The 2017 recruiting class was headlined by the six defensive backs that Greg Schiano and Urban Meyer will have at their disposal for the upcoming season.
Jeffrey Okudah and Shaun Wade were both five-stars while Kendall Sheffield – a former five-star for the 2015 class – was the nation's top JUCO corner. Outside of that trio, Isaiah Pryor, Marcus Williamson, and Amir Riep were all four-stars in their own right.
Perhaps even better news is that Riep is the lone defensive back who isn't already on campus and working out with the Buckeyes. After losing three starters to the NFL, the early arrivals are certainly a welcome addition to the spring roster.
Erick Smith and Damon Webb are the only returning seniors, so next year's exodus shouldn't be quite as impactful as what the team is experiencing right now. While it's certainly feasible that a player like Denzel Ward could burst onto the scene and have a similar path as Marshon Lattimore, the overall need for defensive backs in the 2018 recruiting class is expected to be toned down a bit.
Five-star safety Jaiden Woodbey is already committed, and while he's planning multiple trips to Columbus this spring – with one possibly coming as soon as this weekend – he's also expected to check out a number of other schools. The USC legacy's recruitment appears to be far from over, but landing the nation's No. 3 safety is obviously a strong way to start out the 2018 secondary class.
We are tentatively expecting the defensive back class to end up with right around 4-5 signees. A lot is bound to change as new offers are extended, but there's already a strong group of defenders to be familiar with.
| Prospect | Hometown | Measurables | Rating | Pos. Rank | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.J. Foster - S | Angleton, TX | 6-foot-1, 188 pounds | ★★★★★ | No. 1 | No. 11 |
| Anthony Cook - CB | Houston, TX | 6-foot-1, 170 pounds | ★★★★★ | No. 2 | No. 16 |
| Isaac Taylor-Stuart - CB | San Diego, CA | 6-foot-2, 187 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 4 | No. 28 |
| Houston Griffith - CB | Chicago, IL | 6-foot-1, 192 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 7 | No 47 |
| Isheem Young - S | Philadelphia, PA | 5-foot-11, 200 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 6 | No. 62 |
| Amari Burney - S | Clearwater, FL | 6-foot-1, 215 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 9 | No. 105 |
| Christian Tutt - CB | Thomson, GA | 5-foot-10.5, 185 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 17 | No. 150 |
| Tre Douglas - CB | McDonough, GA | 6-foot-2, 180 pounds | ★★★★ | No. 28 | No. 316 |
The Buckeyes are coming off of a class that saw them sign three of the top six players in Texas while the Longhorns couldn't even manage to land any of the state's top 15 prospects. Urban Meyer and the Ohio State staff are already looking back to the Lone Star State for the new cycle.
B.J. Foster is the No. 1 safety in America, and right now he's looking at schools like Texas, Ohio State, LSU, TCU, and Michigan. The family already has a great relationship with Tom Herman, which is probably why 100% of the crystal ball picks are in the Longhorns' favor. This one is probably more of a long shot right now, but Ohio State and LSU may be the only two schools that could steal this one from Herman.
A common theme on this list is the size of the cornerbacks. Oho State covets the long, athletic corners and Houston's Anthony Cook certainly fits that mold. His recruitment looks to be fairly open right now, but the Buckeyes are absolutely in a good spot heading into the spring. The five-star identified Ohio State as a school that's standing out right now as he tries to arrange a visit for the spring or summer. Texas and LSU are two other major players and Dabo Swinney also has Clemson surging.
Distance doesn't appear to be a factor here, and it may also be worth noting that Cook works out with Marshon Lattimore's trainer. Every little bit helps.
There's not a whole lot to be said about Isaac Taylor-Stuart at this point. Ohio State just offered the country's No. 4 corner on Monday, so there's a long way to go to build that relationship. Still, the four-star is close with Jaiden Woodbey and it never hurts to have a little extra assistance in California. USC, Alabama, and Washington are also in the running, but he doesn't seem to be close to making a decision.
If Cook is Schiano's top target at corner, then IMG Academy's Houston Griffith can't be too far behind. The Chicago native is expected to be on campus today, and with the festivities surrounding Ohio State's pro day and two likely first-round corners in the building, it seems like a great time for the country's No. 7 player at the position to be in town.
At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Griffith is another corner with great size. Notre Dame, Florida State, and Illinois are also in the running for the Illini legacy. He plans to enroll early and his recruitment may very well be a battle with Notre Dame as the Buckeyes look to continue their success at IMG.
Philadalphia's Isheem Young is probably another one of the less likely candidates to end up in Columbus, but Ohio State was recently listed as one of his top schools and he is planning on making a visit this spring or summer. While the list was a lengthy one with 12 schools, the Buckeyes may very well be in the top five for his services. At this point, Florida State may be the only team that could sway him from Happy Valley.
Though he was discussed a bit last night, Clearwater, Florida's Amari Burney may be a name that we should be talking about more. The four-star is scheduled to announce his commitment in June, and his recruitment appears to be coming down to the Buckeyes and in-state Gators. Ohio State is by no means the favorite here as his crystal ball is 100% in favor of Florida, but Meyer and Schiano are constantly in contact with the country's No. 9 safety. A spring trip to Columbus may be enough to make things interesting.
Ohio State has been mentioned in Christian Tutt's top group for a long while now, but no one appears to be giving the Buckeyes much of a shot. Interestingly, Georgia is still the heavy crystal ball favorite despite not being identified in his most recent top three. Florida State, Alabama, and the Buckeyes are the three programs standing out now, but no one seems to really know where the Georgia corner will ultimately land.
Another four-star cornerback from the Peach State recently listed Ohio State as his clear leader. McDonough, Georgia's Tre Douglas is close with Buckeye quarterback pledge Emory Jones and is looking to make a trip to Columbus this spring. The biggest question may be which players the staff is ready to accept commitments from, but Ohio State remains in a really solid spot here.
Douglas is yet another corner with great size and he also has quite the offer list featuring schools like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, and USC.
There's a lot to sift through right now in the secondary. First of all, the Woodbey watch looks to be far from over despite the pro-Buckeye antics on social media. Ohio State fans will want to keep an eye on his whereabouts throughout the next several months.
New names are certainly going to surface throughout the cycle, but it would be a bit of a surprise if one or two names from this list don't end up in Columbus. Cook, Griffith, and Douglas look like the most realistic options right now, but none of them are locks at this point. Foster, Burney, and Young are all worth watching and we will see if the staff can hit it off with Taylor-Stuart.
Don't expect quite as many fireworks as we saw for 2017, but the next haul of defensive backs is shaping up quite nicely already.
