OSU Post-Camp Notes

The Good News...

*We've officially reached that point where Buckeye fans will be heartbroken if Terrelle Pryor ends up any place but Ohio State. Pryor showed up at camp, saying all the right things and looking every bit the #1 player in the land. Pryor had an opportunity to hang out with Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who hopefully chatted about his great experience as OSU's quarterback. Pryor also met with basketball coach Thad Matta, as he plans to play both sports in college. Should Pryor eventually commit, a huge assist will go to Mike Brewster, who is apparently the most active recruiter in the country. Brewster, Shugarts and Adams spent a great deal of time trying to convince Pryor that no line in the country will better protect him.

*D.J. Woods, dubbed "Man on Fire" by Scout.com, came up with another great camp showing. He's a smooth athlete with great speed and leaping ability, and it sounds like the long-awaited Buckeye offer will soon be coming. He battled in one session with top 5 WR DeVier Posey, which had coaches drooling over the two. Woods will need to add weight at the next level, but could be a steal for whoever gets him. Penn State reportedly just offered him as well, so the Buckeyes better make a decision quickly. Should they offer soon, I think there's a 70% we see Woods in Scarlet and Gray.

*With all of the 5-star talent OSU has collected for the '08 class, DE Nathan Williams has been flying under the radar. He certainly made an impression on Friday, perhaps wanting to show he belongs in this special class. Showing off some mammoth arms, Williams dominated most of the lineman in drills. No one should underestimate the potential of this Rivals250 member.

*TE Kevin Koger arrived with his father and spent a great deal of time talking to coach Tressel. Big time offers outside of Michigan and Ohio State have somehow escaped the chiseled Koger, who claims that the Wolverines and Buckeyes are even as his leaders. I have previously given a slight edge to Michigan, but Koger's camp experience may put this in a true coin toss situation. Koger is expected to decide in the next few weeks, and will be a great player for either school.

*WR Michael Floyd (MN) made it to Columbus and was reportedly impressed by his visit. I still think Notre Dame or Florida will ultimately be his school, but OSU has a fighter's chance. His speed alone is enough for me to switch Cordale Scott to linebacker.

The Bad News...

*With Greg Shaw opting to go to Wisconsin at the last minutes, all eyes were on Josh Jenkins. Or would have been on Jenkins, if he made it to camp. His no-show led to a mini-meltdown on the message board, as posters bemoaned the death of Block O. Jenkins later called both OSU coaches and recruiting analysts to say he was still very interested in the Buckeyes, but that his car's transmission died. I'm not creepy enough to start calling West Virginia auto shops, but this sounds suspicious. Like every time I think I'm going out with a girl, they mysteriously have to wash there hair. Now that I think about it, I think a few of them had busted transmissions too.

Seriously though, you can read this either way. I personally think Jenkins is going to stick with West Virginia. And I think going to camp would have been hard, as he's made friends with Brewster, Adams and some of the other commits. So maybe he just didn't want to go up and have them aggressively pitch OSU all weekend.

*Brandon Beachum again had a nice camp but left without a offer. It's seems unbelievable, but the Buckeyes may actually completely whiff on the Cardinal Mooney juggernaut this year. Beachum has plenty of attractive offers, so I don't think he's going to hold out forever. My guess? The coaches aren't planning to take another RB with Devoe Torrence in the fold. And Beachum may be a bit undersized to play linebacker at OSU. With two smaller linebackers in the '07 class (Rolle and Hines) there's just not a place for Beachum. It's disappointing to see a talented, high character Ohio kid go elsewhere, but the chances are very high right now.

*Another Ohio linebacker, Doug Rippy, was impressive on Friday. He might have vaulted himself into consideration for an offer, but he verballed to Nebraska on Saturday. The timing, much like Elliott Mealer, suggests that Rippy was told no offer was coming by OSU. It's a nice pickup by the 'Huskers, as Rippy can play all three linebacker positions. Projected as a MIKE, Rippy had an outstanding junior combine at the Army All-American Game last year.

*Safety Rahim Moore didn't make it out from California, meaning that he and E.J. Woods will likely stay with UCLA. Michigan is stil a player for both, but don't bet on it.

Taking another crack at projecting the 2008 Buckeyes class:

QB (1): Pryor
RB (1): Torrence
WR (3-4): Posey, Stoneburner, Scott, (Floyd/Jarboe)
TE (1): Koger
OL (4): Shugarts, Adams, Brewster, Jenkins
K (1): Buchanan
DL (3): Williams, Goebel, Hale
LB (2): Sweat
DB (1): Woods
ATH (1): Pead

Lots of movement in the past couple weeks. The two big names are still Pryor and Hale, and my confidence is building for the former. I still have Scott listed at WR, but I'm hearing he might ultimately grow into a linebacker. As such, look for OSU to go after one more WR in this class - Floyd, Jarboe, and Fuller are still options.

I really like our chances with Koger and D.J. Woods, though Koger could easily end up at Michigan. Woods should be a Buckeye with an offer. I also still think it's matter of time for Goebel, though it may drag into July for a decision.

Two guys that might be slipping away are Willie Mobley and Josh Jenkins. Mobley has been spending a lot of time out west at camps and visiting, so it's possible he leaves Big Ten country. Jenkins has been over-discussed on this blog, so no need to beat a dead Mountaineer. There are some talented Ohio players who could easily fill this slot, but qualifying for OSU admission could be an issue. Stay tuned.

Doug Rippy is going to Nebraska, Hill is reportedly no longer in the picture, and Gardiner is apparently not getting an offer. OSU might just be done at linebacker.

Isaiah Pead and Johnny Adams might be on the outside looking in given the scholarship limitations. I think Pead has a better shot because he's a backdoor option at RB. Adams might to have show explosiveness and consistency as a senior, but he may not be willing to wait that long. I really wish both of these kids were seniors in a year OSU had the full complement.

(photo by Rivals.com)