In sports, the target on your back is biggest when you win it all. That’s what Ohio State has figured out from a recruiting standpoint. No less than a month after an unforgettable national title run, head coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have had to fend off the advances of rival schools towards a handful of their committed 2015 prospects. There also remained a few final battles for the pledges of some players who hadn’t yet made up their minds before Signing Day.
Torrance Gibson and Mike Weber Stay Committed
With respect to the former, two examples stand out. Firstly, there’s the case of Torrance Gibson. A highly sought after dual-threat quarterback prospect out of Plantation, FL, Gibson committed to OSU in early November. I don’t think I need to tell you about the unimaginable depth at that position that manifested itself for the Buckeyes in between then and the national championship game.
Needless to say, in today’s age of endless high profile de-commitments, the writing appeared to be on the wall that Gibson might be wavering. Recruiting outlets nationwide picked up on the situation in mid-January as he made official visits to Auburn and LSU. I myself wrote a story on what was to be expected when it came time to make his decision. In the end, he remained true to his original commitment and sent in his national letter of intent to Columbus Wednesday morning.
The second case is that of running back Mike Weber, the top prospect out of none other than the state of Michigan. Weber originally committed to the Wolverines but flipped to OSU in the wake of Brady Hoke’s firing. When Jim Harbaugh took over in Ann Arbor, it’s believed that one of his biggest personal objectives from a recruiting standpoint was to get Weber to recommit. Apparently there was also a great deal of pressure on the Cass Tech High School standout to remain loyal to the Detroit area by switching back to Michigan. Ryan Donnelly of BuckeyeGrove.com wrote a great piece on the issue.
To make a long story short, Weber stayed with OSU despite what was probably a concerted effort from Harbaugh to pull off a recruiting coup. He was among 27 players whose NLIs came in on Wednesday. And don’t think the Ohio State coaching staff weren’t sweating his decision all the way until the end. As Meyer remarked during Wednesday’s press conference, “To be able to maintain it, as of 11 o’clock last night I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. And even at 8:00, 9:00 this morning we all weren’t sure. Up until about an hour before it announced we weren’t sure.”
Isaiah Prince and K.J. Hill Cap Off Signing Day Success
If you’re still following me from my above reference to the latter, good for you. That gets discussed here. Ultimately, there were three big-name uncommitted players that Meyer and the Buckeye coaching staff were looking to as a means of consolidating their fourth straight top ten class.
You can’t have everything you want in life. In Ohio State’s case, that reality came to pass on Signing Day Eve when Rivals.com’s 25th ranked player in the nation, linebacker Porter Gustin, announced he was committing to Southern Cal. The Salem, UT native had concluded a busy January of official visits by traveling to Columbus last weekend. Meyer himself traveled out to Utah earlier last week. In the end, Gustin chose the Trojans over the Buckeyes, Arizona State and Utah.
Despite that setback, Wednesday proved to be fairly banner day for the Buckeyes. Of the numerous players making highly publicized announcements regarding their forthcoming college careers, four had Ohio State amongst their final choices. Two would eventually put on a Scarlet and Gray cap in front of their high school classmates, including offensive lineman Isaiah Prince and wide receiver K.J. Hill.
Both were four-star standouts at their respective positions. Prince was rated as the top tackle out of Maryland and fourth overall. With the OSU offensive line showing so much improvement on a game-by-game basis last season, it must have been attractive for Prince to have a chance to experience such development. Couple that with offensive line coach Ed Warriner’s promotion to co-offensive coordinator in the wake of Tom Herman’s departure for the Houston head coaching job and you undoubtedly had a great deal of sway.
Hailing from North Little Rock, AR and rated as the 18th best wideout nationwide, Hill originally committed to Arkansas. After taking an official visit to Alabama on January 16th, he reopened his recruitment. One week later, he was in Columbus. Hill had to have been attracted by the fact that two stalwarts from last season’s run, Devin Smith and Evan Spencer, are graduating and the potential is there to make an instant impact. “He saw we lost two upperclassmen, too, and he watched very closely with what we do with the receivers. I think he jumped in because of the actual receiver play,” Meyer said in discussing Hill’s commitment.
Regarding these big last minute gets for the Buckeyes, Meyer emphasized it wasn’t easy. He stated that “it was a street fight until signing day” for both Prince and Hill. Again, it goes back to that target on your back when you’re at the summit of the proverbial mountain. Everyone’s gunning for you. In Ohio State’s case, opposing coaching staffs are trying to flip your verbals and come out on top at your expense when the uncommitted kids make their decisions on Signing Day.
All in all, it’s another consensus national top ten lineup of signees for the Buckeyes. It also represents their continued dominance within the Big Ten on the recruiting trail. This is the fifth consecutive year Ohio State has finished tops in the conference recruiting wise. While it remains to be seen whether this group of prospects has the talent of the 2013 class so instrumental in this program’s national title triumph, it certainly is among 2015’s best.
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