Ohio State hosted its sixth annual Friday Night Lights recruiting extravaganza this evening. And though it didn't result in any commitments — at least for the time being — the prospects I expected to shine bright did exactly that.
Quarterback commit Emory Jones, fresh off a clandestine visit to Alabama, looked like he was nearly back to full strength after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last fall. He admitted after the event he's about 95 percent, but the inconsistencies that seem to have plagued him on the camp circuit this spring were practically nonexistent.
Jones had a zip on his throws that I haven't seen since he was in Ohio Stadium for the event last summer, just days ahead of his pledge. His accuracy was much improved, as well, which is an extremely good sign given that wasn't necessarily the case during the Buckeyes' one-day camp in early June.
It's clear Jones feels confident in that setting, surround by coaches, fellow commits and fans wanting to see him succeed. And for as much talk as there has been surrounding his recruitment in the last few months, it seems like he wants to put those conversations behind him and focus on capping his high school career on a winning note before making his way to Columbus.
Another quarterback who looked the part tonight was Oak Park, Michigan, three-star Dwan Mathis, whom I still expect to land an offer from the Buckeyes before he returns home this weekend. He throws a beautiful deep ball, constantly and consistently hitting his targets in stride, and he certainly doesn't lack the confidence needed to play the position.
Mathis made his claim this evening to be Ohio State's quarterback for the Class of 2019, and — quite frankly — if the staff doesn't offer, they'll be playing against him on Saturdays in the years to come.
Running back commit Brian Snead, meanwhile, made his much anticipated return to Ohio Stadium this evening, his first trip back since pledging his services to the Buckeyes out of nowhere at the event one year ago. Nobody knew at the time, but Snead is clearly among the best running backs in the class.
Snead has quick feet, making cuts with ease, and looks to be just as much of a threat catching the ball out of the backfield as he is between the tackles. He and fellow running back commit Master Teague III, who also made his first trip back since committing last month, are going to make one heck of a one-two punch for the Buckeyes.
Most of the attention, however, was on the battles between the offensive and defensive lines. Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman was in attendance, but did not participate, which is notable because he planned on showing up at either Ohio State or Clemson's event tonight with no prior notice.
Instead, it was the one-on-one drills that involved West Virginia four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester — who was my pick to commit this evening — Cincinnati offensive guard Zeke Correll, defensive end commit Brenton Cox, Pennsylvania defensive end target Micah Parsons and New Jersey defensive end target Jayson Oweh.
All five continuously showed why they're among the staff's top targets at their respective positions for the 2018 and 2019 classes. Cox followed up his tremendous performance at Nike Football's The Opening Finals earlier this month with yet another great outing, using his explosive first step and devastating spin moves to beat his opponent. Parsons, who actually tried his hand on the offensive side of the ball, was also as good as advertised.
Oweh, who is still relatively new to the game of football after playing only eight games as a junior, flashed the potential of a future all-American. He's also quick off the snap, and his length and overall frame will make him disruptive off the edge. He's still raw in terms of technique, but the extra attention he received from defensive line coach Larry Johnson will have that straightened out in no time.
Last but certainly not least, I was extremely impressed by both Nester and Correll. They both play in offenses that rely predominately on the run, but held defenders at bay on nearly every repetition of pass protection drills. They're still young, but easily look like cornerstone players at the respective positions.
We were able to catch up with Jones, Parsons, Teague and a host of other attendees following the event, too, so look for that in the coming days.
