The Buckeyes  just offered Devan Bogard from Glenville. USC offered him right after signing day. Yes, he is definitely worthy of an offer. In a class full of hitters he could be the best of them. High motor, good speed and great instincts. Brings it on every play. He could be a strong safety but is such a natural at the Star that I would not be surprised to see him end up there. . 5-11, 6-0 and about 180.

I wanted to take my time and roll out the safety class but this offer has accelerated my schedule. We talk about the defensive line class, and to a lesser extent the running backs, but this is the best safety class I have ever seen in Ohio. The talent is so deep that I can divide them up between strong safeties and free safeties. If you put a gun to my head, and that is what you fans are inclined to do,  I would rank the strong safeties how they are listed below, but I say just pick one. They are all that good.

I want to mention Colerain's Andre Jones first. I list him with the strong safeties but he would be my number one free safety too as I see him as the most versatile safety in the class, being an elite player at
either strong or free. I have been concerned about Bradley outgrowing safety but after watching his junior film I don't care if he grows into a linebacker. I still want him.


Bam Bradley, 6-3, 205, Trotwood-Madison
All the tools to draw comparisons to former USC great Taylor Mays. Runs great. Ferocious hitter. Outstanding tackler. Schools that need to fill a slot at safety may shy away from this elite prospect. Fast and athletic enough to play free safety but I like a kid this big and who hits like Bradley at strong safety. Bradley is a big framed kid could easily grow into a linebacker. He is at least 6-2 and his listed 6-3 is probably accurate. If I were making the call I would recruit him as a linebacker. Just as good in the classroom as he is on the football field.

Marcus Foster, 6-2, 190, Troy
The most complete defensive back in the class. Ball skills are second to none. Big hitter. Very explosive. Outstanding tackler too. There is a difference. Plays a very physical corner. Yes, I said corner. Tough against the run. I don't see corner speed but a safety who can cover is a huge plus. Great on the ball. Tough against the run and can cover. That is the complete package.

Andre Jones, 6-1, 190, Colerain
Late to scene. I heard his name for quite some time but did not see film until recently. Tackles like a strong safety. Excellent run support player and a good blitzer. For teams that want an in the box strong safety, this is your guy but he is outstanding on the ball. Good enough to be a fine free safety. Having a free safety that is good enough versus the run to play strong safety is a big plus. Another thing about Jones is he is probably the fastest and the strongest of the this outstanding group of safeties.


Devan Bogard, 5-11, 180, Glenville
Pound for pound the hardest hitter in Ohio. This is a class full of big hitting safeties. Bogard gives away size to the others but does this kid ever bring it. After seeing him for the first time I said he was like Jack Tatum. An exaggeration while caught up in the film of a great player, but not by much. After watching him a couple more times I see Troy Polamalu in his game. He throws himself about with no regard for his body whatsoever. Plays with a rabid intensity. His read-react-run is elite level. He may not be a strong safety. There is so little film of him in coverage that I can't say he is on the level of the other top safeties in that important area. Where I think he fits perfectly is at the hybrid position which is called the Star at Ohio State, where he is very likely to end up.


Antonio Johnson, 6-0 200, Shaker Heights
Any other year Johnson is the top safety in Ohio. Right now nobody is talking about him. Great player. Another big hitter. Solid in coverage but at his best zeroing in on a ball carrier. Solidly built. Could be a great hybrid. Very physical and plays very smart. Should be a Big Five safety and surely will be if he comes anywhere near his listed 4.47 forty during the athlete season.


Najee Murray, 5-11, 190, Steubenville
A jack of all trades. He can play either safety or he could play wide receiver. On either side of the ball Murray makes plays.


I am going to list the free safeties separately. Again I mention Andre Jones would top this list. The other names on this list may be players you have not heard anything about.

Allen Gant, 6-2, 200, Sylvania
Gant is such a smart football player and I see a better athlete than I first thought he was. Versatility is the name of the game with Gant. He is best at free safety but he could play strong safety, and he could play receiver if things get ugly at that position for whatever school he chooses. Looked really good at the Buckeye camp last year. Close family ties to Michigan with his dad being a Wolverine and his cousin is Charles Woodson, but the rumormill says he is a Buckeye fan. We will see.

