Ohio State: Breaking Down the Defensive Backs

Ohio State two lost two All-Big Ten performers from last year's defensive backfield, but coaches believe this year's unit is far deeper and more talented that the '06 team. The DB's will be led by All-American candidate Malcolm Jenkins. The junior from Piscataway is considered one of the top cover corners in the country and this will most certainly be his last year in Columbus. Jenkins was rated as the #61 corner in his class by Rivals in 2005, giving an indication of Jim Tressel's ability to identify and develop great players.

The second corner spot is currently manned by redshirt sophomore Donald Washington. Washington has good size and recovery speed, but struggled somewhat against Michigan and Florida in his first year as a starter. He reported made a lot of big plays during spring, and the staff expects big things of Washington. Also from the class of 2005, Washington was just a two-star recruit.

Junior Andre Amos is listed as the nickel corner coming out spring practice, but a number of young players are nipping at his heels. Amos came in as a highly-regarded four-star in 2005, but has not yet seen substantial time on the field. He's been hampered somewhat by injuries, but he needs to emerge from that pack if he wants to make an impact over the next two seasons. Also in the mix for playing time at corner is Chimdi Chekwa, a redshirt freshman from Florida. Chekwa flew under the radar as a recruit, but had great success against Michigan WR Greg Mathews during high school. Chekwa currently projects as a solid nickel corner during his time in Columbus, but may compete for starting job in '08 with a strong campaign. Junior Brandon Underwood was on the two-deep after the spring practice, but he has had an up and down time at Ohio State. The talented incoming freshmen could relegate him to special teams and backup duty.

The Buckeyes are extremely deep at safety, where up to seven returning players could see action this season. The current starters are junior Jamario O'Neal and redshirt junior Nick Patterson, but neither one might be on the field when the Buckeyes open up against Youngstown State. O'Neal, a Rivals100 player from 2005, has never quite translated his amazing athletic ability into steady play on the field. Patterson, may just be keeping the spot warm for Anderson Russell, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered against Iowa. Russell hopes to ready for opening day and will definitely see significant playing time when he's 100%.

A talented group of young safeties is led by sophomore Kurt Coleman. The former four-star from Northmont has the cover skills of a corner but loves to mix it up near the line of scrimmage. It wouldn't be going out on a limb to say he'll be a starter by the time Big Ten season rolls around. Sophomore Aaron Gant, who played at Michigan pipeline school Orchard Lake St. Mary's, cut his teeth on special teams and hopes to make the regular rotation this season. Two other players to watch: Redshirt freshman Grant Schwartz, a speedy legacy from California, had a strong spring filling in for injured players. And redshirt freshman Tyler Moeller, a converted linebacker, was a terror in spring drills and could force his way onto the field. Ohio State does not expect to lose any safeties to graduation or the draft, meaning a very deep and experienced team will return in '08.

In addition to the diverse, talented group of veterans, Ohio State reeled in one of the top defensive back classes in the country last season. The group was led by Gene Clifford, one of the most highly regarded safeties in the nation. Clifford had an off-season incident that may land him in the doghouse, but he is the freshman most likely to make an impact this year. Clifford is also a game breaking wide receiver and has the ability to play corner, so he could be a menace all over the field. Clifford will be paired in the future with Nate Oliver, a four-star safety that was nearly forgotten because of his early commitment. Though he currently lacks ideal speed, Oliver is true playmaker from the safety spot. Rocco Pentello, recruited as an athlete, player quarterback in high school but will likely start out at safety. Pentello suffered a broken leg as a senior so he was not a high-level recruit. But some program insiders believe that he will "surprise" Buckeye fans and see heavy playing time by 2010.

