Bill Kurelic Late November Posts 11/26/99 As expected, Kicker Josh Huston (6-2, 185) from Findlay, Ohio has verbally committed to the Buckeyes. Huston announced his decision at a press conference at 3:00 yesterday afternoon. I had previously posted here that Huston had not been offered a scholarship, but it was later learned that Huston had been offered by Ohio State head coach John Cooper very recently, and Huston has now gone ahead and committed to the Buckeyes. Houston is the top kicking prospect in the State of Ohio, and he chose Ohio State over Bowling Green, Louisville and Maryland. He made nine of 15 field goals this season, with the longest coming from 43 yards out. All six of his misses were from over 45 yards out. In the last two seasons, Huston has made 17 of 18 field goals from inside 45 yards. He also kicked off 79 times this season, and 67 of them went for touchbacks. He also converted on 60 of 67 PAT attempts. Huston says that the Buckeyes have long been his favorite, so his commitment is no surprise. When Cooper called Huston, he told him that the Buckeyes had narrowed their decision on a kicker down to he (Huston) and Philip Yost from Alabama, but that the Buckeyes were prepared to offer him a scholarship and did so at time. The other big news is that two Buckeye assistant coaches will not have their contracts renewed. In other words, they have been fired. Buckeyes offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs and defensive ends coach Shawn Simms both were informed that their contracts would not be renewed. As far as how this is all going to impact recruiting, whenever coaches are fired during the middle of recruiting season, the initial impact is usually negative, because the coaches have been recruiting certain players and they develop a rapport with those players, and initially things like this do not help recruiting. However, in this case, I think that this will be a very, very short period of time. In fact, I think that very quickly this is going to impact recruiting in a positive way for Ohio State. Certainly, the situation with Mike Jacobs and the incident with this ex-wife has not been a positive for Ohio State recruiting, and that situation will not have to be dealt with any longer. Also, Mike Jacobs has taken heat for the play of the offensive line this year, and the Buckeyes are certainly in on some great offensive linemen that they have a chance to land. With the big news on the reshuffling of the coaching staff at Ohio State, there is question as to what effect that reshuffling will have on the recruiting effort this season. I called a few of the top prospects that the coaching changes might effect and asked them what effect the changes might have on them. Shawn Simms was recruiting the east coast for the Buckeyes, and there were several prospects that he was recruiting that I spoke to. Perhaps the one that seems to have taken the news the hardest thus far is wide receiver Carlos Perez (6-1, 195) from Hoboken, New Jersey. He had told me last week that Ohio State was his favorite, however, when I talked to him on Monday night, he says he is now not even certain he will make an official visit to Ohio State. Perez said that he certainly would not call Ohio State his favorite any more. He is playing in the state championship game this coming weekend, so he has pushed his Michigan State visit back from December 3rd to December 10th. He also will visit Purdue the weekend of December 17th. He is no longer certain if he will take that Ohio State visit scheduled for January 7th. He might move Florida up, but as of now Florida is scheduled for January 14th. He said he also is looking at a couple of other schools, and that Penn State has now moved up, and that Notre Dame is still in contention. As far as the Buckeyes, he says he is going to wait and talk to someone from Ohio State, but as of right now, this has definitely hurt the Buckeyes' chances. Perez' teammate, RB Tyrell Dortch, said that he was surprised that Shawn Simms had been fired, but he is still considering Ohio State and will likely still make his visit with the Buckeyes. He is going to visit Michigan State December 10th, and he has added Michigan for January 7th. Originally, he was going to visit Ohio State that weekend, but he has bumped everything back because of the state championship game this coming weekend. Dortch says he is still planning to visit Ohio State, he just needs to reschedule a date, and he is also looking at Florida, Florida State, Boston College and Iowa. All of those schools have offered him a scholarship. He says that right now, he doesn't have a favorite, and he is waiting to hear from the Buckeyes about who will be recruiting him. On the other hand, WR Johnny Morant from Parsippany Hills, New Jersey, told me late last night that Ohio State is still his favorite. Morant said that he actually had not heard that Shawn Simms had been fired, but said that it would not be a big factor in his decision. Morant is going to visit Purdue this coming weekend, December 3rd, then South Carolina December 10th. He also is looking at Florida State, Syracuse and Tennessee. Morant said that Ohio State still has a pretty big lead, and that he is trying to hopefully wrap everything up before Christmas, and