Jarrod Wilson, 6-3, 200, Buchtel
Remember the name. This is my dark horse for the safety who comes out of this class four years from now with the highest NFL rating. If a college coach came to me and said he played eight in the box alot and needed a centerfielder right in the middle of the field I would suggest Jarrod Wilson. He is fast and very athletic. He reads the game and reacts to the ball as well as any safety in the class. The best cover safety in the class. The best safety in the class on the ball. He needs to be a better tackler. The good news is he is a willing tackler. Never shies away from contact. Stellar in the classroom too.

Frank Epitropoulos, 6-3, 190, Upper Arlington
Another top drawer centerfielder type safety. Not much on him in run support but what a player on the ball. Super athlete. Can jump out of the stadium. Great on the ball. Very fast. Already seeing MAC offers. After the athlete season I suspect his stock will soar.

Jay Mastin, 6-2, 200, Centerville
Centerville is loaded with D-1 football talent. It is easy to overlook players when there are so many other there flashing D-1 potential. I did not notice Mastin until Mar Porter suggested I look at him. For some he is a strong safety because he is such a great tackler but any player that reads the game like Mastin and is so good on the ball, I put him at free safety. If I were advising him I would say get with the track coach ASAP then get out to the camps and combines. It will change his life if he can run 4.6 or better.

Jason O'Bryan, 6-3, 190, Madison
Madison. Not Mansfield Madison. Not Trotwood-Madison. Just Madison. He is yet another Big Ten caliber safety in this class. One of the most versatile players in the class. Tall, long and very athletic. Great leaper. Faster than he looks and plays the game with reckless abandon. Very physical and plays smart. Another hitter in this class but good on the ball. Good hands. In fact he is good enough that he might be a better receiver. High character kid.

Mark Meyers, 6-1, 180, Whitmer
I liked Meyers as a corner coming off his sophmore tape. He has grown into a safety and will be a good one. His stint as a corner will prove invaluable as he will be comfortable in coverage. Such a smart player. You can see him reading and thinking out there. Very willing in run support.


James Sanford, 6-2, 180, Xenia
One of the most underrated players in Ohio. Sanford is so smooth he looks like he is not moving fast. He may need to get out to camps and combines and show how fast he is to get the offers he deserves. A battler and very willing in run support.

Buckeye Nation has been reveling in the recent string of victories over Michigan. When Rich rodriguez was fired fans held their collective breath as Buckeye Nation waited out Jim Harbaugh's decision. Once that he decided to go to the NFL the party started here in Columbus.

Brady Hoke's hiring had most Buckeye fans saying, Brady who? Usually followed by a head shake and a chuckle. I have been warning from the start that this was a far better hire than Les Miles would have been. Hoke has had an impact on every program he has touched. Before he left for San Diego State he had Ball State sitting on a 12-0 record going into the GMAC bowl. he left to take over San Diego State and Ball State went on to lose the game. San Diego State had gone 14-34 in the 4 years before Hoke arrived and had one winning season since 1991. Hoke won 9 games in his second year after taking over the program at San Diego State.

The biggest factor in why I believe the Rivalry is back will show up in recruiting. Hoke is an outstanding recruiter. Buckeye fans are not aware of it because obviously Hoke was not recruiting the same players as the Buckeyes. I got to see how good he is because I was still tracking Ohio players and talking to their coaches after the players fell off the Buckeyes radar. He has Ohio roots and just a couple of years ago he was sweeping the state, impressing Ohio high school coaches along the way. That impression will be fresh in the minds of those coaches. He got a couple of players from Ohio late, Keith Heitzman and Tamani Carter. I know you are wracking your brain trying to remember their names. You won't. They were not on the Buckeyes radar. I bet you know the names Hilliard Davidson and Pickerington Central. That is what those offers were about. Get a foot in the door at schools that are producing talent.
You say he will not be able to out recruit Jim Tressel? He won't have to. Not this year. There is so much talent in the state of Ohio next year that Ohio State will not be able to offer all the players who could be Buckeye caliber. Hoke is already being very aggressive. He has offered Pharaoh Brown, a DE from Brush who is one of the players that is shaking up my defensive line rankings.

