This is the part of the following story that I found interesting: Urban Meyer stressing out about deciding on which recruits to recruit.
They signed the No. 2 class in the country so they obviously are doing something right. But he is still stressing out. I saw an interview with him on BTN on signing day and Meyer said the previous two weeks had been the hardest-working two weeks he had ever had in recruiting.
In the story below, he said the OSU staff put about 10 hours of conversation on whether or not to offer an in-state guy.
Here's The Takeaway: There are different forms of stress on coaches for various programs. The stress for a program like OSU, which gets to pick first, is to make sure they pick the right guys. In the end, their roster will be more talented than anyone's in the Big Ten, but it's a more painstaking process for them than we might think - AND THE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD makes it MORE stressful for them, gives them less time to make their decisions.
The early signing period will help northern teams get Texas, California and Florida/Georgia players on campus for paid visits during the nice months of May, June or whenever the the summer visit period is.
But I underestimated what a drag the early signing period might be for the power programs, giving them less time to decide which commitment lists to pillage.
In more than one way, the early signing day (and the early visit period) helps the Big Ten middleweight and light heavyweight programs.
*****
Ohio signees in short supply in Ohio State football recruiting
By NICHOLAS PIOTROWICZ | BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Published on Dec. 23, 2017 | Updated 11:58 p. m.
COLUMBUS — When college football’s early signing window closed at 12 a.m. Saturday, Ohio State finished with 21 signees and the No. 2 class in college football.
For all the projected talent in the group, one thing was in notably short supply: Ohioans.
MORE: Former five-star recruit to transfer from Ohio State
The Buckeyes signed just four players from their home state, fewer than Cincinnati (13) and Michigan State (nine) and as many as Kentucky. Ohio State has signed at least seven players from Ohio in each recruiting class since at least 2000, and the Buckeyes — even with one of the state’s top players still undecided and in their sights — are on pace to have their fewest number of in-state recruits in a generation.
But with the team still luring top-tier high school players and still winning 11 or more games every season, is OSU’s lack of Ohio players really an issue?
According to Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State ideally would like to sign more players from inside Ohio’s borders than it has so far.
“It is a problem,” Meyer said.
Ohio’s best recruit passed on a chance to play at OSU, and in nontraditional fashion. Losing a Catholic high school player to Notre Dame is nothing new, but in this case, the Buckeyes watched as a public school player picked Clemson instead.
Jackson Carman, a five-star offensive tackle from Fairfield, waited until national signing day Wednesday to choose his school, and to the surprise of many, he picked against Ohio State.
“Ohio State in Ohio, that's all there is,” Carman told reporters. “For me to do something like this is obviously big, but I think it was the right decision.”
It should be said Ohio State did sign three of the state’s top five players, according to 247Sports.com, with a chance for four. Cleveland defensive end Tyreke Smith, the only undecided Ohio player in the top five, will choose between the Buckeyes and Penn State on Jan. 4.
Further, the state’s 2018 class is not as deep talent-wise as in years past, while Meyer said OSU ran into additional problems with in-state players. Meyer said Ohio State typically will give the benefit of the doubt to an Ohio player if his grades and character meet OSU’s standard.
“Well, we had some academic issues this year with some of the Ohio kids,” Meyer said. “We err on the [side of the] Ohio guy, and [four is] a small number.
“I don't think it's over. As a matter of fact, I know there's at least one more that we're holding onto because he has a signing date or something.”
More than ever before, Ohio State went national to piece together its No. 2-rated class. It pulled the country’s No. 1 tight end, Jeremy Ruckert, and No. 1 center, Matthew Jones, from New York. Florida accounted for as many Ohio State signees as Ohio, and 11 states were represented, including OSU’s first-ever scholarship recruit from Idaho.
OSU’s past three signed quarterbacks have come from Maryland, Nevada, and Texas.
Meyer surmised that the early signing period had something to do with the program’s recruiting in Ohio, which he said is known for late-blooming recruits. Meyer noted that Tyvis Powell, Joshua Perry, and Darron Lee were unheralded as recruits from the Buckeye State but went onto stardom under Meyer at Ohio State.
Because of early signing, Meyer said OSU didn’t have as a much of a chance to meet such players.
“That concerns me because Ohio is so known for that too, and that really is alarming to me, and I'm on our staff,” Meyer said. “I keep diving at our coaches saying, ‘Are we doing the right thing here?’”
The Buckeyes did sign one such player, Alex Williams of Pickerington, a 6-foot-7 athlete rated as a three-star player. Meyer estimated “probably 10 hours of conversation” went into going after Williams.
Meyer said he was anxious to speak with other coaches regarding their feelings on the early signing period, which was polarizing, if nothing else. On one hand, Ohio State no longer has to worry about recruiting the 21 players who signed.
On the other, the faster pace causes for quicker recruiting decisions with less information.
“So the positive is, like I said, no babysitting,” Meyer said. “The negative is that you're squeezing the recruiting process into a small time period and very critical decisions for us, more critical decisions for the young person.”
Winning games pays the bills in college football, and under Meyer, the Buckeyes have won at least 11 games in every season and signed the Big Ten’s best recruiting class seven times in a row.
While the Buckeyes are contending at the top of the game, in a perfect world, Meyer said he hopes his program can sign more than four players from the Buckeye State.
“Yeah, that's a problem,” Meyer said. “What's the solution? Do the very best we can.”
