The Buckeyes' secondary appears to be in good hands for the next several years as Urban Meyer and Co. currently hold commitments from four of the nation's top defensive backs. Shaun Wade, Isaiah Pryor, Marcus Williamson, and Brendon White are all ranked in the top 125 of the 247Sports composite rankings.
While there's been some chatter of Pryor and/or White ending up elsewhere on defense, the Buckeyes' pursuit of five-star linebacker Baron Browning – to go along with Antjuan Simmons – could mean that the current thought is that both of the pledges will stick to the secondary.
Despite being in an enviable position, there are still a lot of question marks surrounding what will take place between now and February.
First of all, Shaun Wade hasn't been to Columbus since last summer. That may not be a big deal if he hadn't been able to find the time to visit other schools, including long-distance trips to USC and UCLA. Keeping the five-star in the fold still seems unlikely, but getting him back on campus this summer could change things for the better. Right now, Alabama or one of the Florida schools seem to be the most likely landing spot.
| PROSPECT | SCHOOL | NATIONAL RANKING |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Okudah | South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX) | No. 7 |
| Darnay Holmes | Calabasas (Calabasas, CA) | No. 8 |
| Jamyest Williams | Grayson (Lawrenceville, GA) | No. 48 |
| Lamont Wade | Clairton (Clairton, PA) | No. 72 |
| Amir Riep | Colerain (Cincinnati, OH) | No. 119 |
Jeffrey Okudah – along with five-star friend Baron Browning – completed his trip to Columbus less than a week ago and, by all accounts, things really couldn't have gone any better. The nation's top safety is already talking about getting back to Ohio State for a summer trip. A commitment really wasn't expected last weekend considering his family wasn't alongside for the trip. Once the return visit takes place, a commitment wouldn't be a surprise at all, especially with family in tow.
Baylor is the only other school with much activity on the 247Sports crystal ball. Given the recent turmoil in Waco, it's hard to see them as much of a threat right now. Okudah and Browning continue to talk about playing together at the next level. Browning had been committed to Baylor for about six months before opening things back up this past February.
Darnay Holmes' recruitment has been pretty interesting. After dominating Friday Night Lights last July, he shot up the Buckeyes' defensive back board. However, things never seemed that serious and the general thought has been that he will end up on the West Coast or possibly at Nebraska. The case for the Huskers got a bit stronger when teammate Keyshawn Johnson Jr. committed back in March.
Darnay Holmes is lining up an official visit to Columbus.
The five-star appears to be genuinely torn as we head into the summer months. He had been targeting June 23rd as an announcement date, but has since backed off those plans and indicated that a decision may not be made until as late as the Army All-American Bowl in January. The Buckeyes have turned up the heat on Holmes and look to be in line for an official visit this fall. Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines are also expected to see the Calabasas standout at some point in the coming months.
Stanford remains a team to keep a close eye on. The admissions process for the Cardinal has been notoriously slow at times, so if Holmes were to get some good news late in the process, that could throw things for a bit of a loop.
Lawrenceville, Georgia's Jamyest Williams hasn't been talked about as much as the other remaining targets, but a recent visit to Columbus has Ohio State on the up and up. Williams recently identified the Buckeyes – as well as Georgia, Clemson, and Tennessee – as the four teams recruiting him the hardest. The four-star corner is hoping to narrow his list this summer and make a decision during the season.
Williams is probably going to be one of the tougher targets for Ohio State to land. He spent much of his life living in the Athens area so the connections with the in-state Bulldogs are difficult to ignore. Still, if a return visit is made this summer and then an official in the fall, anything can happen.
The recruitment of Lamont Wade hasn't changed a whole lot over the spring. Early on there was some chatter about a limited number of early enrollee spots at Ohio State, but those issues seem to have been addressed when Wade and his family met with the staff. He recently dropped a loaded top-ten list, and while the Buckeyes are probably still close to the top, Penn State and Pittsburgh will be right there for the long haul.
Top Ten
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Some schools are able to make near-guarantees of early playing time, and that's something that Ohio State really is unable to offer right now. Wade has talked about his willingness to compete and earn playing time, but the Buckeyes' depth chart is something he's constantly being reminded of.
A number of schools are using a similar tactic for the top-rated defensive back in Ohio. Colerain's Amir Riep has long been thought of as a Buckeye lean and most have merely been waiting for him to pull the trigger. Alas, he's taken about a hundred visits this year and still hasn't made a decision. Riep was in Columbus multiple times this spring and Kerry Coombs' legendary status in Cincinnati is a factor as well, but recent reports out of Chicago weren't exactly glowing for Ohio State.
While in the Windy City for Nike's regional camp, reports started to surface that Michigan State may be in a position to swoop in and steal one from the Buckeyes. The Spartans have a great need in the secondary and currently don't have a single commitment for the group. Riep was in East Lansing for the Spartans' spring game and is planning a return trip for the month of June.
Riep recently earned an invite to The Opening and continued his offer hot streak when the Crimson Tide came calling earlier this week.
For the Buckeyes, there's no real reason for panic just yet, but this one does't appear to be the slam dunk that it once looked to be.
Limited scholarships and an increasing desire to enroll early is making this a tricky situation for the Buckeyes. Riep and Wade are both looking to enroll in January while Williams and Okudah are also exploring the possibility. Between the tight scholarship numbers and other teams using their depth against them, this already loaded position group will continue to be one to watch for the rest of the 2017 cycle.
