The Hurry Up: January Contact Period Offers Second Chance For Two of Ohio's Top Uncommitted Prospects

SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE

When I first wrote about Warren G. Harding athlete Lynn Bowden roughly two months ago, I broached the subject of why he had not yet received a scholarship offer from Ohio State. But all possible reasons aside, the Buckeyes were simply not recruiting him at that point in time.

That may change here soon, though, as a source close to the program tells Eleven Warriors the staff will reevaluate Bowden when the recruiting contact period opens on Jan. 12.

Ohio State would like to add five more prospects to the current class, and will find out where three of its remaining targets will end up when defensive backs Bubba Bolden, Darnay Holmes and Jeffrey Okudah announce their decisions at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl this Saturday.

Once that happens, we'll have a clearer look at how the class may fill out.

Defensive tackles Marvin Wilson and Jay Tufele will make their decisions known on National Signing Day, while announcements from wide receiver Jaylen Harris and cornerback Kendall Sheffield are still up in the air.

So let's say, for example, the Buckeyes only lock down commitments from Okudah and Harris at the very minimum. Who fills out the rest of the class?

That's where Bowden and four-star offensive tackle Thayer Munford come in to play. Neither have an offer, but both have called Ohio State their dream school at one point or another.

There's no doubting the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Bowden is a stellar athlete; he finished his senior season with 2,277 rushing yards, 1,366 passing yards and 57 total touchdowns to lead the Raiders to the Division II Regional Championship. But, again, all other reasons aside, Ohio State was in pursuit of too many five-star prospects to give him a look before.

Bowden was once committed to Indiana, and just last month included the Hoosiers in his Top 10 alongside Iowa State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

With the reported addition of former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson to its staff, Ohio State instantly becomes the front-runner if it offers a scholarship before his planned announcement on Jan. 20.

The Buckeyes would also ideally like to add a third offensive lineman to the class, which is why Munford came back onto the staff's radar when four-star offensive tackle Jake Moretti decommitted in mid-November.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder was the odd man out when Ohio State locked down Moretti and five-star Josh Myers in 2015, and transfer eligibility issues during his senior year kept him from getting more attention from schools and recruiting sites alike.

What seemed to be Ohio State's loss was either going to be Kentucky or Pittsburgh's gain, but Munford was in Columbus several times this fall sans offer. That's why I honestly believe — and he didn't deny it when we last spoke — Munford would commit the moment an offer were extended.

And one last thing to add: If the Buckeyes do pursue and lock down commitments from Bowden and Munford, that would bring the total number of Ohioans in the Class of 2017 to seven — eight if you include the aforementioned Harris — all of which would be four-stars prospect or higher.

So much for supposedly not recruiting Ohio very well.

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO REMIND YOU

I'm heading to San Antonio, Texas, tonight for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The schedule for the remainder of the week includes practices, player interviews, the underclassmen combine, awards show and the game itself.

Cornerback Shaun Wade, linebacker Baron Browning and quarterback Tate Martell — who was named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year on Tuesday — are among the nine Ohio State commits in the Alamo City this week, so I'm looking forward to seeing many of them play in-person for the first time.