Much has been said about the lack of homegrown talent in Ohio State's most recent recruiting class, but it's hard to argue with the staff's national approach given the fact its 2017 haul finished with the highest per-prospect rating of all time.
But if we must nitpick, seven Ohioans out of 21 signees is far from ideal.
Several factors are at play when determining how many in-state prospects eventually land with the Buckeyes, most notably the amount of local talent at any given time. Yet critics seemingly point to the number of offers being handed to out-of-state kids by comparison.
There's good reason for that, though.
"Sometimes you have to offer a guy early out of state to get in the game," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said last spring. "In-state, you've just gotta be very cautious because when that offer goes out, you can't pull it. You're in it. Out-of-state, if you offer a guy and he has a bunch of other offers, than you can just kind of move on. In Ohio, you have to be very careful."
It takes time to build a relationship with an out-of-state prospect and his family, and an offer is used more so as a lure to gauge his interest in the program. If you can get him on campus for an unofficial visit on his family's dime, then his recruitment becomes something to pay attention to.
Most in-state prospects, meanwhile, grow up dreaming of one day playing for Ohio State. They're more likely to commit soon — if not immediately — after an offer is extended, and accepting their pledge earlier in the process would, in turn, fill the class sooner.
The recent introduction of an early signing period seems to have thrown a bit of a wrench into that strategy, though. The 72-hour signing period in mid-December, as well as the ability to take official visits from April through June of their junior year, will only force Ohio State's staff to speed up their evaluation process — especially for those in-state prospects who would typically not receive an offer until the summer before or during their senior seasons.
| NAME | HIGH SCHOOL | POSITION | STARS |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZACH HARRISON | OLENTANGY ORANGE | DE | ★★★★★ |
| CADE STOVER | LEXINGTON | LB | ★★★★ |
| JOWON BRIGGS | WALNUT HILLS | DT | ★★★★ |
| NOLAN RUMLER | ARCHBISHOP HOBAN | OT | ★★★★ |
| ZEKE CORRELL | ANDERSON | OG | NR |
We have already seen the effects of the early signing period, as the Buckeyes offered a scholarship late last week to Cincinnati Anderson offensive guard Zeke Correll. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but showed at last month's The Opening Cleveland Regional he could develop into one of the top-rated prospects in the state for the Class of 2019.
In the past, Meyer and Co. would have waited to see a prospect like Correll play in person or perform at camp before pulling the trigger. But now they run the risk of another school beating them to the punch and using the early signing period to their own advantage.
"Some schools come in and offer — I can name off seven schools that offer probably 100 players in our state. We can't offer 100 players in our state," Meyer said. "They'll come back and say, 'Why did we not offer this guy?' We certainly think he's a fine player, we're just a little slower to offer."
An offer from Ohio State will always hold significant weight within the state's borders, and you'd be hard-pressed to bet against the Buckeyes when it comes to landing a prospect they want — regardless of how late the offer comes. But, then again, we're entering uncharted territory on the recruiting trail, and locking down the best prospects in the state as soon as possible might not be a bad strategy, either.
