With seven months until the newly established early signing period, Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class is currently on track to surpass 2017's haul. The Buckeyes hold commitments from 10 prospects, with all but one among the top eight players at their respective positions.
Their 96.34 average recruit ranking in second-to-none, even topping last year's absurd score of 94.47, which was pound-for-pound the best class of all time. That number could reach even more outrageous heights, too, with commitments from several of the top undecided prospects in the country.
Ohio State had some key additions down the stretch that put last year's class over the top, including five-star linebacker Baron Browning, five-star cornerback Jeffrey Okudah and four-star junior college transfer cornerback Kendall Sheffield. And while each has their own unique story of how they ended up in Columbus, their inclusion in the 2017 recruiting class was far from a sure thing — or even talked about until late in the process.
In that same vein, we know who the staff's top targets are for the Class of 2018. Of course, not all of them will choose the Buckeyes, so here's a look at some long-shot or under-the-radar prospects who could eventually sign with Ohio State if the chips fall the right way.
FIVE-STAR OFFENSIVE GUARD JAMAREE SALYER
Much like Okudah, Jamaree Salyer's name has been linked to Ohio State on several occasions since the Buckeyes extended a scholarship offer last July. He attended and had great things to say about the Buckeyes' double-overtime win over Michigan in November, but his proximity to Clemson and Georgia have put the two programs in the lead for the time being.
That said, five-star dual-threat quarterback commit Emory Jones has singled out his fellow Georgian as someone he'd like to see join him in the Scarlet and Gray. If the staff were to shift its focus away from or miss out on prospects like Fredrick "Juice" Scruggs and Verdis Brown, the full-court press for Salyer could be on.
FIVE-STAR DEFENSIVE END K.J. HENRY
K.J. Henry's recruitment, meanwhile, has more so taken the shape of the staff's pursuit of Browning. He recently included Ohio State among his top four schools, but the Buckeyes were the lone program north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Clemson is widely considered the favorite, and numerous trips to Death Valley have the national champion Tigers on the verge of landing his pledge.
Ohio State already holds one commitment from a defensive end in Georgia four-star Brenton Cox and remains in the hunt for Pennsylvania five-star Micah Parsons and Cleveland Heights four-star Tyreke Smith. If Cox were to open things back up, Parsons re-up with Penn State or Smith spurn the Buckeyes for the California sun anytime soon, Henry could be the answer at a position of great need.
FIVE-STAR WIDE RECEIVER BRENNAN EAGLES
Last year's recruiting class was so deep that Ohio State had numerous options to replace Tyjon Lindsey with only a few weeks left before signing day. Director of player personnel Mark Pantoni said they had a list of 60 players they evaluated before identifying then-Missouri commit Ellijah Gardiner as the one. The 2018 cycle, however, doesn't feature a wealth of talent beyond the Top 15 or so prospects.
The staff would once again like to add three wideouts to the class, and the Buckeyes' top target is St. Louis four-star Kamryn Babb. Things are also back on track with Huber Heights Wayne four-star L'Christian "Blue" Smith after things began to trend toward Kentucky, which leaves one more spot.
Brennan Eagles, a Houston native, recently included Ohio State in his Top 10. I expect the two sides to continue to get to know each other, and the Buckeyes could easily find themselves in a battle with the in-state Longhorns in the end.
FOUR-STAR LINEBACKER SOLOMON TULIAUPUPU
It's been rumored that some within the program like Solomon Tuliaupupu more than Virginia Beach four-star inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell, who is set to make his decision between Florida State and Ohio State in the next few weeks. If Mitchell lands with the Seminoles, the staff will likely go all-out for Tuliaupupu — and continue to play the waiting game with Georgia three-star Michael Harris.
Most assume the California native will end up at USC, as a lot of highly rated Polynesian players do. But Tuliaupupu's father said after his son's first trip to Columbus for the Spring Game last month that's not a certainty. Distance, of course, puts the staff a significant disadvantage, but the Buckeyes will be right in the thick of things if Tuliaupupu returns to campus again this fall.
FOUR-STAR CORNERBACK ISAAC TAYLOR-STUART
When Ohio State landed a commitment from Jaiden Woodbey back in February, the four-star safety said he would bring several other top-rated Californians with him. One prospect he singled out, in particular, was Isaac Taylor-Stuart.
The Buckeyes already hold commitments from cornerback Sevyn Banks and are among the favorites for Texas five-star Anthony Cook, which means there isn't a whole lot of room left in the secondary for this class. With recent departures of Rodjay Burns and Joshua Norwood, though, there may be the desire to possibly add another to the fold later in the process.
That's where Taylor-Stuart, widely considered the best player to come out of San Diego in more than a decade, comes in. UCLA and USC are considered the favorite in his recruitment right now, but the Buckeyes will find themselves in this one late if he visits next fall. Can they avoid the same fate as what occurred with Darnay Holmes? Time will tell.
