Reassessing Ohio State’s Top Targets for the 2019 Recruiting Class

Ohio State landed six commitments in the month of April, but May has been relatively quiet on that front as the coaching staff hit the recruiting trail to visit prospects during the Spring Evaluation Period.

With a number of planned announcements and several one-day camps next month, though, things will certainly begin to heat up in June.

The Buckeyes’ Dynasty ’19 recruiting class currently sits at nine commitments, but is expected to grow to feature as many as 25 prospects. That said, we’ve taken the opportunity to break down the staff’s remaining needs and top targets at each position below.

QUARTERBACK - 0/1

COMMITS: None

TARGETS: Michigan State four-star commit Dwan Mathis, South Carolina four-star pledge Ryan Hilinski, Texas four-star Grant Gunnell, Wisconsin four-star commit Graham Mertz, Kettering Archbishop Alter three-star Connor Bazelak

Just when we thought we were getting a bit of clarity at the quarterback position with Gunnell’s “home run” official visit last month, Ohio State (finally) offered Mathis a scholarship and hosted Mertz for an unofficial visit. An offer to Hilinski muddied the waters even further, but with none of the three committed quarterbacks wavering — at least publicly — Gunnell remains the staff’s top target as he heads toward an early June decision. 

Bazelak is an intriguing option, though. Despite playing in an offense that only asks him to throw a handful of times per game, he’s picked up steam on the recruiting trail this spring — notably, Georgia and North Carolina State have offered. The Buckeyes have kept tabs on Bazelak, as well, and could throw their hat into the ring in the coming weeks. 

RUNNING BACK  - 2/2

COMMITS: Georgia four-star Steele Chambers, Indiana four-star Sampson James,

TARGETS: Florida four-stars Noah Cain and Kenny McIntosh; Texas four-star Deondrick Glass

Ohio State could very well be done with the running back position this cycle, having already accepted commitments from Chambers and James. The latter’s pledge effectively ended their pursuit of Virginia four-star Devyn Ford, who committed to Penn State on Friday.

That said, the aforementioned trio of Cain, Glass and McIntosh have all indicated their respective decisions won’t be swayed by the competition awaiting them in Columbus. Each one plans to take an official visit this fall, which gives the staff plenty of time to decide if they want to add another thoroughbred to the stable. 

LSU and Texas are seemingly the biggest threat to land Cain and/or Glass, while home-town Miami is the overwhelming favorite for McIntosh. 

WIDE RECEIVER - 1/4-5

COMMITS: Texas five-star Garrett Wilson

TARGETS: Georgia four-star Zion Puckett; Indiana four-star David Bell; Missouri four-stars Marcus Washington and Jameson Williams; Tennessee four-star Trey Knox, Texas four-stars Jalen “Boobie” Curry and Elijah Higgins

Set to lose as many as seven wide receivers (four seniors and three draft-eligible juniors) following the 2018 season, restocking the cupboard is one of Ohio State’s top priorities for the current recruiting cycle. Bringing Wilson back home despite his proximity to Texas’ campus was a great start, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Luckily, there is no shortage of options at the position. 

The Buckeyes are set to welcome both Bell and Washington to campus in the coming weeks and they should be on commitment watch. The same goes for Williams when he returns this summer. Puckett only recently released his Top 10, but is extremely high on Ohio State following an unofficial visit for the Spring Game last month. Higgins is one of Wilson’s personal priorities, and he’s hoping to return for an official visit this fall. And Knox —who once appeared to be a shoo-in for the class — will camp next month to prove he should still be at the top of this list. 

TIGHT END - 0/0-1

COMMITS: None

TARGETS: Illinois four-star Jahleel Billingsley, Indiana three-star Craig Young, South Carolina three-star Luke Deal

With four underclassmen on the roster — including incoming five-star freshman Jeremy Ruckert — tight end isn’t a huge priority for Ohio State this year. The talent pool isn’t particularly deep, either.

The Buckeyes were once viewed as the favorite for Billingsley, but home-state Illinois made a significant push in his recruitment this spring. Deal visited a few weeks back, but it appears he’ll commit to either Auburn or Clemson this week. That means Young — who is listed as a wide receiver by recruiting outlets, but is being recruited by Ohio State as a tight end — may find his way into the class through an unexpected route (but one he’d gladly accept). 

CENTER - 0/1

COMMITS: None

TARGETS: Cincinnati Anderson four-star Zeke Correll, Georgia four-star Harry Miller

Ohio State will take just one interior lineman this cycle, so Correll and Miller’s respective recruitments are very much intertwined. Only adding to that, both prospects actually listed the Buckeyes alongside Clemson, Notre Dame and Stanford — with the latter adding Georgia to the mix, as well — when they released their top schools earlier this spring. 

With the perfectly blend of on-field attributes and off-field character, Miller is the staff’s top priority. He’s set to make a decision sometime this summer, with the Cardinal perceived to be biggest threat in his recruitment. 

If Miller were to somehow not choose Ohio State, Correll would then come back into focus. It may ultimately be too little too late, though, since he’s been trending toward Notre Dame for quite some time. 

OFFENSIVE TACKLE - 2/4-5

COMMITS: Mentor four-star Ryan Jacoby, West Virginia four-star Doug Nester

TARGETS: Michigan five-star Devontae Dobbs, West Virginia five-star Darnell Wright, Illinois four-star Trevor Keegan, Rhode Island four-star tackle Xavier Truss, Dayton Dunbar three-star Jonathan Allen

It won’t be flashy, but with Ohio State expected to take as many as five offensive tackles, the strength of this year’s recruiting class will be in the trenches.

