Since taking over for Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer and staff have done a good job of recruiting the state of Florida. And for good reason: by coaching at the University of Florida for six years, Meyer made all kinds of connections to local programs.
Meyer has pulled some top talent from the Sunshine State to the Rust Belt, and he hopes to continue that trend in the 2016 class. The coaching staff has sent out 22 offers in total to recruits from Florida for the 2016 class; in comparison, a bumper crop of 2016 Ohio athletes has only received 12 offers. Jim Tressel recruited Florida heavily, but never like this.
Let's take a look at two 2016 Florida prospects the Buckeyes are recruiting heavily, one of whom is as close to a lock as uncommitted recruits get.
Nick Bosa // DE
Nick Bosa, a talented defensive end from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, is being heavily recruited by Urban Meyer. Most believe Bosa has Ohio State at the top of his list; take three guesses why.
Yes, Nick Bosa is the brother of current Buckeye Joey Bosa. The prospect of playing in his brother's shadow does not appear to faze him: Nick has taken several trips to Columbus already, in-season and during the offseason. For some time, it has felt like a matter of when and not if Bosa commits to Ohio State.
It would be unfair to dismiss Nick Bosa as a legacy recruit. He is a great prospect in his own right, a consensus five-star weakside defensive end. He plays for powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, a nationally renowned program, so he faces the toughest competition at the high school level. And although Nick is not the one racking up sacks and TFLs in the Big Ten, Joey's success makes him look like a sure thing.
Like everyone else on his crystal ball, I predict that Nick Bosa will be a part of the 2016 class and follow in his brother's footsteps at Ohio State. He has been recruited since his freshman season and has not announced any time table for his recruitment, so it appears he is not in any rush.
I don't know if Joey Bosa will leave school early to declare for the NFL Draft or stick around for four years. If Joey does stay, the 2016 team could feature two Bosas on the starting defensive line.
Saivion Smith // CB
Saivion Smith is one of the top defensive backs in the country and is rated as high as a five-star cornerback by 247Sports. Given Ohio State's surfeit of defensive backs in the 2015 class, it appears the Buckeyes are making a serious effort to upgrade the secondary in future years.
Smith has offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Baylor, Clemson, Florida and Florida State among others. He has taken a couple of visits to Florida State during the season so he is familiar with the Seminoles. He has not visited Ohio State, but the staff is hoping for him to get onto campus.
Because of his high rating by the major recruiting services and the value that the staff has on defensive backs, Smith is an important piece for this class and for Florida. If Smith visits the Ohio State campus, I think the Buckeyes will become a player here.
