Counter Intel is the smart Ohio State fan's look at recruiting action taking place within the Big Ten and top national programs.
Things have finally picked back up on the recruiting trail thanks to the end of the unprecedented dead period. The first week of official visits is in the books, and there's plenty of news from around the country; some of which may directly impact Ryan Day's efforts on the trail.
Big Bear Bites Bulldogs
The Buckeyes recaptured the top spot in the 2022 team rankings yesterday. The addition of four-star wideout Kaleb Brown certainly helped, but the ranking shake-up actually started earlier in the day when Kirby Smart lost a five-star commitment. Keithian "Bear" Alexander is the country's No. 26 overall prospect. The Texas defensive tackle pledge to the Dawgs back in February. A weekend visit to A&M has led to a change of heart.
— THE BIG BEAR (@BearAlexander_) June 7, 2021
This is obviously a big loss for Georgia, and it could eventually be a big win for the Aggies. Despite the TAMU buzz, Alexander has a number of visits lined up including trips to Miami and USC. This is also noteworthy because the Buckeyes have been after four-star tackle Christen Miller. The Ellenwood, Georgia product seems to have Ohio State and USC at the top of the list, but we'll see if the Dawgs recent loss changes things at all now that Kirby's defensive tackle logjam is a bit less intense.
Wolverines Offer 2025 Findlay Quarterback
Findlay's Luke Montgomery is one of only three Ohioans in the 2023 class that have been offered by the Buckeyes. His younger brother Ryan hasn't even started high school yet, but the 2025 quarterback has now gotten his first offer courtesy of the fightin' Harbaughs.
Ryan Montgomery is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound signal-caller who plays both football and basketball. He camped at Michigan over the weekend and his performance was good enough to earn him his first offer. Ohio State is viewed as the heavy favorite for the elder Montgomery, and the family is set to check out several campuses across the country throughout the month of June.
Bama Steals One From the Bayou
A shocking development took place over the weekend when Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide landed a talented running back prospect. All jokes aside, this one actually was a bit of a surprise since Alabama already had a pledge from the nation's No. 1 back in five-star Emmanuel Henderson.
The latest addition is a big-time blow to Ed Orgeron and the Tigers as Baton Rouge native Le'Veon Moss committed to the Tide following this past weekend's official visit. Rated as a top-100 prospect and the nation's sixth-best tailback, Moss is the latest in a long line of Louisiana recruiting wins for Nick Saban. Back during the 2017 cycle, Bama signed DeVonta Smith and Dylan Moses (also of Baton Rouge) out of Cajun country.
The Tide also flipped four-star Texas wideout JoJo Earle away from LSU during last December's early signing period. It's safe to say old Saint Nick has had Ed Orgeron's number of late.
Irish Add Three-Star Legacy at DT
Brian Kelly is up to 14 commitments and sitting at No. 4 in the team rankings. The latest addition for the Irish is three-star Pittsburgh defensive tackle Donovan Hinish. The Irish didn't have a whole lot of competition here as his other offers are from teams like Bowling Green, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-2, 275-pounder is the younger brother of Kurt Hinish, who's back at Notre Dame for one final season as the starting nose tackle.
Kelly's class is about what we've come to expect from the Irish. He's got 10 four-star pledges and four of the three-star variety. The class is strong in the trenches – especially the offensive line – and has a pair of talented tight ends. The issue continues to be in the defensive backfield and at the skill positions. Notre Dame was a contender for the latest Buckeye commit (Kaleb Brown) and is battling Tony Alford for four-star tailback Dallan Hayden.
Schiano Grabs Two More
The Scarlet Knights' 2022 recruiting class is now sitting at No. 5 in America. Greg Schiano is ahead of Lincoln Riley, Nick Saban, and several other powerhouse programs. Is that going to last? Absolutely not. But you have to give credit as Rutgers continues to impress.
The last time we checked in across the nation, crystal balls were flowing for four-star tackle Jacob Allen to end up in Piscataway. Those prognosticators were clearly onto something as Allen made his commitment to Rutgers shortly thereafter on May 20. The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder rates as the nation's No. 110 prospect and the top player in New Jersey.
This past weekend, Schiano got another one in the form of three-star Indiana defensive lineman DJ Allen. A 6-foot-7, 225-pound edge defender, Allen has a pretty solid offer sheet that includes Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa. He became commitment No. 13 for a Scarlet Knight class that ranks second in the Big Ten.
Portal Watch Continues
We've spent the last few months watching the transfer portal for any names that may be worth keeping an eye on; most notably at linebacker and cornerback. A few weeks back, Tulsa cornerback Akayleb Evans was the one we were watching. Alas, Ohio State never extended an offer to the talented corner who's now narrowed things down to Notre Dame, Texas, Missouri, Texas Tech, and Jackson State.
But now there could be another.
Karon Prunty was a breakout star in the @KU_Football secondary in 2020.
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) March 13, 2021
Prunty was especially dominant when targeted against the most dangerous route types. pic.twitter.com/3tJdTIvwRD
The 2020 season saw Jayhawks' cornerback Karon Prunty earn freshman All-American honors as he was the best player on a very bad Kansas team. On Sunday he announced that he will be entering the transfer portal. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from Portsmouth, Virginia played his high school ball about 90 minutes from TreVeyon Henderson's hometown of Hopewell, and the two are familiar with one another.
Perhaps more importantly, Erin Dunston – Ohio State's current director of on-campus recruiting – previously held the same role while at Kansas; a time that coincided with Prunty's recruitment. We'll see if the Buckeye staff takes a shot at the sophomore corner or if they elect to move forward with what they've already got in the secondary.
