Is Ohio State's Dwindling Recruiting Presence in Pennsylvania Cause For Concern?

Pulling a kid out of Pennsylvania isn't as easy as it used to be for Ohio State.

In fact, the only scholarship player currently on the Buckeyes' roster from the Keystone State is redshirt sophomore safety Malik Hooker, who leads the team with four interceptions this season.

It's hard to argue with anything Urban Meyer has done on the recruiting trail in his five years as head coach. He's signed four top-five classes and is on track to lock down the No. 1 class this February. But if there's one area in which Meyer would like to improve, it's increasing Ohio State's presence in the talent-rich state next door.

“It certainly is [an area we'd like to recruit more],” Meyer said on Tuesday during the weekly Big Ten Football Coaches Teleconference. “I love the Pittsburgh area [and the] Philadelphia area. It's not that we haven't tried.”

While the most notable Pennsylvanian Ohio State has signed in the last decade is undoubtedly Jeannette's Terrelle Pryor, who led the Buckeyes to at least a share of three Big Ten championships — though one was vacated — and the school's first Rose Bowl win in 13 years, he's not the only one to play a prominent role for the Buckeyes in recent seasons.

Jordan Hall, Pryor's high school teammate, was a valuable all-purpose back during the tumultuous 2011 season; Corey “Philly” Brown led Ohio State in receiving in 2012 and 2013; and Corey “Pitt” Brown was a starting safety for a team was one game away from the national championship.

Ohio State also signed defensive end Noah Spence in Meyer's first recruiting class in 2012, though he was declared permanently ineligible by the Big Ten for a failed drug test before becoming a second-round NFL Draft pick out of Eastern Kentucky.

Things abruptly turned in a different direction since then, as the Buckeyes have offered 11 Pennsylvania prospects and signed just one.

So why is it so difficult for Ohio State, which signed 14 kids from the Keystone State in an eight-year period under former head coach Jim Tressel, to do so now?

“I think you have two good schools,” Meyer said. “You've got Pitt and Penn State. I know we lost a guy to Pitt [2016 four-star corner Damar Hamlin] right out of Pittsburgh. They're good places and they do a good job.”

Both Penn State's James Franklin and Pittsburgh's Pat Narduzzi have made it a priority to keep kids from their backyard close to home, but that won't stop Meyer from pursuing those same prospects. Take Hooker, for example, a three-star recruit from New Castle who chose the Buckeyes over offers from the Nittany Lions and Panthers, among a few others.

“I was recruited by Penn State,” Hooker said at Wednesday night's post-practice media availability. “There really wasn't too much pressure [to stay home] — at least I didn't pay any mind to it — because at the end of the day, it's my decision, my college career. So I just look at it as I'm going to do what's best for me and my family. I feel like coming here is one of he best decisions I have made.”

Granted, Franklin had only been at Penn State for a month and Narduzzi was still Michigan State's defensive coordinator when Hooker signed his letter of intent. But it's worth noting the Ohio State brand still holds weight in the Alleghenies.

“By the time I was able to take official visits [to Penn State and Pittsburgh], I was pretty much already 100 percent committed to Ohio State,” Hooker said.

The Buckeyes remain in the hunt for several Pennsylvanians from the Class of 2017, including Clairton four-star cornerback Lamont Wade and Beaver Falls four-star defensive end Donovan Jeter. But if current projections hold and neither ends up in Columbus, Ohio State will sign its third-consecutive class under Meyer without a kid from the Keystone State.

That marks the longest drought since the Buckeyes signed Pottsville defensive tackle Randy Homa in 1995 and didn't reach into Pennsylvania again until 2004 to sign offensive tackles Kyle Mitchum and John Skinner, tight end Rory Nicol and defensive back Devon Lyons.

There are opportunities for Ohio State to once against assert itself as a significant player in Pennsylvania in 2018, with Harrisburg defensive end Micah Parsons — a Penn State commit; Erie offensive lineman Fredrick "Juice" Scruggs; Philadelphia defensive back Isheem Young; and New Castle defensive back Marcus Hooker, Malik's brother, all on the Buckeyes' wish list.

But maybe, just maybe, Meyer — who's 56-4 with a national championship trophy back home — isn't truly concerned.

“Malik is doing great for us, but I didn't realize that was [the case],” he said.