It is the perfect storm, Buckeye Nation. A quality coach coming in at Michigan. One who knows the state, AND the coaches know him. Too much talent in the state for Ohio State to take them all, add to the mix that it is a short scholarship year for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has beaten Michigan so soundly in head to head recruiting battles in recent years that it is not worth discussing. 2012 is so deep that it can be the basis of turning the program around quicker than anyone imagines and Hoke will not have to win a single head to head battle to bring a key element of Michigan's former successful formula, which is go into Ohio and get players who rate an Ohio State offer.

I can't get the numbers 6 and 7 out of my head these days. The British use the terms, "being at 6s and 7s" to describe confusion or disarray. Nothing could be more accurate to describe the offensive line situation going into next season.

The Buckeyes have 6 veteran scholarship offensive linemen for the first 5 games. That jumps to 7 when Mike Adams returns from his suspension. Jim Tressel has been the luckiest coach in college football with the lack of injuries on the offensive line over the years. We are 2 injuries from putting a freshman in the starting lineup or a walk-on. A program like Ohio State should never be in that situation. The Buckeyes continue to walk on the precipice when it comes to offensive line numbers, but that is not what this is about. This is about what you do to fix it.

Yes, it has to be fixed now. You can't wait until the injuries happen and do something about it. Even those that cannot possibly say anything that they call negative about the program will say that Antonio Underwood, Chris Carter or Tommy Brown will be ready to play as freshman. They are all projects.

It starts with Darryl Baldwin. I never saw him as a defensive player. He never showed the mindset to be a defensive player. Too much is being made of his performance on defense in the Big 33. I saw a tight end coming out of high school. Mark Porter threw out offensive tackle back then. I said maybe but I had no idea he was going to get this big ever let alone this soon. I see a kid who is going to have a hard time finding his way on the Buckeye defensive line. I see too many talented players in the program and more coming. He could step in right now at left tackle and I think he fits the position so well that he could be an NFL player at tackle. He has the length you want in a left tackle. He was always a very athletic kid. The additional weight has impacted that athleticism but he is still plenty athletic for a left tackle. The position is wide open. Whether Baldwin has an impact on the program on defense remains to be seen. That he would have an impact on the program at left tackle is not in doubt. In addition, a player already lined up at left tackle would allow us the opportunity to bring along Kyle Kalis, or whatever other tackle we get in the class of 2012, gradually rather than shove him into the lineup as soon as he arrives on campus.

Another player that has to be considered is Garrett Goebel. The debate when he came out of high school was whether he was a better defensive tackle candidate or an offensive tackle candidate. He has played very well on defense. Better than he has been given credit for. I don't ever like moving a big who has the speed and athleticism to play defense over to offense. The need is great. the sacrifice may need to be made. There is talent coming in on defense with Joel Hale and Michael Bennett and more help coming in 2012. I know Adam Bellamy was a talented offensive lineman but he is playing way to well to sacrifice him. The first name that comes out of fans mouths is Bennett. I think it was an easy decision to put him on defense. His upside is better on defense. On offense he will be limited by his size. His frame was one of the very few knocks on Bennett. He is going to max out his frame at right about 300 lbs. That would make him a smallish offensive lineman but decent sized for a three-technique defensive tackle.

One thing I like that the staff is doing is getting aggressive with the walk-on program. Don't wait until a diamond in the rough walks into the office. Go invite some in.

Signing day has come and gone. It was a more exciting signing day than we are used to because the Buckeyes were in the hunt on signing day rather than having the class sewed up.The excitement was about Aundray Walker, Darius Jennings and Curtis Grant, all players who were not going to decide until signing day.

