Heat Check: More Fireworks on the Way Following April's Five-Commitment Flurry

The spring game has come and gone, and Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class is now sitting at nine commitments, each of whom is of the four or five-star variety. The Buckeyes currently sit at No. 4 in the team recruiting rankings. They have half as many commits as the first-place Miami Hurricanes and at least three fewer than any other program in the top five.

It was a busy month of April as five new prospects hopped on board – two of which basically came out of nowhere. 

Taron Vincent – the country's top defensive tackle – had previously been No. 2 on our recruiting board, so the impact of his decision cannot be overstated. Max Wray's commitment was a little bit of a surprise, though he had certainly been trending toward Columbus. Perhaps the most interesting part about his pledge was the timing as it kicked off the spring game festivities quite nicely without the four-star even being in attendance.

No one even knew that four-star Oklahoma safety Josh Proctor was on the visitor list for the spring game, so his commitment certainly came out of left field as most thought he was a Sooner lean. Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes fended off the in-state Bulldogs for Stockbridge, Georgia defensive end Brenton Cox. The four-star is the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in America.

The announcement from four-star Sevyn Banks was the biggest surprise of the month. The Florida corner has the size that Greg Schiano covets at the position, and he will be interesting to watch this fall as he bounces back from a torn ACL.

There's still a long way to go as the class is expected to feature around 23-25 new signees. At least one top target is scheduled to come off the board in May, and the Buckeye defense could be in store for some springtime fireworks.

*Last month's version can be found HERE.

At the top of the list, it's mostly the same old story for Jackson Carman. The five-star was at the spring game and is now saying that Ohio State and Clemson are basically 1A and 1B on his list. He's the best player in the state, one of the best in America, and he plays a position of need. Dabo Swinney is a tremendous recruiter and Clemson is a great program, but we've obviously still got the Buckeyes here; even though this one may play out for a while. 

The biggest story this month is likely going to be at the linebacker position. Dallas Gant and Teradja Mitchell check in at No. 4 and No. 5 on our board, and there's a good chance each of them could make a commitment in May. Ohio State is likely going to take three or four linebackers in 2018, and these guys are at the top of the list.

For Gant, he already has a decision date set – May 16, his birthday – so we will all know of his intentions in just a few short weeks. I personally have never bought into the Notre Dame chatter even when that was coming in hot and heavy a few weeks ago. All signs continue to point toward Ohio State.

Could there be some more Irish (or even Michigan) chatter to drum up suspense? It wouldn't be a surprise at all, but we've got the Buckeyes coming out on top.

We recapped the recruitment of Teradja Mitchell last weekend, and while the five-star hasn't set a definitive announcement date, he's indicated that it's likely to come shortly after the upcoming Florida State visit. The Noles were out in front early, but the Buckeyes have some major momentum right now. The staff had to sweat out the Brenton Cox visit to Georgia, and they'll be doing the same next weekend when their top inside linebacker target checks out Tallahassee. 

Ohio State's top tight end target continued to impress this past weekend while at The Opening Regional in New Jersey. Jeremy Ruckert's crystal ball still reads 100 percent in favor of the Buckeyes with Michigan, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin rounding out his list of top schools. This one has been and will likely continue to be an Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh battle.

Meyer has made the nation's No. 2 tight end a priority, which is no surprise since the 2017 class didn't feature a single signee at the position. Ruckert is expected to decide before the start of his senior season.

There's been very little movement for the only other pass-catcher on our board. Four-star wideout Kamryn Babb has already checked out Michigan, Notre Dame, and Michigan State this spring. The country's No. 7 receiver is planning a bit of a Southern swing once his junior year concludes. LSU, Alabama, and Auburn are three of the SEC schools he's looking to visit this summer.

Tyreke Smith and Micah Parsons continue to look like the top remaining targets along the edge. Previously, we had Smith a little higher on the board, but things have changed this month. The reasoning for the flip? Brenton Cox is viewed as a strong-side defensive end, and his skill set is a bit more reminiscent of Smith's. Parsons, on the other hand, looks like more of a freak pass-rusher off the weak-side and he actually even played a little linebacker last weekend at The Opening Regionals.

The five-star backed off of his Penn State pledge a few weeks ago and right now Ohio State may be the team to beat, though there's a long way to go in his recruitment. At 260 pounds as a junior, Tyreke Smith could end up as a guy who could move all around the defensive line. 

You're really splitting hairs when nitpicking between the trio, and Larry Johnson would love to have all three at his disposal.

A dream came true today! I'm going to oregon!! #blessed #GETOPEN pic.twitter.com/imecWEOMKT

— #blessedMVP (@Micah_parsons23) April 30, 2017

There's been a bit of a shakeup at defensive back as well after the commitment of Josh Proctor. Previously, we had Houston Griffith a little higher on the board than five-star Anthony Cook. Griffith is a player who may arrive at college at or above the 200-pound mark, and we've said all along that he's a prime candidate to play safety at the next level. Cook, on the other hand, looks like a pure corner.

With Jaiden Woodbey and Proctor now in the fold, it remains to be seen what the staff will elect to do at safety. As for cornerback, Sevyn Banks is already in but it's still likely that one or two more will hop on board before signing day. Cook is the nation's No. 2 corner and his recruitment is probably going to come down to Ohio State, Texas, LSU, and Clemson. Griffith may end up as an Ohio State/Notre Dame battle. 

The Buckeyes recently took over as crystal ball favorites for the five-star Texan, with the latest submission coming from a Longhorns' recruiting analyst. 

Two-way lineman Matthew Jones was in Columbus in early April and then headed to Penn State later in the month for their spring game festivities. The Buckeyes continue to be the team to beat, and this one is likely coming down to Urban Meyer and James Franklin with Clemson on the outside looking in. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder is someone the staff could use to fill a need pretty much anywhere in the trenches. 

Four-star tailback Tavion Thomas had been holding steady at No. 11 on the list, but there are a lot of moving pieces to that recruitment that still need to get sorted out. The staff needs a center for 2018, and right now it looks like Juice Scruggs may be the most likely candidate to fill that role.

The Ashtabula native has been to Columbus twice in the last six weeks while also attending the Penn State spring game. Like Jones, this one is likely to come down to the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. The crystal ball currently reads 100 percent in favor of Ohio State.

The 2018 recruiting class is already well on its way, and it should be at double digits in a few weeks. In the meantime, we continue to monitor players like Georgia linebacker Michael Harris along with Cincinnati's Aeneas Hawkins and Christopher Oats.

Harris would be an instant commitment candidate if he were to make a trip to Columbus, but it's reasonable to think that the staff is waiting for the Gant and Mitchell decisions before deciding whether or not to make a push. As for Hawkins and Oats, neither appears to be in a rush to decide. 

Staying in the state of Ohio – but on an entirely different note – Friday is Ohio State Day at the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World." If you're in attendance and see a chiseled Jake Gyllenhaal clone wandering around in the rain, please be sure to say hello.