Ohio State's 2014 National Title came on the backs of second-year players.
The 2013 Buckeye recruiting class was one of, if not the best recruiting class in program history up to that point. Featuring two five-star prospects and 10 players ranked in the top 100 nationally, it was the nation's No. 2 overall class, trailing Alabama by a razor thin margin.
Those players came to Columbus highly touted with new levels of hype, and it sure didn't take long for them to deliver. In just their second years on campus, that 2013 class took the reigns of the team, emerging as household names and leading Ohio State to success it hadn't seen in over a decade.
Ezekiel Elliott emerged as one of the nation's top running backs, Joey Bosa became one of the most feared pass rushers in the country, J.T. Barrett had one of the most prolific debut seasons ever, Eli Apple became a lockdown cornerback, Darron Lee wrecked havoc on opposing offenses – the list goes on and on.
“Definitely, I feel like our class to be able to replicate what that class was able to do.”– Jeffrey Okudah
Those players lived up to the hype and won a national championship their second season on campus.
Now, all eyes are on the 2017 class.
As good as the 2013 class was, the class four years later was that much better. It featured more than twice as many five-star prospects, 11 players ranked in the top-3 at their respective positions and the highest-ever average recruit rating of 0.9459. On a per recruit basis, it was quite literally the best recruiting class ever.
Now, it's their time.
Where they had Elliott in 2014, now the Buckeyes have J.K. Dobbins. Where they had Bosa, now they have Chase Young. Where they had Apple, now they have Jeffrey Okudah and Shaun Wade. Where they had Darron Lee, now they have Baron Browning.
This season, this 2017 class is expected to perform. And with the standard the 2013 class set, they know they have a lot to live up to – but they're ready.
“Definitely, I feel like our class to be able to replicate what that class was able to do,” Okudah said.
"When you start getting confidence at Ohio State, your level of play shoots through the roof.”– Jeffrey Okudah
They may be upcoming sophomores, most of them removed from high school less than a year at this point, but Okudah said the culture of this program helps them grow up in a hurry.
“At Ohio State, I feel like you mature really quickly," he said. "Even though you’ve only been here for one year, you feel like you’ve been here for two years. I can’t really imagine how guys who’ve been here for five years feel like.
"I’ve been here for only a year and I feel like I’ve picked up so much wisdom along the way," Okudah continued. "So I wouldn’t say that we feel like we’re not experienced because we’ve played in the Big Ten Championship, the Cotton Bowl – it was an eventful freshman year."
There are a number of of second-year players penciled in for potential starting roles this upcoming season – Dobbins, Young, Thayer Munford – with more still fighting for spots. Everyone in that class has undeniable talent, now it's about taking that next step, which seems to come during the second year for many highly-rated recruits.
“You start getting that confidence," Okudah said. "And when you start getting confidence at Ohio State, your level of play shoots through the roof.”
The confidence is there and the talent is there – now it's just up to them to deliver.
"I know coach Meyer talked about how he had high expectations for our class," Okudah said. "It would be really cool to be able to uphold the expectations that he has, just like the 2013 class was able to do."
