The 11W Recruiting Mailbag is your one-stop-shop for all things Ohio State recruiting. Got a question? Ask it, and if we can answer it, we will.
The final bye week of the season is over. Ohio State is getting ready to face Rutgers in the Shoe, which makes now as good a time as any to answer some recruiting questions in another Recruiting Mailbag.
Who do you think will be the running back in this class? - OSU069
Last week I would have said Damien Harris, but that looks iffy now. A lot of people in the know are predicting that Harris is going to pick Kentucky, and the Wildcats have recruited him well. If he chooses UK, the move would make a lot of sense for him.
Instead, I think the running back in this class will be Mike Weber. He is very interested in Ohio State and hopes to take a visit. As I said on Monday, the Buckeyes are using the Michigan fiasco to get closer to some wavering Wolverine commits, one of whom is Weber. If Weber makes an official visit, I think he'll flip to the Buckeyes.
Rank these 3 in order of most likely to be in this class: Josh Sweat, Damien Harris, Christian Kirk. - Killer Nuts
Most confident to least confident, I'd say Damien Harris, Josh Sweat, and Christian Kirk. It's probably moot since none of them is likely to be part of the class, but isn't it nice to want things?
Two questions about the trenches: First, with Wariboko now a possibility on the OL is there room to take both him and Burrell, and if not which are we more likely to land? Second, is Gallimore the last DT we have a reasonable shot with, and if not who else are we realistically pursuing? - AHH Saturday
The coaching staff wants to add one or two more offensive linemen to the class, depending on who commits and when. If Josh Wariboko commits, you'd better believe they'll save room for two. Matthew Burrell is at the top of the Buckeyes' board, and if he wants in they won't say no.
With the depth at defensive line and two commits (Jashon Cornell and Joseph Alabi) who can play defensive tackle, the Buckeyes aren't pursuing DTs all that hard. That said, Neville Gallimore is in the same boat as Burrell: if he wants in the class, he's in.
What position group are we most negatively recruited against? -Fired Up
Oh, this is easy. Wide receiver and tight end are the most negatively recruited, especially tight end. Meyer has a strong tight end duo in Nick Vannett and Jeff Heuerman, yet they have only 12 catches for 148 yards on the season. It doesn't matter how well constructed the offense is; when the numbers aren't there, opposing coaches will pick up on it.
Who is your pick for a dark horse 2015 commit (a la Johnnie Dixon in 2014)?- BGSUBucksFan
My dark horse is Mykelti Williams from Indiana. He doesn't hold an offer but really wants one. I get the sense that he might commit on the spot if he does earn one. I'm not entirely confident that Carlton Davis remains in the class, which would give Williams some room. If Davis flips, I would expect Williams to fill his spot.
There are maybe five or six spots left in this class. At this point in time, who do you see committing? -KevinJ
Here's the most common question in any mailbag. Right now, I think will be the final commitments in the 2015 class will be:
- QB: Torrance Gibson
- RB: Mike Weber
- WR: Lawrence Cager
- OL: Josh Wariboko, Matt Burrell
- LB Jerome Baker
- DB: Garrett Taylor, Mykelti Williams (if Davis is out)
That's more than the Buckeyes have room for right now, but with all the unknown unknowns in college football, who knows what will happen between now and February.
