For the first time since 2011, Ohio State failed to sign the Big Ten's best recruiting class or one that ranked inside the top 10 nationally.
That has more to do with quantity over quality, however. The Buckeyes brought on 71 scholarship players in their previous three recruiting classes, creating a numbers crunch for the 2019 cycle.
Ryan Day and Ohio State's overhauled coaching staff had just 17 scholarships available after graduation, early deflections and transfers, and they made the most of what they had. Only two schools had a higher average player rating than Ohio State for their 2019 classes — Alabama and Georgia — which finished with the top two classes nationally.
The takeaway here is that while the Buckeyes' most recent class is small, it's loaded with high-impact players.
There's a load of potential for a number of these first-year players. Here are three bold predictions for some of the new faces of the Ohio State football program.
Zach Harrison Will Register More Career Sacks than Joey Bosa
The crown jewel of Ohio State's 2019 class is Zach Harrison, a 5-star defensive end who was rated the No. 12 recruit nationally. He chose the home-state Buckeyes over offers from Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and a host of others.
Harrison is the type of talent that will likely be around for three years before jumping to the NFL. That's all the time he'll need to become a top three sack leader in school history.
Joey Bosa currently sits at the No. 3 spot in career sacks with 26. Harrison will eclipse that number in the final month of his junior season.
Justin Fields Will Break the School's Career Passing Yards Record
Former 5-star quarterback and No. 2 overall recruit Justin Fields wasn't technically a part of Ohio State's 2019 class, but he's joining the new additions after transferring from Georgia.
He's seeking a waiver to become immediately eligible, and if he does, the Buckeyes should get at least two years from the dual-threat signal-caller.
That could be enough time for Fields to rewrite Ohio State's passing records.
A year after Dwayne Haskins set single-season passing marks (yards and touchdowns), Fields is primed to capitalize in the pass-happy system. J.T. Barrett is the school's career passing yards leader with 9,434. That record could be in jeopardy if Fields is turned loose this year.
Garrett Wilson Will Finish the 2019 Season with 700+ Receiving Yards
Even though Ohio State lost three senior starters at wide receiver, the team is still stacked with perimeter talent.
K.J. Hill leads the group after a 70-catch, 885-yard junior season last year. He'll be complemented by Binjimen Victor, Austin Mack, Chris Olave, Demario McCall and a number of blue chippers waiting in the wings.
But 5-star standout Garrett Wilson will emerge as one of Ohio State's top pass-catchers in his first season.
Rated the No. 20 overall recruit and the second-best wide receiver in the 2019 class, Wilson brings speed, athleticism and elite route running with him to Columbus. He's too talented not to see the field this fall, and as Ohio State marches through its schedule, Wilson will become one of the most reliable members of the Buckeyes' passing attack and finish the year with more than 700 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
