You can not win everyone.
Can Ryan Day recruit on a similar level as Urban Meyer? Will the state of Ohio be forced to take a more regional approach with Meyer no longer at the helm?
These were two common – and reasonable – questions asked when Ryan Day officially took over the program in January 2019. Day answered the first question with a resounding ‘yes’. The answer to the second question was an emphatic “no” because the Buckeyes are still picking five-star talent from coast to coast.
Day’s first full class ends in 2020 as no. 5 in the country behind the usual power station programs. This time, the 2021 class finishes at No. 2 behind only a record-breaking Crimson Tide trek. The state of Ohio has signed 21 players and is still looking for JT Tuimoloau, a five-star defensive end, as he is expected to make a decision only in the spring.
Alabama has added an almighty 27 new players and can apparently pass one or even two more that remain unsigned (should be nice). In terms of average player rating, it is very close with the Tide at 95.00 and the Buckeyes at 94.52. A second-year head coach struggling with Nick Saban to recruit force majeure really tells you everything you need to know about the skill of Ohio State staff on the trail.
As with all things, it was not a perfect recruiting session for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. The classes in 2020 and 2021 have seen some notable failures, but five of them fall out above the rest.
5. Tristan Leigh • Class of 2021 • Offensive approach • ★★★★★
The state of Ohio beat gold in Virginia with TreVeyon Henderson, a five-star setback, but Greg Studrawa could not win another one of the state’s blue-chip prospects in Tristan Leigh. The Buckeyes were never the team to beat in this recruitment, as Leigh’s leaders appear to alternate between Clemson, Oklahoma and LSU.
The Sooners were considered the favorites late in the game, but Leigh quietly signed with Clemson in December before committing on January 2 in public. He visited Columbus early before the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of Ohio was firmly in the picture thanks to a strong relationship with Studrawa. The shutdown likely destroyed a chance Leigh would end up in the Big Ten despite a great need for the post.
4. Bijan Robinson • Class of 2020 • Rugby • ★★★★★
Unlike with Tristan Leigh, there is absolutely no wash a time when the Buckeyes were able to beat the team for five-star full-back Bijan Robinson. The 2020 cycle was problematic for Tony Alford, as the state of Ohio missed Kendall Milton (Georgia) and then let Robinson slip out of their grasp. The Arizona native has signed with Texas and looks phenomenal as a true freshman. Robinson rushed more than 700 yards, averaging eight per attempt and scoring six shots on the season. However, the addition of Trey Sermon certainly helped lighten the sting a bit.
3. Elias Ricks • Class of 2020 • Cornerback • ★★★★★
The recent focus of #PortalWatch was once one of the biggest general targets of the state of Ohio. During the 2020 cycle, the Buckeyes like USC, LSU and Alabama struggled around the pentagonal Cali-turn IMG Academy diagonal. The state of Ohio was identified early in the process as one of its dream schools. But shortly after Urban Meyer retired, Ricks committed to LSU on Christmas Day 2018.
Son@eliasricks with the PICK SIX
ESPN pic.twitter.com/A5G1EEO7it– LSU Soccer (@LSUfootball) 13 December 2020
Ricks was an appetizer as a true freshman in LSU’s secondary series and sometimes pitched against All-American cornerback Derek Singley Jr. flashed. He scored four distinctions during the first season and would have seen absolutely a lot of action if he had ended up in Columbus rather than Baton. Red. After a horrific season for the Tigers, there appears to be tension between Ricks and LSU. For now, it looks like he will stick it out with the Bayou Bengals.
2. Clark Phillips III • Class of 2020 • Cornerback • ★★★★
The recruitment of Clark Phillips III, corner of California, was interesting. Early on, it looked like a fight against Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes worried the Irish when Phillips joined him in June of 2019. The promise lasted six months until Jeff Hafley’s departure likely killed the chances of the four-star signing with the state of Ohio. Just days after Boston College proposed Hafley as its new head coach, Phillips pulled loose and instead signed with Utah.
We all saw the problems that Kerry Coombs had last season. And while it is unfair to expect a true freshman to make so many contributions, the Buckeyes needed bodies in the defensive backfield, and the need continued in 2021. He played early and often for the Utes record of 26 tackles to choose with a six. Ricks is a better player, but the Buckeyes actually done Phillips at some point in the fold. The sting of the loss of Phillips and Jordan Battle (which happened before Day took over) took its toll on the secondary.
1. JC Latham • Class of 2021 • Offensive approach • ★★★★★
Thayer Munford’s return and the rise of Nicholas Petit-Frere put the state of Ohio in an excellent position for 2021. The future is also bright with Paris Johnson Jr. Yet the staff who missed JC Latham were the biggest spirit of the latest recruitment cycle. The state of Ohio was the early favorite for the five-star before Alabama secured its commitment last year.
Athletic left tackles are not easy to find, and it is important to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. Unfortunately, the pandemic and some joint family fidelity seemed to have hurt the Buckeyes’ chances for the Milwaukee native. It also eliminated the real chance for the state of Ohio to secure the country’s best site class in 2021. Studrawa and Day turned to them rather than a development player when they transferred the Mich Michiski from Louisville. It is now imperative that the Buckeyes add at least two pure attacks in the 2022 class.