They signed the No. 2 class in the country so they obviously are doing something right. But he is still stressing out. I saw an interview with him on BTN on signing day and Meyer said the previous two weeks had been the hardest-working two weeks he had ever had in recruiting.
In the story below, he said the OSU staff put about 10 hours of conversation on whether or not to offer an in-state guy.
Here's The Takeaway: There are different forms of stress on coaches for various programs. The stress for a program like OSU, which gets to pick first, is to make sure they pick the right guys. In the end, their roster will be more talented than anyone's in the Big Ten, but it's a more painstaking process for them than we might think - AND THE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD makes it MORE stressful for them, gives them less time to make their decisions.
The early signing period will help northern teams get Texas, California and Florida/Georgia players on campus for paid visits during the nice months of May, June or whenever the the summer visit period is.
But I underestimated what a drag the early signing period might be for the power programs, giving them less time to decide which commitment lists to pillage.
In more than one way, the early signing day (and the early visit period) helps the Big Ten middleweight and light heavyweight programs.
*****
Ohio signees in short supply in Ohio State football recruiting
By NICHOLAS PIOTROWICZ | BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Published on Dec. 23, 2017 | Updated 11:58 p. m.
St. John's Jesuit linebacker Dallas Gant (24) is one of just four players from the state of Ohio who signed with Ohio State.
COLUMBUS — When college football’s early signing window closed at 12 a.m. Saturday, Ohio State finished with 21 signees and the No. 2 class in college football.
For all the projected talent in the group, one thing was in notably short supply: Ohioans.
MORE: Former five-star recruit to transfer from Ohio State
The Buckeyes signed just four players from their home state, fewer than Cincinnati (13) and Michigan State (nine) and as many as Kentucky. Ohio State has signed at least seven players from Ohio in each recruiting class since at least 2000, and the Buckeyes — even with one of the state’s top players still undecided and in their sights — are on pace to have their fewest number of in-state recruits in a generation.
But with the team still luring top-tier high school players and still winning 11 or more games every season, is OSU’s lack of Ohio players really an issue?
According to Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State ideally would like to sign more players from inside Ohio’s borders than it has so far.
“It is a problem,” Meyer said.
Ohio’s best recruit passed on a chance to play at OSU, and in nontraditional fashion. Losing a Catholic high school player to Notre Dame is nothing new, but in this case, the Buckeyes watched as a public school player picked Clemson instead.
Jackson Carman, a five-star offensive tackle from Fairfield, waited until national signing day Wednesday to choose his school, and to the surprise of many, he picked against Ohio State.
“Ohio State in Ohio, that's all there is,” Carman told reporters. “For me to do something like this is obviously big, but I think it was the right decision.”
It should be said Ohio State did sign three of the state’s top five players, according to 247Sports.com, with a chance for four. Cleveland defensive end Tyreke Smith, the only undecided Ohio player in the top five, will choose between the Buckeyes and Penn State on Jan. 4.
Further, the state’s 2018 class is not as deep talent-wise as in years past, while Meyer said OSU ran into additional problems with in-state players. Meyer said Ohio State typically will give the benefit of the doubt to an Ohio player if his grades and character meet OSU’s standard.
“Well, we had some academic issues this year with some of the Ohio kids,” Meyer said. “We err on the [side of the] Ohio guy, and [four is] a small number.
“I don't think it's over. As a matter of fact, I know there's at least one more that we're holding onto because he has a signing date or something.”
More than ever before, Ohio State went national to piece together its No. 2-rated class. It pulled the country’s No. 1 tight end, Jeremy Ruckert, and No. 1 center, Matthew Jones, from New York. Florida accounted for as many Ohio State signees as Ohio, and 11 states were represented, including OSU’s first-ever scholarship recruit from Idaho.
OSU’s past three signed quarterbacks have come from Maryland, Nevada, and Texas.
Meyer surmised that the early signing period had something to do with the program’s recruiting in Ohio, which he said is known for late-blooming recruits. Meyer noted that Tyvis Powell, Joshua Perry, and Darron Lee were unheralded as recruits from the Buckeye State but went onto stardom under Meyer at Ohio State.
Because of early signing, Meyer said OSU didn’t have as a much of a chance to meet such players.
“That concerns me because Ohio is so known for that too, and that really is alarming to me, and I'm on our staff,” Meyer said. “I keep diving at our coaches saying, ‘Are we doing the right thing here?’”
The Buckeyes did sign one such player, Alex Williams of Pickerington, a 6-foot-7 athlete rated as a three-star player. Meyer estimated “probably 10 hours of conversation” went into going after Williams.
Meyer said he was anxious to speak with other coaches regarding their feelings on the early signing period, which was polarizing, if nothing else. On one hand, Ohio State no longer has to worry about recruiting the 21 players who signed.
On the other, the faster pace causes for quicker recruiting decisions with less information.
“So the positive is, like I said, no babysitting,” Meyer said. “The negative is that you're squeezing the recruiting process into a small time period and very critical decisions for us, more critical decisions for the young person.”
Winning games pays the bills in college football, and under Meyer, the Buckeyes have won at least 11 games in every season and signed the Big Ten’s best recruiting class seven times in a row.
While the Buckeyes are contending at the top of the game, in a perfect world, Meyer said he hopes his program can sign more than four players from the Buckeye State.
“Yeah, that's a problem,” Meyer said. “What's the solution? Do the very best we can.”
