From ESPN:
How Ohio State was built through recruiting
Urban Meyer, alongside Nick Saban, are college football's most sophisticated recruiters. Meyer's scheme and targeting of pure athletes has Ohio State in the playoff for the second time. The Buckeyes, while young, have a wealth of offensive playmakers and athletes in the secondary.
Here's how Ohio State was built:
Average class ranking: The Ohio State Buckeyes have recruited the third-most talent in the country over the past five years, falling short of only Alabama and Florida State. The Buckeyes' performance on the trail has been particularly dominant in the Big Ten; the second-best recruiting team in the conference, Michigan, has a cumulative class rank of 19 during that same period.
Key area -- athletic QBs and DBs: Almost every other program in the country would be unable to compete after losing 12 players to the NFL draft, including five first-round selections, but the Buckeyes don't rebuild under Urban Meyer -- they reload. No matter the year, Meyer's teams win with an athletic quarterback and plenty of talent in the defensive secondary.
After a brief experiment with starting the strong-armed Cardale Jones last season, Meyer has returned to his bread and butter under center with J.T. Barrett, a classic dual-threat quarterback. Barrett, who was hand-picked by Meyer out of Texas, has a similar spread-friendly skill set to his predecessor at Ohio State, Braxton Miller, as well as Meyer's most famous protégé, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. With Barrett running the show, the Buckeyes led the Big Ten in scoring, total offense and rushing yards in 2016.
In addition to coveting pure athletes at the quarterback position, Meyer looks for versatile playmakers in the defensive secondary. First-team All-Big Ten selections Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore were both big, fast four-star athletes coming out of high school who had the potential to line up at multiple spots. With Lattimore at corner, Hooker at safety and a third All-Big Ten selection Gareon Conley at the other corner spot, the secondary is a "no fly zone" and a big reason why Ohio State finished third in the nation in scoring defense.
Rather than focusing on position-specific skills, Meyer and the Buckeyes target explosive athletes and put them in the best position to succeed.
Key out-of-state pipeline -- Michigan:Much to fans' chagrin in Ann Arbor, this year's Ohio State team featured a few difference-makers from the state of Michigan, specifically running back and Big Ten freshman of the year Mike Weber. His high school teammate, Damon Webb, made a splash for the Buckeyes on the other side of the ball, starting at safety. True freshman offensive guard Michael Jordan, another Great Lakes State native, started every game and helped pave the way for Weber and the No. 1 rushing attack in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes' success in Michigan looks to be coming to an end, however, as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh currently has verbal commitments from the seven best in-state players for the Class of 2017.
Recruits who exceeded expectations: In a roster full of four- and five-stars, former three-star Tyquan Lewis shined on the defensive line. Lewis has terrorized quarterbacks since breaking into the starting lineup last season, and he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2016. On offense, the Buckeyes' lowest-ranked recruit is their most decorated player, center Pat Elflein. While he was four-star coming out of high school, Elflein has exceeded beyond that, starting 40 consecutive games and being named a first-team All-Big Ten selection three times -- twice at guard and once at center.
Jeffrey Okudah, this class will have some prospects who could see the field very early in their career.
With Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey as the two ESPN 300 receivers in this class joined by three ESPN 300 defensive linemen, the Buckeyes are well on their way to restocking this roster for sustained success in the near future.
How Ohio State was built through recruiting
Urban Meyer, alongside Nick Saban, are college football's most sophisticated recruiters. Meyer's scheme and targeting of pure athletes has Ohio State in the playoff for the second time. The Buckeyes, while young, have a wealth of offensive playmakers and athletes in the secondary.
Here's how Ohio State was built:
Average class ranking: The Ohio State Buckeyes have recruited the third-most talent in the country over the past five years, falling short of only Alabama and Florida State. The Buckeyes' performance on the trail has been particularly dominant in the Big Ten; the second-best recruiting team in the conference, Michigan, has a cumulative class rank of 19 during that same period.
Key area -- athletic QBs and DBs: Almost every other program in the country would be unable to compete after losing 12 players to the NFL draft, including five first-round selections, but the Buckeyes don't rebuild under Urban Meyer -- they reload. No matter the year, Meyer's teams win with an athletic quarterback and plenty of talent in the defensive secondary.
After a brief experiment with starting the strong-armed Cardale Jones last season, Meyer has returned to his bread and butter under center with J.T. Barrett, a classic dual-threat quarterback. Barrett, who was hand-picked by Meyer out of Texas, has a similar spread-friendly skill set to his predecessor at Ohio State, Braxton Miller, as well as Meyer's most famous protégé, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. With Barrett running the show, the Buckeyes led the Big Ten in scoring, total offense and rushing yards in 2016.
In addition to coveting pure athletes at the quarterback position, Meyer looks for versatile playmakers in the defensive secondary. First-team All-Big Ten selections Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore were both big, fast four-star athletes coming out of high school who had the potential to line up at multiple spots. With Lattimore at corner, Hooker at safety and a third All-Big Ten selection Gareon Conley at the other corner spot, the secondary is a "no fly zone" and a big reason why Ohio State finished third in the nation in scoring defense.
Rather than focusing on position-specific skills, Meyer and the Buckeyes target explosive athletes and put them in the best position to succeed.
Key out-of-state pipeline -- Michigan:Much to fans' chagrin in Ann Arbor, this year's Ohio State team featured a few difference-makers from the state of Michigan, specifically running back and Big Ten freshman of the year Mike Weber. His high school teammate, Damon Webb, made a splash for the Buckeyes on the other side of the ball, starting at safety. True freshman offensive guard Michael Jordan, another Great Lakes State native, started every game and helped pave the way for Weber and the No. 1 rushing attack in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes' success in Michigan looks to be coming to an end, however, as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh currently has verbal commitments from the seven best in-state players for the Class of 2017.
Recruits who exceeded expectations: In a roster full of four- and five-stars, former three-star Tyquan Lewis shined on the defensive line. Lewis has terrorized quarterbacks since breaking into the starting lineup last season, and he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2016. On offense, the Buckeyes' lowest-ranked recruit is their most decorated player, center Pat Elflein. While he was four-star coming out of high school, Elflein has exceeded beyond that, starting 40 consecutive games and being named a first-team All-Big Ten selection three times -- twice at guard and once at center.
Jeffrey Okudah, this class will have some prospects who could see the field very early in their career.
With Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey as the two ESPN 300 receivers in this class joined by three ESPN 300 defensive linemen, the Buckeyes are well on their way to restocking this roster for sustained success in the near future.
