The 11W Recruiting Mailbag is your one-stop shop for all things Ohio State recruiting. You have questions. We have answers.
Who do you think are the next three to commit if I spot you Texas four-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson? - Iowabuckeyes
With three commitments in six days, the Buckeyes on quite a roll — and there’s no indication things are going to slow down anytime soon.
As you mentioned, Wilson is set to make his college decision between Ohio State and Texas following his official visit to Austin this coming weekend. He took his official visit to Columbus last weekend, and that pretty much solidified the Buckeyes’ standing as the leader in his recruitment.
Baring any unforeseen change of heart, I expect Wilson to commit sometime next week. It’ll be a huge win for head coach Urban Meyer against his former protégé Tom Herman, as Wilson lives just 20 miles west of the Texas campus.
Wilson was joined last weekend by Georgia four-star center Harry Miller as the only two prospects to take an official visit to Ohio State. And though he has indicated he hopes to make a decision on his future before he goes on a mission trip this summer, I get the sense he’s much closer than than to announcing his college choice.
Miller has a strong relationship with Meyer, offensive coordinator/area recruiter Ryan Day, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, and they’ve made it clear he’s among the Buckeyes’ top priorities. He’s certainly weighing all of his options — and the opportunity to get a degree from Stanford is intriguing — but the opportunities that will be provided to him both on and off the field should swing things in Ohio State’s favor.
I honestly think he could make the call at any time.
The Buckeyes are set to host Lexington four-star linebacker Cade Stover on an official visit this coming weekend, and there’s no denying they’ve been the leader in his recruitment from the time the staff offered last spring.
The fact that he’s returning to campus in an official capacity tells me he’s hoping to make a decision in the coming weeks or months. After all, Meyer has made it very clear they won’t bring prospects to campus for an unofficial visit unless that’s the case.
With a trip to Oklahoma in the rearview mirror, Stover should soon admit the inevitable and commit to Ohio State.
And, last but not least, the Buckeyes will welcome Texas four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell to campus for an official visit the weekend of April 27-29. It’ll be his second time on campus, but is extremely noteworthy in the fact that he was initially supposed to attend Oklahoma State’s Spring Game that weekend — and the Cowboys are one of, if not the biggest threat to the Buckeyes’ chances.
Gunnell was already one of Ohio State’s top targets at the quarterback position, but recent decisions from North Carolina four-star Sam Howell (Florida State), Iowa four-star Max Duggan (TCU), Texas four-star Grant Tisdale (Ole Miss) and Maryland three-star Jalon Jones (Florida) have only solidified his standing at the top of the priority chart.
The interest is mutual, as he has a ton of respect for Meyer and Day. And if Wilson is already in the fold by that point, he’d also have the chance to be reunited with a wide receiver who he’s extremely familiar with — they play on the same 7-on-7 squad.
Gunnell has been eyeing a decision during his high school team’s Spring Game in late May, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he ended his recruitment later this month and took his place as leader of the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class.
Are we going to take Texas this cycle? - KBonay
If Gunnell and Wilson commit to Ohio State, it could certainly open the doors for a few other Texans to join them. But if you’re expecting a repeat of 2017 — when the Buckeyes landed three of the top six prospects from the Lone Star State — you’re simply asking too much.
Both Texas and Texas A&M are on the upswing, as the Longhorns finished the last recruiting cycle with a Top 3 class and there’s hope that they’ll take the next step in Herman’s second year at the helm. The Aggies, meanwhile, threw a ton of money at former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and College Station is once again looking like an attractive destination for top prospects.
Oklahoma — a two-time College Football Playoff participant — has also made its presence felt deep in the heart of Texas this cycle. The Sooners have landed commitments from four of the top 14 prospects in the state, including three of the top five wide receivers.
It feels like every time a prospect from the Lone Star State unveils a list of top schools, it includes Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. And it’s not often the Buckeyes are going to win that battle unless proximity isn’t a top priority for said prospect.
Landing Wilson — the seventh-best prospect in the state — and Gunnell, who’s ranked No. 9, would be a huge win in and of itself. But there are other names to consider, as well.
Gunnell’s teammate, four-star wide receiver Jalen “Boobie” Curry, called Ohio State his dream school upon landing an offer from the Buckeyes. He was supposed to make an official visit last weekend, but called it off at the request of the staff since he’s not close to making a decision.
Curry will likely reschedule for the fall, and Gunnell would surely be recruiting him on behalf of the staff.
Another one to keep in mind is Richmond Fort Bend Bush four-star cornerback Erick Young, who earlier this week included the Buckeyes in his Top 6 and is currently in the process of setting up an official visit. Until that happens, though, it’s difficult to predict where he ends up.
As things stand now, however, Texas A&M is considered the favorite to land their respective commitments.
Other than Wilson, what other receivers do you think we will sign? - Txsbuckeyes
Ohio State has more than two dozen offers out to wide receiver prospects all over the country, and there may not be a position more difficult to predict as a result.
The reason for that, of course, is the fact that the Buckeyes could potentially lose all six starting wide receivers following the 2018 season. And if that happens, the staff will need to restock the cupboard this cycle.
With the guaranteed departures of Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin, Ohio State should — at the very least — take three wide receivers to replace them. But if the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the staff stretch that number to four or five commitments.
In addition to Curry and Wilson, the Buckeyes have a legitimate chance with the following prospects:
- Florida four-star John Dunmore
- Georgia four-star Ramel Keyton
- Georgia four-star Zion Puckett
- Indiana four-star David Bell
- St. Louis four-star Marcus Washington
- St. Louis four-star Jameson Williams
- Tennessee four-star Trey Knox
- Tennessee four-star Lance Wilhoite
- Indiana three-star Craig Young
I would not be surprised to see any combination of four or five of those prospects, but I believe the final sequence will be Bell, Knox, Williams, Wilson and Young.
Ohio State has a strong relationship with each one, and none of them have been shy about their affinity for the Buckeyes. There’s mutual interest with the other prospects, but it seems like proximity and/or strong relationships elsewhere will be the deciding factor(s) for the other prospects.
