The class of 2011 is looking like a stellar one in Ohio overall but so far the bigs that the Buckeyes need, OLs and DTs, are not here in the numbers that the Buckeyes need to re-stock the depth chart. Keep in mind that this is an offensive line that is only 13 deep to start with and 4 will be seniors, nearly a third of the scholarship depth in one year.

The first two players that come to mind in the state of Ohio are Donovan Clark from Cincinnati Finneytown and Michael Bennett from Centerville. Bennett has received his offer already from the Buckeyes. The question about both is about size. Neither are ideal sized offensive linemen but when I see bigs with the explosiveness and athleticism of Clark and

The blog today is going to a short one. I want everyone to follow this link. It is to a site that lays bare an issue that is huge in college football. It is oversigning. The advtantages to the schools that do it are laid out on this site. It is practiced heavily in the SEC. Even Pete Carroll refused to do it. The fact that schools that use it are gaining a competitive advtantage leaves everyone else with a delimma. Use the system yourself and likely claim more victories on the field, or refuse to use the system and calim moral victories?

http://www.oversigning.com/

It is a good read. Come back and discuss.

We did not need to get Jordan Hicks in this class but we will need to address the position next year. It is not priority number one. We are still looking at some really talented young guys who can step into holes in 2011 but we do not want to see the talent level drop off. Brian Rolle, Ross Homan and Jermal Hines will all be seniors next year.

There are three players this early in the process that stand out. Michigans Lawrence Thomas, Trey DePriest and James Vaughters from Georgia.

James Vaughters is a tackling machine. A tackling machine with speed and a motor that will not stop. He is physical enough to line up at nose tackle sometimes. He may have the most to learn as he has played a lot with his hand in the dirt. I don't see a single play out there of him

Another great gem from Lexco44.

It is official. The class is in. Everyone has signed that had committed. This class is a C. It was never going to be more than a B but the offensive line recruiting debacle has made it a C.

We got skill players. I don't think anyone has a better back class. We get the #1 back in the country on my board in Rod Smith. Carlos Hyde would have played a good deal last year. He reminds me of Keith Byars. What makes a back his size a running back is the feet. Hyde has feet that a 200 lb back would love to have. Corey Brown is what makes this a skill position class that we can be excited about. Maybe he is a running back. Maybe he is a slot receiver. Either way he is a game changer. Tyrone Williams is the best receiver that nobody was talking about. He was from a school that does not have a history of putting out talent,

The most recent news is the new offers to three 2011 players.

I could not be happier about the offer to Centerville lineman Michael Bennett. If he is not a great offensive lineman then it is because he is a great DT. Talk about explosive. This is a kid that can dominate the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. I would try him of defense first anyway and I would not be surprised if that is what happens. He is 6-3 and listed at about 270. Bolls likes really tall linemen, very few under 6-4 have been offered during his time here, but we have a history of doing well with DTs that are not ideal sized. I am not a fan of the strategy but it is hard to dispute the success this staff has had with these guys. We are seeing it right now with John Simon who fell down the recruiting rankings because of his size two years ago. The results have been far better than the last few years of trying to create

Hicks chose Texas. Yes, I am shocked. Everything I was hearing was that it was trending our way for awhile. He was not happy about Charlie Strong leaving Florida. That is why I was surprised to hear yesterday that it seemed he was headed to Florida. It is Texas. First blush I think that makes Buckeye fans happier. It shouldn't. It means one less slot filled up by Florida who is still trying to get Seantrell Henderson. The closer they are to full, the better. For some reason Meyer is putting together one of the best classes ever. Great classes draw other great players.

As far as missing on Hicks is concerned, I am not going to change anything I do. Nobody is ever going to be right alot. These aren't our kids. This kid in particular has made it all the more difficult to get anything on him because he has played it so close to the vest. That leads to even more speculation. Fans want

We are eight days from signing day. Time to update.

The news on Hicks seems to be pointing toward the Buckeyes across the board. My thinking has not changed. I am not going to say he is a sure first year player here. The linebacker depth here is another level. I would put the Buckeye linebacker corps up against anyones. USC, Florida, anyone. Etienne Sabino, Andrew Sweat and Storm Klein would be a starting unit most anywhere in college football but could not get on the field here. If anyone can force his way onto the field with what the Buckeyes have returning it is Hicks. I think the odds that he redshirts here are high. Keeping the talent level this high is the biggest benefit of landing

There have been a number of questions that I have not gotten to and a couple of comments I wanted to addresss. I am going to pull them off the last couple of blogs and answer them here:

[quote]Get past it !
written by pussysoprano, January 21, 2010
OL numbers debate continues every year. ITs not news ..they have different philosophy on the numbers of scholarship OL. It makes sense when they get the right people.

ANyways - I thought Duane promised Buckeye Nation that Boles was retiring this year and if he didn't he would jump in Mirror Lake with a speedo. [/quote]

You offering me a deal if Bolls comes back? Instead of going silent for a month I go speedo in Mirror Lake? What month?

Get the right people. That is something I see from those who want to maintain the status quo. That is not accurate. You can look up the rankings and the offer lists for the offensive linemen who have come into the program, especially the class that included Mitchum, Person, Rehring

MurrDawg on Bucknuts asked me about how I thought the Buckeyes would fill out this class. He has seen it somewhere that we have three scholarships left and there are five players out there that nobody would say not to, Jordan Hicks, Seantrell Henderson, Christian Bryant, Dominique Brown and Matt James. I would add a sixth player. There is news that coach Tressel has had an in-home with 2009 class super OL prospect Morgan Moses who ended up at Fork Union last year.. JT is not going to do an in-home with a player who is not going to qualify.

I think we can forget about James. Despite James saying Ohio State leads, we were his first visit. He will see Notre Dame. That is where it falls apart. He has family connections to Cincinnati. His dad played there. Brian Kelly bought that school national recognition and