Predicting how the Buckeyes 2022 recruiting class will end

COLUMBUS – The state of Ohio has the highest ranked recruiting class of 2022 in the country.

It’s the same position Ryan Day and the Buckeyes were for a good majority of the 2021 cycle. Last year, Covid slowed down Ohio state and Alabama took the lead with a flurry of commitments. late. Day’s program has recruited just 22 new players compared to 27 for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

So the question for the Buckeyes is: What if …

What if Ohio State took four or five more players in the 2021 class? Could this elusive first recruiting championship have taken place? What if the Buckeyes didn’t stop at 22 verbal ones in the class of 2022? How much can he this class to be?

We have reached a fairly comfortable midpoint of the cycle, so now is a good time to ask this question. The state of Ohio currently has 16 verbal and has effectively finished recruiting at least four positions in this grade. Top-ranked prospect Quinn Ewers will be the only quarterback unless there are significant roster changes at Columbus. Dallan Hayden is in a similar situation as a running back. Brian Hartline has four receivers, Kerry Coombs has four cornerbacks and Al Washington has two very strong linebackers involved. It’s all the Buckeyes need in those positions, although there is some debate on whether or not to add a third linebacker – again.

So what about what’s left? Who will wrap up the Ohio State 2022 recruiting class?

Here is the best estimate we have at Line of letters have right now.

Ohio State needs more offensive linemen

There is a lot of debate about what to do along the offensive line.

Tegra Tshabola is committed, and he has enormous potential playing indoors or outdoors. This flexibility means there is more versatility for Greg Studrawa with the rest of the class. But the question that matters most is how much the state of Ohio can actually take. A handful of top players are in the process of determining their recruitments, and most of them made official visits with the Buckeyes in June.

The goal for Ohio State has been to take just three offensive linemen in this round. But with attrition that comes naturally or not, it’s easy to see how the numbers could grow to four or even five. Especially if the right five all want to enter. It’s a good problem for the Buckeyes.

In my opinion, the most likely additions for the state of Ohio are George Fitzpatrick, Kam Dewberry, and Earnest Greene. I think this trio gives the Buckeyes the most flexibility, athleticism and aggression. It also shows how national the Ohio State brand is. It is not easy to face the best schools in Texas and California, where Dewberry and Greene respectively come from. The battle for Fitzpatrick, which is not talked about enough, is a national battle with Florida, Oregon, Michigan and Oklahoma.

It’s a big win for the Buckeyes if that happens regardless of the standings.

Who is in? George Fitzpatrick, Kam Dewberry and Earnest Greene

Larry Johnson to replenish the defensive line

Ohio State needs at least three defensive tackles and, in the best-case scenario, two edge rushers in the 2022 class. June gave Larry Johnson his first real look at the top prospects in the class and a valuable insight into what he wants.

The Buckeyes have had Caden Curry at the top of the list for a long time, and I don’t see that changing. He has not made an official visit but will do so in the fall. Curry is unique and perhaps the key part of how the rest of the defensive line goes, as he’s really capable of playing inside or outside on any given snap.

There has been a lot of talk about Omari Abor in recent months, and that’s to be expected. He’s a 5-star prospect and probably the most physically ready of anyone the Buckeyes recruit. Still, with Alabama and Oklahoma heavily involved, it’s unclear exactly where this one is going if it doesn’t make a return trip to Columbus at its own expense. It is not wise to bet against Larry Johnson, but this battle seems far from over.

So what’s the prediction? Let’s be a little crazy.

Who is in? Caden Curry, Hero Kanu, Chris McClellan, Enai White and Kenyatta Jackson

Can Kerry Coombs and Matt Barnes Achieve the Two Highest Security Goals?

Suppose for a moment that none of the defensive backs currently engaged are found elsewhere. The Buckeyes should expect a serious battle to make sure that happens, as schools across the country try to sow doubt in the impressionable minds of these top prospects. Kerry Coombs and Matt Barnes are up for this fight, without a doubt.

But with four corners and safety engaged, the two big fish remaining in the defensive back are where the real fight will come. Ironically, getting an engagement from Xavier Nwankpa or Zion Branch almost certainly makes it more difficult to get an engagement from the other.

Still, Ohio State hopes to do just that. The Buckeyes pitched each other, showed them both exactly where they fit into the defensive scheme and how they would work together on the pitch.

The question: Will they take that leap? This may be the result of the incredible success Ohio State has had on the recruiting trail lately, but I think it is. The Buckeyes are certainly ahead in relationship play with Iowa’s top player, Nwankpa, and continue to make a real effort with Branch. Yes, he has a lot of love for USC, and Trojans are a serious threat. But Ohio State is on a different level than USC, and I think Branch knows that.

Who is in? Xavier Nwankpa and the Zion branch

There it is. The best prediction of the end of the Ohio State 2022 recruiting class, if that was the end of the recruiting cycle. If those predictions came true, it would be the Buckeyes’ best recruiting class of all time. Yes, even better than the 2021 squad – which is currently the Buckeyes’ best recruiting class of all time.

Will that be enough to win a recruiting championship? This is what the state of Ohio hopes for.