11W Recruiting Mailbag: Talking About the Quarterback Situation, Wide Receiver Targets and Potential Flip Candidates

Who is the most likely next commitment for the 2018 class? Are you surprised we did not get one during the Penn State game? - Browns88

Honestly, I'm still surprised St. Louis four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb is not already a part of Ohio State's recruiting class. With no other visits scheduled and his recruitment generally on the backburner as he continues to recover from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his senior season, all signs pointed toward him committing to the Buckeyes during his official visit.

But alas, the biggest recruiting weekend of the season has come and gone without so much as a whimper. But that doesn't mean all was lost

As Urban Meyer put it plainly, what recruit who attended that game wouldn't want to be a part of what Ohio State has to offer? The atmosphere was second to none — heck, I even paused for a second to bask in the glow of the cellphone lights and O-H-I-O echoing throughout the stadium in the fourth quarter.

When you push all of your chips to the center of the table for one game a year, it has a chance to backfire. But doing so and getting a win like that will certainly pay dividends long into the future.

Now when it comes to Babb, I continue to believe he's the next senior propect who will pledge his services to the Buckeyes. He wants to visit a few more places, namely LSU, UCLA and/or USC. But through it all, it's hard to envision him anywhere other than Columbus.

He doesn't have an announcement date, which leads me to believe it could truly come at any time. Maybe Houston five-star cornerback Anthony Cook? There are a number of other factors there, but more on that in a second.

Other top targets plan to announce in late December or at one of the two major All-American games (Army and Under Armour), so it's still too early to think any of them will be next. After all, Ohio State was once averaging a commitment every two weeks, but nothing since mid-September. A big #BOOM has to be coming sooner rather than later.

What's it going to take for Cook to commit to Ohio State? - BucksIan

Another visit, first and foremost.

Ohio State had been the perceived leader for Cook since the staff offered him a scholarship last summer. And given Texas' struggles under former head coach Charlie Strong and the Buckeyes' ability to go into the Lone Star State for elite talent like Baron Browning, J.K. Dobbins and Baron Browning, who was going to argue?

Fast forward a year, and the Longhorns look to be on the right path under first-year head coach Tom Herman

On the field, the team has been respectable and could easily be 7-2 if a few things went their way. The staff has put together one of the nation's premier recruiting classes, and that includes some of Cook's friends and teammates, too. The chance to build something special with them is extremely enticing, and that has to be difficult to pass up.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have a lot of talent waiting in the wings at the cornerback position. Okudah looks like he's going to develop into a star, while former five-star Shaun Wade is working his way back from a injury that's sidelined him for several weeks. He's going to be a monster on the opposite side of the field when he returns to full strength.

Throw in Marcus Williamson and Amir Riep, who have both seen time this fall, there's no easy route to early playing time in Columbus. Cook would have to wait his turn, likely taking a redshirt season to build mass on his small frame.

Is that something Cook would be willing to do? I can't speak for him.

So, with all things supposedly even and Cook torn among LSU, Ohio State and Texas, how to the Buckeyes move back into the lead?

Well, first off, I don't see the Tigers as a real threat. It feels — at least from the outside — like a program on the verge of falling off the map without another coaching change. So the road to beating the home-state team begins with another trip to Columbus.

If Ohio State can get Cook on campus in early- to mid-December, a weekend during which they can solely focus on him, I think the staff will once again feel good about its chances. Texas took advantage of its off week in October to pull even by showing him everything it has to offer.

Now we'll have to see if the Buckeyes have the chance to do the same.

There were a couple new wide receiver offers over the last few weeks. I know you've stated that it doesn't have anything to do with Babb, but do you think the staff really wants to add another to this class beyond him and four-star commit L'Christian “Blue” Smith? Or is that highly unlikely at this point? - KansasBuckeye

As you mentioned, the offers to Tennessee four-star wide receiver commit Alontae Taylor and California three-star Chris Olave aren't connected to Babb's impending decision in any way. In fact, I wouldn't even say they have comparable skill sets to him on the field, either.

Ohio State, as it does so well, offered Taylor amid everything going on in Knoxville.

Throwing an offer his way and seeing if there's interest is always a smart play. However, there are concerns he's not going to develop into a wide receiver at the next level — he plays quarterback right now — and sources close to Taylor have told me nothing has progressed beyond the initial contact.

He has no plans to visit, and he's looking more closely at Louisville, Notre Dame and Wake Forest as possible destinations if he were to decommit or flip his pledge. The Cardinals have even offered him an opportunity to play quarterback at the next level.

