2017 Ohio State Football Signing Class
The 2017 Ohio State football signing class is being called one of the best in the history of OSU football.
The class was a consensus second-best in the nation, slightly behind that of Alabama largely because the Tide signed 29 players as compared to 21 signed by the Buckeyes.
The OSU class is quality from top to bottom and is highlighted by an incredible haul of defensive secondary talent that includes some of the most highly-sought defensive backs in the nation.
Baron Browning
Linebacker
Kennedale HS
Kennedale, Texas
6-4, 230
About Baron Browning
Browning ranked five stars from three of the four recruiting services and is considered the top one or two linebacker prospects in the nation. He is very athletic and very much a hitter. His speed allows him to make plays other linebackers would not make. He was a two-time first-team all-state selection in Texas and defensive player of the year as a senior. He enrolled early at Ohio State.
Stats
2016 – 81 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks
2015 – 74 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks
2016 AP 4A Defensive Player of the Year; Two-time First-Team All-State; Already enrolled at Ohio State
Baron Browning Video
Jerron Cage
Defensive Tackle
Winton Woods HS
Cincinnati, Ohio
6-3, 280
About Jerron Cage
Cage was rated a four-star by three recruiting services, a three-star by one. He was a two-time first-team all-state defensive tackle in Ohio. His brother Daniel is a defensive tackle at Notre Dame. He is a three-technique defensive lineman who has shown that he can be an effective pass rusher.
High School Stats:
2016 – 81 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR
2015 – 40 tackles, 3.5 sacks
2014 – 38 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 FR, 1 INT
2013 – 3 tackles. 0.5 sacks
Jerron Cage Video
Wyatt Davis
Offensive Guard
St. John Bosco HS
Bellflower, Ca.
6-4, 310
About Wyatt Davis
Davis is a graduate of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California. He was rated the number one guard prospect in the nation by Rivals, Scout, and 24/7. He is a devastating and punishing run blocker who finishes blocks with malice. Defenders lined up against him often find themselves either on the ground or driven far off the line of scrimmage. He has the size, strength, ability and temperament to be an outstanding collegiate offensive lineman,
Wyatt Davis Video
J.K. Dobbins
Running Back
LaGrange HS
LaGrange, Texas
5-10, 208
About J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins is rated the No. 2 all-purpose back in the nation per 247Sports and No. 4 running back per Rivals. He missed all of 2016 with an ankle injury. In 2015, he rushed for 2,741 yards on 288 carries with 35 touchdowns. The season before that, while splitting carries, he rushed for 2,230 yards and 37 touchdowns on just 183 carries. Dobbins also held offers Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, California and Arkansas.
As a runner, Dobbins is completely comfortable in traffic and has the vision to move through it as if football was choreographed. According to his head coach Matt Kates, he could also be a D-I slot receiver if he wanted. Dobbins has been hand-timed at 4.30 in the 40-yard dash in the last year and was a state finalist in the Texas High School 100 meters as a freshman. He also played a little bit of quarterback when the need would arise.
Dobbins is an early-enrollee at Ohio State.
Statistics
2016 – Did not play due to injury
2015 – 2,741 yds rushing, 288 carries, 35 touchdowns
2014 – 2,230 yds rushing, 183 carries, 37 touchdowns
J.K. Dobbins Video
Ellijah Gardiner
Wide Receiver
Kemp HS
Kemp, Texas
6-4, 200
About Ellijah Gardiner
Gardiner is a consensus three-star player who had been committed to Missouri for three months before flipping to the Buckeyes. Gardiner became a target when OSU commit Tyjon Lindsey flipped to Nebraska. Gardiner brings size and good speed to the table. New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson had an active hand in his recruitment.
