The Drought is Over
Caleb Downs scores Ohio State’s first punt return touchdown since 2014.
Last night, the Buckeyes' top-ranked 2016 recruiting class took a hit and lost Terrell Hall from the committed column, dropping them back to 18 commits. For months, the rumblings have been that Ohio State would take anywhere between 20-23 players in this class, although recent discussion has suggested that if the right 25 were available, they'd take 25.
There's a number of names still out there, but let's review the most likely players to join the 2016 recruiting class, in order of likelihood.
GAVIN CUPP // OFFENSIVE LINE // LEIPSIC, OHIO
There's a good chance that Gavin Cupp could be committed to Ohio State by the time this story hits its the public airwaves. A 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman that was committed to Michigan State before he camped at Friday Night Lights with the Buckeyes, Cupp was offered by Ohio State a week ago. A commitment is expected to happen soon (or has already).
When Cupp joins the fray (publicly) he will be the fourth and final piece to the offensive line puzzle for the Buckeyes and means Ohio State will shut down recruiting at the position barring any one else making a surprising move out of the class.
ANDREW PRYTS // DEFENSIVE BACK // HERMITAGE, PENNSYLVANIA
The next decision that's expected following Cupp is from Penn State legacy Andrew Pryts, a big-hitting safety from Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Pryts was once considered a long-shot for the Buckeyes but a trio of visits to Columbus this spring and summer have many close to Ohio State feeling they've moved into the lead position.
Pryts has told me that a decision is still likely to come this month, but a return trip to South Bend to see Notre Dame looms over the choice. Pryts' decision is likely to come down to Ohio State, Notre Dame and Penn State, but UCLA and Stanford also received visits this summer.
ANTWUAN JACKSON // DEFENSIVE TACKLE // ELLENWOOD, GEORGIA
Two multi-day, unofficial visits from Georgia in a month span means the interest from Antwuan Jackson is real, we know that. The country's eighth-ranked defensive tackle is the 47th-ranked overall prospect in the 2016 class and he's the most likely elite defensive tackle to join Jonathon Cooper, Nick Bosa and Malik Barrow along the front four.
Auburn remains the top competitor for Ohio State, but Jackson's recruitment has definitely been trending towards the Buckeyes for the last month. He visited for Friday Night Lights with his father and all accounts things went as well as they could've short of a commitment. He will return to Ohio State for an official visit, although that's not yet planned.
JORDAN FULLER // DEFENSIVE BACK // WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY
It's not a secret that the Buckeyes would like to add at least two more defensive backs and – although they'd prefer to add three more – Jordan Fuller might be the most dynamic of all the remaining options. A big, natural safety prospect, Fuller is the country's 120th-ranked prospect but he's not really close to a college decision.
With a recent trip to Notre Dame under his belt, Fuller's list includes the Irish, the Buckeyes, the Bruins of UCLA (where his brother plays) and other programs like Michigan and Rutgers. Still, it's been the Buckeyes most commonly associated with the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder. He plans to make an official visit to Columbus this fall.
DAMAR HAMLIN // DEFENSIVE BACK // PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
When a player has been to your school upwards of seven times for unofficial visits, you start to think you may have a pretty good shot to land him. That's the case with Ohio State and Damar Hamlin, the country's 13th-ranked cornerback and 145th-ranked overall prospect. Although it's always difficult to land anyone from the Pittsburgh area, the Buckeyes have put themselves into a great position with Hamlin, who says he and 2017 safety prospect Paris Ford are a "package deal."
Aside from Ohio State, it's Pittsburgh, Penn State and Notre Dame making the most noise for Hamlin at present. He visited the Buckeyes for Friday Night Lights and then made his second trip to Notre Dame this past Friday.
BINJIMEN VICTOR // WIDE RECEIVER // COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA
With one true receiver in the mix for 2016 (Austin Mack) the Buckeyes are not going to go too far out on a limb for a second, especially with the potential windfall coming in 2017. So, if a second wide receiver is added it's going to be a big-time name or not at all and right now there's no option that seems to have the combination of probability and ability as Florida's Binjimen Victor. A 6-foot-4, 175-pounder, Victor first popped onto the scene for the Buckeyes in the summer of 2014 when he made a one-week stay in Columbus and impressed Ohio State coaches during Friday Night Lights. Since then, he's only been able to make one return to Ohio, but that trip – this past June – was enough to delay a scheduled commitment.
Florida and Tennessee are the two teams most commonly associated with Victor but he's never been shy about his affinity for the Buckeyes and especially his relationship with wide receiver's coach Zach Smith. Expect Victor to make an official visit to Ohio State in November and a decision in early January.
DONNIE CORLEY // WIDE RECEIVER // DETROIT, MICHIGAN
If there's one receiver that seemed to be a virtual "lock" for the Buckeyes at one point, it's Detroit's Donnie Corley. In February, many believed that Corley, the country's 18th-ranked wide receiver, would commit to Ohio State during a junior day visit. That didn't happen and since then the two sides had seemingly drifted apart. Then, during Corley's visit to Columbus for Friday Night Lights, the discussion turned on its ear and the belief that Ohio State was back in the mix – along with Tennessee, Michigan State and surprisingly Michigan – ramped back up.
I have Corley as less likely to be a Buckeye than Victor not because of proximity, affection for Ohio State or any other reasons than this: Corley's list is expanding and Victor's is shrinking.
BRANDON BURTON // DEFENSIVE BACK // GARDENA, CALIFORNIA
Perhaps the one "sleeper" on this list is Gardena's Brandon Burton, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound safety from California. Burton finds his way onto this list without ever visiting Ohio State, although he does have a scheduled trip to Columbus on September 12th, an official visit with the Buckeyes as they host Hawaii. While it's likely that Burton ends up out west at USC, UCLA or otherwise, he's an immensely talented defensive back and one of a handful of pure safety options on the board.
I'm not going to say the Buckeyes have a real chance, but getting him to go through with his official visit puts them in the ballgame, especially if they know a bit better where they stand with Hamlin, Fuller and Pryts by that time.
These are just some of the names that make the most sense today, but the Buckeyes are certainly not out of the picture for a handful of other big-time prospects. Here's a few other names that will still be in the mix.
- RASHAN GARY // DEFENSIVE TACKLE // PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY
- RASHARD LAWRENCE // DEFENSIVE TACKLE // MONROE, LOUISIANA
- AARON HANSFORD // LINEBACKER // WASHINGTON, DC
- TONY BUTLER // DEFENSIVE BACK // CLEVELAND, OHIO
- AJ ROSE // ATHLETE // CLEVELAND, OHIO
- NIGEL WARRIOR // DEFENSIVE BACK // SUWANEE, GEORGIA
