Recruiting is all about momentum. Sometimes you're gaining it, sometimes you're losing it. What prospects are trending up with Ohio State? Let's take a look.
Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class has been relatively stable, even with a couple of changes since the summer. Key components and a few of the bigger names (Terrell Hall, George Hill, Kareem Walker and Tristen Wallace) have moved on, but the Buckeyes remain as the country's top-ranked 2016 class with six weeks to signing day.
To stay at No. 1, the Buckeyes are going to have to replace the departed (as they did with Hall and Walker) with equal or higher-ranked prospects (like they did with Nick Bosa and Antonio Williams) as other schools around the country move up the rankings.
Which prospects are still on the the list for the Buckeyes in interest and likelihood?
(This board will serve as a starting point for the next few weeks as we try and monitor the ups and downs of the 2016 finish.)
| NAME | POSITION | RANK | PREV RANK | committed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAHSEN WINT | DB | 1 | -- | TEMPLE |
| MALIK HARRISON | ATH | 2 | -- | |
| DWAYNE HASKINS, JR. | QB | 3 | -- | MARYLAND |
| DONNIE CORLEY, JR. | WR | 4 | -- | |
| RASHARD LAWRENCE | DT | 5 | -- | |
| JORDAN FULLER | DB | 6 | -- | |
| BINJIMEN VICTOR | WR | 7 | -- | |
| DAMAR HAMLIN | DB | 8 | -- | |
| CARLOS BECKER | DB | 9 | -- | |
| RODJAY BURNS | DB | 10 | -- | LOUISVILLE |
| NATE CRAIG-MYERS | WR | 11 | -- |
If you've followed things closely over the last few months, a few of those names are definitely not a surprise. However, a few may not be where you'd expect.
At the top are two three-star, under-the-radar prospects that have recently added Ohio State offers, Brooklyn's Jahsen Wint and Columbus' own Malik Harrison. Wint visited the Buckeyes officially the weekend of Dec. 11 and walked away with an offer and a host of predictions in Ohio State's favor on the 247Sports.com crystal ball feature.
Harrison, who has not yet made an official visit to Ohio State, was waiting for months for the Buckeye offer rather than committing to Wisconsin as many felt he would. He's planning to visit in January after the dead period and a commitment that weekend should be expected.
If there's one player who can impact this list more than any other, it's Maryland's Dwayne Haskins. The country's sixth-ranked pro-style quarterback also visited Columbus the weekend of Dec. 11 (along with wide receiver Donnie Corley) and with no quarterback currently in the class, Haskins' flip from Maryland would buoy the chances of landing Corley, Binjimen Victor or Nate Craig-Myers.
Corley has moved way up the list following his most recent trip to Ohio State and the potential for an Army All-American game decision works in the Buckeyes' favor.
Victor, who has been reportedly leaning towards the Buckeyes for months, is still very on the high list but there's a thought that if Corley were to commit to the Buckeyes, that ship could sail towards Miami and new head coach Mark Richt or back to Florida where Victor was going to commit in June.
Craig-Myers is debating an official visit to Ohio State in January that seems to be contingent on where Haskins is committed, since he's deciding between the Buckeyes and Maryland for that final official.
If Haskins is thinking Ohio State, he'd be well-served to make a decision relatively soon in order to help reel in the key remaining pieces of the offensive class.
Ohio State's defensive back recruiting has been a wild ride since the summer and as Damar Hamlin and Jordan Fuller stand pat and seem to be in no hurry to make a decision or commit to even making an official visit, it becomes harder and harder to see them in the class, although confidence with Fuller hasn't waned quite as significantly as it has with Hamlin. The Buckeyes continue to stay in regular communication with the four-star from Pittsburgh and his father but for whatever reason the traction they'd gained over the summer has given way to Pitt and Notre Dame who seem to be his top two choices currently.
As Fuller and Hamlin drop down the list, it's Louisville commitment Rodjay Burns and uncommitted three-star Carlos Becker, each of whom will visit officially next month, that find themselves moving up the list. Becker's game reminds me of Carlton Davis, who was committed to the Buckeyes in the 2015 cycle before signing with Auburn. Becker was offered by Ohio State in February and the Under-Armour All-American has stayed in contact with the Buckeyes throughout the year.
The defensive tackle position remains one of the biggest priorities for the Buckeyes and right now the target is Rashard Lawrence, who has visited twice. While most expect Lawrence to commit to LSU, the Monroe, Louisiana native continues to say and do all the right things that indicate Ohio State has a real chance to land him if he decides to leave the SEC footprint.
