Big Ten Recruiting Class Rankings 1-22-12
The recruiting rankings are front-paged this week as we have a change at the top. Unfortunately, you probably know the change, and you're almost certainly not going to like it: Ohio State jumps Michigan after picking up four recruits (and the Wolverines losing Caleb Stacey, though that wouldn't have mattered in terms of the standings). Otherwise, the team rankings hold steady as we near signing day. Action since last rankings:
1-15-12: Taylor Decker changes commitment from Notre Dame to Ohio State. Illinois picks up T.J. Neal.
1-16-12: Penn State picks up Jordan Lucas.
1-17-12: Ohio State picks up Joey O'Connor. Gunner Kiel changes commitment from LSU to Notre Dame. Minnesota picks up Roland Johnson.
1-18-12: Ohio State picks up David Perkins. Minnesota picks up K.J. Maye.
1-20-12: Camren Williams changes commitment from Penn State to Ohio State.
1-21-12: Caleb Stacey changes commitment from Michigan to Cincinnati. Nebraska picks up LeRoy Alexander. Zach Jackson changes commitment from Illinois to TCU. Illinois picks up Justin Hardee. Minnesota picks up Ben Lauer.
Chart? Chart:
| Big Ten+ Recruiting Class Rankings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School | # Commits | Rivals Avg | Scout Avg | ESPN Avg | 24/7 Avg | Avg Avg^ |
| 1 | Ohio State | 23 | 3.70 | 3.74 | 3.43 | 3.61 | 3.62 |
| 2 | Michigan | 23 | 3.57 | 3.65 | 3.39 | 3.57 | 3.54 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 17 | 3.53 | 3.76 | 3.53 | 3.59 | 3.60 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 12 | 3.33 | 3.33 | 3.17 | 3.50 | 3.33 |
| 5 | Penn State | 14 | 3.07 | 3.14 | 3.07 | 3.21 | 3.13 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 14 | 3.14 | 3.14 | 3.00 | 3.07 | 3.09 |
| 7 | Iowa | 18 | 3.00 | 2.94 | 2.83* | 2.83 | 2.90 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 12 | 3.41 | 2.92 | 2.90* | 3.33 | 3.14 |
| 9 | Purdue | 25 | 2.92 | 2.48 | 2.72* | 2.76 | 2.72 |
| 10 | Northwestern | 20 | 2.75 | 2.65 | 2.55 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| 11 | Indiana | 23 | 2.65 | 2.48 | 2.38* | 2.43 | 2.49 |
| 12 | Illinois | 14 | 2.71 | 2.71 | 2.50 | 2.57 | 2.63 |
| 13 | Minnesota | 28 | 2.68 | 2.29 | 1.92* | 2.25 | 2.28 |
*ESPN doesn't rate JuCos, so they are counted as unranked recruits for the sake of consistency (trust me, it makes sense when you look at the spreadsheet).
^The average of the average rankings of the four recruiting services (aka the previous four columns). The figure is calculated based on the raw numbers and then rounded, so the numbers above may not average out exactly.
On to the full data, after the jump.
| #1 Ohio State - 23 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Noah Spence | DE | PA | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Adolphus Washington | DE | OH | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Bri'onte Dunn | RB | OH | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Tommy Schutt | DT | IL | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Joshua Perry | LB | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| David Perkins | LB | IN | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Se'Von Pittman | DE | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Warren Ball | RB | OH | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| De'Van Bogard | S | OH | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Taylor Decker | OL | OH | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Camren Williams | LB | MA | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Michael Thomas | WR | VA | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Joey O'Connor | OL | CO | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Najee Murray | CB | OH | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Pat Elflein | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Ricquan Southward | WR | FL | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Jacoby Boren | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Cardale Jones | QB | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Frank Epitropoulos | WR | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Blake Thomas | TE | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Roger Lewis | WR | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Luke Roberts | LB | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Tyvis Powell | S | OH | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
The Buckeyes get four commits in one week, adding Taylor Decker, David Perkins, Joey O'Connor, and Camren Williams. Adolphus Washington gets a fifth star from Rivals. Ohio State takes over the top spot in the rankings. Blergh.
