Buckeye Blogger NetworkWe’re one week away from National Letter Of Intent Day, and the excitement (and chaos) is building. We’ll talk a bit this week about the idea of “verbals” and visits, but let’s dig through the news bucket a bit first, shall we? Oh, and Mark Titus’ favorite band brings us our musical inspiration for the morning. Happy Wednesday.
Buckeye 411
Commentary- Commitment Read More
The National Championship has been awarded. Recruits are making commitments. Excitement for the 2013 Buckeye football season is already full throttle. Let’s rumble!
Notre Lame and the championship debacle
Let me be the first to say it, I was wrong, just completely and utterly wrong. I thought that the Irish would have learned from the mistakes of the 06 Buckeyes and some of the other programs to challenge the SEC in the years since. I was wrong. They had to learn for themselves, stubborn to the end.
So to you, the great people of Buckeye Nation, I am sorry. I allowed my disdain and overall loathing for the Southeastern Conference to put my faith in one of the most heinous college football villains of all time, the Fighting Irish. This is a mistake I shall not repeat. Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.
No contest
Heading into the game, the Irish brought one of the country’s best defensive units, at least statistically. They were led by Manti Te’o, a player that I still feel deserved to win the Heisman Trophy, but more on that later. While Te’o was their heart and soul, their defensive line was their backbone. Against Alabama, that backbone was broken in half. Read More
Trey Johnson will be expected to contribute immediately to the two-deep at LB next season. (11W)
Georgia 4-star linebacker Trey Johnson has officially announced his plans to attend The Ohio State University next season.
Johnson chose Ohio State over Florida and Tennessee on live television during the Under Armour All America Game.
He becomes the 20th commitment in the 2013 class and the first in what is expected to be a huge recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes with decisions from 5-star TX LB Mike Mitchell and 5-star KY WR James Quick pending tomorrow.
It is no secret that the Silver Bullets need some major help at linebacker, which gives Johnson and other young players a chance to make their mark right away next fall.
Listed at 6’1″ 215, Johnson seems to fit the mold of Silver Bullet weak side tackling machines like A.J. Hawk and Ryan Shazier.
However, he could end up in the middle or on the strong side as well given the tremendous need and lack of depth at those positions.
He plays primarily in the middle for his HS team in the highlights below where he shows outstanding instincts and a nose for the ball which will serve him well no matter where he ends up on D.
As players like Brian Rolle have shown in the past, prototypical size isn’t always the most important factor in where you will contribute.
Johnson is clearly a very exciting addition to the class who will be expected to crack the two deep and contribute immediately once he gets on campus.
Highlights after the jump.
As if The Game weren’t already primed to be an incredible event, it will be the highlight of Ohio State recruiting for the fall as well.
The names and stars speak for themselves and not to mention the sheer number of high level recruits planning to be in town is unlike any recruiting weekend we have seen in the past. Keep in mind it is only Tuesday so plan for some minor changes throughout the week. Also this is the first step in what will be like a NASCAR speed couple of months following recruiting as things will change and we will get in on some of the top kids in the country.
Trey Johnson
The “official visits” scheduled at this point are:
It wasn't a big secret why 2003 was by far Jim Tressel's worst recruiting class. Fingers crossed that the 2012 class is a different story.
In the aftermath of Jim Tressel’s resignation, there are many important things to think about as Ohio State moves forward: was Tressel treated fairly? what will his legacy be? did he really lose control of the program? will any new violations be uncovered? who will be the next long-term coach? and so on.
On top of everything else, another thing to think about is the impact that Tressel’s resignation will have on the 2012 recruiting class. If you have been following along at all this year, you know that the 2012 class is the most talented group of high school seniors in Ohio since at least 2002. In that sense, Tressel’s resignation could not have come at a worse time.
Opposing schools have already been cashing in on Ohio State’s inability to offer all of the talented in-state players, and now they will be looking to really open the floodgates by sniping the players Ohio State has offered in the midst of the turmoil (Tom Strobel became the first casualty on that front last week).
Fortunately, the new man in charge, Luke Fickell, provides some continuity and happens to be the most dynamic and effective recruiter on the staff. He has successfully locked down all 8 of Ohio State’s previous commitments (it wasn’t a sure thing the entire time either), and he will obviously be putting a lot of effort into finishing the job with many other targeted players in the class.
One thing that I think benefits Ohio State greatly here was Tressel’s recruiting style. He sold kids on falling in love with being a Buckeye, and being a Buckeye transcends whoever happens to be the current head coach. That style and emphasis was a point that Fickell hammered home at his press conference yesterday.
Still, it would be naive to think that Tressel’s resignation will have no negative impact on recruiting. Read More
