Silence isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to the recruitment of the nation's top high school athletes.
When Ohio State landed its first pledge for the 2018 class, it wasn't a prospect many would have guessed. Still, four-star tailback Brian Snead made the call last July at the 2016 version of Friday Night Lights. The Seffner, Florida star also held offers from Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and a number of other national programs.
The minute the commitment was announced, there was certainly some skepticism amongst the fanbase, which isn't surprising following an out-of-nowhere commitment from a Florida prospect with over a year and a half until national signing day. It instantly became one to watch closely as most expected him to go about the process just like most of the Florida recruits tend to do.
Such has not been the case, however.
The country's No. 4 tailback has seemingly shut his recruitment down since announcing his commitment last July. It's been a far cry from the tumultuous recruitment of Buckeye cornerback Shaun Wade, whom Snead was being compared to back when he jumped on board. Wade, a Jacksonville native, was visiting other schools less than a month after his commitment back in January of 2015.
Snead's 247Sports' timeline is a rarity here in the year 2017. It shows that since July 22nd – the day he committed to Ohio State – there hasn't been a single noteworthy event in his recruitment. Now does that necessarily mean that absolutely nothing has happened during that time? Of course not. But if nothing else, it shows that – in this day and age – the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder is handling the process much differently than most. He's extremely private and just doesn't appear to be doing a whole lot.
From the Ohio State side, the initial concerns – at least from the fanbase – swirled around the usual schools. Florida, Florida State, and Miami are certainly the big three that come to mind with the top players in the Sunshine State, but it seems as though none of them have gained any traction with the state's third-ranked running back.
This fall will likely tell the tale when official visit season comes around. The Armwood High School star will have the opportunity to check out other programs during the fall and winter months, and it will still be important to get him back up to Columbus.
“No, not really,” Snead said when asked about coaches from other schools recruiting him. “I just cut them off.”– Via
Snead is an interesting tailback. He's not a true burner, but he just seems to be good at everything. He is a physical runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield. His film shows a running style that looks smooth but can also be very sudden and aggressive.
He helped lead the Armwood squad to a 10-2 record last season and, while battling through some injuries, still rushed for over 900 yards. As a sophomore, he became the first Hawks' rusher to top 1,000 yards since Matt Jones – now of the Washington Redskins – did so in 2010.
As long as things stay on the current trajectory, Snead will join what should be an impressive stable of running backs come signing day. Jaelen Gill is already in the fold as more of an all-purpose player who is expected to take carries out of the backfield and see time as more of a pass-catcher.
The Floridian will be more of a bell cow out of the backfield, but he should have some help as Tony Alford continues to look for another tailback to round out the class. Mike Weber will be a redshirt sophomore in 2017 and the staff will know more on J.K. Dobbins and Antonio Williams as the season progresses, which will help evaluate the need at the position.
Players like Tavion Thomas and Zamir White are two candidates to also join the fray, with the former being the more likely of the two. Miami commitment Lorenzo Lingard is another player the staff has been extremely high on, and the Buckeyes were thought to be his No. 2 option behind the Hurricanes.
Since he's not exactly the most talkative prospect, Snead's actions are probably going to tell the tale throughout the rest of the process. He had planned on getting back to Columbus for the Michigan game, but those plans didn't come to fruition unless he totally avoided speaking about the visit afterwards, which is possible. Another Friday Night Light visit may also be in the cards and an official during the season is almost a certainty.
Communication with the Ohio State staff has of course persisted, and there seems to be no doubt about where things stand between the two parties. Though difficult to get a read on at times, it can be a breath of fresh air to see someone who goes about their business so quietly while holding firm with their school of choice.
For now, by basically saying and doing nothing, Brian Snead is doing all of the right things.