Ellijah Gardiner Video
Haskell Garrett
Defensive Line
Bishop Gorman HS
Las Vegas, Nevada
6-2, 286
About Haskell Garrett
Garrett is a consensus four-star prospect who was rated anywhere from the 4th-best to 7th-best defensive tackle prospect by the ranking services. He was selected to play in the Army All-American game. He was named first-team all-state in Nevada in both his junior and senior seasons. He was defensive player of the year in his league both years as well. He was the teammate of fellow OSU signee quarterback Tate Martell.
Garrett is a three-technique who reminds a lot of scouts of Michael Bennett or Adolphus Washington. He is stout against the run and a good pass rusher. His TFL numbers below say he is a play-maker who is very disruptive.
Statistics
2016 – 54 tackles, 20 TFLs, 7.5 Sacks, 1 INT
2015 – 53 tackles, 16 TFLs
Haskell Garrett Video
Trevon Grimes
Wide Receiver
St. Thomas Aquinas
Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
6-4, 202
About Trevon Grimes
Grimes is a consensus four-star prospect who has the kind of assets that can’t be coached. At 6-4, he is consistently timed in 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash. Rivals ranks him the number-four wide receiver prospect in the nation while ESPN and 24/7 have him at number five. He also had offers from Florida, Miami, Georgia, Florida State and Alabama.
Grimes’ senior season was cut short by a torn ACL in early October. Despite that he is expected to arrive on campus this fall completely healed and ready to compete, though the injury may prompt OSU to bring him along a bit slowly.
Grimes uses his body well to shield defenders and is able to battle for the football and go up and get it before it becomes a true 50/50 ball. And when it is a 50/50 ball, he makes it closer to 60/40.
Trevon Grimes Video
Jaylen Harris
Wide Receiver
Cleveland Hts HS
Cleveland, Ohio
6-5, 205
About Jaylen Harris
Harris was first-team all state and considered a four-star prospect by all the recruiting services. He is not known for his speed but brings size and absolutely great hands to the field. He is also known as an extremely effective downfield blocker, something near and dear to the heart of Urban Meyer.
Statistics
2016 – 53 receptions, 820 yards, 8 TDs, 98% blocking grade
Jaylen Harris Video
Blake Haubeil
Kicker
Canisius HS
Buffalo, New York
6-3, 200
About Blake Haubeil
Haubeil committed to Ohio State in July of 2015, prior to his junior season. He is rated the No. 1 kicker in the nation per the 247Sports Composite.
Haubeil is a very talented FG Kicker. The lift on his FG’s is college ready right now. He has competed at multiple Kohl’s events in 2016 and shown he is a trustworthy kicker. He has been ahead of his age ever since he came to his first Kohl’s camp and won the Eastern Showcase as a sophomore. In May of 2016 he made 9 of 10 FG in the charting phase of camp and was dominant in the drill work and competition phase. His FG range was 5-10 yards longer than everyone else at that camp.
In 2015 Haubeil connected on a 61-yard field goal in a game.
Statistics
2016: 56-of-56 on PATs; 6-of-9 on FGs, Long of 47; 39.9 yards per punt
2015: 33-of-35 on PATs; 4-of-4 on FGs, Long of 61; 37.1 yards per punt
Blake Haubeil Video
Jeffrey Okudah
Cornerback
S. Grand Prairie HS
Grand Prairie, Tx
6-1, 193
About Jeffrey Okudah
Okudah is a consensus five-star prospect and ranked the number one corner by all services except scout which ranks him number two. 24/7 ranks him the 7th-best prospect in the nation at any position.
Okudah played both offense and defense while in high school, and while that might be possible at Ohio State, it is more likely that he will end up playing solely on defense either at safety or cornerback. On defense Okudah shows the ability to play one-on-one coverage against the opponent’s best wide receivers. He likes to make big plays and that includes big hits that will remind Buckeye fans of Mike Doss.
Barring injury or other unforeseen circumstance he will probably only be on the roster for three years before the NFL comes calling. He is a special player that can do a lot of things really well, and should be an immediate asset for the defense of the Buckeyes.
