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Buckeye Blogger Network
With a solid foundation already laid in 2013, the staff can focus on putting the finishing touches on the class while beginning to turn their attention to 2014.
Let me start by saying that it is quite remarkable how far along the 2013 class already is considering we are still over eight months away from signing day.
Although the quick turnaround on the commitments of linebackers Alex Anzalone and Lewis Neal shortly after the Spring Game was less than ideal (to put it lightly), with so much time left before ink goes on paper, there is no doubt that those losses will be compensated for.
One thing that may change, however, is the priorities the staff pursues moving forward.
In other words, the two new openings might not be filled by other linebackers.
A shift in focus following the attrition seems even more likely given the solid 2011 group of linebackers and a 2014 linebacker class that already looks very strong.
Regardless of where the priorities are, the staff will be able to focus on their top targets to fill the remaining spots in the class, which will no doubt result in another outstanding group of players.
Here is a position by position look at how things currently stand in the 2013 class and a brief glimpse ahead to 2014.
So, what did we miss? Actually, quite a bit.
Some of you may have noticed that our recruiting pages haven’t been updated since the end of April (until now, that is).
This has been due to yours truly being in Hawaii for the past two weeks.
The good news is that the six hour time difference has made it difficult to fall asleep at a normal hour back in Ohio, giving me plenty of time to catch up on everything I missed over the past 14 days or so.
Our recruiting boards have been fully updated, so check them out for all the latest news and offers.
Special mention to the 2014 class, which has seen 15 new offers go out during my absence.
Things have obviously been picking up in that class, and I expect the 2013 class to come together even more during summer camps- especially during Friday Night Lights at the end of July.
Now that I am back from vacation, we promise not to leave you hanging for so long without your BBC recruiting fix moving forward.
We will be bringing the recruiting updates on a regular basis once again.
It should be fun.
“May you live in interesting times”- Ancient Curse
With news today that PA linebacker Alex Anzalone has both decommitted from Ohio State and is no longer considering the Buckeyes, it has certainly been an interesting week for Ohio State Football recruiting.
First, Lewis Neal acknowledged that his jumping on the Buckeye Bandwagon and that he needed to slow down and assess his future before making a solid commitment.
Anzalone’s change of heart was the second of the week, but could easily be seen as the third; since Buckeye “lock” Mike Heuerman decided instead to head to Notre Dame.
Interspersed in all of this was the story of Charles Waugh, a registered Kentucky sex offender who interacted with a number of Ohio State recruits on twitter and facebook; and even met up with several (Anzalone and Heuerman included) at the Spring Game. For the most in-depth coverage of this, please see the work that Luke Zimmerman did over at Land-Grant Holy Land.
So, here are some things that are currently rattling around the ol’ brainbucket here at Mali Manor:
To be clear- this isn’t a comment on other sites’ decisions; several of the BBN do great work connecting with young adults. Rather, it’s more commentary that we haven’t figured out how to have these types of conversations as carefully as we’d like to, in spite of numerous conversations with the Ohio State Athletic Department.
“Ask before you act” is a great motto to have in this matter, and we’d rather be behind the news than make a huge mistake.
Oh, and believe it or not… It’s a GREAT day to be a Buckeye.
Time for another wander around the BBN for a look back at the week in Ohio State Sports. Oh, and be sure to check out one of the newest places for news from Buckeye Athletics, Unscripted Ohio, from our friends Chris and Jeremy and the Buckeye Sports Bulletin/Yahoo!/Rivals family. It’s a great resource… and we hope to add them as the seventh seal on the BBN in the near future.
We’ll toot tBBC’s horn first this week, if only to give best wishes to our own Jim, who ties the knot to his beautiful fiance today. Mazel Tov, guys… Enjoy your amazing day and your time together on the honeymoon. Oh, and remember: come August his heart belongs to Urban.
James led off our double look at recruiting this week, covering the post- spring game options for football’s class of 2013-
Most people are projecting 21 as the upper limit of scholarships in 2013, so with Heuerman on board (speculation as I write this- ed. He verballed to Notre Dame… what can you do?), that leaves approximately seven spots to fill.
On Friday, Joe talked hoops, given that there are still some options for the Buckeye 2012 class now that transfers and the NBA have increased Ohio State’s numbers-
Now that it seems that the rest of Ohio State’s open scholarships will be turned down for other programs across the country (Amile Jefferson, Anthony Bennett), Thad Matta and company will be looking at the best transfer options and gauging interest in the upcoming month.
Yet, there is still one more interesting option that has evolved from the class of 2012…
The team from the Buckeye Blog evaluated last Saturday’s Spring Game, first with a take on the “Hoot And Holler” drill that kicked off the game-
This is exactly what the 2012 Ohio State team will be playing for – pride and respect. There is no Rose Bowl or Big Ten Championship to play for this year, and some (including myself) have worried about where the motivation will come from for the players. Worry no more. This new coaching staff has instilled a competitive spirit amongst the Scarlet and Gray ranks that was palpable throughout the stadium during this drill.