| #2 Michigan - 23 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Kyle Kalis | OL | OH | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Ondre Pipkins | DT | MO | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Royce Jenkins-Stone | LB | MI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| James Ross | LB | MI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Joe Bolden | LB | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Terry Richardson | CB | MI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Erik Magnuson | OL | CA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jarrod Wilson | S | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Amara Darboh | WR | IA | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Tom Strobel | DE | OH | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Blake Bars | OL | TN | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Devin Funchess | TE | MI | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Chris Wormley | DE | OH | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Mario Ojemudia | DE | MI | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| A.J. Williams | TE | OH | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Matt Godin | DE | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Kaleb Ringer | LB | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Ben Braden | OL | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jehu Chesson | WR | MO | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jeremy Clark | S | KY | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Allen Gant | S | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sione Houma | FB | UT | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Drake Johnson | RB | MI | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
The Wolverines lose Caleb Stacey, who chose to stay close to home at Cincinnati. Ondre Pipkins earns a fifth star from Rivals and (finally) gets a four-star rating from ESPN.
| #3 Notre Dame - 17 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Gunner Kiel | QB | IN | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Jarron Jones | DT | NY | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Tee Shepard | CB | CA | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Sheldon Day | DT | IN | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Deontay Greenberry | WR | CA | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Elijah Shumate | S | NJ | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ronnie Stanley | OL | NV | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| William Mahone | RB | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| KeiVarae Russell | RB | WA | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Nick Baratti | S | TX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| C.J. Prosise | S | VA | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Justin Ferguson | WR | FL | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Mark Harrell | OL | NC | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Romeo Okwara | DE | NC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Chris Brown | WR | SC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| John Turner | S | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Scott Daly | LS | IL | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
The Irish lose Taylor Decker but pick up top-ranked quarterback Gunner Kiel. Though Notre Dame now pulls ahead of Michigan in terms of average ranking, the Wolverines hold onto second place due to having six more commits.
| #4 Wisconsin - 12 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Dan Voltz | OL | IL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Vince Biegel | LB | WI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| J.J. Denman | OL | PA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Kyle Dodson | OL | OH | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Vonte Jackson | RB | WI | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Bart Houston | QB | CA | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| D.J. Singleton | S | NJ | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Walker Williams | OL | WA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Arthur Goldberg | DT | PA | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Hugs Etienne | CB | CA | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Reggie Love | WR | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Reggie Mitchell | CB | PA | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
No change for the Badgers.
| #5 Penn State - 14 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Eugene Lewis | WR | PA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Armani Reeves | CB | MA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jamil Pollard | DT | NJ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Brent Wilkerson | DE | MD | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Brian Gaia | OL | MD | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Skyler Mornhinweg | QB | PA | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Jordan Lucas | S | MA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Anthony Stanko | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Nyeem Wartman | LB | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jesse James | TE | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Austin Johnson | OL | NJ | 3 | 3 | NR | 3 |
| Malik Golden | ATH | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jake Kiley | CB | NH | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Derek Dowrey | DT | VA | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
The Nittany Lions lose Camren Williams to Ohio State and pick up three-star safety Jordan Lucas.
| #6 Michigan State - 14 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Aaron Burbridge | WR | MI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jamal Lyles | LB | MI | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Benny McGowan | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Tyler O'Connor | QB | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Riley Bullough | LB | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Zach Higgins | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Josiah Price | TE | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Nick Tompkins | RB | GA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kyle Kerrick | WR | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| MacGarrett Kings | WR | FL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jermaine Edmondson | S | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Kodi Kieler | OL | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Evan Jones | TE | OH | 3 | 3 | NR | 3 |
| Ezra Robinson | CB | FL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
No change for the Spartans.
| #7 Iowa - 18 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Faith Ekakitie | DE | IL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Greg Garmon | RB | PA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Jaleel Johnson | DT | IL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ryan Ward | OL | IL | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Maurice Fleming | CB | IL | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Ruben Lile | ATH | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Cameron Wilson | WR | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Anthony Morgan | S | TX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mitch Keppy | OL | IL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Michael Malloy | RB | IA | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Drew Ott | DE | NE | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Daumantas Venckus | DE | FL | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Greg Mabin | WR | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Eric Simmons | OL | IA | 3 | 2 | JC | NR |
| Laron Taylor | LB | MI | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kevin Buford | CB | MI | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Connor Kornbrath | K | WV | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Tevaun Smith | WR | CT | 2 | 3 | JC | NR |
No change for the Hawkeyes, though Daumantas Vanckus, Greg Mabin, and Eric Simmons all get two-star ratings from Scout.