Statistics
2016 – 43 tackles, 5 PBU
2015 – 46 tackles, 4 PBU
Jeffrey Okudah Video
Isaiah Pryor
Safety
IMG Academy
Lawrenceville, Ga
6-2, 192
About Isaiah Pryor
Pryor committed to Ohio State over offers from Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, and every other big-name program throughout the nation. A versatile defender, Pryor has played all over the defensive backfield as a high schooler, though he projects to strong safety at Ohio State.
Pryor is strong against the run, but doesn’t come crashing down out of control. He keeps his feet under him, which allows him to make plays on the ball without losing visibility. He displays his range against the pass and the run, and also triggers very well against screen passes. He is stronger than the receivers who have tried to block him to this point and is able to get off of blocks pretty quickly.
Pryor was an Army All-American and rated as high as the third-best safety in the country by ESPN. He enrolled early at OSU.
Statistics
2016 – 54 tackles
2015 – 40 tackles
Isaiah Pryor Video
Tate Martell
Quarterback
Bishop Gorman HS
Las Vegas, Nevada
5-11, 205
About Tate Martell
Tate Martell is rated the No. 2 quarterback in the nation per Scout and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports and Rivals.
Former OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel used to say that you can judge a quarterback by the final score on the scoreboard. If that’s the case, Martell is a keeper. He led his Bishop Gorman team to back-to-back-to-back national championships and a 45-0 total record as a starting quarterback. It doesn’t get much better than that on the scoreboard issue.
Martell is comfortable as a passer whether in the pocket or on the move outside of it. He is accurate from either venue, and dangerous from wherever he finds himself. He is only 5-foot-11, but he is quick and fast enough to compensate. His toughness has never been a question, nor has his durability, as he has not missed a game as a starter the last three seasons.
As a runner, Martell can get to the corner and pick up first downs at the sticks, but he also has an incredible ability to keep plays alive behind the line of scrimmage. He is a calm playmaker who appears to make players around him better. He was once committed to Washington and Texas A&M.
Statistics
2016 — 136-215 2,362 yds, 41 TDs, 1 INT, 1,257 yds rushing, 21 TDs
2015 — 133-237 2,608 yds, 32 TDs, 6 INTs, 604 yds rushing, 9 TDs
2014 — 124-200 2,537 yds, 40 TDs, 2 INTs, 433 yds rushing, 5 TDs
Tate Martell Video
Thayer Munford
Offensive Tackle
Washington HS
Cincinnati, Ohio
6-6, 325
About Thayer Munford
Munford is considered one of Ohio’s best and brings size and toughness to the tackle position. He was one of the last members of the signing class to commit to the Buckeyes having caught the eye of new offensive line coach Greg Studrawa who lobbied hard to get Munford into this class. He is considered a four-star prospect by three recruiting services, a three-star prospect by one other.
Thayer Munford Video
Josh Myers
Offensive Line
Miamisburg HS
Miamisburg, Ohio
6-5, 305
About Josh Myers
Myers was hailed by the recruiting services as one of the top 10 players in the nation for the last year or so until he showed some struggles pass protecting throughout the week at the Army All-American Bowl. His ratings dropped significantly, but don’t expect the Ohio State coaches to show any concern.
Myers comes from a running offense, which has molded him into a mauling run blocker who is stronger than anybody else he comes up against. He can create holes with ease and when his teams needed a tough yard — even his Army All-American team — they ran behind him because they know he can be trusted.
The Ohio State offense is at its best when it is running the ball at will on any defense that it comes up against. For that reason alone, Myers is a good fit for the Buckeyes because he’s the type of run blocker who can keep a running game going. He’ll work on his pass blocking, as all freshmen do, and with his strength and athleticism, he should be just fine in that regard. He’s already “college strong”, so he could very well hit the ground running and start pushing his way into the two-deep immediately.
