COLUMBUS, Ohio – A week away from National Signing Day, the Ohio State Buckeyes have 23 pledges for the Class of 2013; room for another recruit or two; a recent addition at receiver that will help; some defensive backs and linebackers that could get on the field right away on defense or special teams; some playmakers who could spark the offense in the fall; one or two possibilities remaining that could really stabilize this class; and one guy they really don’t want to lose.
- Scout.com has the Buckeyes’ current group ranked at No. 2 in the country, behind only Michigan.
- ESPN.com has Ohio State at No. 4 behind Florida, Alabama and Notre Dame, and just ahead of Michigan.
- Rivals.com has Ohio State at No. 4, behind those same three teams, and 247sports.com also has the Buckeyes at No. 4, behind Alabama, Florida and Michigan.
“When you recruit at this level, it’s more about what you do with them, not who you’re getting,” said Scout.com national recruiting analyst Scott Kennedy. “If it’s top five or top 10, it doesn’t matter where you are.”
That said, Kennedy believes the Buckeyes could wind up at No. 1, ahead of Michigan, in the final Scout ratings by grabbing one or two more players, and “I don’t think they’re done at all,” Kennedy said.
For now, “the class they have is talented, it’s balanced, there are players at every position,” Kennedy said. “It’s what you come to expect of a team like Ohio State and with the recruiting dynamics of someone like Urban Meyer.”
Let’s recap where the Buckeyes stand and what’s ahead:
• Running back Ezekiel Elliot has been pledged to the Buckeyes since April. Ranked as the No. 12 running back in the country by Rivals.com and the top player in Missouri, the 6-foot, 198-pounder is the only running back in Ohio State’s class. For now.
But Elliott recently visited Missouri, the school both his parents attended, and his commitment looks a little less certain. Elliott wrote on his Twitter account that he’ll announce his intentions on Signing Day, and that he wouldn’t be doing any more interviews before then.
It’s understandable that Elliott would make a trip to his homestate school and his parents’ alma mater. There doesn’t seem to be reason for OSU fans to panic, but he’ll make Signing Day interesting.
“Do I think there’s a chance he doesn’t end up at Ohio State? Of course,” Kennedy said. “Am I concerned? No. If I’m an Ohio State fan, I’m arrogant enough to say, ‘We’ll be fine without him.’ That’s where Ohio State should be right now.”
• Texas running back Dontre Wilson is part of this equation. There was a time when it seemed like the Buckeyes could end up with both Elliott and Wilson.
Now getting one of them should be viewed as enough. Getting shut out at running back is what the Buckeyes want to avoid, although with Warren Ball redshirting last season and Bri’onte Dunn entering his sophomore year, there still would be solid talent in the pipeline behind Carlos Hyde, Jordan Hall and Rod Smith, with a chance to make up for it in 2014.
Wilson, from Texas, was pledged to Oregon before coach Chip Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now ESPN.com is reporting that Wilson will visit Texas, and his father told the website that his son plans to make a decision Sunday between Oregon, Ohio State and Texas, though he may not announce it on that day.
Adding the homestate school to the mix may make this one that much more difficult for Ohio State to pull off.
• Safety Vonn Bell from Ridgeland High School in Rossville, Ga., will make his announcement on Signing Day at at 10:05 a.m. on ESPN. Bell’s high school coach, Mark Mariakas, told ESPN.com of that plan.
Bell has taken official visits to Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio State and is down to those three schools. He grew up rooting for Tennessee, and the Volunteers and new coach Butch Jones seem to be making a late push. This would be a great bonus for Ohio State on Signing Day, but it may be tough to beat two SEC schools for a highly rated kid from SEC country.
• Ryan Timmons, a three-star receiver from Kentucky, will announce his decision on Tuesday at 1 p.m., according to BuckeyeGrove.com.
He’s reportedly considering Kentucky, Florida and the Buckeyes. The pledge Tuesday of receiver Corey Smith, from Akron Buchtel by way of two junior colleges, makes this a little less pressing for Ohio State, which also has Taivon Jacobs and Jalin Marshall coming in as receivers in this class.
But Timmons and Florida receiver James Clark both remain in the mix for the Buckeyes. Clark told the Orlando Sentinel he is still considering the Buckeyes, Clemson, Florida, Nebraska and Northwestern and will trim that list to three schools this weekend.