that Shawn Simms being fired did not change his opinion and that Ohio State is still his first choice. RB Sam Maldonado from New York said that he is still planning to visit Ohio State December 10th, and he said that even with Coach Simms having been fired, that Ohio State is still his leader. He says that in addition to Ohio State December 10th, he will visit Syracuse December 17th and he has Florida State still scheduled for January 14th, but he is not sure he will take that visit. He is also looking at Penn State, Virginia Tech and Pitt. OL Michael Munoz was not being recruited by either Shawn Springs or Mike Jacobs, but Mike Jacobs of course had been Ohio State's offensive line coach, so certainly there is some connection between he and Michael Munoz. I asked Michael last night about the firing, and he said he had heard about it, but he said that the main thing he needs to know now is who will be replacing Mike Jacobs as the Buckeyes' offensive line coach. Munoz will be visiting Ohio State January 7th, not on January 14th as we previously thought, and Munoz said that with all of the talk about the NCAA investigation to Tennessee, that he is going to wait and see what the outcome of all of that is, and he says that he continues to have no favorite. When I asked him if his dad might have an interest in the offensive line coaching position at Ohio State, he laughed and said that he didn't think that his father Anthony would have any interest in that job if Coach Cooper would inquire. Linebacker Robert Reynolds (6-4, 215) from Bowling Green, Kentucky is one of the Buckeyes' top targets this year made his official visit to Tennessee last weekend, and said that the had a good visit with the Volunteers, but did not commit. Reynolds now will make an official visit to Michigan this weekend, and will also visit the Miami Hurricanes, probably the weekend of December 10th or 17th. In all likelihood, he will also be soon scheduling an official visit to Ohio State as well. He has been offered a scholarship by all of those schools, and also has been considering Louisville, Purdue and Texas. OL Shane Olivea from Long Beach, New York was also scheduled to visit Tennessee this weekend, but did not. Olivea said that everything was just too rushed, and with the holiday weekend and all, he would not be able to spend the full 48 hours at Tennessee, so he decided to postpone the visit. His first official visit is this coming weekend, the weekend of December 3rd. Olivea also has Syracuse scheduled for December 10th, Iowa for December 17th, and Georgia Tech for January 7th, and has rescheduled his official visit to Tennessee for January 14th. He says that Tennessee, Ohio State and Syracuse would all be high on his list, thought he does not have a favorite. There is some potentially positive news on OL Andy Christopfel (6-4, 285) from Cincinnati Elder High School in Ohio, an outstanding blocker who at one time did seem to be considering Ohio State that highly. He now says that his decision will now likely come down to either Ohio State or two other schools. He has made official visits to Nebraska and Boston College. Nebraska is now totally out of the running, while Boston College is only very slightly in the running. He told me that he will be leaving December 3rd for an official visit to Michigan State, and then has Michigan scheduled for December 10th. He said that the reason he is not making an official visit to Ohio State is that coach Heacock, who is recruiting him, told him that the Buckeyes have a lot of players coming in for official visits the next two weeks, plus there are finals that are going to be going on at Ohio State, so they want to wait until January to have him make his official visit. He said that in all likelihood, he will make his official visit to Ohio State the weekend of January 7th, which would give the Buckeyes the last shot. He did mention that both Lloyd Carr and Nick Saban are going to be making in-home visits with him this week. DE Will Smith, another player that the Buckeyes have offered a scholarship to, from Utica, New York, made an official visit this weekend to Miami. He did not commit to the Hurricanes, but he now says that Ohio State is out of the running. There are a good number of juniors that the Buckeyes are looking at already, and a number of them are interested in Ohio State. An outstanding one from out of state that is interested in the Buckeyes is Harold Rush (6-3, 275, 5.0) , a defensive lineman from Erie, Pennsylvania. Rush tells me that he is most definitely interested in Ohio State. He plays defensive tackle and led his team to an undefeated regular season this year. He has a 3.2 GPA, bench presses 330 pounds, and throws the shot and disc in track. Rush will be one of the top prospects in the state of Pennsylvania next season. He tells me that he is looking at Ohio State, as well as Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Pitt and Boston College. He says that he wants to keep his options open, but those are some of his early top choices, and Penn State has already indicated that are going to offer him a scholarship. In Ohio, offensive lineman Zack Strife (6-8, 320, 5.35) from Milford, Ohio has started for Milford at offensive tackle since is sophomore