It's no surprise that much of Ohio State's recent success can be tracked to a powerful, and consistent, running game. The Buckeyes have had talented running backs and a big, aggressive offensive line that has opened huge holes for those backs to run through. An often underrated part of the ground game, especially for the Buckeyes, is the importance of solid perimeter blocking and the Ohio State's recent wide receivers, guys like Evan Spencer, Devin Smith, Mike Thomas, Jalin Marshall and others, are well above average in that part of their game.
Of course, they've also begun to make quite an impact in the passing game as well. JT Barrett set a number of Ohio State and Big Ten records in his first year at quarterback and Cardale Jones followed up on his success and added to it a prolific deep-ball threat. That success in the passing game is translating to success in the living room, as the Buckeyes are on the verge of back-to-back recruiting classes (2016 and 2017) that will include the next wave of big, talented, strong and athletic wide receivers. We've talked at length about the 2016 class, likely to be headlined by Fort Wayne, Indiana's Austin Mack, so today we'll take a closer look at the possibilities for 2017, a class that could be a very special unit.
Currently, Cocoa, Florida's Bruce Judson is the only potential wide receiver committed for 2017, but that could be changing in short order. Judson, who committed to Ohio State in January, is a talented athlete who could play any number of positions, but at this point, wide receiver seems to where his future is. Who could join him?
TREVON GRIMES // FORT LAUDERDALE, FL // ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
Trevon Grimes is the country's top-ranked 2017 wide receiver, and when you take a look at his highlights below, you'll understand why. At 6-foot-3 and 180-pounds, Grimes is a prototype, program-making wide receiver and the country's 7th-ranked prospect overall in 2017.
If there's one "knock" on Grimes, it may be that right now he's not a "burner" but he's plenty fast enough and he's got elite-level body control and is a natural pass-catcher. An Indiana native, Grimes is planning to visit Ohio State this June and perhaps again in July for Friday Night Lights. It would not be a surprise to add Grimes to the "committed" list by the end of June, despite a rash of recent offers from the country's best programs like Florida State, Michigan State, Oklahoma and others.
EMMANUEL GREENE // COCONUT CREEK, FL // IMG ACADEMY
Another Florida star who could be a check in the Ohio State committed column soon is IMG Academy's Emmanuel Greene. A slot, inside-type, Greene has been high on the Buckeyes' board since wide receiver coach Zach Smith first saw him at Coconut Creek High School, although he's since transferred to the prestigious IMG Academy, a move that will put him around a couple of other Ohio State commits, Tyler Gerald and Malik Barrow.
Greene informed Eleven Warriors on Saturday that he'd be visiting Columbus this June, and he plans to stay in town for a full week. The Buckeyes have been his named leader for months, ahead of local favorites like Miami and Florida State. Could a commit happen soon? It's a safe bet to say yes, but like all commitments in today's recruiting world, the greater challenge is keeping the pledge, not receiving it.
DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES // DETROIT, MI // CASS TECH
Ohio State reeled in the best player from Cass Tech, a traditional feeder program to their arch rivals in Ann Arbor, each of the last two recruiting classes and although they may miss out in 2016, they're hoping to make another big splash in 2017. The biggest splash would be landing Donovan Peoples-Jones, the 12th-ranked prospect nationally and third-ranked wide receiver in his class.
The biggest competition for DPJ is likely the in-state pair of Michigan and Michigan State, but recent offers from Stanford, Notre Dame, Georgia and others means this could be a national fight and not just a regional one. Peoples-Jones has been to Ohio State a number of times and the Buckeyes, who were his first offer, currently sit as the "leader" for his services according to the 247Sports.com crystal ball.
DANNY DAVIS // SPRINGFIELD, OH // SPRINGFIELD
There's a number of big-time wide receiver prospects inside of Ohio for 2017, as well. Springfield's Danny Davis may be the top of the proverbial heap right now despite only possessing four scholarship offers at this time. Michigan State and Iowa are two of his current opportunities, but many more will come his way, and soon.
Davis is big (6-foot-3, 180-pounds) and he's fast, he's a talented dual-sport athlete and he's a player the Buckeyes are very interested in seeing this summer at one, or a few, of their college camps. One potential fly in the ointment? Kentucky, who secured a commitment from Springfield alum Thad Snodgrass in the 2014 class. Springfield head coach Moe Douglass also played at Kentucky; the Wildcats have a commitment from Springfield in the 2016 cycle (Kordell Looney) and are hoping to add another from offensive lineman Darius Harper, as well. Still, if the Buckeyes offer Davis, it's tough to imagine him anywhere other than in the Scarlet and Gray.
JAVONTE RICHARDSON // MAPLE HEIGHTS, OH // MAPLE HEIGHTS
Ohio State has made a number of trips to Maple Heights High School these past six months as they've been recruiting 2016 commitment Kierre Hawkins, and JaVonte Richardson will keep them there for the next couple years at least. Richardson is 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and he's a developing star in Northeast Ohio.
Right now, Richardson holds offers from Kentucky, Toledo and Bowling Green, but as the summer comes around and he gains more exposure from camp appearances and college tours, you should expect him to become one of the region's most offered prospects. He's currently the 38th-ranked wide receiver nationally and the 224th-ranked overall prospect.
JAYLEN HARRIS // CLEVELAND, OH // CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
6-foot-5, 210-pounds and climbing the charts nationally is Jaylen Harris, another big-time talent from the Cleveland area. Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia, and Tennessee have already offered the Cleveland Heights prospect, and he's told 11W he intends to camp at Ohio State this June, and after talking with Urban Meyer recently thinks he could be in line for an offer from the Buckeyes if he performs well.
Harris has visited Tennessee and West Virginia, and although he's not currently ranked as a national prospect, he will absolutely move up the rankings following the summer evaluation period.
As it currently stands, the Buckeyes are in a great position for each of these prospects. I would not be surprised if the Florida duo of Grimes and Greene were committed to the Buckeyes by the end of June, and from there, Ohio State can and will get very picky. How many of the in-state prospects receive an offer? How many will they take? It's so early in the 2017 cycle that it's hard to pinpoint the specifics, because if Peoples-Jones wants in, he's too good to pass up.
While you don't like to see Ohio's best prospects end up at Big Ten rivals, the Buckeyes are competing and recruiting against the country's best and will not take someone just because he's from Ohio if they don't feel the player is going to be better long term than a national kid. That has played out in 2016 already as we've seen Justin Layne commit to Michigan State. Ohio State could have chased Layne much harder than they did, and his name in their 2016 class would check a lot of boxes for the program and for fans, but they believe other options are a better fit long-term. That's the way Urban Meyer's coaching staff will proceed, now and forever.
It's going to be a fun couple years, and the 2017 wide receiver group could be special.
