Despite the fact that I included him in my most recent projections for Ohio State's recruiting class, I placed a Crystal Ball prediction on Monday afternoon in favor of Arizona for Houston St. Pius X four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell. I would have done so last week had I not been on vacation.
It's a stark contrast from what I was told by sources close to both Gunnell and Ohio State following his official visit a little over a month ago. In fact, I'll say his recruitment was done and over with on the Sunday he went home — it was simply a matter of him announcing his intentions.
But those same sources indicated hesitancy on the part of both the signal caller and the Buckeyes' staff, the former seemingly wanting a more laid-back atmosphere and the latter not entirely sold on Gunnell being the best quarterback in a shallow pool of talent. His comfortability with Wildcats head coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, who were both at Texas A&M when Gunnell was committed to the Aggies, gives them the edge once again.
That said, I can't say there's a clear picture for what Ohio State does at this point. Obviously they'll try to continue to get Wisconsin four-star commit Graham Mertz, Michigan State four-star pledge Dwan Mathis and South Carolina four-star commit Ryan Hilinski to campus, but all appear to be 100 percent with their respective schools. They're still in wait-and-see mode with Kettering Archbishop Alter three-star Connor Bazelak, who I think they could still flip late in the process if he ultimately chooses another school (Kentucky is the favorite at the moment) this summer because Ohio State hasn't offered yet.
Mertz, in my opinion, is still the top target. Getting him to visit while he was in town was a great first step, but they certainly lucked into that more than he went out of his way to make it happen. I'm positive Mathis would be a Buckeye had they offered him last summer (like I said they should have following his two camp performances).
At this point, it may very well end up being someone who has a stellar senior season and isn't really on the radar right now. It would be a huge risk, of course, but one the staff seems willing to take — especially with a ton of talent in the Class of 2020.
