Ohio State National Signing Day Superlatives, Part II

Today we wrap up our look at some of our favorite aspects of the 2011 Ohio State recruiting class.  In case you missed it, here's Part I.  Do you agree with our picks?  Think we've lost our marbles?  We want to hear your thoughts on the class in the comment section below!

Best story – Jeff Heuerman

Hearing the stories told by the offspring of former Michiganders who choose Ohio State never gets old for me.  From TJ Downing to Anthony Gonzalez on down to the now legendary Boren trilogy, it always gives me a perverse tingly sense of joy when I know Buckeye gains are coupled with torment for those pee pants wearing rodents to the north.  The topper in this scenario is that Heuerman visited the two rivals back to back, was offered by both, & within two days time had committed to Ohio State.  How’s that for slamming the door on the competition?       

Best quote – Tommy Brown

"I’ve been praying for this for so long.  You know I had to go to church today to say thank you," was what Akron Firestone (OH) offensive line recruit Tommy Brown told me on Easter Sunday when I asked him how he celebrated his commitment to Ohio State.  "I mean, it was always the Buckeyes.  Since I was a little kid, I didn't really follow anyone else.  I've been talking to them since I was a sophomore.  I call Coach Bollman every week and we’ve built a great relationship. It's been really cool getting to talk to him every week. It’s all just been a blessing."  ENTIRE ARTICLE

Class MVP – Jeremy Cash

While he may not have reached Brewster-esque levels of recruiting prowess just yet, Jeremy Cash is certainly gaining on his fellow Floridian.  Seeing his interactions with Jeff Heuerman at the 2010 spring game, hearing how he related the positives of OSU to Ryan Shazier, and now already beginning his work on upcoming recruits like teammate Sojourn Shelton make it clear that Cash’s value is yet to see its limit.  He’s a pretty good safety to boot. Fans will see this spring just how wrong many of the "experts" were when evaluating his talents.  He has the ball skills of a free safety, the hitting power of a strong safety, and can support the run well enough to play at the STAR position.  Expect to see number 8 early and often when they strap them up for real in 2011.

Most underrated (offense) – Devin Smith

Just one of the national recruiting services felt Smith was talented enough to be listed in their top player rankings.  That was Scout and they ranked him at number 187 in their list of the top 300 prospects in the country.  After seeing years in the middle part of the decade where talents like Mario Manningham, Devier Posey, and Fred Davis earned national acclaim, Ohio has now gone two years in a row without a receiver among the nations most sought after players.  While last year’s class offered little in the way of top end pass catchers in the Buckeye state, watching the highlights for Devin Smith show me a true blue chip receiver.  Where he excels the most is with his on the ball skills. He has the ability to hit another gear to track a ball down, he can out jump DBs time after time, and he has consistently great hands to make catches away from his body. Add it all up & I think he'll be a pretty good one by the time he's done.

Most underrated (defense) – Joel Hale

Here’s another Buckeye recruit who only appears on one list of top recruits for this class – number 152 for Max Emfinger.  Upon reviewing his film, I once again find myself shaking my head with disbelief at that lack of recognition.  The player on those clips looks quick enough to play on the edge in a 30 front yet powerful enough to battle inside on a 4 man line.  He entered the program last month weighing in at 290 pounds and looking skinny at that weight.  On signing day he talked about losing 10 pounds to ensure he can maintain his quickness and get a look at defensive end.  If he can keep himself under 300, his chances of contributing on nearly every down and distance go way up.  Plus getting the head start by enrolling early will help him see the field sooner rather than later.

Stock up – Chase Farris

Since the end of the 2010 football season, the previously unheralded Farris has been named 1^st team All State, invited to play in both the Ohio North-South Classic and the Big 33 Football Classic, awarded the defensive MVP of the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, and has shown the athleticism to post a double-double on the hardwood seemingly every night.  He too has shown the ability to play multiple positions, ranging from any DL position outside of the nose as well as at tackle on offense.  Considering the disappointing news related to the offensive line haul on signing day, some are suggesting Farris will get his first look on that side of the ball.  I certainly wouldn’t rule that move out but he looks pretty special as a defender if you ask me.

Stock down – Chris Carter

By now I’m sure the majority if not all of Buckeye nation has heard about and formed an opinion on the allegations that were levied against Chris Carter.  It’s a sad and disturbing situation regardless of where the truth lies.  Any way the story gets told at this point means some young person(s) has had irreparable damage inflicted upon them.  With no charges being filed by the authorities and the university unable to comment, I’ll simply say my thoughts and prayers are with whoever has been victimized by these events. 

** UPDATE: OSU recruit Carter will not be charged

Highest ceiling – Steve Miller

The tenor of surprise in the evaluations written about Miller by the various services covering the US Army All-American practices and game made me smile.  Time and again an analyst would say something about how much better Miller was performing than they had expected him to.  What it tells me more than anything else is the lack of resources the majority of these services have in Ohio.  The truly scary thing about Miller’s abilities is that he really is only scratching the surface of what he can become.  Combining the package he brings with him into the program with the coaching and training he will now have access to will make Miller one of the most feared defenders in the B1G Ten very soon. 

Highest football IQ – Evan Spencer

Coaches’ kids always have the advantage of extra exposure to the tactics and planning side of the game as well as an invaluable resource of information regarding techniques.  When that parent/coach also happens to work at the highest level in the game, it only means the player has access to the absolute best expertise available anywhere.  With his dad working as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears, you can only imagine the edge that has given to Spencer over the years.  It’s obvious from his highlights he’s picked up many of the little things it takes to make a good player great.  Feigning a step or shoulder shimmy to set up a defender, body positioning to gain leverage when blocking, and advanced skill in hand fighting to get a clean release at the line.  Spencer already knows his position inside and out.  His learning curve and his time on the sidelines should both be relatively short.