As of last week, Ohio State linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell was unsure where he would be watching the NFL Draft.
“I could be in Dallas, I could be in Virginia, I am not too sure just yet,” he said.
He could be in Columbus, too, but the location depends on where Fickell is on the recruiting trail. One thing was for sure, though: He did not plan to be in Chicago even though one of his former players in the linebacker room is widely projected to be picked Thursday evening in the first round.
Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is supposed to be in attendance as five former Ohio State players — Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Darron Lee, Eli Apple and Taylor Decker — were invited to the NFL Draft. A few assistants may tag along be with him. But the rest, like Fickell, will be out on the recruiting trail because at programs like Ohio State recruiting never really stops even on a weekend like this one.
So while Fickell will undoubtedly be ecstatic when Lee and the rest of the Ohio State players hear their names called, he will also make sure every recruit he visits over the next few weeks knows about it, too.
Recruiting never stops, and Ohio State has a unique advantage this year as it is projected to get at least five first-round picks and 14 players overall are expected to be drafted. That’s essentially a three-day infomercial for the program showing how it prepares players for the next level and you can bet the coaching staff will use that in recruiting.
They would be crazy not to.
“Absolutely we’re going to use that for recruiting,” Meyer said last week. “We’re pretty creative around here and I don’t even know what [director of player personnel Mark Pantoni] is going to do."
Meyer mentioned videos. There will also be sleek graphics and tweets from the program’s new official Twitter account. You’ll see it all this weekend. And make no mistake about it, recruits will see it, too.
But truth be told, it’s just the latest chapter in what’s been a year-plus filled with recruiting opportunities for Ohio State. The school’s pro day was a circus, one that was broadcasted on ESPN and filled with over 100 NFL personnel. Recruits saw that and no doubt want to be of something like that in the future. They saw all the Ohio State players at the NFL Combine, too.
Then came the spring game, where Ohio State packed over 100,000 fans into its stadium to watch a glorified scrimmage. There were plenty of recruits on the sidelines for that, as well, wondering how in the world a program got that many people to attend a practice.
Oh yeah, there was also that whole national championship thing Ohio State had a year ago, too. That also went over well with recruits.
And now, it's the NFL Draft as the Buckeyes are projected to have at least 14 guys taken overall and at least five in the first round Thursday. That will surely be the next thing brought up on the recruiting trail.
“I think Coach [Meyer] said it best … we have had three of the most incredible moments for recruiting here in the last couple of months,” Fickell said. “From pro day to the actual combine to to 100 and some thousand at a spring game to 16 possible guys being drafted in the NFL here. It is a testament to the program, but it is also great to get out there to show the recruits that this is something special that is going on.”
So while this weekend's NFL Draft is a great sign of the past and all of the recent talent Ohio State had in its program over the last few seasons, it will also be a crucial part of the program's future.
The draft class the Buckeyes have this year will play a huge part in draft classes the program produces down the road.
“If you choose to come to Ohio State and you buy into the culture and the program as it is presented here, if you are someone who will strain in the weight room with Coach [Mickey] Marotti and you will grasp on to the culture that’s established by Coach Meyer then you are forced to compete every day against similar talent you’re going to be in a position to do two things: win championships and play at a very high level at the next level," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. "I think we have clear evidence of that. It’s not philosophy or theory, it’s testimony."
