Heat Check: A Big-Time Decommitment and One Seismic Reclassification Have Shaken Things Up For the 2022 Class

Over a span of 24 hours, Ohio State's 2022 recruiting class lost 10 stars and dropped from first in the team rankings down to No. 3.

Five-star cornerback Jaheim Singletary backed off his pledge on Sunday after spending a few months flirting with Miami and Georgia. And then yesterday the news dropped that Quinn Ewers – the nation's No. 1 prospect – will enter the Buckeye quarterback competition this season. 

The Singletary news was unfortunate as he may be the best corner in the nation. However, it's not catastrophic since Kerry Coombs still has three cornerbacks committed. Last month's surprise addition of Terrance Brooks has become one of the biggest moves of the entire cycle, and it remains to be seen if the Buckeyes will look to get that number back up to four. Singletary won't be appearing on the board and shouldn't be viewed as a realistic option moving forward.

The impact of the Ewers decision cannot be overstated. It's going to be Ryan Day's biggest roster management test to date, and the recruiting repercussions will also be immense. It's too early to say if the Buckeyes will target a 2022 signal-caller, but it would surely be a tough sales pitch considering the room currently has four players with freshman eligibility. 

July saw the Buckeyes add four-star offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick to the commitment column. Greg Studrawa needs tackles, and this was the first step in what will be at least a two-man class at the position. Fitzpatrick was a priority target for both Oklahoma and Michigan, and the Sooners have been especially good with evaluating and developing in the trenches. 

Four-start tight end Benji Gosnell also backed off his pledge, but the Buckeyes should be fine on that front. Bennett Christian remains solidly committed and Gee Scott Jr.'s move adds some excitement even if it takes him some time to make the transition from wideout.

Much like the class as a whole, our 2022 recruiting board has gone through some changes of its own.

• Last month's edition can be found HERE.

There are no changes at the very top of the board as a pair of key defensive targets hold steady at No. 1 and No. 2. Caden Curry's recruitment hasn't taken off yet as he's saving his official visits for the fall. The Buckeyes are still viewed as the team to beat for a player who can potentially play anywhere along the line. It's best to view the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder simply as a defensive line prospect rather than strictly a tackle or edge.

Four-star safety target Xavier Nwankpa has slowed things down a bit and will make some more trips this fall before deciding. It's still looking like an Ohio State vs. Notre Dame battle with the Aggies running third. He's built up a strong relationship with several Buckeye commits – especially C.J. Hicks and Kyion Grayes – but the next round of visits will likely tell the tale.

Perhaps the biggest mover of the last month is Philadelphia edge rusher Enai White. I admittedly had written this one off when it seemed like he was headed for SEC land. That may still end up being the case, but Larry Johnson has been putting in some serious work, and the Buckeyes may have a slight lead over both Alabama and Georgia.

This recruitment may very well come down to LJ and whether the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder prefers to rush the passer as an outside backer or defensive end. White appears to be in no hurry to make a decision.

what y'all think ? #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/R2Dx5n8xX0

— Enai White (@younggbenji0) June 25, 2021

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) safety Zion Branch looked like a heavy Buckeye lean coming off his June official visit. Since that time, he's made three trips to Southern Cal and one has to wonder if the Trojans have recaptured the lead in his recruitment. He's scheduled to check out Alabama and Clemson this fall before deciding. Ohio State needs to land at least one of Branch and Nwankpa. 

Earnest Greene and Kam Dewberry remain on the board as top offensive line targets. Both players offer some positional versatility, and Ohio State may be the leader for them both. Dewberry is scheduled to check out Norman next month, and the Sooners should be viewed as a legitimate threat. Greene will be back in Columbus for the Oregon game. He's also considering Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and USC. Both recruitments became even more important just yesterday when four-star target Addison Nichols pledged to Tennessee.

The rest of the board is dominated by defensive linemen as Larry Johnson looks for his first 2022 pledge. Kenyatta Jackson's recent return trip to campus has boosted the Buckeyes' chances with the Florida four-star. It's going to be Oklahoma or Ohio State, and we'll see if teammate Ryan Turner's future in Columbus can sway things. I thought there was a chance last weekend's visit could lead to an announcement. Instead, Jackson may be waiting until the fall. 

Oklahoma defensive tackle Chris McClellan remains at No. 7 on the board. It looked as though a commitment was imminent after his June 25 official visit, but he decided to take a short break from the recruiting process up until this past weekend's trip to Norman. It sure feels like the Sooners had a lot of ground to make up heading into the visit. We'll see if he now goes into decision mode. 

California defensive lineman Hero Kanu remains right behind McClellan. He's nowhere close to a decision and already has some visits lined up for the fall. Notre Dame recently extended an offer and he was able to get on campus in South Bend last week. Even more importantly, he was right back in Columbus the next day for the Buckeyes' latest recruiting event. As of now, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Georgia are all expected to get official visits this fall. 

Five-star Texas edge rusher Omari Abor has moved down several spots. He's still a priority target and a name to watch moving forward, but the current pulse feels like the SEC may win out. Ohio State is battling the likes of Alabama and LSU, but it is noteworthy that the Sooners appear to be slipping a bit. While he's one of the big three pure edge targets, the Buckeyes seem to be in a better spot with both White and Jackson at the moment.

One can dream, right? It's going to be a tall task pulling five-star Shemar Stewart away from the Hurricanes, but the Buckeyes have a chance to do just that. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was impressive when he was in town for a June camp, and he's taken note of what Larry Johnson has done. Stewart will probably make a dozen trips to Miami's campus in the coming months, but Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas A&M are slated to get official visits prior to what's expected to be a signing day announcement. 

It would be a vast understatement to say that it's been a busy few days on the trail. The Jaheim Singletary news really just is what it is at this point. You always run that risk when landing an early commitment from a Florida prospect. When you throw in the pandemic and unexpected dead period, it only makes things even trickier. 

As for the Quinn Ewers bombshell, it's going to be fascinating to see how the Ohio State staff handles things in the quarterback room and on the recruiting trail. There are bound to be some far-reaching implications with his early arrival, and it's truly anyone's guess as to how everything plays out. 

Losing a pair of five-stars is never ideal – even though "reclassifying" is obviously quite different – and it will absolutely spice things up for the 2022 class. This may allow the Buckeyes to add another player along the offensive or defensive line. Or perhaps Tony Alford gets the green light to look for another tailback? 

Ryan Day's third-ranked recruiting class is down to 14 commitments. The focus remains in the trenches, at safety, and we'll see if anything happens with the quarterback saga. The current dead period runs through August before official visits resume in September. Ohio State begins its fall camp tomorrow and we can finally start talking more about actual football. Praise the Lord. 

I tried to think of a song that describes the loaded quarterback room in Columbus. Let's just go with a little something off the "Load" album instead.