The most talent-rich position group for the Buckeyes' top-ranked 2017 class has gotten a bit more intriguing over the past couple weeks. Even with five commitments ranked in the top 140 of the 247Sports Composite Rankings and another five-star expected to end up in Columbus, the search continues.
| Prospect | School | Rating / Composite Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Shaun Wade, CB | Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, FL) | ★★★★★ / No. 18 |
| Isaiah Pryor, S | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) | ★★★★ / No. 48 |
| Brendon White, S/ATH | Olentangy Liberty (Powell, OH) | ★★★★ / No. 110 |
| Amir Riep, CB/S | Colerain (Cincinnati, OH) | ★★★★ / No. 124 |
| Marcus Williamson, CB | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) | ★★★★ / No. 140 |
If signing day were tomorrow, this would end up being one of the best groups of defensive back signees we've ever seen. Alas, we are five months months away from February's signing day and a lot is yet to unfold.
Williamson, Riep, White, and Pryor all appear to be solid in their commitments. White looks to be the most likely to perhaps see a position switch, but for now we still have the country's third-ranked athlete pegged as a future safety. Alabama has continued to court Pryor, but the interest doesn't seem to be reciprocated at this point.
The commitment status of five-star Shaun Wade – who is amazingly the fourth-highest rated prospect in the class – still appears to be up in the air. Wade and his parents made the trip to the University of Florida last weekend and will check out the Gators again this fall. The biggest threat continues to be the Crimson Tide, and he's expected to be in Tuscaloosa at some point as well.
Wade also has plans to be back in Columbus for an official visit on Oct. 8. The good news for the Buckeyes is that the nation's No. 3 corner is planning to enroll early. If he does elect to head elsewhere, the staff should have a little bit of time to look around a bit. In the meantime, they continue to be in contact with a couple other highly-rated defenders, including a pair that was recently offered.
Tuesday's offer to Bishop Gorman safety Bubba Bolden certainly wouldn't have been a surprise six months ago. The four-star is a top-100 prospect and has offers from all across the country. He also was recently one of Rivals.com's "biggest movers" in their updated rankings. The timing of the Ohio State offer did catch some people off guard, however.
Bolden, 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is built a bit like Isaiah Pryor and, like the Buckeye commit, projects to be a safety at the next level. It's important to note that he's also teammates with three other Ohio State commits from the powerhouse Bishop Gorman program, so this one is definitely something to keep an eye on.
Bishop Gorman Ohio State https://t.co/dAxNxRO2mI
— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) September 6, 2016
Tate Martell took to Twitter last night and proclaimed that he will be in Columbus for the Nebraska game. Bolden, a one-time USC commit, has already indicated that he's planning an official to Ohio State as well. Perhaps the whole Gorman crew will be in town?
Another highly-touted defender who was once committed to a national powerhouse was also the recipient of a recent Buckeye offer. Roswell, Georgia's Xavier McKinney earned that honor in late August as Urban Meyer personally extended the offer to the country's 12th-ranked safety.
McKinney decommitted from Alabama in mid-July and has recently discussed Ohio State being his "dream school." Clemson is the current crystal ball favorite, but the Buckeye offer could be a game-changer if the staff makes this recruitment a priority.
He already know of three schools that will receive official visits this fall: Ohio State, Clemson, and Florida.
There's no doubt that the biggest remaining name on Ohio State's radar continues to be five-star defensive back Jeffrey Okudah. Despite a push from Oklahoma, the nation's No. 6 overall prospect has been a Buckeye lean for some time now. The new defensive back offers have caused some concern in regard to Ohio State's standing with the Grand Prairie, TX standout, but there doesn't seem to be any real reason for worry at this point.
First OV has been set, Ohio State vs Oklahoma on 9/17! #BoomerSooner
— Jeffrey Okudah III (@TheJeffOkudah) August 22, 2016
Okudah will be in Norman when the Sooners host the Buckeyes, and an official visit to Ohio State is in the works as well.
As recently as a few months ago, the defensive back picture was fairly easy to decipher. Names like Lamont Wade, Darnay Holmes, and the aforementioned Okudah were at the forefront. While (Lamont) Wade and Holmes appear to be fading a bit, two new names and the continued uncertainty surrounding Shaun Wade have only added to the intrigue at defensive back.
