247Sports released its long-awaited July ratings updates, and while most Ohio State commits and targets saw bumps or stagnant ratings adjustments, one commitment in particular, quarterback Jack Miller, saw his drop significantly.
In the Top247, Miller dropped 65 spots to No. 214 overall, causing him to drop 106 spots in the 247Sports Composite ratings to No. 177 overall – also thanks in part to ESPN ranking him No. 285 overall. But nobody has ever credited ESPN for its fantastic recruiting coverage.
Both sites have rising 2020 quarterback CJ Stroud rated above Miller now after Stroud had a strong showing in The Opening Finals. Stroud is rated No. 207 by 247Sports and No. 172 by ESPN. This is a significant note because Ryan Day gave Stroud a call after The Opening Finals to have a conversation with him.
Miller is still Ohio State's quarterback for the 2020 class, but it appears Stroud might be getting stronger looks from other top programs, which would effectively eliminate Ohio State from his recruitment, since Miller is already committed.
Miller's drop in ratings is directly related to his injury that he played through toward the end of his 7-on-7 tournaments and through the Rivals 5-Star Challenge. He needed to shut down his trip to the Elite 11 Finals early too. Not performing on a national showcase will often return negative ratings since national recruiting outlets struggle to watch recruits otherwise.
This is how the other Ohio State commits and prospects of interest fared in the latest ratings update in 247Sports' Top247 (and where they stand now in the composite ratings).
| Prospect | 247Sports' Top247 rating | Rise/Fall | 247Sports Composite Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Fleming | 4 | +1 | 5 |
| Paris Johnson Jr. | 7 | - | 7 |
| Elias Ricks | 9 | - | 15 |
| Bijan Robinson | 23 | +4 | 20 |
| Gee Scott Jr. | 26 | +32 | 63 |
| Clark Phillips | 33 | -8 | 44 |
| Luke Wypler | 34 | -10 | 69 |
| Kendall Milton | 44 | -21 | 22 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 47 | +24 | 59 |
| Lathan Ransom | 61 | -6 | 67 |
| Mookie Cooper | 131 | -5 | 72 |
| Jaylan Knighton | 132 | +35 | 92 |
| Cody Simon | 137 | +39 | 125 |
| Kedrick Bingley-Jones | 161 | -2 | 160 |
| Kourt Williams | 200 | - | 163 |
| Joe Royer | 201 | - | 454 |
| Makari Paige | 203 | -1 | 244 |
| Jack Miller | 214 | -65 | 177 |
| Ryan Watts | 220 | -1 | 260 |
Ohio State remains in third place for team rankings in 2020, but it dropped a couple points behind Alabama. Also Clemson has commitments from three of the top-five recruits in 247Sports' top-five and is expected to land the commitment fo the last uncommitted top-five prospect, Jordan Burch.
All other Ohio State commitments, like Lejond Cavazos, Darrion Henry and Cam Martinez, were left out of the Top247.
