Not sure if you've heard, but Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have been a bit of a recruiting juggernaut as of late. Its top-ranked 2016 class marked the sixth-consecutive time that Alabama finished at the top of the national recruiting rankings.
Ohio State, who continues to lead the way in the national composite rankings, could be on the verge of putting an end to that streak.
The Buckeyes had a pretty solid week on the recruiting front as two of Urban Meyer and Zach Smith's top targets made the call on Monday. The 10-star addition gave Ohio State a bit more separation from the Crimson Tide, who had been inching closer and closer to the top spot in the team rankings.
Wednesday, my similarly named colleague talked about how the Buckeyes' class is stacking up against some of the top classes of recent years; nearly all of which were spearheaded by Saban and his crew.
Ohio State's 2017 class currently checks in with a 302.40 score in the composite rankings. That's pretty darn impressive when you consider Alabama's top-ranked 2016 haul ended with a score of 301.41. Even more impressive when considering that the Buckeyes' class has 18 commits – five whole months from signing day – while Bama ended with 24 back in February.
The "star average" for the class is also unheard of as Ohio State's average commit scores a 95.15 which basically translates to a high four-star prospect. For comparison's sake, the Alabama average currently checks in at 91.50 and their 2016 class ended at 92.85. Alas, the team recruiting rankings are based on total points as opposed to average score.
Five-star DB Jeffrey Okudah has drawn comparisons to Jalen Ramsey. He continues to list Ohio State as his leader.
The names left on Ohio State's radar are mainly the same players we've been talking about for months, though Wednesday's offer to tight end Josh Falo is interesting given the general thought that the staff wasn't looking to add a tight end this cycle. The biggest question, however, continues to swirl around the number of signees the 2017 class will ultimately feature.
If Urban Meyer and Co. are able to snag three or four more top targets, the lead over Alabama may be insurmountable. The potential additions of five-star tailback Cam Akers and defensive back Jeffrey Okudah take the composite score up to right around 316 points (via the 247Sports Class Calculator). Throw in a player like linebacker Baron Browning and/or defensive tackle Jay Tufele and you're looking at a signing day haul that could wind up as the highest-rated class of all time — rivaling that of Bama in 2014 (319.58 points) and Urban Meyer's Gators in 2010 (323.66).
One Buckeye pledge seems to think things could be trending that way. Via LandOf10.com:
The scary thing is that we have so many big-time guys that want to come to Ohio State that we even have to turn away some of the top guys that want to join our class. There is room for a few more guys and you never who, if any guys decide to decommit or leave the class, but I know of about six top players in the country that are wanting to come to Ohio State. So the good news is not nearly done.
- Tate Martell
Of course, one always must consider potential decommits, flips, and a number of other surprises that we all have grown accustomed to lately. This week alone has already seen a couple somewhat surprising moves with offers being extended to the aforementioned Josh Falo and Georgia defensive back Xavier McKinney. Even with just a handful of spots remaining, expecting the unexpected is always a reasonable approach as signing draws near.
Scrolling through the crystal ball picks for the Tide can give a glimpse of what their class might look like come February. The group is expected to approach upwards of 26-28 signees and there's still a lot of talent out there that is likely to end up in Tuscaloosa. Devonta Smith (No. 10 WR), Lexington's Jedrick Wills (No. 10 OT), and LaBryan Ray (No. 3 SSDE) are just a few of the names that most pundits believe will play their college ball at Alabama. The Tide is also battling Jim Harbaugh for a couple four-stars including wideout Nico Collins and offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson.
Shaun Wade could play a key role in the Ohio State/Alabama battle for the top spot.
The recruitment of long-time Buckeye commit Shaun Wade continues to be an interesting one even though very little has been said from the five-star defensive back who hails from Jacksonville's Trinity Christian High Academy. Right now, the nation's third-ranked corner is looking to take officials to Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan.
While an official visit to Alabama hasn't been scheduled yet, the Crimson Tide continue to look like the stiffest competition in part because of some family ties to the school. The Buckeyes are sitting pretty at defensive back right now, but losing someone of Wade's caliber could certainly help Alabama in their race for a seventh-consecutive recruiting title.
There's still a lot of time left until February and the high school football season will lead to more shakeups in the player rankings, but right now Urban Meyer has the Buckeyes in the driver's seat while Nick Saban's Crimson Tide are looking to play catch-up.
