We occasionally are prone to put some in-state targets on the back burner as Urban Meyer and his staff span the country for top national talent. Whether it's a matter of just assuming these players are in the bag or the excitement of landing a highly-touted prospect from Florida, California, or any other talent-laden area, these Ohio kids can be taken for granted at times.
The case of Cincinnati (Colerain) defensive back Amir Riep is an interesting one. It doesn't appear that he quite fits the mold of an in-state guy we've forgotten about. More importantly, he most certainly isn't an in-state guy that the coaching staff has forgotten about. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is set to make his announcement later this week, and nearly all of the national pundits are calling for Ohio State to add another one of the nation's top defenders.
All of that being said, anyone thinking this is another Ohio kid who's basically already a part of the Buckeyes' next great recruiting case may need to reevaluate things a bit. Mark Dantonio and the Spartans have made a serious push for the versatile defender and following a mid-May camp in the Windy City, there was a lot of talk about Michigan State being the new team to beat.
CB Amir Riep locked it down yesterday and #GotOpen. Great size and ball skills. https://t.co/k340t8n6Bw @DMBerk pic.twitter.com/GsURpL8qlH
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) May 15, 2016
The Buckeyes extended an offer to Riep in late January, and given the defensive back situation at the time, it actually came as a bit of surprise to some. All four of Ohio State's current defensive back commits – Shaun Wade, Isaiah Pryor, Marcus Williamson, and Brendon White – were already in the fold at the time. Further, the Buckeyes were in a very similar situation that they are in right now: pursuing some of the nation's other elite defensive backs like Jeffrey Okudah and Lamont Wade.
When the offer from Ohio State arrived, the four-star corner spoke with Rivals.com recruiting analyst Marc Givler about how much it meant for an in-state player such as himself:
"Like all players from the state of Ohio feel, to really feel you're one of the best from the state you must get the official stamp from The Ohio State University," he continued. "I finally got that. That's all I used to hear, 'has Ohio State offered? What's Ohio State saying?' Now its 'when are you committing'?" Via ($)
In the coming months, anyone who initially questioned the offer would be forced to put their skepticism to rest. Riep spent his winter and spring earning offers from virtually every single one of the nation's top programs. During that time, he also took a number of visits to schools like Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Michigan.
The Spartans and Buckeyes continued to be viewed as the favorites, however. The nation's No. 114 overall prospect would take multiple visits to Columbus throughout the spring and made a return trip to East Lansing in mid-April. For the Buckeyes, Kerry Coombs and his connection to Colerain – where he was the head coach for 15 years – continues to be a major factor in the recruitment.
Buckeyes CB coach Kerry Coombs working with Amir Riep and Isaiah Pryor today at Ohio State camp pic.twitter.com/r4b1UlbP9a
— Eric Seger (@EricSeger33) June 17, 2016
So what is the cause of the Michigan State chatter? For starters, the Spartans had already built a relationship before the Buckeyes even came calling. Riep made the trip to East Lansing way back in October of 2015 for the Spartans matchup with the Hoosiers. Further, it would appear that early playing time may be a little bit easier to obtain at Michigan State as the Spartans currently don't have a single cornerback committed for the 2017 class.
Riep has narrowed things down to three schools – Ohio State, Alabama, and Michigan State – and will be checking out all three this week before deciding. He was scheduled to arrive in Tuscaloosa this weekend and then will head to East Lansing this week before returning to Columbus for Friday Night Lights. While getting the last visit is generally a good thing, it's certainly not always a dead giveaway of where a prospect is headed. This past January, four-star defensive back Jordan Fuller checked out Ann Arbor a week after visiting Columbus. His commitment to Ohio State followed shortly thereafter.
Riep was in Louisville Friday night and some reports surfaced from the Cardinals' side that an announcement is going to take place this Wednesday. However, everything we have heard continues to have July 23 – his birthday – set as the date with an announcement scheduled for 1PM in the Colerain gymnasium.
Riep has kept things very close to the vest since January when his recruitment really took off. The versatile defender who could potentially play corner or safety has been meticulous throughout the process and no one can say that he hasn't done his due diligence in researching some of the nation's top programs. While nothing is official until a letter of intent is signed, this isn't a player that we expect to sniff around much after committing.
The prediction here is still for Ohio State, but this one is closer than many think. The Buckeyes' staff probably still has a little bit of work to do on Friday before Saturday's scheduled announcement. In the meantime, the Spartans will be in his ear about being the guy in the secondary for the class of 2017.