The review continued by evaluating not only the quarterback performances, but the way that their new coach is grooming them to be the tip of the spear for the new Buckeye offensive philosophy-
Although I’m still a fan of Big 10 style threeyardsandacloudof football, at some point even a successful Jim Bollman offense gets frustrating (not to mention the emotions associated with an unsuccessful Bollman offense). Meyer has said that this is still Ohio State and that we can expect to see a solid running game come fall. Unlike 2011 however, not only will there be the threat of a passing game (which was non-existent at times last year), we should actually have a solid passing game in place.
While there were a number of great articles at TSB this week, the one that made national news was Michael’s interview with Kyle Dodson, which addressed the “Bret Bielema” allegations of a “bumping” recruiting violation- Read More
The 2013 recruiting class is filling up fast thanks to a big Spring Game recruiting weekend.
As expected, the Spring Game brought a flurry of commitments Ohio State’s way.
Although we tried to temper our expectations initially, things couldn’t have gone much better with PA LB Alex Anzalone and FL DL Joey Bosa both making their plan to be Buckeyes official.
NC LB/DE Lewis Neal followed up with a surprise commitment for good measure, helping to alleviate the loss of OH LB Courtney Love to Nebraska.
Although Neal is only rated as a 3-star by Rivals and Scout, he reminds me of 2012 NC LB/DE Jamal Marcus in many ways- including being vastly underrated.
With 13 commitments in the 2013 class and FL TE Mike Heuerman expected to announce his decision at any time, spots are filling up quickly and the staff can really focus on nailing down the final few positions of need.
Most people are projecting 21 as the upper limit of scholarships in 2013, so with Heuerman on board (speculation as I write this), that leaves approximately seven spots to fill.
Here is a look at how that might happen.
Making Fans Already
And the good news keeps rolling, as North Carolina’s Lewis Neal becomes the lucky thirteenth member of the OSU class of 2013.
The 6’3″ Neal is projected as a defensive lineman, and plays weakside end at James Hunt HS in Wilson North Carolina. He visited the ‘Shoe on Saturday for the spring game, which gave us what could easily be the most awesome recruiting photo ever, seen on the right.
Neal’s offer list is a strong one, particularly given that he is rated as a three star by most of the major recruiting sites. He held offers from Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and Purdue.
After the jump, you can get a better look at his film- great first reaction and tenacity, although the technique is a bit raw (who’s wasn’t in high school?). From what we hear, he’s just now coming into his own in terms of his abilities, and is a hard worker both on and off the field.
It will be interesting to see if Ohio State keeps him on the line or bumps him back to linebacker- our recruiting team seems to think that this commitment more than makes up for Courtney Love’s decision to head to Nebraska over the weekend.
Welcome To Columbus, Mr. Bosa!
Ohio State’s work during their big recruiting weekend continues to roll, as they add the twelfth member of the 2013 class, defensive lineman Joey Bosa from Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Bosa, a four/five star athlete that’s ranked in the top 30 nationally by the major scouting services, is currently plays strong-side defensive end (think John Simon) for STA. The junior is listed as 6’5″ and at 260 pounds, and has amazing Buckeye ties- he’s the nephew of former Ohio State linebacker Eric Kumerow.
Bosa is another OSU verbal with an incredible laundry list of offers from BCS schools, including Alabama, the Big Three schools in Florida, Tennessee, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Auburn; he made visits to Madison and Ann Arbor last weekend when he also came by Columbus.
When you watch his film (after the jump), it’s hard to not see why Coach Meyer would be so high on him- his strength and athleticism are disruptive for opposing offenses. Having Bosa as a part of the Ohio State team, in addition to the current defensive line and incoming 2012 class makes me weep for B1G offensive coordinators and quarterbacks- Wonder what ACC school Wisconsin will pillage to find their next cannon fodder?
Buckeye Legend, and Legend To Be?
Sorry to be a bit late on this one… we were busy celebrating the Buckeye Spring Game victory/grieving the Buckeye Spring Game loss. As you can imagine, beverages were involved in both scenarios.
Anywho- Since Buckeye Hoops Nation grew by one today, it only made sense that the Football team bring one into the fold as well; and following the Spring Game Pennsylvania Wyomissing’s Alex Anzalone gave his verbal commitment to become the eleventh member of Ohio State’s 2013 recruiting class.
A rumored Buckeye lean for the past few weeks (given his mail, can you blame him?), Anzalone is one of the top rated outside linebackers in the country this year- a four star recruit on all three major scouting services. It might be easier to list the schools that haven’t offered him a scholarship at this point, since his list is a veritable “Who’s Who” of BCS powerhouses that might require Yakko Warner to adequately cover in totality. A short list: Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Southern Cal. Michigan also offered him a scholarship, but I’m sure Wolverine fans will tell you they’d “cooled on him recently”.
A 6’3″ student athlete, Anzalone played both linebacker and running back for his high school- after the jump, you can see his athletic ability on display (as well as his team’s ridiculous looking helmets… can’t win them all). I’m most impressed with his work on offense, his speed is evident as he pulls away from folks on numerous runs, and he will deliver punishment running the ball equally as easily as he does on D.