Going in I only had hopes for Grant. I never felt right about Walker. Many were talking about how the Glenville kids do this every year. Talk about some other school then pick Ohio State right before or right on signing day. Marcus Hall did it, saying he was leaning toward Miami. Last year there was a great deal of chatter that Christian Bryant had taken a last minute visit to North Carolina and committed. He ended up at Ohio State. I never saw the Ohio State love from Walker. That was the difference. He was never down here like the others. He only came down when he was supposed to come down. He never talked about Ohio State like the others. In the end I had mixed feelings about him. He became a need as far as I'm concerned. He was never a player I wanted. I am very concerned about numbers. We go into the first five games next year looking at six veteran scholarship offensive linemen. Even with Mike Adams back we are looking at seven ready to play offensive linemen. Even those who disagree with me about Antonio Underwood, Tommy Brown and Chris Carter acknowledge they are projects. They are not going to be ready to play next year. Getting through next year without injury to an offensive line starter is a most crucial element to being a contender. If we do that the scholarship we save from Walker going to USC becomes a plus. We can offer a better prospect.

I did not know what Darius Jennings was going to do. It would have been great to have him. He flew under the radar but he would have been a great addition. I think it came down to the fact that he wanted to play offense and while he would have been able to choose where he played if he picked Ohio State, he knew in the back of his mind that the Buckeyes wanted him as a defensive back.

You know my feelings on Cardale Jones. I love getting him. I think he has a tremendous upside. I think it is smart for him to go to a prep school. Get his academic house in order, get his study habits down in a very structured environment before the complication of big time football is added to the equation. It puts some space between he and Braxton Miller. It is a win-win situation for Jones and the Buckeyes.

Curtis Grant is the icing on the cake to a great class. I don't care about the rankings. This is a well rounded class. the Buckeyes filled needs and brought in elite talent everywhere, yes, on the offensive line too as Bobek is an elite center prospect. The linebacker class could be put up against any on the country and that was before this unique talent decided to be a Buckeye. Grant is one of the three most gifted linebackers to come into the program since I have been evaluating talent in Ohio. Etienne Sabino and Andy Katzenmoyer being the others. He is big enough to play as a freshman and I expect him to. He may start. If not from game one I think he could at some point in the season.

Great class. On to 2012. This is going to be fun, Buckeye Nation.

Corner is one of those positions that is not looking like a deep position Ohio for 2012, one of the few, but I like what I see out of the players who are at the top of the class.

The first kid who jumps out at me is Piqua corner Kendric Link. In a class that is so full of elite talent that some are getting overlooked. I think Link is that kind of player. I am working off sophmore tape in this review as tape seems to come out of Piqua late so I may get very excited about Link once that film comes out. What I see of him as a sophmore is the kind of corner the Big Five will give a hard to. He has size, 6-1 with a nice reach, so important these days with so many big receivers out there these days. He has great ball skills. He is a willing tackler. There is not alot to complain about with Link. Very much looking forward to his athlete season. That will draw more interest to his film and we could see his stock go through the roof.

Middletown's Cody Quinn is a dynamic corner. He plays the ball so well. He is very fast. If he were just a little bigger I would put him right up there with Link. His size, listed at 5-10 170, might be a little generous but this kid plays like a bigger player. He is an absolutely fearless tackler. Pound for pound this is the toughest kid in the class. He belongs in the argument for fastest player in the class. He is such a natural in man coverage but plays zone well too. Add the speed element and his willingness to throw his body into much larger people and I think we see a Big Five school overlook his size.

Glenville's Vangelo Bentley is a kid that has just become known to me. I knew about him as a running back but he is going to be a highly recruited corner at the next level. Great feet, explosive and tough as nails. He has solid corner size at 5-10, 180. He has a frame to get bigger, we don't often talk about that with corners. He has speed. I would not be surprised to see Bentley top this list once all the film from around the state is in. Upside is tremendous. Once he starts to concentrate on playing only as a corner we will see what kind of player Bentley really is.

I have to throw Whitmer's Mark Meyers in here. He is a high school corner who many are projecting as a college safety. That could happen but I think that is premature. He is such a natural in coverage the way the game is played now. He is the bigger smart zone corner that we are seeing all over the place these days. Ohio State has been using there kinds of corners for years. Malcolm Jenkins was a player many projected to play safety in college. He is now playing safety in the NFL but he got himself into the first round of the draft as a college corner at Ohio State. He is tough and physical against the run. He has the size to make the transition to the highest levels of college football. If he is not a corner then he will be a very good safety. Safeties with cover skills are highly sought after.