| #8 Nebraska - 12 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Paul Thurston | OL | CO | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Greg McMullen | DE | OH | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Jordan Westerkamp | WR | IL | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Mohammed Seisay | CB | AZ | 4 | 3 | JC | 4 |
| Zaire Anderson | LB | CA | 4 | 2 | JC | 3 |
| Michael Rose | LB | MO | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Tommy Armstrong | QB | TX | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Jared Afalava | LB | UT | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Thomas Brown | LB | CA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Avery Moss | DE | AZ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Sam Cotton | TE | NE | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| LeRoy Alexander | S | OH | 3 | NR | NR | NR |
The Cornhuskers pick up safety LeRoy Alexander, but it's not quite enough to move them up the rankings since Iowa has six more commits while MSU and PSU have near-equal average ratings and two more commits each.
| #9 Purdue - 25 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Ryan Watson | DE | MD | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Jordan Shine | S | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Ryan Morris | TE | NJ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Austin Appleby | QB | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jordan Roos | OL | TX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Bilal Marshall | QB | FL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kingsley Ike | DE | TX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dion Witty | CB | FL | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Jonathan Curry | TE | AL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Paul Griggs | K | NC | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Aloyis Gray | ATH | IN | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Andy Garcia | LB | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Cameron Cermin | OL | TX | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| B.J. Knauf | WR | FL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Jimmy Herman | S | IN | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Devin Smith | OL | AZ | 3 | 3 | JC | 3 |
| Carlos Carvajal | TE | NY | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Anthony Brown | CB | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Danny Anthrop | WR | IN | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Greg Latta | DE | CA | 3 | 2 | JC | 2 |
| Cameron Posey | WR | FL | 3 | NR | 2 | 3 |
| James Prince | OL | TX | 3 | NR | NR | NR |
| Jordan Woods | WR | MI | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Thomas Meadows | K | VA | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jason King | OL | AK | 2 | NR | 3 | NR |
No change for the Boilermakers.
| #10 Northwestern - 20 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Ifeadi Odenigbo | DE | OH | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Greg Kuhar | DT | OH | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Adam DePietro | OL | PA | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Dean Lowry | DE | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kenton Playko | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Eric Olson | OL | MA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jack Schwaba | TE | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Ian Park | OL | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Eric Wilson | WR | MI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Malin Jones | RB | IL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Traveon Henry | RB | FL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Terrance Brown | S | CA | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Mike McHugh | WR | PA | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Dwight White | CB | TX | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Connor Mahoney | OL | PA | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Dan Vitale | S | IL | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Joseph Jones | S | PA | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Chris Fitzpatrick | OL | KY | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jaylen Prater | LB | OH | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Andrew Scanlan | WR | PA | NR | NR | 2 | NR |
No change for the Wildcats.
| #11 Indiana - 23 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Nick Mangieri | DE | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dan Feeney | OL | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jordan Wallace | LB | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Kevin Davis | WR | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Adam Kranda | TE | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Wes Rogers | OL | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mike Cotton | LB | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Shawn Heffern | DE | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jason Spriggs | TE | IN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Tevin Coleman | RB | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Jacarri Alexander | LB | IA | 3 | 3 | JC | 2 |
| David Cooper | LB | KS | 3 | 2 | JC | 3 |
| Antonio Marshall | CB | GA | 3 | NR | JC | 2 |
| Ryan Thompson | S | MS | 3 | NR | JC | NR |
| Caleb Cornett | WR | IN | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Ralphael Green | OL | TX | 3 | 2 | 2 | NR |
| Tanner Kearns | TE | OH | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Alex Todd | OL | OH | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Jacob Bailey | OL | IN | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Dawson Fletcher | S | OH | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Tregg Waters | S | AZ | 2 | 2 | JC | 2 |
| Justin Rayside | DE | CA | 2 | 2 | JC | NR |
| Cameron Coffman | QB | AZ | NR | NR | JC | NR |
Shaine Boyle decommits from the Hoosiers. Well, Rivals no longer lists him as a commit, though I can't find any article on the matter, so for now I'm taking him off the board.
