Offensive lineman Ryan Jacoby sent in his Letter of Intent to Ohio State on Wednesday, officially making him a member of the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class.
Here’s a look at what he could mean for the future of the program.
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 270 lbs
Position: Offensive line
Hometown: Mentor, Ohio
247 Composite Rating: 4-star, No. 296 player overall
Position Rank: No. 26 offensive tackle
When He Committed: March 2018, over offers from schools like Michigan, Oregon, and West Virginia.
Projection: If there is a hole in the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class on offense, it’s on the line. They are adding Jacoby and 5-star center Harry Miller, but long-time commitment Doug Nester is still wavering. And they only added Nicholas Petit-Frere, Matthew Jones, and Max Wray in 2018.
That’s not a lot of depth at a position which is notoriously difficult to evaluate.
That means there’s more pressure than normal for Jacoby to pan out.
He’s enrolling early, but may have to spend a year in the weight room and learning before he’s ready to seriously contribute.
That’s normal – most offensive linemen take a redshirt year before they make a serious run at playing time. All three 0f the 2018 line recruits did, and Jacoby figures to follow that path as well.
Once he’s ready to contribute, the 6-foot-5 Jacoby could play tackle, but could also slide inside to guard.
Just something about those home state guys…
The OL just got a dude in @Ryan_Jacoby! #GoBucks #Dynasty19 #NSD19 pic.twitter.com/zzfjGJSYfw
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 19, 2018
His high school’s offense runs and passes the ball, which should help speed his development. Some players from solely run-based high school offenses struggle with pass protection early in their college careers. That was an issue for current OSU center Josh Myers, but it shouldn’t be a problem for Jacoby.
Look for him to make a run at a starting job, and at least end up as a solid backup starting in 2020.
Ryan Jacoby’s Highlight Reel
