The Buckeyes finally have a little recruiting momentum on their side after hosting the first football prospect camp of the summer, and five more prospect camps remain in June. That includes a special teams camp over the next three days; long snapper offeree Liam McCullough is attending, but a commitment is not expected.
More on the upcoming camps later this week, but first let's take a few moments to wrap up Sunday's prospect camp.
Commitment Watch
Yesterday, Ohio State added a commitment from three-star safety Tyler Green. The Buckeyes could land another commitment by Tuesday from three-star lineman Grant Schmidt.
Following an impressive camp performance, including taking reps in front of Urban Meyer, Schmidt will visit Ohio State today.
"Tomorrow could be my last visit," he said. "Or I could take five more. It just depends how I feel tomorrow."
While he wouldn't completely rule out other schools in the battle for his commitment, Schmidt named Iowa State, Minnesota and Ohio State as three schools that stand out.
What does the South Dakota native like about Ohio State to put them in his top three? "It appeals to me that there has never been anyone from South Dakota to go here for football. It would be great to be the first one to do that. It's a great place."
If the Buckeyes coaching staff is ready to accept his commitment, Schmidt could become commit number five before he leaves town. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Schmidt committed to Ohio State on Monday afternoon.
Ohio Five-Star Names Top Three
St. Ignatius 2016 offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg won't make a college decision until after his junior year, but the five-star is already keyed on three schools.
"Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame are my top three," Eichenberg said after working out at Ohio State's first prospect camp.
OSU signed St. Ignatius linebacker Kyle Berger to the 2014 class and is considered the favorite for 2015 defensive end Dre'Mont Jones. Eichenberg said neither they nor Notre Dame signee Jimmy Byrne are pressuring him into any decision.
Meyer and the Buckeyes will have to fight off Michigan and Notre Dame for another year before Eichenberg's commitment. He had nice things to say about both rival programs.
"Greg Mattison is a great guy. It feels like he is family. Michigan is a lot like Ignatius."
For The Fighting Irish, who has one crystal ball prediction for Eichenberg, he noted he has a great relationship with their offensive line coach.
What makes Ohio State stand out for the five-star Ohioan? "It's my home state. I love Urban Meyer and their offensive line coach."
When the Buckeyes offered the St. Ignatius lineman over a year ago, he weighed 245 pounds. Now Eichenberg is noticeably bigger, checking in at 6-foot-5, 276 pounds.
Eichenberg will camp at Michigan on June 17 and is trying to schedule a visit to tour Ohio State's campus. A visit to Michigan State is also in the works.
Although it's early in the process, the Buckeyes appear to be in good shape with Eichenberg. The Buckeyes lead in crystal ball predictions for the Ohio native.
MALIK BARROW "BLOWN AWAY" BY OHIO STATE INTEREST
Four-star defensive end Mailk Barrow, a 2016 prospect from Tampa (Fla.), had a chance to visit and camp at Ohio State this weekend. In a tweet on Saturday, Barrow shared a few pictures from his visit and noted he was having a great time.
Despite only being an upcoming junior, Barrow already has a plan for his recruitmentment. He plans to take five official visits during his senior season in 2015 and perhaps commit during one of the All-American games.
Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, N.C. State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Rutgers, South Florida, UAB and UCF have all offered Barrow a scholarship. When asked on Sunday, Barrow declined to name any leaders but did mention Miami (FL) as one of his favorite schools.
Being one of the top prospects at camp, Barrow had a chance to speak with Urban Meyer after camp concluded.
"It was real good," Barrow said of getting to meet Urban Meyer. "He's a real nice guy."
While it's tough to gauge where Ohio State stands in his recruitment, Barrow had great things to say about the Buckeyes and Urban Meyer: "I'm blown away that they're interested in me because they are a real great school."
"Meeting Urban Meyer, he's a legend," he said when asked what experiences he will remember from camp. "To sit next to Urban Meyer, a guy that has won national championships, is crazy for me."
More Camp Notes
Three-star quarterback Elijah Robinson of Montclair (N.J.) was watched closely by Tom Herman and Urban Meyer. Robinson, who was the high school teammate of Buckeye signee Darius Slade, had a good day throwing the ball. He also showed off his speed by winning the quarterback smokehouse (a smokehouse is an entire position group running a 40-yard dash at once).
Boston College, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, Temple and Virginia have extended offers to the 6-foot-2, 185-pound dual threat quarterback. Robinson met with Urban Meyer after the camp, but he left without an offer. If the Buckeyes did offer, they would likely be the favorite for his commitment.
Another unoffered prospect that attracted the Ohio State staff's attention was Illinois four-star athlete David Edwards. Listed as a 6-foot-6, 225-pound quarterback, Edwards spent most of the time working out with the receivers and tight ends.
During camp, Edwards was pulled aside by Chris Ash, who recruits the Illinois area for the Buckeyes. Urban Meyer, Zach Smith and Stan Drayton watched Edwards closely and continually offered advice.
Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin appear to be the top three schools recruiting the Illinois athlete. He could be on the Buckeyes' radar if they miss out on Chris Clark.
North Ridgeville 2016 running back DeMario McCall stood out in drills and ran a 4.34 40. He spent some time with Meyer and Drayton during camp. He didn't commit after the camp like some thought, but the speedster should soon be a Buckeye.