| #12 Illinois - 13 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Dami Ayoola | RB | FL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| T.J. Neal | LB | PA | 3 | 3 | 3 | NR |
| Tajarvis Fuller | LB | FL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Joseph Spencer | OL | OH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Vontrell Williams | DT | IL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Elliot Faerber | WR | KS | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Robert Bain | OL | IL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Mason Monheim | LB | OH | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Tyler Barton | S | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Teko Powell | DT | FL | 3 | 2 | NR | 2 |
| Jason Robertson | WR | IL | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Joey Warburg | OL | KY | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Justin Hardee | WR | OH | 2 | 2 | NR | 2 |
| Ryan Frain | K | IN | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
The Illini add T.J. Neal and Justin Hardee, but lose the commitment of Zach Jackson to TCU.
| #13 Minnesota - 28 Commits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | State | Rivals | Scout | ESPN | 24/7 |
| Jonah Pirsig | OL | MN | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Isaac Hayes | OL | MN | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Jamel Harbison | WR | NC | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Philip Nelson | QB | MN | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Jack Lynn | LB | IL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Dinero Moss | S | FL | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Brian Nicholson | LB | FL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jordan Hinojosa | DT | FL | 3 | 2 | NR | 3 |
| Martez Shabazz | CB | TX | 3 | 2 | JC | 3 |
| Nick Rallis | S | MN | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Maxx Williams | TE | MN | 3 | 3 | NR | 3 |
| Rodrick Williams | RB | TX | 3 | 2 | NR | 3 |
| James Gillum | RB | MS | 3 | 2 | JC | NR |
| K.J. Maye | QB | AL | 3 | NR | 3 | 2 |
| Roland Johnson | DT | KS | 3 | 2 | JC | NR |
| Mitch Leidner | QB | MN | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Drew Davis | LB | NC | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Eric Murray | CB | WI | 2 | 2 | NR | 2 |
| Scott Ekpe | DT | TX | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Isaac Fruechte | WR | MN | 2 | 2 | JC | 2 |
| Jeremy Baltazar | CB | TX | 2 | 2 | JC | NR |
| Duke Anyanwu | WR | MN | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Alex Keith | DE | MO | 2 | 2 | 2 | NR |
| Antonio Johnson | S | OH | 3 | 2 | 2 | NR |
| Damarius Travis | S | FL | 3 | NR | NR | NR |
| Lincoln Plsek | DE | TX | 3 | 2 | NR | NR |
| Briean Boddy | CB | KS | 3 | 2 | JC | NR |
| Ben Lauer | OL | MN | NR | 2 | NR | 2 |
The Gophers add three new commitments in Roland Johnson, Ben Lauer, and K.J. Maye.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^
I've been dreading this post for a week. We need Hoke to change the tide right now.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:15 PM ^
after Ohio going .500 for the year, being due for a 1 year bowl suspension and all the negative publicity, they still pull out a top recruiting class. this just really sticks in my craw...
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
That's why hiring Meyer was a smart thing for OSU to do. He brings immediate juice to the Buckeye recruiting efforts in a way that few other coaches would have been able to do.
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
Ace,
Recently noticed Vincent Valentine of IL being offered by UofM, when did this happen, it wasn't recent was it?. I must have missed this recruit or are we looking more seriously at the d-line? Any info?
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:41 AM ^
Hiring Meyer was a no brainer. After having screwed up the handling of Tatgate, Gene Smith and especially Gee have been praised by some for hiring Meyer. Go figure.
Would have liked to see Toledo product Chris Wormley go to OSU, who was being recruited hard by OSU. But Wormley grew up liking the UM helmets, so what you going to do? But I think OSU did get some decent DEs to fill Wormley's spot in Noah Spence(5*) and Adolphus W
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:45 AM ^
Would just like to add how it is going to get more interesting than it has been for a long time with this OSU/UM battle. A strong OSU/UM makes the whole conference better, IMHO.
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:12 AM ^
Was the best choice, by far, but I can't help but recall the controversy that he had at Florida, and the fact that his success was based upon guys that he didn't actively recruit. I do think that he's a good coach, but its still WAY too early to put him on the pedestal that the buckeye fan base has put him on. The things I hear, they feel that winning with him will be as easy as falling off a log...all they gotta do is show up. You guys should be weary of what you've hired, esp 3-4 yrs down the road.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:15 PM ^
how is it possible that they have 23 commits, I thought they were looking at around 15 or so? Have they had enough attrition to warrant that big of a class, or are my numbers just off?
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:15 PM ^
how is it possible that they have 23 commits, I thought they were looking at around 15 or so? Have they had enough attrition to warrant that big of a class, or are my numbers just off?