Ohio State brought in three cornerbacks, including potential lockdown corner James Scott. Though he was listed as one of the top ten corners on many lists, Scott was knocked down a few pegs due to his height (5'10"). But he was a demon at post-season all-star games and camps, and Buckeye fans believe he could be the best overall corner coming into the conference this season. His tough style of play reminds many of Antoine Winfield, whose hard-hitting play made him an ideal Big Ten corner. Slotted as the #2 CB of the future is Donnie Evege, another Rivals250 member. Both Evege and Scott enrolled early and participated in spring drills. Evege is a smooth athlete with great speed and solid technical skills for a freshman. Athlete Devon Torrence is the third corner in the class, though he may ultimately end up on the offensive side of the ball. Torrence, another four-star prospect, is also a standout baseball player. He will be joined in Columbus by his brother Devoe, one of the best players in the '08 class.

With such a surplus of young defensive backs, Ohio State's recruiting is rather light this year. Safety Danny McCarthy from Cardinal Mooney was one of the first players offered in Ohio, but he seems headed to South Bend to join his brother. Ohio State, much like Michigan, is still in contact with E.J. Woods and Rahim Moore. The pair are soft verbals to UCLA, but may visit or camp at Ohio State. Woods grew up in Cleveland, so he seems the more likely one to break ranks. I wouldn't currently predict either chaging their minds.

A few other names on the radar include: Brandon Harris (FL), Johnny Adams (OH), Terrance Parks (GA) and Isiah Pead (OH). Harris and Parks both hold offers, but at this time neither has Ohio State in their top three. Adams and Parks will need top notch camp performances to garner offers in this tight year. We'll have more on OSU recruiting when the big board is updated this weekend.

Mike Martin is a Wolverine

He's the man I referred to as this year's Dexter Larimore. A guy who just looks real bad ass and who is someone you want in the trenches. He has been rocketing up the charts and gaining significant national attention recently. He is on everybody's top 5 players in Michigan list. He is a member of the Rivals 250 and a Rivals 4-star. He is on ESPN's top 150 watch list.

Martin is one of the strongest players in the country. His stat line reads as follows:

6-foot-1

Wt: 295 lbs

Forty: 4.9 secs

Bench max: 420 pounds

Squat max: 550 pounds

Martin is a "two-gap" defensive tackles. He's not going to explode up the field and make a lot of plays in the backfield; however, he is going to stop a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage. Usually these type of college recruits are fat guys who need to get stronger. Martin is an already very strong guy who needs to get fatter. He is a state track and field champion as well as the state's heavyweight wrestling champ (as a junior) (and Dan O'Neil lost in the quarterfinals).

The '08 DT depth chart is now as follows:

NT- T. Taylor (Sr), M. Slocum (So), J. Kates (So), M. Martin (Fr)

DT- W. Johnson (Sr), J. McKinney (Jr), J. Ferrara (S0), R. Sagesse (R-Fr)

It would have been nice to have added O. Hunter, a one-gapper who complements Martin well. Hunter claimed to be a lifelong UM fan who was coming up to Ann Arbor with his dad to commit over the past weekend and that he was "just stopping by Notre Dame on the way." But when he saw how pitiful Notre Dame's DT depth chart is, Fat Charlie was able to convince him to shock everyone and pick Notre Dame. However, looking at the above depth chart, Omar wasn't really needed. Plus, we are still very much in on several other 4-star one gappers if we decide to indeed take a 2nd DT in this class.

(photo by Rivals.com)

Here Comes Michigan Baseball!

Alan Oaks, a .188 hitter with one home run, smacked a pinch-hit homer in the top of the 10th off David Price, the nation's best pitcher, as second-seeded Michigan stunned top-seeded and top-ranked Vanderbilt 4-3 to advance to the Super Regional.

Michigan 2008 Football Recruiting- Targets Update

For a review of my metrics for evaluating recruits and needs, please reference my target list overview.

