The 11W Recruiting Mailbag is your one-stop-shop for all things Ohio State recruiting. Got a question? Ask it, and if we can answer it, we will.
Since the Buckeyes have some depth at the DE position, would the possibility of moving Bosa to the inside more often be an option? – ICouldNotGoFor3
This is an interesting question. Bosa's talent and ability to disrupt offenses certainly isn't limited to being at the defensive end position and his size makes him capable of moving around the line, standing up in certain packages, etc.
I think the hope is that guys like Tommy Schutt, Michael Hill, and Donovon Munger step up opposite Adolphus Washington and remove any need for Bosa to move down the line. I don't know why but I keep getting the feeling that Robert Landers could surprise some people à la Johnathan Hankins in 2010.
Who wins the other starting DE spot come fall? – FitzBuck
The battle between Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard should be epic, but right now I give the edge to Lewis if he's healthy because he's played the position for years and Hubbard – as talented as he is – is still learning the spot.
Who are the top couple recruits that the staff is going after hardest as a must get? – The
The first and most obvious name is Nick Bosa. The Buckeyes are not taking anything for granted and making sure he knows that he's a priority. Liam Eichenberg is in that same ballpark, he's a player that is very important to the Ohio State staff for a number of reasons: they offered him years ago and to not close the deal on another in-state offensive lineman would be a tough blow.
The truth is, it's 2016: there's no such thing as a "committed" player from out of state, so if the Buckeyes have a guy on their list, like Kareem Walker for example, the recruiting doesn't stop. Each player will be recruited as hard as possible until signing day because there's no sure thing.
Do you have a feel for how recruiting board looks at wide receiver? It seems like it's Mack and some combination of Corley, Victor, Hammond, and Layne pegged as the most likely to don the scarlet and gray. Do you see this group as the most likely pool to BOOM for us or am I missing anyone? Who are your personal favorites for us to land? – Jeezy78
This is one area that really is confusing for a lot of folks, myself included. The names that we know: Mack, Corley, etc. are not changing. Victor, the standout from Coconut Creek, Fla. is trending towards the Gators, but the Buckeyes are still hoping to get him on campus again to try and capitalize on the momentum they gained with him last summer.
Right now, it's Austin Mack and Donnie Corley at the top of the list, and everyone else is kind of a mixed up bag. Justin Layne is from Ohio, but the Buckeyes are trailing Michigan State right now and Joshua Hammond, who would like to commit somewhere before the end of the spring, may not be in their plans at present. With the flexibility of Demario McCall, George Hill and Kierre Hawkins, the Buckeyes have options and they're not going to reach for guys that don't fit the system, especially with a 2017 group of wide receivers that could be full of superstars.
What's your take on Jamel Dean situation? Does he not have cartilage in that knee any longer? Will it impact Judson? – Statutoryglory
The Jamel Dean situation is incredibly unfortunate, but there's nothing about it that makes me feel Ohio State acted "wrongly" towards him. I first learned about it in mid-January, days after Dean arrived on campus and the Buckeyes were very disappointed and frustrated that he was not going to be cleared. They went full-court press on eventual signee Damon Arnette not because they were losing Carlton Davis but because they were aware Dean was not going to be available. Jamel was the second commitment in the 2015 class and never wavered, they wanted and encouraged him to enroll in school early and the staff was bothered by what happened medically, but it's 2015 and they cannot argue the medical staff's decision.
As for Bruce Judson, the 2017 commitment and former teammate of Dean's at Cocoa, there's virtually no doubt that it will impact him. The question is how much, and the Buckeyes are going to get their first chance to explain it to Judson face-to-face this weekend when he visits for the spring game. I have predicted Judson ends up at Florida, but the Buckeyes would not have accepted a commitment from him if they didn't want him in Columbus, so they'll work hard to make things "right."
What is the status of the relationship between OSU and Cass Tech from each perspective? – MinnBuck
Improving. The Buckeyes had some fences to mend after Stan Drayton's departure in February, but it seems that any perceived slight has been smoothed over. Cass Tech sent a large contingent to Ohio State this past weekend and the Buckeyes are still very involved in the recruitment of 2016 players Michael Onwenu and Demetric Vance as well as 2017's Jaylen Kelly-Powell and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Jim Harbaugh's hiring at Michigan will be an impediment to the developing Buckeye pipeline, but Buckeye coaches are welcome at Cass Tech and will continue to recruit it as hard as they can.
What are you sensing in your crystal ball, are we any closer to a Wallace or Guarantano commit? – ToTheHouse
Jarrett Guarantano will commit somewhere tomorrow, and I still think it's Tennessee where he'll end up. The Volunteers are in the process of rebuilding their program and have put together a few good classes in a row and the quarterback position is one spot they've failed to land a "big fish." Butch Jones has a pre-existing relationship with Guarantano's family and the atmosphere at Tennessee blew him away during a visit to Knoxville a few weeks ago.