season. He has a 3.3 GPA and also play basketball and throws the shot in track. He tells me that he is looking at Ohio State, Michigan, Boston College, Louisville, Tennessee, Kansas State, Penn State and Indiana. He went to a Michigan home game this season and went to a Louisville home game as well. The Buckeyes are interest in RB Earl Hanes (5-9, 165) from Fairfield, Ohio. He is a talented athlete that could play wide receiver or running back in college as well as be a return man. He has a 2.2 GPA and as a sophomore last year, rushed for 1550 yards. During the regular season this year, he gained almost 2000 yards. He was invited to one of the Buckeyes home football games this season, and the schools that he is interested in are Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Pitt. DB Kelly Lytle (6-0, 165, 4.45) from Fremont Ross High School has a 3.5 GPA and is a great prospect. As a freshman, he played a little bit on the varsity and then started in the defensive backfield as a sophomore. Unfortunately, he missed this season, his junior season, as he had knee surgery, but he is expected to be at full strength for his senior season. Lytle's dad, Rob, played for Michigan and the Denver Broncos. Kelly is hearing from Michigan and most of the other Big Ten schools including Ohio State, and all of the MAC schools are in contact too. Lytle is a top track man as well, and went to the state meet as a freshman and sophomore in the 200 meters. QB Rick McFadden from Youngstown Struthers, who I have rated as the top QB prospect in Ohio, still says that his decision is down to just two schools, West Virginia who he will visit December 3rd, and Ohio State, who he will visit December 10th. McFadden is a left handed quarterback who threw for over 2200 yards this season, and I expect McFadden to eventually commit to Ohio State, but I don't think that is going to happen until he makes his official visit the weekend of December 10th. 11/25/99 The Buckeyes remain in the running for one of the county's top big backs, Dustin Picciotti (6-3, 235) from Doylestown Central Bucks West High School in Pennsylvania. He has led is team to an undefeated season thus far as they have a great shot at winning their third consecutive State championship, which would be the first time ever for the state of Pennsylvania. Picciotti, since he is still playing, wants to concentrate on winning that third straight championship, and has not yet begun to set up any of his official visits. He says though that the schools that he is still considering include Ohio State, Pitt, Iowa, Syracuse, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Miami. All of those schools have offered Picciotti a scholarship, but he says that he really hasn't thought enough about recruiting to pick a favorite at this point, or even decide which schools he will visit. Defensive back Bobby Britton (5-11, 175) from Jacksonville Raines High School in Florida continues to favor Ohio State. He continues to tell me that Ohio State remains number one on his list, and he said the Buckeyes have a pretty big lead. He said that number two would be Notre Dame, followed by Georgia number three, and Georgia Tech number four. The other school that he is considering is Michigan. Britton of course has already made his official visit to Ohio State, and the Buckeyes have offered him a scholarship. He said that he is thinking about scheduling other official visits, though nothing is certain at this time. Britton says that he want, if at all possible, to make a decision by Christmas, and right now the Buckeyes now have a good sized lead for the services of Bobby Britton, who is an outstanding cover cornerback. There was a rumor going around that QB Ben Roethlisburger (6-5, 195) had committed to Ohio State. In fact, Roethlisburger's dad told me that he too had heard that rumor, but that there is absolutely no truth to the rumor. Roethlosburger has begun to set up his official visit. He is going to make an official visit to Duke on Sunday, December 5th, and has spoken to Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr and is considering a visit there as well. He also is considering an official visit to Ohio State and is looking at Miami of Ohio also. Ball State, the other school that had been in the mix, is no longer particularly high on his list. He has been offered a scholarship by Ohio State as well as Miami of Ohio and Duke. He continues to say that he does not have leader. TE Eric Knott from Detroit Henry Ford High School in Michigan, one of the county's finest prospects, has scheduled an official visit to Ohio State. He will visit Michigan State December 3rd, Miami of Florida December 17th, Florida State January 7th, and he has scheduled Ohio State for January 14th. All four of those schools have offered him a scholarship. A 5th school that he has under consideration is Tennessee, and the Vols have also offered, but he says that he might end up just making the four visits he has scheduled right now, and that he is pretty certain that he will take all four of those visits. He said it is very close between all four schools for his top spot. Speaking of outstanding prospects from the state of Michigan, linebacker Marco Cooper from Detroit Cass Tech High School has also now scheduled