The All-Star Games...Buckeyes Shine

It wasn't too many years ago that the U.S. Army All-American game was playing to a very small audience. For fans that followed recruiting before the boom, it could be a little embarrassing to explain that you were watching a high school football game. But college recruiting has exploded into a veritable cottage industry, all-stars have proliferated, and the games have gone mainstream. Sort of. It's still going to be a tough sell if you a tell a woman what you're watching.

With three major games this year - the Army game was joined by ESPN's Under Armour game, as well as the Offense-Defense game - a majority of Ohio State's commits and targets were in action. So who improved their stock? Did anyone struggle?

QB: Terrelle Pryor won the Army MVP and looked every bit the part of a Vince Young clone. He's a dazzling runner with a cannon arm, and he uses his 6'6" frame to effortless shrug off defenders. On the flip side, his odd throwing motion and tendency to attempt dangerous passes will cause some struggles early on.

Pryor was great, not elite, during the week of practice. He wasn't close to the best quarterback in the skills competition. But he turned it up when the game rolled around, which is obviously what you want. It will be interesting to see if he retains the #1 ranking in Rivals final 100.

RB: Still committed at this time, Devoe Torrence had a nice week at the O-D game. It's the least publicized of the three games, but Torrence was reportedly the most consistent back of a great group.

Though he's not being recruited as a running back, Lamaar Thomas looked like the real deal during the Army game. He showed great speed and vision, and is incredibly dangerous when he gets into the open field. It will be important for the Buckeyes to design packages for Thomas, but I'm very excited about his future.

WR: Though he didn't make much of an impact in the Army game, Devier Posey was excellent all week. He made his share of plays against the nation's top corner, Patrick Johnson, and looks to have good chemistry with Terrelle Pryor. Though the Buckeyes return their top four receivers, it will interesting to see if Posey can force his way onto the field. He's extremely smooth, and the only concern as a freshman will be strength.

TE: It probably was not the week Jake Stoneburner was looking for. Projected as a WR at the next level, Stoney was stuck at TE all week. With the Army East squad showing a predominately run-oriented scheme, the talented Dublin player was not in a position to show off his skills. When given the opportunity to stretch the field in practice, he caught some nice passes down the seam. Despite being a non-factor in the game, Stoneburner still looks like a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties in college.

OL: Still recovering from his shoulder surgery, Mike Brewster didn't practice or play in the Army game. That allowed Mike Adams to take center stage, where he exhibited all the skills of a franchise left tackle. After months of arguing about his Rivals ranking, Adams settled the debate with a dominating performance. He was probably the single most impressive Buckeye commit at any of the games. J.B. Shugarts and Josh Jenkins were also at the game, but neither really garnered much buzz. Shugarts is now enrolled at OSU, and will need to hit the weight room hard this spring.

DL: Current Florida State commit Keith Wells was reportedly a terror at practice, showing excellent burst and speed off the edge. For whatever reason, recruiting services have not given him the respect I think he deserves. Other than Pryor, he's right the top of my wish list. His speed and ability to disrupt will make him an elite player.

LB: Etienne Sabino and Andrew Sweat both had solid weeks at their respective all-star games. Sabino passed the look test at the Army game, and was among the most consistent performers on the East defense. Sweat exhibited great leadership skills at the Under Armour game, and looks very quick to the ball. I'm not sure if either are ready to step in next season, but the future is extremely bright for the Buckeyes at linebacker.

DB: Uncommitted cornerback Brandon Harris was lights out at the Under Armour game. With the possible exception of Patrick Johnson, there's not another corner in the country I'd rather have. Harris has consistently shut down some of the nation's best receivers this season, and is a surefire future star in my book. Though OSU faces an uphill battle, they're doing everything they can do persuade Harris to come to Columbus. His official visit is this weekend.