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^
There's an article in the Columbus Dispatch today on OSU's scholarship numbers.
Basically, OSU has 60 players on scholarship coming back next year, so they have room for 22 right now, but there are lots of rumors around campus that other players are transferring or about to get cut for discipline reasons (read: Jamal Berry and Chris Carter).
http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/01/22/scholarship-count…
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
They are desperatlely thin on OL numbers, especially given the fact that a couple they took last year were stretches. They also are thin at DB, listening to them, and I am not seeing many of those. They have a more DE's than can play on the field, and I believe took two last year. Throw in an extremely overrated DT, and I'm not that impressed. It's almost like Meyer came in and said I know what we need, but we are just going to swing for the fences with 5 star guys, and figure out how to convert them to OT at a later date. On signing day, we will be back in front of them, on paper and on the field.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:16 PM ^
It's OK to like our class better despite the rankings, but OL depth doesn't seem like a good reason.
The DE comment is silly, since DL's rotate regularly and DE often bulk up into DT.
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:28 PM ^
Two of those DE's are never moving inside. And they need tackles, not guards. Two of the OL recruits they got last year will never make this years roster. So it's not silly, it's reality. They are counting on Dodson and Diamond, and they may wiff on both. Ever see a right guard try and play left tackle? Look at the moves they are making. But hey, take two running backs, good for them.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^
For example, the Tat 5 had an average Rivals ranking of 4.6 stars.
How different would Ohio's season have been if those 4.6 stars had not been instrumental in Tressel being replaced with Fickel?
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:29 PM ^
Ace should add a column for "moxie" and add bonus points for undersized red headed recruits. It might make Penn State fans feel better.
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^
I wish there would only be 1 ranking site. Not that stars mean everything but when other sites rank players so different from each other, you kinda wonder what goes through their heads. If some of these players wouldnt have played in the Under Armour or Army game, it would be hard to evaluate them. I know its about money to have other sites to rank players. I really really hate Ohio!
January 22nd, 2012 at 1:57 PM ^
HOKE ÜBER ALLES!
<br>
<br>I look forward to titanic future matchups
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
Just remember, while it totally sucks that OSU has such a great class after what they did, we have an equally great class (especially considering who we still lead for). At the end of the recruiting process, we will have the two best recruiting classes in the B1G by a mile.
The B1G is well on its way back to the Big 2, Little 10. While that isn't as good as Michigan dominating, it's a hell of a lot better than where we've been for the last decade or so. Keep it in perspective, this is still fantastic news.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^
to pass either OSU or us. Their inclusion on the list is debatable, but Nebraska also has a lot of spots to fill. My point: long way to signing day still.
Michigan has typically had a class ranked 10-15 nationally for the last decade. The '10 and '11 classes had a dropoff due to the W-L records, but this year's class doesn't indicate a significant change in the conference hierarchy.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:52 PM ^
10-15? I agree that the last couple years have dropped off due to the W-L record, but the classes before that were usually top ten.
2009 - 14th
2008 - 6th
2007 - 10th
2006 - 9th
2005 - 2nd
2004 - 5th
2003 - 8th
2002 - 19th
That's an average of about 8. (taken from scout)
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:10 PM ^
I don't have it in front of me, but I looked at the average between all 3 sites and the range of the average rank was typically in the 10-15 range. But yeah, some years they got higher and it could have been higher in the late 90s. Still, it's a quibble. The point is that Michigan's rank this year will likely be near it's historical norm and not indicitive of a sea change.
In general, it's (back to) buisiness as usual.
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
How is Notre Dame on the list debatable? We play them every year, they're right in Big Ten country, and we go after the same recruits more often than not
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:28 PM ^
This is a nitpick, but it looks like Rivals updated a lot more than adding a few 5 stars. Somehow, they have Purdue as #3 in the conference. Looks like about half the teams have higher Rivals ratings now.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^
So is Ohio's class pretty much filled up at this point? I like our chances of finishing at the top considering we're in a very good position with Garnett, Diamond, Grant, and Reeves. It's looking like it'll be a great finish for us.
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
6 of Ohio's 2012 recruits have enrolled early.
Does anyone know how serious Reeves & Diamond are about Ohio?
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:47 PM ^
I don't think anyone can claim to know how serious Diamond is about anybody. Probably between OSU/UM/Auburn, but he was just at Arkansas and you never know about those SEC schools.