an official visit to Ohio State. Cooper tells me that he will make his official visit with the Buckeyes the weekend of December 10th. He also has scheduled Minnesota for a December 17th visit, and is looking at Tennessee, Wisconsin, Florida State and Purdue as well. All of the schools have offered him a scholarship. He says that right now he does not have any one leader, but I feel pretty good about the Buckeyes' chances of leading Marco Cooper, one of the country's top linebacker prospects. Another of the country's top linebacker prospects is Robert Reynolds 6-4, 215) from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Reynolds will be making an official visit elsewhere this weekend. He will make his first official visit this coming weekend to Tennessee. He also is going to visit the Miami Hurricanes either December 3rd or December 10th, and Reynolds will likely schedule an official visit to Ohio State and Michigan as well. The other school that is high on his list is Virginia. All of those schools have offered Reynolds a scholarship, and he has been telling me that he is three favorites are Ohio State, Michigan and Virginia, but he has not scheduled an official visit to any of those three to this point. Reggie Benton from Grand Blanc, Michigan, long ago committed to the Michigan Wolverines. However, he tells me he is pretty sure he will schedule an official visit to Ohio State. Benton is a 6-2, 190 pound running back with 4.4 40 speed. He rushed for 1,995 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, while averaging nine yards per carry. Benton committed to Michigan prior to his junior season, but he told me he likely will go ahead and visit Ohio State. Benton said that he committed when he was young, but now says he maybe wants to take a look at some other schools. He says that his mom also wants him to check out some other schools, so he said there is a very good chance he will take some other visits beside his one to Michigan. Benton did say that he is still committed to Michigan, but that he is almost sure he will take official visits to Ohio State and Michigan State, and maybe Purdue. He said that all of those schools are calling him every week. He said that they have all told him that a scholarship would be available if he would decide to change his mind, though he said that none of them have officially offered in writing except Michigan. There is some potentially very, very good news for the Buckeyes, as another of the country's top wider receiver prospects has Ohio State as his top choice. WR Carlos Perez (6-1, 195, 4.45) from Hoboken, New Jersey told me that Ohio State has now moved into the lead for his services. He has a 2.8 GPA and an 820 on the SAT, is one of the top wide receiver prospects in the county. As a junior, he averaged almost 30 yards per catch. He is a big play man that would look great in a Buckeye uniform. Perez has official visits set to Michigan State December 3rd, Purdue December 10th, Ohio State January 7th, and he has added Florida for a January 14th official visit. He said he will probably also visit Notre Dame, though he hasn't completely ruled out Penn State or North Carolina State. All of those schools have offered him a scholarship, but he says that Ohio State is now his top choice. As to why he likes the Buckeyes best, he said that it has always been his dream school, and he has started to fall in love with them again and that now he really likes Ohio State best, but he has not yet committed to the Buckeyes. He does want to take his official visits, but he thinks he could play right away at Ohio State as well, and that is one of his goals, so that is encouraging. When you add that to the fact that the Buckeyes also lead for another of the county's top wide receiver prospects, Johnny Morant from New Jersey, certainly the Buckeyes could have impact freshman wide receivers next season if they land both Perez and Morant. Morant has already made his official visit to Ohio State, and seems like he is ready to commit to the Buckeyes, but his mother want him to take at least one more official visit before he makes a decision, and Morant does have Purdue scheduled for his next official visit the weekend of December 3rd, but he continues to say that Ohio State is his big leader. On the other hand, QB John Van Cleave from Arlington, Texas now says he has narrowed things down to three schools, and Ohio State is not one of them. Van Cleave, who had previously said that he would definitely visit Ohio State, now says that he has narrowed things down to Miami of Florida, Louisiana Tech, and Louisiana Lafayette, all of which have offered a scholarship. However, keep in mind that the Buckeyes seemed to have cooled their interest slightly, as I feel they have an excellent at Rick McFadden (6-7, 220) from Youngstown Struthers High School, and he of course is an Ohioan. The Buckeyes want to keep the Ohioans at home. McFadden is a left hander that competed 61% of his passes this season for over 2200 yards, 20 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. McFadden told me that he is basically looking at two schools now, West Virginia, who he will visit December 3rd, and Ohio State, who he will visit December 10th. Both schools have offered a scholarship. As