After 28(?) iterations of the football recruiting thread, I thought a rundown Ohio State's 2018 signees might be in order. In no particular order:
Zach Ludd - Small, shifty attackman from The Governor's Academy in Massachusetts. Plays from X a lot, quarterbacks the offense while being a threat to score off the dodge from below GLE. Best when dodging to draw a slide, then hitting the open man. Smart player, knows how to punish a defense. Had 32 goals and 38 assists as a Junior.
Johnny Wiseman - Offensive middie from Olentangy Liberty HS in Ohio. A+ shooter, capable of scoring with either hand. Good dodger, knows how to get open. Really uses defenders to his advantage, shooting off shoulders and hips to throw off the goalie. Primarily a lefty, will almost exclusively dodge that way. Really has a lot of box lacrosse in his game. Deadly on the step down shot from 10-15 yards. Had 81 points as a Junior.
George Walsh - Close defenseman from Calvert Hall in MD. Walsh has started for 3 years in MIAA, the most competitive HS lacrosse conference in the entire country. Not the most athletically gifted player, but has exceptional stick skills and a penchant for causing turnovers. Is aggressive and reads the game well.
Anthony Ameo - FOGO from St. Ignatius in Cleveland. Went 271 of 370 at the faceoff X as a Junior. Primarily a moto grip (both hands palm down, like riding a motorcycle) FOGO, Ameo has excellent hands, and works well from a squat position. Fairly athletic, Ameo can grab a goal every now and then off the draw. Should be a good addition to the FOGO rotation.
Alec Cerasoli - LSM from Loyola Blakefield in Maryland. Plays extensively on the wing, very athletically gifted. Cerasoli can cause a turnover or two, but I would classify him as primarily a groundball specialist who can play some defense. Won't generate the turnovers that Walsh will, but can really punish opponents in transition.
Matt Clibanoff - Attackman out of La Salle College HS in Pennsylvania. Had 36 goals and 36 assists as a junior, leading his team to the state title game. Can score with both hands. Won't initiate the offense, but can score well on step down shots. Likes to invert (play in traditionally midfield spots), and score from up top. Has a pretty quick release off his shots when necessary. Clibanoff generates a LOT of power when shooting.
Mike Clibanoff - Twin brother of Matt, Goalie from La Salle College HS, was a HS All American and Under Armour All American at goalie in 2017. Plays well positionally, executing fundamental goalkeeping at a high level. Has fast hands as well, can really react to shots quickly. Should be a contender to replace Smidt after he graduates.
Buchanan Dunavant - Close defenseman our of Memphis University School in Tennessee. Helped his team to back to back state titles his sophomore and junior year. Had 56 groundballs and 39 caused turnovers as a junior. Plays linebacker in the fall, and it shows. Punishing defender who can lay a body, but also plays fairly disciplined. Likes to throw checks, but doesn't lose good positioning while doing so. Obviously a vacuum at groundballs, which is why he played LSM as a freshman and sophomore. Likes to walk the dog to get out of trouble after the scoop, which I personally could take or leave. Not necessarily bad, but can get him in trouble in college.
Brandon Fisher - Offensive midfielder out of Paul VI Catholic HS in Virginia. Fisher is a monster off the dodge. He's quick, fast, and a bruiser. Pretty much exclusively a right handed player, Fisher can score off the run from either the left or right alley. He's got a cannon of a shot, but can pick out a corner too. Can score from anywhere. Reminds me a bit of Miles Jones with a bit more wiggle and more speed. Just a load for any defense.
TJ Hendricks - Offensive midfielder out of Fairport HS in New York, doing a postgraduate year at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut. Was Red Raiders' leading scorer for 3 straight years. Hendricks scored 36 goals and added 16 assists as a senior. Not sure why, but I can't find a single highlight of Hendricks or Fairport from 2017. So his style of play will be a surprise to us all.
Skylar Wahlund - Goalie from Olentangy Liberty HS in Ohio, obviously making him a teammate of Johnny Wiseman. Wahlund likes to play from a lower position than you usually see. Has quick hands, sees the ball very well, and really does a good job of not getting beat low. He goes to the ground a bit too much, sprawling for saves he has already made. Positionally, Wahlund is pretty good, moving his body to catch the ball in the "box" you want goalies to strive for. His distribution is good, but could be better.
Scott White - Attackman from Malvern Prep HS in Pennsylvania. Difficult to find much film on his HS career, but the footage I found shows a smart, tough attackman who lives behind the cage. White likes to initiate from X, wrapping around to either side if the defense is napping. White is exclusively right-handed, but compensates by utilizing a variety of techniques to get by slower, less agile defenseman. He's a capable scorer and decent feeder. A good addition to the offense, though I hope to find better film for a more complete picture of his game. All in all, the Buckeyes signed a solid class for 2018.
I think much of the offense has been signed more for depth than pure game-breaking ability due to Leclaire having 2 more years in Columbus. Defensively, I expect George Walsh to start early and often in his Buckeye career. This middie class is long on talent, and is probably the strongest part of the 2018 recruiting class. I think Fisher may redshirt to hone his stick skills a bit, but could have the best career of anyone on offense. Lots to be excited about in the world of Buckeye lacrosse!
[Mod Edit: I added some paragraph breaks between the players. It was killing my eyes.]
Part II addendum: State tourneys begin with Dunavant and TN this weekend. Lots of good games ahead.
