Four-star prospect. Double digit offer list. Grew up a Buckeye fan. What's not to like? Several prospects that fit the description lack Ohio State offers.
C.J. Conrad, a tight end prospect from Keystone High School in Ohio, is one such prospect. Perhaps a new name for some recruitniks, Jay Stocker fits the description as well. In spite of an impressive resume, Stocker has no offer.
Stocker is a 6-foot-3, 195 pound safety considered to be one of the top prospects from Pennsylvania in 2015. 247Sports rates him as the 213th overall prospect in the entire nation, which makes him the ninth-rated safety. Other services rate him as a high three-star prospect.
Stocker reports offers from Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse Temple, Villanova, Virginia and Wisconsin. Many other schools are showing interest, including Penn State. Jay told 11W that Boston College or Vanderbilt could be schools that would soon offer.
It's still early in the process and having offers from at least a dozen schools is a good start to the process. Jay agrees. "Recruiting is going great," said the content four-star prospect. However, it's no secret that he would like to hear from Ohio State.
"They've been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, but they're not recruiting me too hard," he said about Ohio State's involvement in his recruitment. "They send me some letters and stuff."
The crystal ball shows 100% of insiders picking Stocker to eventually end up at Ohio State. The caveat: only four insiders have made predictions.
The Buckeyes have not offered to date, but they aren't necessarily falling behind by not offering early. "I don't really have any top schools, but it would be nice to hear from them," he continued. "I haven't really talked to any Ohio State coaches) lately."
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It's easy to see why other schools are interested in the safety. He uses his 4.5 (40-yard dash) speed to fly to the ball on defense. He displays versatility by starring on both sides of the ball for Coatesville High School. At wide receiver, he had 36 receptions for 476 yards during his junior season and helped lead his team to a 9-2 record.
The Buckeyes already have a safety commitment in 2015 from Ben Edwards. Although Edwards plans to take a few visits, it still looks like he is poised to sign with Ohio State in February. Edwards' early commitment could explain the lack of interest in Stocker.
If Stocker were to receive an offer from Ohio State, the situation would be worth monitoring. Some of Ohio State's eventual 2014 signees had yet to blow up on the recruiting scene at this time last year, and recruiting does change quickly.
