Ohio State does not yet have a quarterback in their 2019 recruiting class, so the search continues. On Thursday, that search produced an offer to Dwan Mathis (Oak Park HS/Belleville, MI), who is currently committed to Michigan State.
Mathis (6-5 195) announced the offer via Twitter.
Blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University ?⭕️ pic.twitter.com/ynnlEvslsy
— WANNYLIVE5 (@DwanMathis) May 3, 2018
Mathis has been committed to Michigan State since September and recently tweeted out that he was “1000% committed” to the Spartans.
Mathis is ranked the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the nation per the 247Sports Composite. He also holds offers from Kentucky, Iowa State, Oregon, and Pittsburgh.
The offer is a bit of a surprise as Ohio State has recently zeroed in on St. Pius X (Houston, TX) quarterback Grant Gunnell. Gunnell (6-6 222) just came off of an official visit to OSU. It was his second trip to campus this spring. The Buckeyes are the team to beat here currently, and a decision is likely coming next month.
Gunnell is the No. 3 pocket passer in the nation and holds offers from LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, UCLA, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Texas State. Ohio State’s main competition here may be LSU.
The Buckeyes offered Gunnell in February, causing some people to wonder if Ohio State has changed its philosophy when it came to quarterbacks. Gunnell is most definitely a pass-first quarterback, but so are current OSU QBs Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow.
“I’m honest when I say this, we’re looking for competitors, guys who are leaders, tough, football I.Q. and decision makers,” Ohio State quarterbacks coach Ryan Day said this spring. “If you hit those categories and you have enough talent, then we’re going to find a way and we’re going to find the right plays that fit you. We’re not looking for a certain type of quarterback.”
When people wonder how Grant Gunnell would fit into Ohio State's offense… pic.twitter.com/3Z3ukqshVM
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 2, 2018
Gunnell threw for 4,973 yards and 65 touchdowns as a sophomore and 4,936 yards and 61 touchdowns as a junior. He has also rushed for a combined 789 yards over the last two years.
There is also the possibility that the Buckeyes may look to sign two quarterbacks in the 2019 class. This is not a very deep quarterback class, so the pool isn’t as deep as it has been in the past.
They will also want to guard against putting all of their eggs in the Grant Gunnell basket should he end up somewhere else.
In-State Lineman Offered
The offer to Dwan Mathis was not the only one extended by the Buckeye coaches on Thursday, as they also offered 2019 Dayton Dunbar offensive lineman Jonathan Allen.
Allen (6-6 315) has only played one year of football, but has the frame and athleticism to develop into a very promising player. Allen also holds offers from Michigan State, Wisconsin, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Iowa.
Some thought that Allen may have to camp at Ohio State to earn an offer, but apparently Urban Meyer and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa have seen enough. They’ll still likely want him to visit during June camps, however.
You can see plenty of power and athleticism on display in his junior highlights.
Taking two QB would be smart. Go for it!!!!