Recruiting is all about momentum. Sometimes you're gaining it, sometimes you're losing it. What prospects are trending up with Ohio State? Let's take a look.
Coming off of a five-commitment surge in April, the month of May was a little more tame. The Buckeyes landed just one commitment, but it was a big one as Dallas Gant – who previously was No. 4 on our board – made things official on May 16.
The four-star gave Ohio State its first linebacker pledge for the class, and the Toledo native checks in as the state's top player at the position. Gant was a top target throughout the Midwest but sided with the Urban Meyer over the likes of Notre Dame and Michigan. His pledge was the tenth of the cycle and Ohio State now checks in at No. 3 in the team rankings, trailing only Penn State (13 commits) and a Miami team that has a whopping 18 commitments.
June brings with it some pretty big changes to our recruiting board. The country's top-rated running back is set to decide late in the month, and the Ohio State staff will use the next four weeks to duke it out with the perceived favorite Georgia Bulldogs. A top linebacker target is down to the Buckeyes and Seminoles and will make his intentions known tomorrow.
With all of that, we offer an updated look at how we see things heading into the summer:
| NAME | POSITION | RANK | Prev. | Rating | Others In the Mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACKSON CARMAN | OT | 1 | 1 | ★★★★★ | Alabama•Clemson•FSU•USC |
| ZAMIR WHITE | RB | 2 | NA | ★★★★★ | Georgia•Clemson•Alabama•UNC |
| JEREMY RUCKERT | TE | 3 | 2 | ★★★★ | Michigan•Notre Dame•Wisconsin |
| KAMRYN BABB | WR | 4 | 3 | ★★★★ | Michigan•Michigan State•Mizzou•ND |
| TERADJA MITCHELL | LB | 5 | 5 | ★★★★ | Florida State |
| MICAH PARSONS | DE | 6 | 6 | ★★★★★ | Penn State•Georgia•Clemson |
| ANTHONY COOK | CB | 7 | 7 | ★★★★★ | LSU•Texas•Clemson |
| MATTHEW JONES | DL/OL | 8 | 8 | ★★★★ | Clemson•Georgia•Penn State |
| TYREKE SMITH | DE | 9 | 9 | ★★★★ | Penn State•Notre Dame•USC |
| L'CHRISTIAN SMITH | WR | 10 | NA | ★★★★ | Kentucky•Alabama•Michigan |
| FREDRICK "JUICE" SCRUGGS | OL | 11 | 11 | ★★★★ | Penn State |
*Last month's version can be found HERE.
No change at the top. It's Jackson Carman and will continue to be Jackson Carman until the five-star commits to Ohio State.
The biggest change this month is the ascent of Zamir White. We probably could have had the five-star running back on the board for some time now, but Brian Snead is already in the fold and honestly it just didn't seem too realistic. The nation's top back is scheduled to announce on June 27, and while the staff still has a lot of work to do, it's fairly clear that they have zeroed in on the Laurinburg, North Carolina standout.
Distance from home will be a factor with this one, but can Urban Meyer and Tony Alford convince the family that Ohio State is the best overall destination? The Georgia Bulldogs may be in the driver's seat right now with Clemson and Alabama also in the running, but this is a battle the Buckeyes absolutely can win.
Not a whole lot has changed in the Jeremy Ruckert sweepstakes. The recruitment of the country's No. 2 tight end is still likely to come down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Ohio State doesn't seem to be putting much effort into any other tight ends, but Michigan has really made a push for Mustapha Muhammad. If you ask me, I think this is pretty telling. The Army All-American is expected to announce before the end of summer.
Ohio State's top receiver target unveiled his list of top schools earlier this week, and it's certainly not a surprise, but the Buckeyes are still on top. Kamryn Babb is trying to check out as many schools as he can before making a decision, and the nation's No. 7 wideout is slated to check out several SEC programs this summer. Right now there's no real timeline for a decision, but the Buckeyes remain the overwhelming favorite in the 247Sports crystal ball.
The Buckeyes or Seminoles will be getting some good news tomorrow when Teradja Mitchell – the nation's No. 2 inside linebacker – announces his decision. Things are set to go down at 7 p.m. at Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach. This one is extremely close, and while Florida State got the last visit and has had a ton of success in Virginia, the Buckeyes may be in position to steal one from the longtime favorites.
There's not a lot of news to report on the Micah Parsons front. The nation's No. 3 overall prospect identified the nine schools he's most interested in, but there really weren't any surprises on the list. Ohio State remains in a great spot for the five-star, though this one may very well play out until signing day.
Fellow edge rusher Tyreke Smith comes in at No. 9 on the board. The Cleveland Heights star has been extremely impressive throughout the spring and has already punched his ticket to The Opening Finals. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are still the most likely choices, but watch out for the Pac-12 schools for the former West Coast resident.
The Buckeyes have one corner committed already, but five-star Anthony Cook remains the top target in the secondary. The Houston product was at Ohio State's spring game and the Buckeyes may very well be out in front right now with Clemson, Texas, and LSU all looking to gain ground. Jeffrey Okudah and Baron Browning continue to work the nation's No. 2 corner. A decision will come at the Army All-American Bowl in January.
Brooklyn's Matthew Jones holds steady as one of the more versatile Ohio State targets, and the four-star could end up at defensive tackle or virtually anywhere along the offensive line. Clemson remains in the running for the Erasmus Hall star, but it's likely going to come down to the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.
Amazing time at Ohio State....#OH pic.twitter.com/GqzuAbixwv
— Blue (@bluesmith_) May 11, 2017
May was a big month for L'Christian "Blue" Smith. The state's top-ranked wideout was rumored to be trending toward Kentucky, but Urban Meyer clearly has other plans for the four-star. Smith was in Columbus a few weeks back for a meeting with Meyer, and Ohio State looks to be in a great spot for his services.
There have been rumors about a September decision timeline and others have speculated that it could go down sooner. The Dayton (Wayne) two-spot star is one of the country's most talented athletes, and it probably wouldn't be wise to bet against Meyer. He is expected to be back in Lexington this weekend with a strong Ohio contingent, however.
Ohio State's offensive line recruiting got a bit more interesting on Tuesday when Jake Kradel committed to Pittsburgh. The three-star held a Buckeye offer, but I think it was pretty apparent that the staff wanted to see a bit more of him during June's camp circuit. Kradel was a candidate to man the middle of the offensive line, so the staff may now turn up the heat on another Pennsylvanian.
After visiting Columbus for the spring game, Juice Scruggs listed the Buckeyes as his leader. He then made an appearance in Happy Valley for the Penn State spring scrimmage. It's been a quiet recruitment for the four-star as he actually visited Ohio State in March as well, but the trip had very little fanfare.
Scruggs doesn't have a decision timeline nor does he appear close to any sort of an announcement. At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, he's a player who could end up anywhere along the interior portion of the line.
So, June is going to be yet another pivotal month for the 2018 recruiting cycle. The fireworks could get started tomorrow when Teradja Mitchell makes his intentions known, and then the Zamir White watch will last throughout the remainder of the month.
There's also a number of Ohioans still looking to earn that coveted Buckeye offer, and the upcoming camp schedule should give the staff some more up-close-and-personal time with several top offer candidates. A big in-state piece fell into place last month when Dallas Gant made the call, but with just two Ohioans in the fold, there is certainly more to come.
On a more somber note, the month of May took with it a grunge pioneer and one of the more iconic voices of my lifetime.
