Buckeyes Add Florida DB

The Buckeyes received some good news on Friday as CB Travis Howard (FL) committed just days after his visit for the Michigan State game. Howard becomes the 13th member of the '08 class and the first defensive back. He attends the same Miami school as top linebacker and good friend Etienne Sabino. Sabino plans to announce his college selection in the next few weeks and has said that USC and Ohio State are his current leaders.

Howard is a 3-star propspect with 4.4 speed. He had offers from Florida, Miami (FL), Tennessee, Auburn and a host of other southern schools. ESPN's recruiting service ranks him as a top ten corner, but I won't hold that against him, With the current depth at defensive back, expect Howard to redshirt in 2008.

Buckeyes Recruiting Big Board

QB - Terrelle Pryor remains the biggest name out there, giving the Buckeyes an opportunity to add a huge exclamation point to this class. Most insiders would concede that at this time, Pryor almost looks like a done deal to Ohio State. But certainly, things could change with visits or other recruiting factors. One good sign was that Pryor appeared to be actively pushing Lamaar Thomas to join the Buckeyes. Pryor's Jeanette team has been so good this year that they've implemented the "mercy rule" in all eight wins. Odds: 70%

RB - With commitments from Devoe Torrence and all-purpose athlete Lamaar Thomas, the Buckeyes are probably done here. Torrence has had an up and down senior year since transferring to Massillon, which is something to keep an eye on. Columbus Eastmoor's Isiah Pead unofficially visited for the Michigan State game, so there are still some names floating around. Pead does not yet hold an offer.

WR - Big news on the receiver front, as Lammar Thomas (MD) committed to the Buckeyes, while Michael Floyd (MN) verballed to Notre Dame. The OSU coaches envision Thomas, who has 4.3 speed, as a Ray Small/Ted Ginn Jr.-type player in their spread offense. The combination of Thomas, DeVier Posey and Jake Stoneburner gives the Buckeyes some very dangerous, diverse weapons.

There was a brief time when it seemed like Floyd might be leaning towards Ohio State, especially given Notre Dame's struggles. But Floyd committed last weekend, as we've been expecting all along. I expect him to be a star for the Irish, assuming they can develop one of these young QB's.

At this point, only Genville's Cordale Scott remains a serious consideration receiver. There are some elite out-of-state players that are on the periphery like Travis Benjamin (FL) and Josh Jarboe (GA), but I wouldn't bet on either ending up in Columbus. And no, OSU isn't going to revisit the D.J. Woods situation, regardless of the turmoil at Nebraska. Like most Glenville players, Scott has been rather quiet about his recruitment during the season. Adding the 4-star should complete one of the best receiver classes in Buckeyes history. Odds: 85%

TE - With Nic DiLillo and freakish Jake Stoneburner already on board, OSU is not looking for another TE. Both are having great senior season, and it will be interesting to track their careers against the Michigan duo of Brandon Moore and Kevin Koger.

OL - Ohio State is still looking for the last piece of the offensive line puzzle to join Brewster, Adams and Shugarts. The main focus is on 4-star guard Josh Jenkins (WV) who is a soft verbal to homestate West Virginia. Jenkins will make an unofficial visit to Columbus, probably for the Wisconsin game. But he'll also travel to Florida State, which is a serious darkhorse in this race. Their ace in the hole is offensive line coach Rick Trickett, who was part of the reason that Jenkins decided to go to West Virginia in the first place. Still, it seems like WVA and OSU are the clear leaders at this point. Odds: 50%

DL - This is probably where you can find the most action and fluidity. Ohio State already has commitments from Miami Trace WDE Nathan Williams and DT Garrett Goebel (IL). But the Buckeyes would like to add at least 1 or 2 additional linemen to the class, and there are a number of candidates vying for those spots. At SDE, converted linebacker Shayne Hale remains the most recognizable name out there. Buckeyes fans were quietly confident about Hale, even when other sites were proclaiming a definite package deal with cousin Cam Saddler. But it appears that for a variety of reasons, the staff has somewhat cooled on Hale. He's had a somewhat inconsistent senior year, could have some admissions issues, and OSU definitely doesn't want a replay of last year's January massacre. So Hale may be fading somewhat from the Buckeyes plans.