The offer to Olave is much more serious, meanwhile. He'll take an official visit to campus this weekend, and it marks a chance for the Buckeyes to cement their standing as he heads toward a January or early February decision. He's burst onto the recruiting scene in recent months, and — if not for a lost junior season following a transfer — there's no doubt in my mind he'd be among the nation's highest-rated wideouts.

Olave has also picked up offers from Michigan and USC in recent weeks, and that in itself should be enough for outsiders to recognize he's an elite talent. If he's truly interested, there's always going to be enough room in Zone 6.

With so many coaches on the hot seat around the country and some chances already being made, does that impact any targets we may have been competing for with those particular programs? Does it perhaps get us a look from others that might have been leading or committed elsewhere? - Gametime

I guess we're going to stay on Ole Rocky Top, as Tennessee just lost a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Cade Mays. And this one stings, as he's a legacy prospect who pledged his services to the Volunteers more than two years ago.

Now, Ohio State is set to welcome him to campus for an official visit just days after his decision to reopen his recruitment. It's too early to say the Buckeyes have a shot to land his commitment, as he's never been to campus and still doesn't have an offer (it'll come this weekend, surely). But, man, has Tennessee really screwed this one up.

With only one tackle in the fold in fellow Tennesseean Max Wray and the desire to land three this cycle, the timing couldn't be more perfect. Mays not only has the size, but also the mean streak that all coaches covet in their offensive linemen. He has connections to several Ohio State commits, and I anticipate things will head in a positive direction after the staff rolls out the red carpet this weekend.

This is an uphill battle, as well, with Clemson and Georgia much more enticing due to proximity. But to even have a chance to get a prospect of Mays' caliber on campus this late in the process is fairly significant.  

In addition to Florida and Tennessee, are there recruits at other schools like Texas A&M and UCLA that are potential flip targets? - Hetuck

With the Gators already looking for a new head coach, and the Aggies, Bruins and Volunteers almost certain to part ways with their respective head coaches this offseason, I wouldn't be surprised to hear several names connected to Ohio State in the coming months.

Florida four-star quarterback commit Matt Corral and Tennessee four-star pledge Adrian Martinez might get a call if Emory Jones flips to Alabama and Jarren Williams remains committed to Kentucky. Four-star cornerback Jaycee Horn could be a contingency plan for Cook, since he picked the Volunteers after Sevyn Banks committed to Ohio State.

Four-star safety pledge Amari Burney had significant interest in the Buckeyes before he chose the Gators in June. If Jaiden Woodbey or Josh Proctor reopened their recruitment — which I don't foresee happening — he'd be the first call Greg Schiano and Kerry Coombs would make.

Ohio State recently offered UCLA defensive end commit Abdul-Malik McClain, which reflects staff's desire to bring in at least three players at the position this cycle. In a worst-case scenario, they miss out on Cleveland Heights four-star Tyreke Smith and New Jersey four-star Jayson Oweh, and McClain becomes a must-get as a result.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, has a decent class. I just don't think any of the Aggies' 16 commits are someone the Buckeyes would actively like to flip unless there's an unforeseen decommitment in the next month or two.

What are the chances we don't end up with a quarterback this cycle? Or a quarterback other than Jones or Williams? - TroyBuckeyeFan22

Let's revisit this in two weeks, because a lot is going to happen in that time. Jones reportedly plans to visit this weekend, though I'm not sure how possible that is given his team has a playoff game the night before a noon game. If he makes it to Columbus on his own dime and against all logistical challenges, I think the Buckeyes have a great chance of holding onto him.

But if he doesn't and a more time continues to pass without a decision from him — whether it's reaffirming his pledge or flipping to Alabama — the focus shifts to Williams. He hasn't indicated he's interested in anything more than hearing what Ohio State has to offer, and getting him to decommit from Kentucky for the second time isn't going to be easy.

I'm not sold there's enough time for the staff to make it happen, given his long-standing relationship with the Wildcats and plans to enroll in college early.

So, hypothetically speaking, Jones flips and Williams stays put. The staff has reached out to the aforementioned Martinez, Wisconsin three-star commit Chase Wolf — a Cincinnati St. Xavier product — and Colorado State three-star pledge Matthew Baldwin to gauge their interest. There are contingency plans for the contingency plan, which means there's a 0 percent chance a recruiting cycle goes by without the Buckeyes adding at least one quarterback.

The real question is, "Who?"