Just over one week away from National Signing Day, Ohio State's historic recruiting haul is nearly complete.
The Buckeyes are bringing in more five-star commits in the 2017 class than all of Urban Meyer's previous Ohio State classes combined. Of the team's 19 total commits, 14 are ranked in the top five of their position group and 17 are in the top 20.
The class is obviously loaded with top talent at nearly every position. Deciding who is the most talented of the group is more difficult than splitting hairs. Instead, we ranked the recruits not necessarily based on talent, but by importance, based on team needs – both immediate and going forward – as well as position depth.
1. Kendall Sheffield – Cornerback
For the second straight season, Ohio State has to replace three players in the secondary after yet another exodus of talent. The Buckeyes lost Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore to the NFL Draft and need two new corners to replace them – Kendall Sheffield will likely be one of them.
Sheffield is the nation's top junior college cornerback and fifth-ranked junior college player in the country. He transferred from Alabama after redshirting his freshman season, presumably to see more early playing time, and spent last season at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. Sheffield is coming to Ohio State intent on starting right away, and the Buckeyes will need him.
2. Trevon Grimes – Wide Receiver
Zone-6 was undeniably Ohio State's most underperforming unit in 2016 and to make matters worse, the Buckeyes lost their two most productive receivers as Noah Brown and Curtis Samuel declared for the NFL Draft. Ohio State desperately needs help at the wide receiver position, and it's getting it in the form of five-star receiver Trevon Grimes.
At 6-3, he is one of Ohio State's biggest and tallest receivers with just Binjimen Victor (6-4) and fellow 2017 commit Jaylen Harris (6-5) standing taller. Of that group, Grimes is the quickest and most athletic.
Grimes is not, however, just a freak athlete without a true position; he's a polished receiver. He's a solid route runner, knows how to use his hands to create separation and played against elite competition throughout his high school career at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Though he's still rehabbing a torn ACL, expect Grimes to see the field early his freshman year.
3. Blake Haubeil – Kicker
Blake Haubeil is the lowest ranked player and only three-star in Ohio State's 2017 class. However, he's also the best kicker in the country.
The summer before his junior year of high school, Haubeil drew the attention of Urban Meyer at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights camp by hitting a 55-yarder with the Buckeye head coach in his ear. A few months later, Haubeil hit a 61-yard field goal in a game.
Pretty impressive to see a HS junior making a 61-yard FG. Not bad, @BlakeHaubeil https://t.co/8LfUYm7f6i
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) September 21, 2015
At 6-3, 200 lbs., Haubeil certainly is not small, making him an ideal candidate for kickoff duties as well.
With Sean Nuernberger still on the roster, Haubeil may grayshirt the 2017 season, but that doesn't make him any less important to the Buckeyes going forward. Ohio State will need a reliable placekicker going forward, and that's what Haubeil gives them.
4. Wyatt Davis – Offensive Line
With Pat Elflein's departure and Billy Price's move to center, Ohio State will need to replace a guard on the offensive line. Wyatt Davis, the nation's top offensive guard, will compete for that spot.
With the size of a tackle and the quickness of a guard, Davis is a unique talent. More than that, he plays mean. He finishes his blocks with authority and tosses defenders around like rag dolls, particularly once he gets to the second level.
If Davis is to earn the starting spot in the fall, he will be the second true freshman to start on the offensive line in as many years.
5. Brendon White – Athlete
Brendon White is without doubt the most versatile player in the 2017 class and probably the most athletic – but he doesn't quite have a position yet.
White's position actually got more unclear over time. He played almost every position (including quarterback) for his high school team, was initially listed as a safety by recruiting services, was expected to play linebacker once he arrived at Ohio State but proved himself one of the top receivers at the Columbus Nike Camp.
White enrolled at Ohio State early and has been practicing with the team since before the Fiesta Bowl, and he still doesn't have a position. As expected, he immediately joined the linebackers his first day of practice, but less than a month later he tweeted plans to play receiver.
Wherever he plays, White will help the Buckeyes. Quite simply, he's a freak athlete. He stands 6-2 with a 200-pound frame and recorded a 4.54 40-yard dash and a 4.09-second 20-yard shuttle at the Nike Camp in Oregon this summer.
Perhaps he is Ohio State's version of Jabrill Peppers.