I am not ready to put a pecking order on this much underrated linebacker class. It is clearly better than 2011. What happens in the athlete season will tell us alot. Another thing is there seems to be alot of film coming in for linebackers right now. I want to wait until we have film of a few more players before I put a pecking order together.

Joe Bolden, 6-3, 220, Colerain.
Brings a strong argument for top linebacker in the state. Great frame to get bigger and runs very well. He is outstanding at the line of scrimmage but so natural in coverage. Settles into zone and plays it like a college veteran already. Runs very well. A smooth fluid athlete. Great motor. If I named a number one right now it would be Bolden. He is just more athletic than Ringer and plays in space better.
http://scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=5143&name=JoeBolden



Mason Monheim, 6-1, 215, Orrville
This is a kid Mark found. If he is legitimately 6-1 and 215 lbs I will put him right in the discussion about who is number one in the state. Yes, I said that. He is the most complete linebacker in the state. He is great at the line of scrimmage. As good as Ringer. He is great in space. Even better than Bolden. This is a class full of strikers. You have heard of Bam Bradley, Devon Bogard, Antonio Johnson and Marcus Foster. Monheim belongs in that conversation. What a hitter. Great tackler too. Runs great. Motor is on overdrive on every play. Illinois has already come in with an offer.

http://scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=134&name=jjmonheim%40aol.com

Kaleb Riner, 6-3, 225, Clayton Northmont
I was always hesitant about Ringer. He was a 6-2 225 lb freshman. I did not know where is body was going to take him. I thought he would outgrow linebacker. He has not done that. Ringer is a classic Mike linebacker. Hashmark to hashmark it is hard to not pick Ringer. He is physical and a physical specimen. He is going to carry another 20 lbs on that frame. Where he is in the pecking order is going to be determined by how he does in the camps and combines showing how he plays in the open field. I have seen his complete highlight film. Not one play of Ringer in space.

Joe Burger, 6-2 228, LaSalle
He looks like a great fit as a 3-4 stand-up end but on the third play look at that great play as a linebacker. He shows patience then an explosive turn of speed to make a tackle for loss. That leads me to believe he stands a better chance of making the transition to linebacker. Great feet. Changes direction well. Runs well. Burger is a player I will definitely be keeping track of. If he shows he can play the pass he is going to see his stock rise and I think it could rise dramatically.

http://scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=5776&name=jburgs


Jhalil Nashid-Croley, 6-2, 225, Cincinnati Princeton

This is a kid who popped up early then seemed to disappear. That was all about the question of where he would line up in college. It got cleared up when Mark Porter saw him up close. This was one time where being under his listed size actually helped a player. At his listed 6-3 235 he looked more like a kid headed to defensive end but did not look like one of those kids who was a natural fit. He didn't have the length and he did not show the frame you want to see in a defensive end. After mark saw that he was more like 6-2 and 225 he went back up the boards as he is a great looking player. Runs very well. The first two plays on the film below are the attention getters but the third and fourth plays are the ones that are more impressive. On the third play watch him stone the good sized guard with his punch, gets rid of him then makes the tackle. The very next play look where he comes from to make the tackle at the numbers.

http://scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=2097&name=Crobar3

It is 6 days until signing day. I wanted to take one last look at the last few players that the Buckeyes have a shot at.


Aundray Walker is talking a good game. I am a little concerned about his fascination with USC but in the end I think he comes to the Buckeyes. The connection between Glenville and Ohio State is still very solid but I think it is a very practical matter in this case. Any Ohio kid needs Buckeye Nation. Right now the Buckeyes need Walker. He has a real shot at playing right away. I know most of you who have seen him play have the same reservations as I do about Walker but consider that the Buckeyes only return seven scholarship offensive linemen. For the first five games the number is six. Bobek is the only incoming verbal who has a chance to play as a freshman. The others do not. Walker possibly could.

