The Line Strengthens, Joey O'Connor Becomes Buckeye #21

What was looking like a bleak offensive line class for the Buckeyes in 2012 has suddenly made a turn for the better with the commitments of Taylor Decker and Joey O'Connor. O'Connor is an offensive guard prospect from Windsor, Colorado who picked up his offer on his visit this past weekend. It did not take long for him to turn around and give Urban Meyer his verbal, as it seemed like once he was offered he was going to join the Buckeyes.

Previously a Penn State commitment before the scandal broke out, O'Connor reopened his search and made an official visit last weekend and loved what he saw. Bill Greene over at Scout had a chance to speak with him and he stated, "Ohio State is just an all-around great place, first off," O'Connor stated Tuesday afternoon. "I loved the guys, the coaches, just everything about Ohio State, to be honest. I would say it is just the right fit for me."

O'Connor joins Jacoby Boren, Patrick Elflein, and Taylor Decker in the 2012 offensive line recruiting class. With the loss of Mike Adams, Mike Brewster and J.B. Shugarts and the youth on next years offensive line, it was a key position that Urban Meyer addressed as soon as he was hired. Meyer knew that he was going to need some big athletic football players on the offensive line if he wanted to run his version of the spread offense in the Big Ten.

O'Connor decommitted from Penn State amidst the scandal that broke out with Jerry Sandusky in November of last year. He had offers from other big schools like Iowa, Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee and UCLA.

Read more about the 21st Buckeye in the 2012 class below the jump.

School

Windsor HS
Windsor, CO

Measurements
Ht: 6'3"
Wt: 285 lbs.
40: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Bench: 390 lbs.
Shuttle: N/A

Stats and Rankings

O'Connor, an Under Armor All-American, brings a toughness that is needed on the offensive line for Ohio State. Like the rest of the 2012 class he will probably not be called upon quickly to provide depth on the line, but will make his presence felt in 2013 as a redshirt freshman. He is rated as a top 15 offensive guard by many recruiting services nationwide, as well as the best prospect from the state of Colorado.

Rivals 250: 4 Stars

Scout 300: 3 Stars

ESPN 150: 4 Stars

Positives

- Adds another tough athletic body to the offensive line front for a struggling Buckeyes front line. He will be able to provide some stability on the inside of the line for a few years after he redshirts and learns the system. He is capable of playing tackle as well as moving inside to guard depending on need.

- Plays with a high motor as well as very athletic. He brings it on every play and is good with his feet and hands in keeping the defender in front of him. He excels at run blocking, and can drive the defender off the ball with his excellent foot work and first burst. He is also a great pass protector and has great mobility for a guy who plays on the offensive line.

- Meyer has branched out west to land O'Connor who was previously committed to the Penn State program before the scandal broke out. Not only will Meyer focus on the Ohio area as his major recruiting ground, but you can see that he has his feelers out all over the nation in trying to bring the best talent around to Ohio State. Adding another quality offensive lineman is exactly what this class needed and we may see 1-2 more with Dodson and Diamond in the end.

Questions

- I feel out of the offensive lineman that we have recruited so far that O'Connor is the most likely to play early. He has the body type that is capable of playing in the Big Ten, and his run and pass blocking skills already look ahead of the pack of the lineman that we have coming in. Will he play next year? I doubt that he does, but you never know these days with injuries and the potential to steal a spot in camp.

- Does Ohio State keep trying for more offensive linemen? Two top notch recruits in 48 hours and the potential for two more in Kyle Dodson and Jordan Diamond are still sitting out there waiting to commit. Dodson seems like the more likely of the two to become a Buckeye, but can you really say no to Jordan Diamond if he wants in?

Free Film

Click above to watch the twenty-first member of the Ohio State Buckeye recruiting class.