of right now, he says that it is unlikely that he will make an official visit to Duke, who has also offered a scholarship. The Buckeyes are still hoping to get an official visit out of tight end, defensive end Quinn Sypniewski (6-6, 260) from Johnson Iowa. He told me recently that he has scheduled a third official visit. He will visit Purdue December 3rd, and had Colorado for December 10th, but he has now moved that visit back. He will visit Michigan December 10th and then Colorado December 17th. He said there are three other schools that he is still considering, Ohio State, Nebraska and Iowa. All six schools have offered Sypniewski a scholarship. He said that he does not have a leader, but he said that Purdue, Michigan and Colorado, in no particular order, would be his top three choices. DL Derrick Robinson, from Minneapolis DeLasalle High School in Minnesota will be playing for the state championship this weekend. Robinson will not schedule any of his official visits until after this weekend's state championship game, but said that he is still interested in Ohio State. He is looking at Ohio State, Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa and Tennessee a little bit. Colorado, Minnesota and Iowa have offered him a scholarship. The Buckeyes, while they have not yet offered, are still showing interest. He says that right now, Colorado would be his favorite, but he is not particularly close to making a decision. A number of players the Buckeyes are recruiting have now made official visits. Lets take a look at which ones the Buckeyes now have the best shot at, and which ones the Buckeyes have maybe a 50-50 shot at, and which ones the Buckeyes do not have a shot at. At the top of the as far as players that the Buckeyes have a good shot at is OL Jonathan Colon from Florida. He has now made an official visit to Auburn and came back saying that Ohio State is definitely still his favorite, with Florida number two, Miami number three, and Auburn number four. His teammate, RB Willis McGahee, also visited Auburn, and he too did not commit to Auburn. He says that Ohio State and Auburn are probably his two favorites, with maybe Ohio State holding a slight lead, but he also looking at Georgia, Miami, Florida State and Florida. Tight end Willie Roberts from Miami also has now visited Auburn, and the Buckeyes are also very much in the running for Roberts. He says that he doesn't have any one clear cut favorite, that Ohio State and Auburn are both in the running. The others are Miami and Georgia Tech, but I wouldn't be surprised if Roberts' decision ultimately comes down to either Ohio State or Miami. Running back Jeramy Fairrow from Indiana came back extremely impressed from an official visit to Michigan State. Fairrow says that the Spartans may now be his leader, but I still tend to like the Buckeyes' chances of landing Jeramy Fairrow. Fairrow has switched up his official visit schedule. He is going to visit Indiana next on December 10th, then Ohio State January 7th, then Michigan January 14th. He says that it is very close between all the schools, but I tend to like Ohio State's chances with Jeramy Fairrow. OL Michael Munoz from Cincinnati Moeller High School had a good visit to Michigan the weekend of the OSU - Michigan game, but did not commit. He will visit Florida State, Texas, Tennessee and Ohio State. His Buckeye visit will be the weekend of January 7th. Munoz continues to say that he doesn't have a favorite, but I still feel that Tennessee is the school to beat for Michael Munoz. Originally, his visit to the Ohio State - Michigan game was to be an unofficial visit, but with his season over, he decided to make it an official visit. He has scheduled all of his official visits and says he wants to get the recruiting process over as soon as possible. He will visit Florida State December 3rd, Tennessee December 10th, Texas December 17th. The Buckeyes will be his last visit, and that could help the Buckeyes' cause. Dee Dee Munoz, Michael's mother, said that she really thinks that Michael will take all five official visits before making his decision. RB Greg Jones from South Carolina also visited Michigan but did not commit to the Wolverines. Jones also says that he does not have a favorite, and his next visit will be to Ohio State. That will be the weekend of December 3rd. Jones has Florida State and Tennessee scheduled for January visits, and Clemson and South Carolina are vying for his 5th official visit. While he says he does not have a favorite, I think it might be a little bit difficult for the Buckeyes to pry Greg Jones out of the South. DB Corey Bailey from Florida has visited Auburn recently, and his next visit is to Michigan January 14th. He is also considering Ohio State, Florida State, Miami and Florida, but I think the Buckeyes are fighting a big uphill battle for Bailey. I think he will end up staying in the South. DB Stewart Scheiwgert from Michigan visited Notre Dame recently, and now says that Notre Dame and Purdue are tied for second behind Michigan State. He is going to visit Michigan State December 3rd, Purdue December 10th and Wisconsin December 17th. He says that he is still considering the Buckeyes but Ohio State is certainly facing an uphill battle to land him, but they are at