Will Jones choose OSU Thursday?After the Buckeyes picked up their 11th, 12th, and 13th commitments for the 2014 recruiting class in just the last week, there are only eight or nine scholarships left to be handed out to top seniors from around the nation.
The Buckeyes are still targeting many players to come and join this class that has the potential to be a top five class nationally when National Signing Day rolls around in February of 2014.
Today, we'll take a look at the top 10 remaining targets Urban Meyer and his coaching staff are chasing to complete this recruiting class.
Things that will be taken to account in these rankings include overall talent, position need, and Ohio State's chances of eventually landing the player.
10. RB Derrell Scott, Havelock (NC)
While I think the Buckeyes have a much better chance to land Jonathan Hilliman if they do decide to add a pure running back to this class, there's no question that the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Scott is a more talented football player at this point in his career. He rushed for 1,742 yards and 34 touchdowns in a dominant junior season.
I think South Carolina is a pretty heavy favorite to land Scott as things currently stand, but Scott told us that he really enjoyed his trip to Ohio State for the one day camp last week. It will be interesting to see if Urban and the Bucks can pry Scott from the south.
9. OG Demetrius Knox, Fort Worth (TX) All Saints Episcopal
It says a lot about the recruiting level Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are at when a player as talented as Knox checks in as high as nine on this list. He has all of the makings of a dominant guard at the college level – one high school coach told me Knox was the most impressive offensive guard he saw at the Rivals 100 camp earlier this month.
Despite Knox naming the UCLA Bruins his leader a week ago, I think Ohio State has a very good chance at landing Knox. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound guard currently lives in Texas, but he's from Springfield, Ohio and remains a big Buckeyes fan. In fact, you're liable to bump into him on 11W.
He plans on officially visiting Columbus for the Penn State game which will be played under the lights on October 26.
8. Wr Trevion Thompson, Durham (NC) Hillside
Urban Meyer loves to collect playmakers and Trevion Thompson is one of the best in the country at, ahem, making plays.
Thompson visited Ohio State last week and things reportedly went pretty well. However, Clemson holds a sizable lead in this race. It will be a tough one for Urban and the Bucks to pull off, but if they do, Thompson could be something special in the Scarlet and Gray.
7. OT Damian Prince, District Heights (MD) Bishop McNamara
FSU is the favorite to land Prince.The Buckeyes are still in on several offensive linemen and Damian Prince is one of the five best tackles in this class.
The issue for the Buckeyes in this situation is Prince's high interest in the Florida State Seminoles.
He visited Ohio State last week and his visit went very well. The Bucks definitely made up some ground on the Noles, but will it be enough? There's still a lot of time left in this one as I don't think he'll decide until Signing Day.
6. OT Jermaine Eluemunor, Scranton (PA) Lackawanna C.C.
With four offensive line spots opening up after this season, Eluemunor would be a candidate for early playing time if he chooses the Buckeyes. With junior college experience, the mammoth tackle would be in a great position to step right into one of those spots.
He took his official visit to Ohio State last weekend and had an awesome time. Despite being committed to UCLA, I think the Buckeyes put themselves in the lead. We could see something happen on this front in the near future.
5. ATH Curtis Samuel, Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus Hall
Samuel could come into college and play two or three positions at a very high level. You can easily see him lining up at wide receiver, safety, or running back, but I expect him to play one of the latter two at the next level.
While news on Samuel has been scarce recently, the Bucks are believed to be his leader. The 247 Sports Crystal Ball has him going to Ohio State and it's at 100% right now. I think we'll see him commit to the Buckeyes in the next couple of months.
4. OT Chad Mavety, Garden City (NY) Nassau C.C.
Just like I said with Eluemunor: The Buckeyes will have a lot of holes to plug along the offensive line starting in 2014 due to the large number of graduates after this season. Mavety will have a chance to go into almost any major college and start from day one on campus.
The junior college standout made his first trip to Columbus a little over a week ago and had a great time. At this point, nearly everyone in the recruiting industry has Ohio State pegged as the destination for Mavety. He plans on returning to Columbus for his official visit for the Indiana game.
3. OT Jamarco Jones, Chicago (IL) De La Salle Institute
Jones will be a great pickup for a B1G school. He has narrowed his list to Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. He will choose one of those three schools this Thursday at 2 p.m. ET at his high school.
Less than 48 hours...
— Jamarco Jones (@jjones_73) June 25, 2013
While both the Spartans and Wolverines have gained some ground on the Buckeyes over the past few weeks, I still fully expect Ohio State to be his destination when he announces his future school Thursday. He will have the chance to come in and play right away for the Scarlet and Gray.
2. ATH Marshon Lattimore, Cleveland (OH) Glenville
Ohio's top player is coveted by almost every football major football program in America, including his home state Buckeyes. He was dominant on both sides of the football for Glenville in 2012 and will be able to play wide receiver or cornerback once he gets to college, with corner his most likely destination.
Lattimore has visited Ohio State many times, a lot more than any other school. He wants to look at a few more programs before sitting down and making a decision. I think it could go to signing day – like it has with most Glenville recruits, but in the end, I think he'll be a Buckeye.
1. LB Raekwon McMillan, Hinesville (GA) Liberty County
We've finally reached number one on our countdown of the Buckeyes' top 10 remaining prospects. McMillan was a pretty easy choice. He was a force for Liberty County last year compiling 152 tackles, 22 of which were for loss.
At 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, McMillan is considered the nation's top inside linebacker and that is a position of need for Ohio State.
McMillan has visited Ohio State several times and has enjoyed each and every one of his trips to Columbus. The Buckeyes will face stiff competition from the likes of Alabama and Clemson in this race, but in the end I think he'll pledge to the Bucks.
