Ohio State Recruiting: What Do Buckeyes Still Need for 2018?

Ohio State currently has 19 verbal commitments in their 2018 recruiting class, with most of those players expected to sign in a matter of weeks. Despite having the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation at the moment, there are still a handful of needs for the Buckeyes.

What do those needs look like? We’ll go position by position and talk it out like adults.

Quarterback

Commits: Emory Jones (No. 4 Dual Threat QB), Matthew Baldwin (No. 17 Pro Style QB)

Needs: The Buckeyes need to keep Jones committed. If they can do that, this is a home run haul. If they can’t, that’s why they went and got Baldwin. Either way, they’re done here unless Jones moves on and they still want another quarterback.

Running Back

Commits: Brian Snead (No. 4 RB), Master Teague (No. 11 RB)

Needs: The Buckeyes have been set at running back for a while and it doesn’t look like any drama is coming. Perhaps I should not have just written the previous sentence.

H-Back

Commits: Jaelen Gill (No. 1 APB)

Needs: None. Gill is the top all-purpose back in the nation and at 6-1 182, he has comparable measurables to Parris Campbell.

Wide Receiver

Commits: L’Christian “Blue” Smith (No. 5 ATH)

Needs: At least one more receiver. Smith is a 6-foot-6 target who gives OSU something that most teams don’t have. Next they need an explosive Johnnie Dixon or Terry McLaurin type. St. Louis receiver Kamryn Babb (6-1 189) is assumed to be that guy. He is rated the No. 12 receiver in the nation. Babb’s teammate Cameron Brown is also a possibility.

Tight End

Commits: Jeremy Ruckert (No. 1 TE)

Needs: Once you get the nation’s best tight end, you can pretty much call it a day. Ohio State is only losing Marcus Baugh and should enter camp with four or five talented tight ends.

Offensive Line

Commits: Matthew Jones (No. 1 C), Max Wray (No. 9 OT)

Needs: The answer here is 5-star Ohioan Jackson Carman, who is the No. 1 tackle in the nation. He has a visit scheduled for Clemson this weekend and USC next weekend prior to making his decision for the early signing day. Maryland prospect Rasheed Walker is another one to watch. He is the No. 6 tackle in the nation and is torn between Penn State and Ohio State. There are other possibilities, but Carman and Walker are the two best bets. If Ohio State can land either, they’d take it.

Defensive end

Commits: None.

Needs: Plenty. The loss of Brenton Cox hurts, but was not unexpected. This means that Ohio State has to re-up their efforts for Tyreke Smith and Jayson Oweh. If they miss out on either of those prospects, they’ll have to go to the next level down, but they can’t hand out offers for guys who can’t play at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are likely losing three defensive ends, so if they can’t replace them here, they’ll need to figure something else out. If Dre’Mont Jones returns, perhaps he would be one of those options. Tight end Rashod Berry could also be a possibility.

Defensive Tackle

Commits: Taron Vincent (No. 1 DT), Antwuan Jackson (No. 2 DT JUCO)

Needs: Consider them met. The Buckeyes have the best defensive tackle haul in the nation. Ohio State will be losing at least two — and possibly three — defensive tackles, so both Vincent and Jackson could be called on to play next season.

Linebacker

Commits: K’Vaughan Pope (No. 8 ILB), Dallas Gant (No. 9 OLB), Teradja Mitchell (No. 2 ILB)

Needs: None, really, but they wouldn’t say no to No. 1 ILB Palaie Gaoteote. Four-star Cincinnati linebacker Christopher Oats could also be an option, but the Buckeyes have done pretty well at linebacker in 2018 regardless.

Defensive Back

Commits: Jaiden Woodbey (No. 2 SAF), Josh Proctor (No. 8 SAF), Tyreke Johnson (No. 5 SAF), Sevyn Banks (No. 26 CB), Marcus Hooker (No. 54 CB)

Needs: None, really, other than to keep Woodbey and Proctor in the fold.

Specialists

Commits: None.

Needs: None. Punter Drue Chrisman and kicker Blake Haubeil will both be sophomores next season, so it will be a couple of years before the Buckeyes need another kicker. Long snapper Liam McCullough will be a redshirt junior next year, so you might see a long snapper offered in 2019.

In Summation

In terms of need, the Buckeyes still need at least one more receiver, another offensive lineman, and two more defensive ends. They would take more than one receiver — and probably will. Two more offensive linemen are not out of the picture by any means, and another defensive back or linebacker is a possibility, if they are players that OSU can’t say no to.

There are ways to have room for 25 signees in the 2018 class, and that’s even with giving C.J. Saunders a scholarship. It would likely require a big NFL hit, however.