Finding the right fit for your college football program isn't just about what happens on the field, but off it as well. Today, Ohio State added a key piece. How will that commitment impact the Buckeyes?
Ohio State earned the commitment of Indiana offensive lineman Josh Fryar, who chose Ohio State over Oregon, Alabama, Penn State and Indiana.
He is rated as the No. 415 prospect overall and the No. 8 center in the class. He’s also the No. 2 recruit coming out of Indiana.
Let’s take a look how Fryar’s commitment impacts Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class.
On The Field
Josh Fryar is a load. Standing at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, he isn’t as big as Trey Leroux, but he carries his weight really well. There won’t be many occasions when a defensive tackle will run Fryar over, even at the Big Ten level.
He is clearly most effective in run blocking, where he can push his weight forward and use his low center of gravity as a weapon. His footwork in run-blocking is strong as well. He never stops driving forward.
Pass blocking is definitely where he has room for improvement. As an interior lineman, he can take up a lot of space, but maneuvering laterally isn’t a strong suit of his. His flexibility isn’t there like Grant Toutant’s or Ben Christman’s, but once he is in better shape, there’s a possibility it will come.
Even though Fryar is rated outside of the top-400, he isn’t a project like Leroux or Jakob James. Fryar’s strengths can translate to the Big Ten level more than others. He just has some weaknesses he will need to address with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa before he can make an impact.
In The Class
Fryar becomes the sixth – and the last – offensive lineman to be added to Ohio State’s 2020 class and the fourth outside of the top-300 overall. Among the offensive linemen Ohio State has brought in, Fryar is rated fourth, directly behind Grant Toutant.
What is encouraging about the future of Fryar is the offers list he stacked up despite being an offensive lineman in the state of Indiana. He had offers from Oregon, Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma and others.
Even though Ohio State already has Luke Wypler as a center commit, not all centered remain at the position they’re classified at. In fact, most don’t. Fryar will likely be the same case. He will post in the interior of the line and can play on the left or right side.
The potential and the versatility are two aspects of Fryar that could repointed to for justification for the Buckeyes taking yet another low-rated offensive lineman.
Off The Field
Fryar’s father, Jeff, was the first recruit legendary Indiana coach Bill Mallory brought in to take the IU program to the highest of heights that it’s seen post-Lee Corso, so Josh knows what it takes to find success at the college level. He’s lived with it every day of his life.
That was part of what made his decision so difficult. He could stay home in Indiana to play for the state program, where his father is still beloved, or he could go to Ohio State as part of a class that would have six offensive linemen including him.
Understanding how to have success at the college level and also choosing a program that he wants to be at and not a program that he feels he needs to play for are just two things that make Fryar a prospect that Kevin Wilson is happy to have in Columbus.
The success with which Kevin Wilson recruited the state of Indiana for offensive line talent should also be encoring for the future that Fryar could have at Ohio State – Dan Feeney and Jason Spriggs both passed through Indiana and into the NFL during Wilson’s tenure.