Reeves is between OSU and UM. I would think Camren Williams would give OSU a slight edge, however, I think Mattison has the final in home visit (which would be advantage UM).
January 22nd, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
11W is feeling confident about Reeves, and they've been pretty accurate so far. Cam Williams' dad is Reeves' godfather and apparently surrogate father figure, so I think this might be one of those mythical "package deals."
As for Diamond, I get the sense that he's still undecided. I think we'll steal Dodson from Wiscy, so I don't know how big a priority Diamond is at this point.
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
I thought I heard Cam's Dad say that Michigan was the best fit for Reeves. I could just be imagining it though. I obviously agree that Cam being at OSU is a big draw for him still.
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:42 PM ^
but it could very well be. I think it's definitely down to OSU-Michigan for Reeves, irregardless.
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:11 PM ^
How many available scholarships does OSU have this year? I thought they were expected to have a slightly smaller class than usual. Will this year's class have any effect on their '13 class size?
January 22nd, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^
OSU's class is full. However, there's a few players that are still comtemplating tranferring. Most notable Jamaal Berry, which would be a shame since I think he fits Urban's system pretty well. From what I can gather, Reeves and Dodson would have the last spots in the class if two more current players transfer. There also a few players on the team that were originially walk-ons and were given a scholarship because OSU had a few the spare (like Adam Griffin), so I don't know how the current staff will deal with those.
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
is probably going to switch to a walk-on spot. It's not like Archie can't afford to pay tuition.
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:59 AM ^
You meant to include: "following his increase in compensation secondary to his stellar verbal performance review earlier this year"
January 23rd, 2012 at 5:57 PM ^
IIRC children of OSU faculty/administration get free tuition.
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:27 PM ^
Does any body else find it odd that it seems like we've completely failed to capitalize on our successful season with respect to recruiting this past month or so? All of our big name recruits have come before or during the season when the coaching staff's ability was still in question. Now, after seeing their success, it seems like our top potential recruits have all ended up elsewhere. I thought they'd be running to us with a program like Michigan and a great coaching staff. What's up??? It's frustrating to see us sink in the rankings after our tangible success.
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^
I'm not worried by it at all. We filled up with a lot of really good recruits early on. We are still going to pick up several more players before it's all said and done. We're not so much sinking as Ohio has picked up a few recruits with their coaching change and problems elsewhere, notably Penn State. Speaking of whiich, Black Shoe Diaries is trumpeting a haul of three new recruits, all in the 2-3 star range. I don't blame them for putting it in a positive light, but man, how the mighty have fallen.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:12 PM ^
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^
I think that the staff has been recruiting hard, but kids on the fence tend to stay on the fence until NSD (if not later), and that's what we are seeing here. I mean, OSU picked up a couple of kids who were always pretty much shoe-ins (Dunn, Pittman) and then had a couple of PSU tire-fire kids join the fray. Decker from ND came with his coach, so that isn't a surprise.
I expect Hoke to recruit well at the end, and for there to be a couple of surprises. 11W seems to think every kid in the world is going to sign with OSU, but right now I expect either Diamond or Reeves to go blue, and maybe both. Just because biased chatter is coming on contrary to that doesn't change the fact that OSU is still looking at a bowl ban and reduced scholarship count.
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^
Just in today, PSU is headed for the 2* Mafia zone. 3 commits. a NR/2 WR*, 2*/3* WR, and a 3* CB.
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:10 PM ^
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^
wait, so no one else in the B1G, outside us, ohio state and ND has recruited a 5-star? even wisconsin? can someone tell me whether that's normal or not?
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:15 PM ^
Not all that unusual. Once in a while a school like Illinois or MSU will get one of those guys, but generally, Michigan/OSU/ND/PSU are the only recruiting powers.
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
Obviously it matters that we're near the top, but I'd rather lose this than the game on the field. Beyond being in the top 3 or so. . . meh. NFL scouts KNEW that Ryan Leaf was worthy of a #1 pick in the NFL draft, whereas Tom Brady almost didn't get a job.
Keep in mind that this crew does something RichRod didn't -- they develop players. By the end of the season, Jake Ryan was a completely different player than when he started. I'm sure Hoke's crew uses the ratings as a reference, but a 3-star can easily eclipse a 5-star depending on where the ceiling is and how hard he's willing to work to get there. On the flip side, there's Will Campbell.
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