A little over a month ago, it appeared as if Ohio State was on the cusp of landing a commitment from Houston St. Pius X four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell.
Sources close to the 6-foot-6, 222-pound Gunnell told Eleven Warriors the Buckeyes hit his official visit in late April out of the park. The two sides drifted apart in the weeks since, though, and the signal caller committed to Arizona on Wednesday evening.
Thanks to God, Family, Friends, Coaches and Teamates. COMMITTED. #EraZona19 #BearDown pic.twitter.com/R7rOmIpUV6
— Grant Gunnell (@grantgunnell7) June 6, 2018
“It just came down to the trust that I have in Coach [Kevin] Sumlin and coach [Noel] Mazzone and what they’re trying to do with the program and turn it around,” Gunnell told Rivals. “Now I’m just relaxed and a lot of that pressure is gone.”
Gunnell was committed to Sumlin when he was the head coach at Texas A&M, but reopened his recruitment shortly after he was fired and Jimbo Fisher was brought to College Station. His decision to decommit actually came just hours after the Buckeyes extended a scholarship offer in mid-February.
Gunnell visited Ohio State twice, but those aforementioned sources indicated a hesitancy on the part of both the signal caller and the Buckeyes’ staff. The former seemingly wanted a laid-back atmosphere, while the latter was not entirely sold on Gunnell being the best quarterback in what head coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day have repeatedly called a shallow pool of talent.
Things began trending toward the Wildcats a few weeks back thanks to Gunnell’s relationship and comfortability with Sumlin and Mazzone. And with that, the Buckeyes remain on the lookout for a quarterback this cycle.
That said, there isn’t a clear picture for where Ohio State goes from here. The staff will continue to try to get Wisconsin four-star commit Graham Mertz, Michigan State four-star pledge Dwan Mathis and South Carolina four-star commit Ryan Hilinski to campus, but all three appear to be 100 percent with their respective schools.
Day has also been in contact with and watched both Kettering Archbishop Alter three-star Connor Bazelak and Florida three-star Brian Maurer throw, but has yet to offer either.
Bazelak plays in a run-based offense and attempts about 10 passes per game, so it’s been difficult for the staff to evaluate him. Maurer, meanwhile, has a big arm and could develop into an elite target, but has not been to campus yet.