Curtis Grant so much buzz about Grant leaning toward Ohio State. Everything I was hearing from my own sources says Ohio State is the team to beat. I am very bothered by his late interest in homestate Virginia. That did not seem like a real option until all of a sudden. It is late in the process so the staff is not going to have much time to change his mind should Virginia impress him. He was always a signing day commit. I hope we hang on to this one. I still believe linebacker is not a real need but this is a player you don't say not to. He is right there with Big Kat and Etienne Sabino as the most physically talented linebackers to come through the program in the last 20 years. Right now the Buckeyes are the team to beat. Florida is out. Virginia is the competition and I don't like going against the home school.

Ja'Juan Story had a great visit. Things were going great now we are not hearing as much. I was hoping for a verbal. Every day that that does not happen I lose faith that it will. This is where home state schools have a huge advantage. The rules are set up to keep the playing field even but everyone knows the home state school can get access that no other schools can, then there is the pressure from everyone around the player. I think the Buckeyes can win this one but don't think we will.

Darius Jennings has always been in the mix but I think he took his visit too early. He is spending time at schools closer to home and with players he has been friends with for a long time. I think it is over with Jennings.

Bryce Haynes is the long snapper. I do not think he comes this way. It is very simple with a long snapper. He needs to get the best education he can. He is the most likely to play in the NFL but he is also the most likely to need to get a job after playing in the NFL because he is not going to make retirement money. I think he picks Notre Dame.

Cardale Jones is visiting this weekend. If he is offered he will commit. I don't know if he is going to be offered but I think the smart money says he will be. It makes no sense to bring him in just to show him around. His teammate Andre Sturdivants visit was canceled. Why cancel Sturdivant but not Jones if all the staff intends to do is give a look around the WHAC? Someone said last summer at camp that the staff has to offer Jones if he is qualified. He is the biggest risk out there. He is a risk to offer because he might be a huge bust but the risk is even greater to not offer him and he lives up to his potential.

We can call the 2012 quarterbacks the "Rodney Dangerfields" as a whole. They are getting no respect. With Braxton Miller, the best quarterback Ohio has ever produced to this time, and Cardale Jones the second best, plus the class of 2013 likely to produce a quarterback who is better than either Miller or Jones, 2012 is getting overlooked. It is actually quite a good class with a couple of players who could have possibly seen a Buckeye scholarship offer if the situation were different.

Geovonnie McKnight, 6-4, 200, Middletown. Maybe the least well known of these quarterbacks because he shares the position with 2013 superstar Jalin Marshall. I understand why the Middletown coaching staff is playing it this way. Wanting the ball in Marshalls hands on every play is understandable. I am confident Marshall will be a receiver at the next level but he is a good fit as quarterback for some offenses so it isn't like the offense is run only with Marshall in there. McKnight reminds me of Cardale Jones. He is a big kid but moves well and has a fine arm. I am sure the Big Ten schools will be all over him despite the fact that he is not a full time starter.


Tyler Eden, 6-4, 220, University School. There is so much to like about Eden. He is a big mobile kid with a fine arm and a quick release. One thing that is going to make him more valuable to recruiters is that he is such a good athlete and his size is legit so a move to tight end is definitely in the cards if he does not win the starting job at quarterback. His level of competition will surely mean he will have to get out to camps and combines this summer.

Tyler O'Connor, 6-4, Lima Central Catholic. I did not give this kid a good look the first time around. Not too long ago Mark Porter suggested I give him another look. Mark had put together a really outstanding film that gives a good look at O'Connor. The more I liked the better I liked him. Big kid with plenty of arm strength. Great mechanics and he is very polished. Looks like he could step right into a pro style offense and not miss a beat.

Austin Appleby, 6-4, North Canton Hoover. I am seeing so much about what is wrong with Appleby, the long baseball throwing motion and that he is not very athletic. What I see is a big kid with a great arm and the toughness to hang in there and deliver the ball knowing he is about to take a shot. Alot of schools still like a pure pocket passer. They will find their way to North Canton.