Willie Mobley (MN), who could play end or tackle, is visiting for the Wisconsin game. He's been a tough player to read and his school list is ever-changing, though the Buckeyes remain a constant. If he commits, it's possible that OSU will stop recruiting Hale altogether. One fast rising name is St. Xavier's Greg Scruggs, who has the size and athleticism to be a star at the next level. He's racked up a number of impressive offers recently, and the Buckeyes are staying in touch.

At tackle, a pair of 3-star Glenville kids remain in the hunt for an OSU offer. Legacy Dawawn Whitner and Shawntel Rowell still list the Buckeyes high on their list, though neither has received an offer. Rowell has both grade and weight issues to work through, and Whitner lacks ideal tackle size. Both will likely be solid college players, though a lot of things would have to happen for either to end up at OSU. They are most certainly mutually exclusive. Odds: Shayne Hale 33%, Willie Mobley 45%

LB - Etienne Sabino (FL), one of the nation's top linebackers, visited OSU for the third time last weekend and came away impressed. Sabino is likely to leave the state of Florida, with USC and OSU at the top of his list. A commitment from Sabino would be a major score for OSU and give them unprecedented depth and talent at linebacker over the next few years. Sabino is expected to commit around his birthday in mid-November. Odds: 50%

DB - Given OSU's depth, there aren't a lot of serious prospect here. OSU would still take CB Brandon Harris (FL) but he seems like a lock to the Hurricanes. 3-star CB Travis Howard (Sabino's teammate) visited last weekend, but he doesn't yet hold an offer. And while OSU remains in the top 5 for safety Darrell Simmons (GA), Alabama and Miami (FL) appear to be way out in front for his services. Odds: Harris 25%

Buckeyes Add #4 for 2010

What else can you say about Thad Matta? Just days after scoring a major coup by landing an elite out-of-state point guard, Matta secured his fourth commitment for the class of 2010. Cleveland Benedictine's Cameron Wright, a 6'4" shooting guard, offered his verbal commitment at a press conference Tuesday.

Wright joins point guard Trae Golden and forward J.J. Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas in a star-studded class that could rival the 2006 group. Wright is considered a top 5 player in the state of Ohio and a surefire top 100 player in '10.

Matta On a Huge Roll, Adds Elite '10 Commit

Lost in the Ohio State Buckeyes rather amazing run in football, the OSU basketball team is not-so-quietly building a juggernaut. This weekend they picked up another verbal commitment for the class of 2010 in PG Trae Golden (GA). He's widely recognized as the most prolific guard in the Atlanta area already and becomes the third verbal to a star-studded class.

Yes it's early and these kids are only 15-16 years old. But at that stage we knew about the Lebrons, the Odens and many of the other future college superstar. At this point, Rivals.com has only ranked 10 five-star players for the '10 class. THREE of these kids have already pledged to be Buckeyes, and a high four-star could possibly commit later this week.

Michigan State Quick Thoughts

*Ohio State fans may never get over the 1998 upset by Michigan State of the #1 ranked Buckeyes. So any win comes with a sigh of relief. But the sloppy third quarter that let MSU back in the game can't be confidence inspiring with a tough road game coming up at Penn State.

*I know the Buckeyes haven't exactly played murderer's row this season, but the scoring defense is getting a little ridiculous. Dig deeper into the stats...the Ohio State offense has now given up 23 points off turnovers and safety. Two more of the TD's (Washington and Purdue) along with the Kent FG were scored in absolute garbage time. So while the team is giving up 9 points per game, it's really 5.7 if don't penalize the defense for the offense's mistakes. And the defense is actually giving up 3.2 ppg when the starters are still in and the game is still in play.

*Todd Boeckman turned another classic Boeckman performance. There are times in which he demonstrates a great grasp of the offense, makes the correct reads, and shows surprising mobility. But he's turnover-prone and seems to put a lot of balls in dangerous places. His arm strength is fine, but sometimes passes float on deep ball and sideline patterns. It's cliche to say that the QB is the most important position, but Boeckman's play will determine how well the Buckeyes do. Much like 2002 and 2005, the defense will keep the team in games. If Beanie Wells is healthy, strong play from Boeckman will keep the Buckeyes undefeated.