The wait may very well be worth it.
A few weeks after national signing day, we discussed some less-heralded Ohio prospects who could end up playing an integral part in Ohio State's 2018 recruiting plans. The four names we touched on have taken vastly different paths, and only one has since received the coveted Buckeye offer.
Dayton's Tavion Thomas – the lone offer recipient – has seen his recruitment take off and the bruising tailback could find his way into the class if the Ohio State staff allows it. Three-star offensive lineman John Dirksen (Marion Local) committed to Notre Dame in March while Cincinnati Moeller's Brendon Bates is now a part of a Kentucky class that already features a trio of Ohioans.
The fourth name on our list – West Chester's Xavier Peters – has exploded onto the national scene much like the aforementioned Thomas did back in February. In the last six weeks, the Lakota West linebacker has earned offers from Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Texas. Wednesday's offer from Southern Cal was the latest for the No. 11 prospect in the Buckeye State.
Peters was on hand at The Opening regionals in Cleveland in early April but was unable to participate due to the recovery process from a foot injury. Last weekend, however, he was healthy enough to put on a show at the regional event in Charlotte. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was one of a handful of prospects to earn an invite to The Opening, which will only increase the national appeal.
There's been some speculation regarding where the four-star may line up at the next level. As a high school junior, he's already close to having the ideal measurables for a collegiate linebacker, but some have questioned whether lining up at edge rusher is the more likely scenario.
Our very own Tim Shoemaker was at Lakota West on Wednesday and had the chance to speak with Larry Cox – the Firebirds' head coach – about one of his star players.
“You’ve got to understand this young man has only played six games at linebacker. He was an offensive player his whole life so there’s a lot of upside to this kid. There’s just natural ability and that’s why he is where he is."
"He runs and he moves like a linebacker. He run fits like a linebacker, he drops into pass coverage like a linebacker. That’s what really surprised everybody at Nike was how well he did everything. He can get into pass coverage, he can get into lanes, he’s got good hands. He can do it all. But again, remember, he’s just learning this game. He was either a tailback or a wide receiver his whole life.”
Ohio State is likely to sign at least three linebackers after bringing in a pair for 2017. Obviously, the numbers game is extremely fluid and a lot will depend on the progression of the younger players at the position and the possibility of a guy like Jerome Baker heading off to the NFL a year early.
No one has hopped on board yet for the Class of 2018, but that should change here shortly. Next week, all eyes will be on the Toledo area as four-star Dallas Gant announces his decision. The Buckeyes are expected to be the choice over the Fighting Irish, Wolverines, and others.
If Gant does take one of those spots, five-star inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell could follow suit shortly thereafter. The Virginia Beach product will take a crucial visit to Tallahassee this weekend and then will mull things over before making an announcement. His decision may also be known before the end of the month.
Outside of Gant and Mitchell, there are a whole lot of question marks at the position. A total of 10 linebackers have been offered so far, but a few of them – including Palaie Gaoteote (USC) and Payton Wilson (UNC) – have already committed elsewhere.
Georgia's Michael Harris and Cincinnati's Christopher Oats are two of the more likely candidates to end up in Columbus, but the staff doesn't appear to be pushing for either one at the moment. Oats is a unique case because he's someone who could potentially be brought in as a hybrid defender who could develop into more of a defensive end. As for Harris, the staff might be waiting to see what happens with Mitchell before making a move.
As for Xavier Peters, he's had an eventful recruitment since February's signing day. Outside of the myriad of offers, he's taken multiples trips to both Ohio State and Kentucky and was recently in Tuscaloosa and Knoxville. Still, the recruitment is very much wide open as he currently claims no favorites and has no timeline for a decision.
Regarding the potential Buckeye offer, Peters seems more than willing to earn that distinction. Kerry Coombs has been in contact and Peters already intends to return to Columbus this summer to work out at one of the camps. The staff should then have a much better grasp on how the position is shaping up within the class, and the ball may very well be put in Peters' court as he looks to fine-tune his craft both on the field and in the classroom.
It's often a tricky situation for the staff to decide which Ohioans need to be offered immediately, which ones they may risk out on losing, and which ones they can afford to lose to other programs.
This one might just be too good to pass up.