Reggie McAdams, 6-6, 200. Elida. If McKnight is not new to you then I am sure McAdams is. He is the most intriguing of the lot other than McKnight. His film as delivered to Mark did not allow a good look at his mechanics but what I see is a very accurate passer and a very competitive kid. He is running around out there and making things happen. He is not an athletic quarterback, meaning he is just as dangerous as a runner as he is as a passer but he moves around pretty well for a pocket passer. McAdams is a player I will be keeping an eye on.

Collin Michael, 6-6, Lexington. Had an injury that greatly impacted his season. I will be looking forward to seeing what he can do this summer in camps and combines. He is in a spread type offense but came to camps and combines last year and showed legit arm strength.

Austin Pritchard, 6-3, 200, Strongsville. Very nice quarterback. Nice touch. Very accurate. Poised in the pocket. It is such a temptation for high school coaches to go with a spread when they have a kid who can throw it like this but the throws that show the college coaches arm strength are not there in spread offenses.

Will McCollister, 6-4, Rock Hill. Tough year for McCollister. His team was not very good so he had little support. Still, like Michael, he threw very well last summer so there is every reason to believe he will get out to camps and combines again and show what he is capable of.

Again, a very nice class but I doubt we will see Ohio State looking for a quarterback. If the staff decides they want one and believes they have the room I think a fallback to the already offered national superstar in Shane Dillon might be right here at home.

I want to get to that wide receiver update first. I just saw junior film of Akron Buchtel wide receiver Corey Smith. I saw his sophmore film and was skeptical about the reports he had early offers from Michigan State and North Carolina. I saw the state championship game and didn't see anything to change that opinon. That the Buckeyes were interested really surprised me. They saw his junior film before I did. He really leaps out at you. Right now he is the number two receiver on my board. He has great hands and is an explosive leaper. He is very aggressive on the ball. He is also the only receiver in the class who has answered the speed question. Smith runs away from people. In addition I can't remember a better blocking receiver in my time covering high school ecruiting in Ohio. He gets after it like a fullback. I saw him celebrate a few touchdowns but those celebrations paled in comparison to the joy he showed from peeling back and laying out defenders.

On to the tight ends. This is an impressive class. I don't know who I would rate the best in the class of 2012. I have four that stand out. With a gun to my head I would put Evan Jones from Ridgewood West Lafayette at the top of my tight end list but his advantage is he is arguably a top ten defensive line prospect too, not because he is the best tight end. With some exceptions a defensive lineman is more valuable than a tight end. Put him on defense first. If he doesn't work out there he would surely be a fine tight end. He is athletic and shows good hands. Very good blocker. Plays with a mean streak. Has a great body to fill out. The best receiver is Cleveland St. Ignatius Blake Thomas. Great hands. Very athletic and very smooth. He makes catches against his body and makes them look easy. He is fast enough and athletic enough that coach Kyle splits him out at times. He is a willing and very good blocker. Another advantage is he plays in the kind of offense that will make him ready to play tight end in a college offense immediately. Makes the kind of catches that will bring the schools where a tight end is a primary receiver in. He has a long lean body, 6-5 or 6-6 and in the 230 range. That might be something that pushes a school like Ohio State to go in another direction, like with Lakewood St. Edward tight end Sam Grant. He too is listed at 6-6 230 but he looks like a bigger framed kid and is like having another tackle in there as a blocker. What makes him so appealing is he is a very good receiver. Catches the ball naturally and shows good athleticism.

The other tight end I see as a cut above is Moeller's John Tanner. Tanner is another long kid with a good frame and plays very nasty, which of course means I love him. His motor is on overdrive from the opening kick to the final gun. What I see with Tanner is balance. He catches the ball very well and he blocks very well. Tanner is such a good defensive end that he is an offer player on that side of the ball but where he jumps out at me is at tight end. All four of these players are Big Five offers. Jones small school competition may push him to need camps and combines to get those offers but I am confident he can earn Big Five offers.