least trying to get him to schedule and make an official visit to Ohio State. TE Alex Holmes from California has made is official visit to Michigan and now says that the Wolverines are his definite leader. Holmes, however, is still planning to reschedule his official visit to UCLA and will visit USC December 3rd. His mother favors Stanford, and he might schedule a visit there, and then he also still considering Ohio State and Cal. Right now Michigan is his leader, UCLA is second and Stanford it third. The Buckeyes are an extremely long shot to land Alex Holmes. WR Jerome Collins from Illinois visited Notre Dame recently, and came back that the Irish are definitely still his favorite. Collins is going to schedule a visit to Ohio State and will next visit Northwestern December 3rd, Purdue December 10th, and will also schedule Ohio State. Michigan State is the other school, along with Wisconsin, that is still in the running for Collins, but it will be a big surprise if Collins does not end up at Notre Dame. Now for an update on some of the top Juniors in the state of Ohio that the Buckeyes are already pursuing for next season's recruiting class. The next group of prospects from within the state of Ohio looks to be a very good one at this point, in fact right now the current junior class looks to be stronger than the class that is seniors right now. One player that the Buckeyes are very interested in already is middle linebacker Chad Anderson (6-3, 235, 4.8) from Canton McKinley High School. Anderson's 40 time is almost certain to go down as Anderson gets stronger and matures. As a junior, he made 139 tackles and let Canton McKinley in that department this season. He is the cousin of Antonio Hall, who of course the Buckeyes dearly want to land in this recruiting class. Anderson has been to a couple of Ohio State home football games this season for unofficial visits, and he tells me that some of the schools that he is most interested in right now are Ohio State, Penn State, Kentucky, Purdue and Pitt, but he did say that it is a bit early to focus on schools, but he did say that he knows a lot about Ohio State. DL Neshaun Gottard (6-5, 230, 4.8) from Dayton Dunbar High School will be another of the top prospects in the Buckeye state next season. Gottard has made an unofficial visit to Ohio State on a couple of occasions this season, taking in a couple of the Buckeyes' home games. Gottard was at the Ohio State - Illinois. Gottard told me that he is looking at most of the schools in the Big Ten, but two that he mentioned in particular are Ohio State and Michigan State. Another DL that the Buckeyes are interested in is Pat Ross (6-5, 240, 4.75) from Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. He has a 3.0 GPA and he moved into the starting lineup this season and was outstanding for his team. Ross has very good size and runs well, and is a fine all-around athlete who throws the shot and disc in track and bench presses 275 pounds. Ross tells me that he is hearing from plenty of schools in the Big Ten and the Midwest in general. He does say that Notre Dame has always been his favorite school, but he is going to keep an open mind to other schools in the Big Ten including Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. 11/19/99 The Buckeyes are hoping that wide receiver Jerome Collins (6-3, 205) from Illinois does not commit to Notre Dame this weekend, and it certainly is a possibility if the Irish offer a scholarship. Collins has already been offered a scholarship by Ohio State. He caught 39 passes this season and scored seven touchdown and will be making an official visit to Notre Dame this weekend to see the Notre Dame - Boston College game. Collins also has an official visit scheduled to Northwestern December 3rd, and Purdue December 10th. He says that the other three schools that he is considering are Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Thus far, the Buckeyes, Purdue and Northwestern have offered him a scholarship, but he told me that Notre Dame is his favorite and he says that the Irish have just always been "the team" around his house. The Buckeyes have offered a scholarship to DB Corey Bailey (5-10, 165) from Miami American High School in Florida. Bailey intercepted two passes and made 50 tackles this season. He plays free safety and would prefer to play that position in college, but he almost certainly be a cornerback as he is a tremendous cover corner prospect. He has scheduled two official visits thus far. This weekend he is going to Auburn for his first official visit, and then he is scheduled to visit Michigan January 14th. Bailey is also looking at Ohio State, Florida, Florida State and Miami, and all of the schools on his list have offered him a scholarship. At this point, Bailey says he has no favorite. There's bad news on the recruiting front for two super prospect that the Buckeyes had been pursuing. Super linebacker D.J. Williams from California told me that he is no longer considering Ohio State. Williams said that he is going to make official visits to Michigan, Texas, Florida State and Miami, and his fifth official visit is between Cal, Tennessee and Penn State. The Buckeyes had been on his list of his final seven or eight, but unfortunately he said Ohio State is