Tristen Wallace is playing it close to the vest since his Ohio State visit and a decision could happen at any time. The Buckeyes have stayed in contact with him and are very interested in landing the DeSoto, Texas star. Right now, he's the more likely option at quarterback.
You always give us a good updates and perspectives on recruiting. Do you ever get on here and find something out about a recruit you didn't know? – AllInOSU
Absolutely. I'm one person trying to handle the entire Ohio State recruiting beat, so I miss a lot of stuff. The work that 305Buck and GrayBox do with keeping the forums updated is often helpful and necessary.
The other Ohio State-centric websites have multiple writers focused on recruiting and are networked with analysts from all over the country feeding them information about players, etc. I don't so any and all help is welcomed.
When do you believe we will find out about who is getting a grayshirt and who was unable to qualify academically? – JDunc686
Like most of you, I read that story from the Cleveland.com crew about how Ohio State will get down to the magic number of 85 scholarship players. The Buckeyes are currently at 87 and the story implied that Ohio State will grayshirt an incoming player and that another will be unable to qualify, as JDunc686 stated.
I spoke to a few people at Ohio State about that report and here's what I was told, which of course, is subject to change because there's a lot of conjecture. First, the player the Buckeyes plan to grayshirt would have to be Liam McCullough, which contradicts what McCullough himself has said. I do not pretend to know how that will turn out, but the situation – from what I've been told – is known by both parties.
As far as any rumored academic casualties go, that's more of a gray area. There are three players who they were "worried" could end up being ineligible, but according to people that I speak with nothing is certain, and the general feeling today is that the three guys they were worried about should be fine. Obviously I'm not going to name names, but I'm told they're in the clear.
Who wins in a drinking contest you or DJ? Follow up question: does that winner beat Ramzy in a Bourbon drinking contest? – FitzBuck
In my advancing age, I've come to realize a few things. One of those things is that I'm not the drinker I used to be. I enjoy beer, wine, bourbon and more, but I've never been the guy who wants to drink to drunkenness. I get tired!
After the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, some of the 11W crew was hanging out, imbibing a bit, celebrating a job well done at Lucas Oil Stadium. We arrived back at our resting place about 4:00 a.m. following the game/work and DJ was up, waiting for our return with Everclear and Vodka. What I had not anticipated was that DJ intended for those two things to be drank in tandem, mixed ever-so-gently with Diet Coke. Let that simmer for a moment, will you?
Everclear. Vodka. Diet Coke. In one glass.
That's when I knew I would never be on the level of one DJ Byrnes, American Badass.
To follow-up, no; no one would ever beat Ramzy in a bourbon drinking contest. I'm not convinced he actually has simple human blood in his veins, but rather finely crafted blood-bourbon.
How's the move going? Was work the sole motivator for it? – Habu71
The move to Columbus is, for all intents and purposes, complete. I'm starting from scratch in a lot of ways so it will be a work in progress as far as furnishing, picking up all the essential odds and ends, etc. I'd hesitate to suggest that work was the sole motivator for it, but my hopes to be more involved in the day-to-day aspects of 11W is a vital component in the timing and the decision.
We've got big plans coming up and I'm proud to be a part of this team and looking forward to a chance to expand my role.
Have you gotten White Castle since you moved to Ohio? A crave case would be the first thing I do if I moved back. – InTressITrust
I am originally from Toledo and have spent a good portion of my life in the Great State of Ohio, including a good amount of time in the last three years. I have – and I say this proudly, actually – never eaten at White Castle.
Pre-recruiting life, a majority of my work has been in the restaurant business. I don't have any doubt that White Castle makes a quality product, but I'm good without it. #NoRagrets
Now that you are moving to Columbus, can we reasonably expect to see more of your fabulous recruiting breakdowns done from an in-person perspective? – VintonCountyBuck
One of the things that I'm really hoping to do, 11W-wise with the move is be more available for all things related to Ohio State sports. The Buckeyes are not really on-board with the idea of recruiting analysts/writers hounding prospects when they're on campus, of course. I work hard to make sure that I let kids have their peace when they visit, but I definitely want to spend more time on Friday nights getting to see prospects up-close-and-personal.
I prefer to leave the talent evaluation to the experts, guys like Marc Givler, John McCallister and Bill Greene who excel at that aspect of this job. I do intend to improve my relationships with coaches, players and sources around Ohio, which I hope provides more access. Just like a school recruiting players, it's truly all about relationships and being out West or away from the hub does make that element of the job more difficult.
I'm excited to be in Columbus and excited for the future of 11W.