I have to mention Cincinnati Sycamore's A.J. Williams. I know Mark Porter is grinning seeing his name come up as we don't quite know what to do with him. He plays tight end at 6-6 255 but blocks like a tackle. The thing is he is so athletic you have to want a guy like this at tight end. You have a third tackle on the field at all times without giving up a weapon in the passing game. We have no idea whether he can catch the ball though. On a 4 minute highlight reel he only catches one ball. He is the one with the offers. Blake Thomas has a reported offer from Toledo. So does Williams but he also has Bowling Green and Ohio U.

That is not all in this class. There are several others. I will go so far as to say the only class I have seen that was better in the state of Ohio was the 2008 class with Kyle Rudolph, Kevin Kroger, Brandon More and Nic Dilillo. Canfield's Jimmy Rousher may be a better defensive lineman but I could see some schools deciding they like him at tight end, especially in an offense where blocking is the priority. Rousher is like having another tackle in there but one that runs very well for his size and catches the ball naturally. The thing is he is likely to be a more highly recruited defensive lineman because of the fact that he runs so well and is already in the 250 lb range. I think it likely he blows right past defensive end and goes right down to tackle.

Craig Runyan from Marysville is a very good receiver. He is a not ideal sized. He may have to play that H-Back role. The same with Tanner Kearns from Lexington. They may never be big enough to be inline blocking tight ends but for a school that uses the H-back I see a couple of great receivers who are athletic enough to split out but are big enough to block linebackers on the edge and get out in space and block.

I am looking forward to seeing junior film of Piqua's Jordan Fesser. I like what I saw of him as a sophmore.

Fans and coaches alike want to know about players as early as possible. More and more we are seeing players earlier and earlier. It was just a few short years ago that we sometimes would not see players until after their senior year. Ten years ago most players did not have film until they were seniors. Five years ago you heard about sophmores. Now we are seeing players as freshmen. Of the Buckeyes twelve Ohio commitments I saw four, Steve Miller, Braxton Miller, Doran Grant and Kenny Hayes as freshman. Mark Porter and I could come up with a top twenty list of 2013 players relatively easily.

What gets lost in the glare of the spotlight is the development process. Some players peak early. Others get better. Some get alot better. A player who was at the top of the list as a sophmore might not be on the list at all by the time he is a senior. Development is everything. Recruiting is not about the best high school players. It is about the best prospects, those that will be better in three years.

We are seeing a great example of that right now with the offensive linemen in this class of 2011. I have seen senior film of three of the four instate offensive linemen the Buckeyes have offered, Antonio Underwood, Tommy Brown, Chris Carter and Aundray Walker. Underwood, Brown and Walker are the ones I have seen. Of the three Walker is the one I would offer. He has done several things the others have not. First, he got better. Second, he controlled his weight. The truth is I am not a fan of any of them but I think guard is a need, especially now with the announcement that Sam Longo is leaving the program. Right now the best of them is Walker, and by a clear margin. Underwood seems to have peaked. I cannot say the player I saw on film as a senior is any better than the player I saw as a junior. Neither is Brown. I would say he has taken a step back. Throughout the season I was told Brown was picking up weight and not in a good way. The one thing I liked about his game was he had some pop. When he made contact he jolted his man. His punch sent a shockwave through his opponent. That has disappeared as he has added weight. He shoves people around instead of knocking them around. It is obvious that I am not the only one who has this opinion. Their rankings have not improved. The biggest sign of lack of development is no other offers coming in with offers. Look at Kyle Kalis. Despite an early verbal to the Buckeyes he has gotten more offers since the verbal than he had before the verbal.

I don't remember needing to get in and offer early on Carter or Brown or Underwood. Walker is the only one the Buckeyes needed to get into the battle early with. That is the bigger question than whether they are good offers or not. If we had waited would we have offered or not? Based on what I am seeing I would say no. With no pressure to make an offer why not let the development process play out as long as possible on players that anyone would put in the project category?

The last few classes I have questioned numbers, players who have been left out. It has been awhile since I have questioned who we have offered. I hope I am proven wrong about these players but I don't think I will be, and I really hope Big Dray did not enjoy himself out in L.A. too much. He is very much needed in Columbus.