Top 12 Remaining Targeted positions
as of June 3, 2007

Already Wolverines:

CB- B. Cissoko (Det., MI)
OT- D. O’Neil (MI)
OT/OG- E. Mealer (OH)
OG- K. Wermers (IND)
TE- B. Moore (OH)
LB- M. Witherspoon (NJ)

* Bolded are the guys to really watch

12. HB- C. Wilson (PA)/LB – Lots of mutual interest here.

11. DT- O. Hunter (GA) – Soon should be a wolverine. T. Taylor Jr. but with less strength and more speed and explosiveness. He will be higher rated once minor leg break heals. Great offer list. M. Martin (MI) – Also likely a wolverine. He’s the ’07 D. Larimore. E. Johnson (OR)/DE is the best of this unit but his commit is not very likely. C. Henderson (PA) – Has UM in top 2. L. Guy (NV) – Has UM in top 3. R. Ellis (DC) - Would probably be higher on this list but there is not a great chance of a commit. A. Woods (Det., MI) & S. Barnett (IND) (another Warren Central kid- I think we are backing off that school for now b/c of Finch) are also out there. Not a very high priority, but might very well take two because of mutual interest and a desire to stack the deck at this position.

10. TE- H. Graham (PA) – Will be a UM camper…again. K. Koger (OH)/DE – A little better than 50% chance of being a wolverine. S. Ladner (MO) – I like this guy as a #2 TE in this class. T. Edwards (LA) & B. Ayles (CA) are not likely to be wolverines but are very good and have been offered and have some interest.

9. FS/CB- R. Blanton (NC) – Probably Notre Dame 1 and UM 2. J. Slaughter (Ga) – Not sure we can get him. J. Holley (PA) – Not feeling confident with him. Loves the movie Rudy. R. Moore (CA) – He is a soft UCLA commit and he is being recruited as a CB/S for UM and he was offered after the UCLA commit and Ron English is recruiting him (See Donovan Warren) and he has a summer official to UM. E.J. Woods (CA) - basically see above. B. Barnes (NC)/RB is not coming to UM because he wants to play RB. A. Bushell (TX). L. Green (PA) – Haven’t heard much from him in a while. R. Butler (TX) – Ditto. May take two in this category.

8. QB- B. Kay (MI) - Best in MI. Important since Forcier has transferred. M. Glennon (VA) is best overall but unlikely to commit. D. Britt (OH), N. Kearney (PA), C. Lum (MI), & A. Follett (MI) are the backup plans.

7. OG- Z. Schlink (AZ) (probably a 40/60 chance) - V. Dotsy (CA) - Needs to get in better shape. He’s from ’07 recruit M. Williams’s school which is also ’08 recruit D. Scott’s new school. K. Page (SC) - Longshot. G. Goebel (ILL)/DT - Would be much higher, especially as a DT, but there seems to be a lack of mutual interest and he doesn’t want to play OG. A. Sampson (CO) - Still no offer yet but I like him and he likes UM. D. Mathis (Det., MI) - Just fat looking right now and likely overrated. There could also be a late comer to this list. Will take at least 1 if not 2 more.

6. OT- Looking to take another tackle from the following list: Z. Sanders (OH) – UM’s #1 OT tackle left on the board. A LT prospect. G. Pocic (ILL)/OG – From D. Molk’s school. Love him at guard but like him at tackle. L. Nix - (PA)/DT is second best (to Sanders) in UM’s eyes but is unlikely to commit. He also would prefer to play DT in college. M. Lipski (OR) - A fat guy. J. Bennett (DC) & T. Sands (PA) are other backup plans.

5. WR- D. Stonum (TX) – Wants UM. From Herron and Woolfolk’s school. May announce the same day as McGuffie. He’s a home run guy. J. Baldwin (PA) – Rivals referred to him as the next Calvin Johnson. F. Smith (Det., MI) – catching fire as of late. V. Carraway (PA) -The ’07 Z. Babb who is being recruited as an athlete. D. Walker (VA) & M. Floyd (MN) – They are top talents who are unlikely to be wolverines but they’ve been offered and are moderately interested. S. Johnson (TX) & D. Jordan (AZ) are both moderate talents with moderate interest. R. Jenkins (VA) is another guy. Will take at least two here.

