes, with this calendar, it could be more of a shotgun wedding.”
So, the door is still open for Ohio State to add to its roster for the 2017–18 season. Whether it’s Young or a different player who isn’t on anyone’s radar, this option remains a possibility for the time being.
And at this point, with the Buckeyes’ roster in its current state, the help would certainly be welcomed.
“We need more bodies, but they have to be the right bodies,” Johnson said. “We’re not just going to recruit anybody just to have bodies there because we are building something that could last for a lifetime.”