Josh Myers Video
Amir Riep
Cornerback
Colerain HS
Cincinnati, Ohio
5-11, 183
About Amir Riep
A product of Cincinnati Colerain, Riep signed with Ohio State over offers from Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida State, Notre Dame and many others. Riep is skilled both in off coverage and press coverage, using his eyes while in off coverage to keep up with the football when necessary. He is adept at coming off of his man and helping out teammates when the ball is headed their way.
His size and ability to cover ground and also find the football are reminiscent of Marshon Lattimore. He’s a smooth defender who rarely looked out of place in high school. His physicality, however, reminds us of Kurt Coleman, who began his career at Ohio State as a cornerback but moved to safety.
Riep was a four-star prospect and an All-State performer. He had a dominant junior season which prompted teams to stay away from him his senior campaign.
2016 – 22 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF
2015 – 55 tackles, 7 INTs, 3 FF, 2 FR
Amir Riep Video
Kendall Shefield
Cornerback
Blinn JC
Brenham, Tx
6-0, 183
About Kendall Sheffield
Sheffield is a junior college transfer who is ranked the No. 1 juco corner prospect and No. 4 juco prospect at any position. He originally signed with Alabama out of high school before leaving the Crimson Tide for junior college. He is a cover corner who is also a skilled kick returner. He could quite possibly be a one-and-done player at Ohio State. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Kendall Sheffield Video
Pete Werner
Linebacker
Cathedral HS
Indianapolis, In.
6-3, 215
About Pete Werner
Werner is out of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is rated as the No. 14 inside linebacker in the nation, and is Indiana’s No. 2 prospect. He signed with Ohio State over offers from Notre Dame (where he was once committed), Michigan, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Penn State, California, Wisconsin, and many others.
Werner has decent size but above-average speed for a player his size. His strong-suit is that he loves to hit people and he’s good at it. He has a nose for the football and isn’t easily fooled on plays.
He was recruited by Luke Fickell who has a great eye for linebacking talent. His TFL and sack stats say he is a big-play guy.
Statistics
2016 – 65 tackles, 17 TFLs, 8 sacks, 3 FF
Pete Werner Video
Brendon White
Wide Receiver
Olentangy Liberty HS
Powell, Ohio
6-2, 210
About Brendon White
Brendon White is a gifted athlete that can excel almost anywhere on the football field. He was a high school quarterback and safety where he earned all-state honors as a safety as a junior. He was district player of the year as a senior quarterback. He was rated a four-star prospect by all four scouting services and ranked as high as the number tw0 athlete in the nation by 24/7. Rivals ranked him at number three.
White has the potential to be a Darron Lee-type walkout linebacker at the college level. It appears however that his future may be on offense in college. He enrolled early at Ohio State and at first practiced with the linebackers. He was later moved to wide receiver where he brings size, speed and toughness.
Statistics
2016 – 799 yards passing, 11 TDs; 842 yards rushing, 10 TDs; 22 receptions, 220 yards, 4 TDs
2015 – 6 INTs; 26 receptions, 316 yards, 3 TDs; 1,062 all-purpose yards; 11 TDs
Brendon White Video
Chase Young
Defensive End
DeMatha Catholic
Hyattsville, Md
6-5, 240
About Chase Young
Young was rated a five-star prospect by all the ranking services except ESPN which had him as a four-star. He had a spectacular showing in the Army All-Star game after which many proclaimed him the best prospect in the nation. He simply dominated in that game against some of the best offensive line prospects in this class. He is not particularly big but has the frame to fill out. His quickness, speed, tenacity and athleticism are his top attributes. He was ranked as the second-best or third-best DE prospect in the nation prior to the Army All-Star game. Many moved him to number one after that game.
Young is an uber-playmaker as his high school stats while playing at DeMatha Cathlolic in high school will attest. His TFL and sack numbers were nothing short of spectacular. His showing in the Army All-Star game says he will can have the same kind of success at the collegiate level.
Statistics
2016 – 119 tackles, 37 TFLs, 18 sacks, 5 FF
2015 – 89 tackles, 36 TFLs, 17 sacks
Chase Young Video