Jacoby and Nester are a solid start — both giving the Buckeyes versatility with their ability to slide down if need be — but reeling in a couple cornerstone tackles remains of the utmost importance. The Buckeyes are considered the favorite for Keegan and Wright, while Dobbs and Truss have been tabbed to end up at Michigan State and Penn State, respectively.

Allen, meanwhile, seems certain to play for Ohio State despite his ranking, as the staff can ultimately afford to add a developmental in-state prospect to a group chock-full of more-polished players. 

DEFENSIVE END - 1/2

COMMITS: Mentor four-star end Noah Potter

TARGETS: Olentangy Orange five-star Zach Harrison, Kansas four-star end Marcus Hicks

The lack of depth at defensive end was a major concern for Ohio State last cycle — especially late in the process — but the Buckeyes went out and landed a trio of four-stars in Tyler Friday, Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Tyreke Smith and a project in three-star Alex Williams. This year, though, the staff is focused more so on quality over quantity.

Potter was quickly becoming one of the country’s most sought-after defensive linemen when he committed last month. And if the staff can follow that up by landing Harrison’s pledge later this summer, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better haul. 

The Buckeyes could stretch that number to three if they can find the right fit, which is why I mentioned Hicks. He may be an Oklahoma lean at the moment, but he’s grown very close to defensive line coach Larry Johnson over the last few months — and that’s something worth monitoring.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE - 0/0-1

COMMITS: None

TARGETS: Hawaii five-star Faatui Tuitele, Florida four-star Tyler Davis

Defensive tackle isn't a pressing need this cycle, not with Ohio State’s ridiculous haul of five-star Taron Vincent, four-star Tommy Togiai and JUCO transfer Antwuan Jackson Jr. in the last class. There’s a very good chance the Buckeyes don’t take a single interior linemen as a result.

However, there are a few names to keep in mind in case starters Dre’Mont Jones and/or Robert Landers depart for the NFL after next season. That includes Tuitele, who paid his own way to campus for an unofficial visit this spring. He’s set to narrow his list off offers soon, so expect Ohio State to make the cut and receive and official visit this fall. USC is the favorite, though.

Davis, meanwhile, hasn’t been shy about his affinity for the Buckeyes. It simply appears to be a matter of whether or not they’ll have the room.

LINEBACKER - 1/2-3

COMMITS: Lexington four-star Cade Stover

TARGETS: Virginia five-star Brandon Smith, Florida four-star Rian Davis, Michigan four-star Lance Dixon, Tennessee four-star Kane Patterson, Florida three-star Marcus Tillman Jr.

Ohio State is set to lose just one linebacker following the 2018 season in senior Dante Booker, so Stover’s commitment essentially fills that gap moving forward. There isn’t a significant need beyond that, but the Buckeyes have been keeping tabs on a number of players in case of unforeseen attrition at the position. 

Smith would be a take regardless, but he’s widely expected to commit to Penn State this week. Davis, Dixon, Patterson and Tillman are all on a slower timeline, meanwhile, which gives Ohio State time to figure things out on their end, as well. The position is also strong from an in-state perspective, and with prospects like Cardinal Mooney three-star Luke Fulton, Cleveland St. Ignatius’ Tommy Eichenberg, Massillon Washington’s Jamir Thomas and Reynoldsburg’s Dezman Cooper all hoping to land an offer during camp next month.

CORNERBACK - 0/2

COMMITS: None

TARGETS: Florida four-stars Jordan Battle, Michigan State four-star commit Julian Barnett, Tennessee four-star Woodi Washington, Pennsylvania three-star M.J. Devonshire

Ohio State has signed eight cornerbacks in the last two recruiting cycles, which means it’s quite possibly the deepest position on the roster. With Kendall Sheffield expected — and Damon Arnette eligible — to jump to the NFL following his redshirt junior season, though, the Buckeyes will look to take at least one corner this cycle.

Though he’s listed as a safety, Battle is the staff’s top target. He was expected to commit during his official visit for the Spring Game last month, but rescheduled for late June. Nothing has chances in his recruitment in the meantime. Ohio State is also pushing hard for Barnett despite his pledge to Michigan State. An offer from the Buckeyes was what he coveted all along, and the staff is working hard to get him to visit campus (and flip from the Spartans.)

Washington plans to take an official visit this summer, while Devonshire is taking his time with his recruitment since a number of dominos have to fall before the staff would accept his pledge.

SAFETY - 2/2

COMMITS: New Jersey four-star “Rocket” Ronnie Hickman, Maryland three-star Bryson Shaw

TARGETS: Oklahoma five-star Daxton Hill, Florida four-star Brendan Gant, Maryland four-star Nick Cross

Though Ohio State lost starter Damon Webb and part-time contributor Erick Smith to graduation, there’s still quite a bit of depth remaining at the safety position in Columbus. Starter Jordan Fuller seems like a likely candidate to leave school for the NFL Draft next offseason, but there are half a dozen young studs waiting in the wings. 

That said, the Buckeyes have already addressed their needs at the safety position with commitments from Hickman and Shaw — although the latter has the athleticism and size to move to corner.

That would certainly help the staff’s pursuit of Cross, Gant and Hill, but Ohio State is currently trailing Florida State (Cross and Gant) and Oklahoma (Hill) in the race to land their respective pledges. The Buckeyes are working diligently to get each of them on campus for an official visit this summer, though.