now out of the running. He will visit Texas December 3rd and Michigan January 7th. He still has to schedule his visits to Miami and Florida State and says he does not have a favorite among those schools. Super offensive lineman Kiwane Harris from Newark, Delaware also told me that he is no longer looking at the Buckeyes. Harris said that his decision is down to Michigan, who has already visited, Tennessee, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, Wisconsin, Penn State and maybe Florida and Texas. Harris said that he is just not interested at this point in Ohio State. On the other hand, WR Mike Jenkins (6-5, 200, 4.45) from Tampa Lido High School in Florida remains very interested in Ohio State. He told me that he has four official visits set up, Notre Dame December 3rd, Virginia Tech December 6th, Ohio State December 10th, and Georgia Tech January 7th. Jenkins also said that he is considering Michigan, Virginia, Clemson, Florida and Auburn for his fifth official visit. Thus far all of the schools on his list except for Florida and Michigan have offered him a scholarship. He says he doesn't have any one clear cut leader, but that Ohio State would most definitely be high up on his list. Another WR that the Buckeyes have offered a scholarship to is Kelvin Kites (6-0, 180) from Lithonia, Georgia. He caught 30 passes this season and he tells me that he is still considering who to make official visits with. Kites at one point was going to make an official visit to Ohio State back in October, but he had to take his test instead, so he says he is still now considering the Buckeyes, but hasn't rescheduled a date to visit Ohio State. Kites said he is looking at Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Maryland. Right now he is not sure which schools he will make official visit to. Super lineman Antonio Hall from Canton McKinley High School told me that he is pretty sure now who he will make his official visits with,and not surprisingly, one of them will be to, as he put it. "O-State". He says he is planning to schedule official visits to Ohio State, Michigan, Kentucky and Florida State. He says his 5th visit is between Tennessee and Notre Dame, and his decision is now down to just those six schools. All six have told him a scholarship is available, except that in the case of Notre Dame, he would have to go through the admissions department. Hall said that he does not have a leader at this point, but I tend to feel somewhat optimistic for Buckeye fans that Hall will end up at Ohio State, and his decision will likely come down to Ohio State or Michigan. Hall's teammate, two way lineman Garrett Bush, will be making an unofficial visit to the Ohio State - Michigan game this weekend to watch both teams. Bush is looking at Michigan, Ohio State, Ohio U and Florida. Michigan and Ohio U have offered him a scholarship, and he has an official visit set up to Ohio U for the weekend of December third. Outstanding running back/fullback Greg Jones (6-1, 235) from South Carolina has scheduled an official visit to Ohio State, and he also is going to see the Buckeyes play in person at the OSU - Michigan game. He leaves Friday morning to an official visit to Michigan. Jones also has an official visit set up to Ohio State for the weekend of December 3rd, Florida State for January 7th, and Tennessee for January 14th. The other two schools that Jones is considering are Clemson and North Carolina. Those are his final six, and all six have offered him a scholarship. Jones says that he thinks he will take all five official visits, and at this point he does not have a favorite. Jones rushed for over 1600 yards and scored 18 touchdowns this season. He is one of the country's finest big backs. Speaking of backs from the state of South Carolina, the other Blue-Chip back in that state, Keith Kelly (6-0, 215, 4.45), from Walterboro, South Carolina, has his decision down to six schools too, and Ohio State is one of the six. He has qualified academically. He says that his decision is now down to Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson. All of those schools have offered him a scholarship. At this point, Kelly says that he does not have a favorite, and he has not yet begun to schedule and of his official visits. The Buckeyes have been pursuing WR prospect Jerod Jones (6-1, 185) from Hillsboro, New Jersey, and have offered him a scholarship. He has already made an official visit to Boston College, and plans to take his next trip to Michigan the weekend of December 10th. Jones also is planning to visit Syracuse the weekend of December 17th. He said that he is now undecided as to whether he will take his scheduled January 14th visit to Georgia Tech. Other schools that he is considering are Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers, Duke and Virginia, and all of those schools have offered him a scholarship. Some bad news is that RB Marcus Huston from Denver Thomas Jefferson High School in Colorado, one of the country's top overall prospects, says that he has narrowed things down, and that Ohio State in no longer under consideration. Huston will visit Texas December 3rd unless the Longhorns are playing in the Big 12 championship game that weekend, and he also says that he will visit UCLA, USC and