Since we have passed the month mark in the contact period for the 2023 class, I thought it would be interesting to see how the staff has performed thus far in bringing in a wave of new Buckeyes.

The commitments across the sport have come fast and furious through the first 30+ days, but now we have our first lull as the eager prospects commit, and the patient prospects continue to evaluate their options. I will proceed through each position group, and do a bit of a heat check for any outstanding prospects the staff may be in pursuit of as the recruiting process moves forward.

I will go in order from best to worst, because I make the rules.

Goalie: A+

Caleb Fyock is a 5-star prospect, a huge name, and is a prospect at the Bucks' most inconsistent position since 2018. Absolutely a massive win, and couldn't be more satisfied. Kudos all around. No more names likely unless a decommit happens.

Defense/LSM: B+

The Buckeyes have a bunch of commitments here. Aiden Bodonyi leads the pack, ranked in high 4-star territory, with a ton to like about his game. Needs some bulk, but otherwise a lot to love. Kyle Foster is a solid prospect who ended the season as a starter for MIAA champ Boy's Latin despite only being a sophomore. Makes young mistakes, but there's a ton to like on-ball. Will Cohen is the smallest prospect, but perhaps the most physical. Slides hard, and with good ball skills. This group is currently good, but not great.

Right now the Buckeyes are looking hardest at Ty Banks, but he's supposedly looking at Ivies, and will be a tough get regardless. I generally don't know that OSU takes another pole if they miss on Banks. With Banks, this group goes to A+ immediately.

Offensive midfield: C+

A lot of projection to the current group. Julian Targete is the headliner, as he is most likely to be the player to make an early impact. Athletic freak, but still developing consistency. Jackson Walsh was a second-line middie for Boy's Latin as a sophomore. He had some flashes, but was overshadowed by other teammates.

Caden Minniti and Cayden Christopher are both Columbus-area prospects, but are definitely projects. Minniti got hurt this year. A ton of athletic ability, but a lot of potential that needs to actually be realized. Christopher is a prospect who burst onto the scene as a sophomore for a Pickerington North team that's trying to find its footing. Christopher is all left, plays box, and could be great if he can step up against tough competition.

All in all, a decent group, but only one commit that really wows you. Right now, at least.

Name to watch: Jared Maznik, who is a really intriguing BC prospect from Canada.

Attack: C*

To preface, let's look at the asterisk. Minniti and Walsh are listed in a couple places as both middies and attackmen. Minniti could maybe end up down low. I think Walsh stays as a middie. There's no guarantee, so both are being called middies for this article.

The only attackman I really have in this class is Sean McMahon, who is currently listed as a middie in various sites. There's absolutely no way he is going to be a midfielder in college, especially the Big Ten. McMahon is a shooter, plain and simple. That is where he needs to shine, and to do that he will need to be at attack.

McMahon is a good shooter, and could really excel as an off-ball guy in the Big Ten. Much like we see with Tre Leclaire in the PLL, McMahon will be best rolling off picks and generally shooting with his hands free. He will not be great as a ball carrier. That said, there's no other commitments from pure attackmen. Hence, the C.

Names to watch, Jimmy Ayers, who is a similar player to Johnny Maccarone, but with better dodging. Also, Nick Roode, Wyatt Hottle, and Jake Wright.

FOGO: F/Incomplete

No commits in this class, so have to fail/give an incomplete. Name to watch: Joe Hobot.

SSDM: F/Incomplete

Same story as the FOGOs. Name to watch (maybe): Aiden Groves.

Overall, this is a solid start to the class. Yes, I would have liked to see Ohio State bring in more than one top 50 middie. That's probably a year or four away, however. At attack, they just need to be better. Attack has been underwhelming outside of Jack Myers for a few years now. The staff needs to take another step in recruiting for that group.

Now, that said, there is significant progress in recruiting success for the Buckeyes. The team has had significant retention problems that led to last season's disaster in large part. I have another post planned for that comparison.

Even with my somewhat mixed reactions, there's a ton to like about this year's class. More to come, too, as we see the process unfold.

Go Bucks!