Way-Too-Early Forecast of Ohio State's 2019 Recruiting Class

A little over a week ago, Ohio State put the finishing touches on what is arguably the best recruiting class in program history. However, head coach Urban Meyer and his staff can't afford to rest on their laurels if they want to keep that momentum on the recruiting trail.

“We're going to celebrate a very high-ranked class, a bunch of players on paper that look fantastic and look even better in person,” Meyer said during his National Signing Day press conference a little over one week ago. “Tomorrow, you better have the next guy on the phone for us.”

The Buckeyes currently hold only one commitment in West Virginia four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester, so there's a lot of work to do between now and the Early Signing Period. The introduction of early official visits — which can begin in April — should help the staff make up for its slow start, though.

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With more than 10 months until December, it's impossible to predict the exact number of prospects Ohio State will sign in the Class of 2019. After all, the Buckeyes currently sit at four players over the NCAA-mandated scholarship number after bringing on 26 players last cycle.

The only thing we know for certain is the loophole that allowed programs to count early enrollees toward the previous signing class no longer exists. That means Ohio State is faced with a “hard cap” of 25 this cycle.

The roster as we head toward the spring features only nine seniors, but we anticipate there will be plenty of attrition — be it unforeseen injuries, early departures and inevitable transfers — that will allow the Buckeyes to sign another full class in 2019.

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That said, the next logical step is for my colleague Andrew Ellis and I is to make our way-too-early predictions on who will end up a member of Ohio State's #DYN19STY recruiting class.

QUARTERBACK

ELLIS: Kansas four-star Graham Mertz

LIND: Mertz, Texas four-star Grant Tisdale

RUNNING BACK

ELLIS: IMG Academy five-star Noah Cain

LIND: Cain, Indiana four-star Sampson James

WIDE RECEIVER

ELLIS: Indiana four-star David Bell, Tennessee four-star Trey Knox, Texas four-star Garrett Wilson, Louisville four-star Milton Wright

LIND: Bell, Knox, Wilson, St. Louis four-star Jameson Williams

TIGHT END

ELLIS: Arizona three-star Brayden Liebrock

OFFENSIVE LINE

ELLIS: Nester, Cincinnati Anderson four-star guard Zeke Correll, Mentor four-star tackle Ryan Jacoby, Georgia four-star tackle Harry Miller, Florida four-star tackle Michael Tarquin, West Virginia five-star Darnell Wright

LIND: Correll, Jacoby, Miller, Nester, Tarquin, Wright

DEFENSIVE LINE

ELLIS: Cincinnati Walnut Hills four-star tackle Jowon Briggs, Olentangy Orange five-star end Zach Harrison, Kansas four-star end Marcus Hicks, Mentor four-star end Noah Potter

LIND: Harrison, Potter, Tennessee four-star end Ani Izuchukwu

LINEBACKER

ELLIS: Reynoldsburg three-star Dezman Cooper, Lexington four-star Cade Stover, Massillon Washington three-star Jamir Thomas

LIND: Cooper, Stover, Thomas

DEFENSIVE BACK

ELLIS: Oklahoma five-star Daxton Hill, Virginia Beach four-star Sheridan Jones, Tennessee four-star Woodi Washington

LIND: Hill, Jones, Washington

ATHLETE

ELLIS: New Jersey four-star “Rocket” Ronnie Hickman

LIND: Hickman, Reynoldsburg three-star Mershawn Rice