One of the top performers at the FBU Top Gun camp in Dublin last week was 2017 Cheshire, Connecticut wide receiver Tarik Black. The 92nd-ranked prospect in the 2017 class, Black is another big, outside wide receiver-type that the Buckeyes covet. At 6-foot-3 and 185-pounds, Black's 247Sports.com Crystal Ball has only two predictions, but they're both for Ohio State.
"I've loved the Buckeyes since the second grade," Black told Eleven Warriors. "I would watch their games growing up and Ted Ginn, Jr. would always make plays."
One problem? Ohio State hasn't offered. That lack an offer currently has the Buckeyes off of his short list, but Black – who visited Ohio State on June 20th – says that would change if he heard more from Urban Meyer's program.
"I visited Ohio State in late June," Black said. "That was the last time I've heard from them."
That visit happened a day after Ohio State's last one-day camp, and it was not an extended visit. As a 2017 prospect, the Buckeyes coaching staff is not permitted to contact or have direct communication off of campus with Black until September 1st.
"I was there for about five hours," Black said. "Coach Tim Hinton stopped by my school once. (The visit) was impressive. I would look at it a little differently if I felt I was able to actually go there. Still, they had very nice facilities and a beautiful campus in the city. I had a chance to see the freshmen workout and I can tell the team works hard for their success."
Ohio State tried to make inroads into Connecticut last year and nearly landed tight end and UCLA signee Chris Clark. One of the things Clark didn't love about Ohio State was the size and vibe of the campus, being so big and in the city. Being from small-town Connecticut means you're used to something a bit more laid back. Black is ok with the change of pace.
"I don't see it as being too big, to be honest," Black said. "Chris told me that in that past and when I saw it in person I thought it was nice."
Now that he's been to Columbus twice in the past month, Black is getting a better idea of what the city has to offer. He's hoping to learn more of what the school and football program can provide him. He's been to a few other big-time schools and is starting to see what's out there for him.
"I've been to Michigan, Alabama for a junior day, Ohio State and some schools in my area like Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut and Boston College," he said. "It's going to come down to who I'm most comfortable with."
Right now, Michigan – led by the recruiting efforts of Jay Harbaugh – stands above the rest for Black. As you can imagine, being a Buckeye fan as a kid has led to some interesting internal debates.
"It is a bit hard to separate the two," Black said of being a fan versus being a recruit. "I think it's weird it ended up that way. I've been rooting for Ohio State my whole life but during the recruiting process Michigan is the one showing the most love. I talk to Harbaugh every now and then, I call him if I have questions or anything like that or if I just want to talk. My coach has told me to call him a couple times."
One of the FBU camp's top defensive backs, the aforementioned Richard LeCounte, raved about Black's game, even going so far as to suggest Black was as challenging to cover as Trevon Grimes, the country's top-ranked 2017 wide receiver. For the Cheshire Academy star, the goal is to keep getting better. With his junior season approaching, Black is looking to improve on a sophomore year that saw his catch 57 passes for 926 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"LeCounte and I battled the entire time," he said of his fellow 2017 standout. "We made each other better, I think. He's a great player and made me work hard. I believe I can take anyone in man-to-man, but I need to improve on everything, to be honest. I'm striving to be the most complete player I can be."
As the summer comes to an end, Black says he'd like to see the Buckeyes again. If he can't do it this summer, he hopes it will be for a game at Ohio Stadium. He knows he'll see the Scarlet and Gray at least once.
"I've love to get back to Ohio State (for Friday Night Lights) but it's a long-shot, transportation is the problem." he added. "I know I will be in attendance for Ohio State at Michigan, and I think I may go see Alabama play Arkansas. I'd like to go see the Ohio State and Penn State game, so I'll look into that with my parents, but my games are on Saturday afternoons."
With a bevy of highly-ranked 2017 wide receivers knocking at the door, Black could be one that shoots up the Buckeye big board in the coming months. There won't be much contact between the two sides until September 1st, but don't be surprised if an Ohio State offer happens before then.