4. WSDE- S. Hale (PA) - Camp performances indicates DE is the most likely future for him. He is gaining interest in UM and we offered best pal Saddler. K. Middleton (WA)/SSDE - Very tough to get him off the west coast but he really likes UM and so does his HS coach. I’m worried about whether he is truly a WSDE. D. Heyman (KEN.) - It’s been a long time since the “UM leads” article with no new news. K. Lewis-Moore (TX) – Also not enough new news. How good is he? N.Price (Det., MI) - I like him a lot but he’s not going to automatically commit to UM and is more of a “B” option guy. SSDE- T. Hoover (MI)/TE- Love him as a TE but not so much as a DE. C. McDonald (HFII, SH, MI) is the backup. May take two DEs here.

3. SS- W. Hill (NJ) – Superstar who would be handed the keys to UM’s strong safety position. Who knows with him? S. Adams (NC) – A little less than 50% chance at this athletic freak show. K. Staley (OK) - A stud but when does UM get OK studs? B. Smith (NJ) – I think he will grow into a Will. D. McCarthy (OH) – Won’t be a Wolverine. K. Cooper (TX) - 33% chance at best for this solid player. D. Simmons (GA) – probably won’t be a wolverine. Probably will be a college RB. B. Leslie (CA) – Haven’t heard anything about him in a while. E. Biakabatuka (CAN) – See Leslie comments. May very well take two here.

2. LB- S. Filer (ILL) - Could be a SAM or a MIKE. Both are badly needed. I’d say he’s a 50% chance get. J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ) - Same as Filler but probably more likely to be a wolverine. Filler is a bit higher rated nationally. J. Major (CO) - A bit short (6’4” numbers are wrong & exaggerated) but will probably be a great college MIKE and maybe a SAM. B. Beal (PA) - Very good but probably not a wolverine. A. Brown (KAN) – Even better but even more likely not to be a wolverine. M. Dowtin (VA) - four star and I’m not feeling it. B. Beachum (OH) – Witherspoon’s commit basically kills UM/Beachum relations. J. Meyers (CONN) - See Beachum comments. L. Murray (NY- M. Hart’s school) – See Beachum comments. Will take at least two more LBs.

1. RB- S. McGuffie (TX) - This year’s Ryan Mallett in UM’s eyes. D. Scott (CA) - The best RB in the county is taking an official visit to UM. C. Deboskie (AZ) - I like him and he can possibly go UM’s way. UM would prefer McGuffie commits before Deboskie gets close to deciding and puts them in a bind. R. Polk (AZ) – Recipient of a recent offer is a between the tackles type meant to complement McGuffie. J. Grey (Det., MI) – Rivals loves him while Scout does not care due to McGuffie love. J. Haden (MD) – A short, quick, & fast type back who now has UM in final three (See Deboskie worries above). C. Saddler (PA) - Third down back who was offered to lure S. Hale. Might take two here.

Other people now on the radar:

J. Kearse (WA) (ATH/WR) - (Loves UM) (From Middleton’s school and will help in Middleton’s recruitment).

J. Jarrett (CA) (WSDE)

M. Shaw (OH) (RB/ATH)

LeBron - The Next One

While King James is making NBA headlines, one of the top young prep players in country recently selected Ohio State as his college of choice. DeShaun Thomas, a 6'7" forward, is largely considered the #1 player in the country for the class of 2010. He scored nearly 29 points and had over 13 rebounds per game as a freshman. Thomas choose Ohio State over offers from Indiana, Duke, Michigan State and Florida.

Thomas is the second top commit for Thad Matta's '10 class, joining Ohio's Jared Sullinger. He is the third top recruit Matta has lured from Indiana, the others named Oden and Conley. Though Thomas is a candidate for a "one-and-done" career, this is another feather in the cap for Matta, whose recruiting prowess is undeniable.