January 2015 was a pretty good month for Ohio State. Besides winning the first ever College Football Playoff, the new year got off to a tremendous start on the recruiting front. While 2016 tailback Kareem Walker committed during halftime of the Oregon game – and has since been spotted downing Redd's Apple Ale on the streets of Ann Arbor – the real fireworks came for the class of 2017.
Two more standouts would make their pledges on the day of the title game and five-star Josh Myers followed suit later in the month. While athlete Bruce Judson has come and gone, the real gem – five-star defensive back Shaun Wade – seemingly committed out of nowhere. Despite being one of the nation's top corners, a four-star at the time and ranked No. 14 in the class, Wade wasn't a name that we had really even discussed. First of all, it took place over two years away from 2017's national signing day. Second, there had been no indication that he was a player that needed to be watched.
The staff wasn't even made aware of the commitment on the day it happened. Much of the reason for that, of course, was that they were busy doing all the things that go into planning for and winning a national championship. Simply put: Everyone was caught off guard.
Most everyone was also fairly skeptical from the get-go. One of the top players in America – from the state of Florida – committing to a Midwest school two years before putting any pen to paper? Nearly a year and a half later, and that skepticism still seems to permeate.
But should it?
A big reason for the doubt – though it's really unfair to Wade himself – is likely stemming from the recent recruitment of another Florida defensive back. Miami cornerback Carlton Davis was another name we knew practically nothing about; at least not until he surprised everyone and pledged to the Buckeyes in August of 2014.
Davis was the nation's 58th-ranked corner at the time and wasn't really a huge name that brought a ton of excitement throughout the Ohio State message board community. In that regard, the situation was quite different from that of Wade.
Upon making his commitment, Davis made it clear that he was of the "soft" variety and would continue to take visits elsewhere. He had been in Columbus that July, shortly before the commitment, to attend Friday Night Lights and would then make an official visit in November
Carlton Davis' recruitment ended exactly how most expected it would.
Months went by and the skepticism continued to build. It really turned into a prime example of "watch what they do and not what they say." Davis continued to tell reporters that he saw himself ending up in Columbus, all the while taking a number of visits elsewhere. The visits certainly included Auburn, which is where he would ultimately end up after decommitting in late January.
Reminiscent of what we are seeing with Shaun Wade right now? In some ways, absolutely. However, the level of doubt that surrounded the Davis recruitment was definitely a bit higher than what we are seeing with Wade right now, and probably for good reason.
Since his commitment to the Buckeyes, Wade has made trips to check out the Gators and Noles, Alabama, and a West Coast journey to USC and UCLA. Somehow the Gator offer didn't even come until two weeks after pledging to Urban Meyer. Wade would go on to visit Gainesville the following month, which would immediately begin to raise some Scarlet and Gray eyebrows.
The good news is that he wasted very little time getting to Columbus thereafter. A trip was made in April and then again for a camp in June. And then things got fairly quiet and those ominous feelings returned.
Wade would venture to Georgia and Alabama in the fall, though the Crimson Tide didn't extend an offer until this past February. He would make a return trip to Tuscaloosa less than two weeks after the offer and, despite being relatively "late" to throw their houndstooth hat in the ring, the 247Sports crystal ball certainly feels that Nick Saban has Alabama in a good spot.
While it's important to note that crystal ball picks for the Buckeyes can no longer be cast due to his current commitment status, there's probably a good reason to fear the Tide. Alabama has a ridiculous history of putting defensive backs into the league, Tuscaloosa is closer to home, and multiple trips have been made to the campus. When it comes to recruiting, Bama is Bama, and they are always worth paying attention to.
The Gators are also looming for Wade's services. Jim McElwain and Co. hosted a satellite camp at Trinity Christian Academy Wednesday and they will certainly see more of the nation's second-ranked cornerback during the summer and fall months as they look to flip one of the state's top prospects.
More good news for the Buckeyes went down last weekend, though, when the Wade family made the trip north to Columbus. It should come as no surprise, but the visit seemed to quite well for the Buckeyes and the family. Wade is set to return to Ohio State's campus again this weekend – with coaches and teammates – for a camp, though he's stated that for him personally the trip is more about seeing the school. Needless to say, getting him in town twice in a matter of a week is extremely good news.
247Sports' recruiting analyst Luke Stampini spoke to Wade following Wednesday's satellite camp, and he had positive things to say about last weekend's trip to Columbus.
“The trip, it was great. My parents came, they got to meet my parents and they told us some things. I’m still 100-percent. In my opinion, I know I can go in and play right away. They have a great coaching staff, they win national championships, and get people in the league…They just got everything I’m looking for.” Via
The Crimson Tide are also expected to get another visit within the next couple weeks. Wade has family in Alabama – his mother was born and raised there – and is looking to discuss the possibility of early playing time with the staff.
The question for Wade is a simple one, though the answer is not. Why commit to Ohio State as early as he did if he wasn't 100 percent sure of his choice? Maybe – just maybe – Wade himself hasn't ever wavered? The truth is that when it comes to a player of his magnitude, a decision isn't a single person endeavor. Wade himself has reiterated numerous times that he's comfortable with his choice but there are outside pressures, family, and friends, who want him to double and triple-check.
From here, the situation for Wade and his family gets even harder to figure out. Ohio State, Bama, Florida and even schools like Michigan are in line for official visits this fall as he looks to cement his decision before a January enrollment. The Buckeyes coaching staff, despite the country's best recruiting class in 2017, isn't taking Wade's commitment with a single grain of salt. He's been a priority for almost 18 months and will continue to be all the way through January.
If Urban Meyer and his staff are able to keep him in the fold, Shaun Wade could be the single-biggest win – against the longest odds – Ohio State has had on the recruiting trail since 2012.
