You might not know this but Ohio State's next recruiting class is shaping up to be one of historical proportions. Monday offered up reason why when Rivals released its final prospect rankings for the 2017 class.
Defensive end commit Chase Young is one of six new 5-star players in the 2017 crop of talent. A dominant performance in San Antonio at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl cemented the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder's claim as the highest-rated commit Ohio State's 2017 class. Young is now ranked No. 8 overall, jumping one spot ahead of linebacker and early enrollee Baron Browning, laying another layer to the claim that he should have been a 5-star on the Rivals board much sooner.
“Young has steadily risen up the rankings over the past year, and he has developed into a versatile defensive end who can rush the passer and make plays in the open field, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Analyst Adam Friedman wrote. “The Ohio State commit has outstanding athleticism, and his speed and balance make it hard for big offensive linemen to stay in front of him. The biggest question about Young was his strength at the point of attack. At the Army All-American Bowl, he proved he has the strength to make plays against the run as well.”
Young and Browning are two of five future Buckeyes ranked in the top-25 of the final rankings. The others: cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, offensive lineman Wyatt Davis and cornerback Shaun Wade.
That number could grow to six if the Buckeyes are able to reel in defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. He is the No. 2 player in the class. Ohio State's other remaining target in the top-100 is another defensive tackle, Jay Tufele, who is ranked 37th.
Not everything trended north for Ohio State commits, however. Offensive lineman and early enrollee Josh Myers lost his fifth star and fell to No. 55 overall.
“Physically, Myers was arguably the most impressive looking offensive lineman on the East squad at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but his performance in that event was arguably the worst, and it is hard to chalk it up to just a bad week,” Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt wrote. “The Ohio State commit had issues with footwork and flexibility and was unable to stay engaged with defenders.”
The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder's struggles with pass protection has been a hot item of discussion in recent weeks, though it makes some sense considering he hardly ever had to do it in high school. Miamisburg runs a Wing T, instead letting Myers lead the way down the field as a blocker in front of Vikings running backs.
Rivals lists Myers as a guard, while others have him at tackle. His position at Ohio State will be one to watch, though expect him to move to guard after Billy Price's transition to center this offseason.
Here is a rundown of the 10 Ohio State commits in the Rivals' top-100 for 2017:
- No. 8 • Chase Young • DE
- No. 9 • Baron Browning • LB
- No. 16 • Jeffrey Okudah • CB
- No. 22 • Wyatt Davis • OL
- No. 24 • Shaun Wade • CB
- No. 33 • Trevon Grimes • WR
- No. 39 • Tate Martell • QB
- No. 55 • Josh Myers • OL
- No. 66 • J.K. Dobbins • RB
- No. 91 • Brendon White • ATH
Young, Browning, Okudah, Davis, Wade and Grimes are all 5-star prospects according to Rivals. Martell, Myers, Dobbins and White are all deemed 4-star recruits.
Ohio State is looking to add a few more pieces to its vaunted 2017 recruiting class, namely at defensive tackle as stated above with Wilson and Tufele. The 19 commits in the class combine to be ranked No. 2 in the country, behind only Alabama, by 247Sports composite.
National Signing Day is Feb. 1