Colorado. He said that for his 5th visit, he would go to either Florida State, Michigan, Miami or Notre Dame. Unfortunately, Blue-Chip DE Travis Johnson from California has now eliminated Ohio State Johnson had OSU as one of his six finalists, but now has narrowed things down to USC, Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan and Florida State. All five have offered him a scholarship. OSU had also offered him a scholarship. On the other hand, another outstanding DL from California is not only still looking at Ohio State, but has the Buckeyes as his top choice. Calvin Barrett (6-2, 300) from Spring Valley Monta Vista High School in California, the same school that Michael Wiley is from, tells me that he has Ohio State in the lead. Barrett will make an official visit to Arizona December 10th, Wisconsin December 17th, Ohio State January 7th, and Nebraska January 14th. He said that if he takes a 5th official visit, there are several schools that he is considering, most notably Arizona State and San Diego State. Barrett has been offered a scholarship by every school on his list. He says that the Buckeyes' off season this year does not change his opinion of Ohio State. He said he knows the Buckeyes have a great program and will bounce back, and also mentions that he has aunts and uncles that live in Columbus. He says the Buckeyes have the lead, with Nebraska and Wisconsin tied for second. RB Marcus Sanders (6-0, 188) from Ravenna, Ohio is definitely drawing interest from Ohio State. Sanders rushed for 2,376 yards this season and scored 34 touchdowns as he averaged 11.5 yards per carry. Sanders told me that he is looking at Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Pitt, Minnesota and Ohio U, and he said that all of those schools except for Ohio State have offered him a scholarship. Sanders has said that he has not yet begun to set up his official visits. He says that all the schools are calling, but he now has to decide which ones to visit and get the exact dates set up for those visits. he says that right now, he does not have a favorite. The Buckeyes have offered a scholarship to LB/TE Marcus Hairiston (6-4, 210, 4.6) from Columbus Mifflin High School. Hairston has now set up his first official visit, that will be to Pitt the weekend of December 3rd. He says that he will also visit Georgia and will set one up with Ohio State as well. The other schools that he is considering are Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan State and Tennessee, and all of the schools on his list have offered him a scholarship, but he is wide open as to a favorite. He says he just want to find the school that is best for him. QB Ben Roethlisburger (6-5, 195) of Findlay, Ohio had a super senior season. His team was knocked out of the playoffs, but he ended up with 4,136 yards passing, completing over 67% of his throws. He also had 54 touchdown passes with just nine interceptions. He told me that he is looking at Ohio State, Miami of Ohio, Duke and Ball State. All four have offered him a scholarship. He has to schedule his official visits around basketball, so as of right now he doesn't have any exact dates for any of his visits. WR Tony Brown from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida has already made official visits to both Ohio State and Purdue. Brown says that the Buckeyes and the Boilermakers are his top two choices, but he also will most likely make official visits to both Michigan and Florida State in December and possibly Tennessee in January. All five schools have offered him a scholarship. The Buckeyes continue to lead, and it's a sizable lead, for DB Bobby Britton (5-11, 175) from Jacksonville, Raines High School in Florida. He tells me that he might soon commit to Ohio State. Britton has already made his official visit with the Buckeyes and says that Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia and Georgia Tech have asked him to make official visits, but he said that he is now getting about 45 or 50 letters every day, and he is tiring of the recruiting process. So Britton says it is not out of the question that he could commit to Ohio State sometime within the next couple of weeks. TE Will Svitek (6-6, 235) from Newberry Park, California told me that he has pretty much rounded out his official visit schedule. Svitek has already made his official visit to Ohio State, and has Arizona State scheduled for a November 27th official visit, and Stanford December 3rd, and Arizona December 10th. He said that his 5th official visit will be to Washington, though he is not certain when that will be. All five schools have offered him a scholarship. DL John Lumpkin, from Warren Harding High School, says that Ohio State has now pulled almost dead even with Michigan for his top spot. He has Indiana scheduled for December 3rd, Syracuse December 10th, and Michigan January 7th. He says that the other schools that he is considering are Ohio State and Florida. He says that Ohio State having an off season really doesn't affect him too much, that Ohio State could go 10-0 next season. Lumpkin says that he has Michigan and Ohio State as pretty much his two leaders at this point, and that Michigan might have a slight edge, and that it is very, very close between the two schools. |