While We’re Waiting… An Ugly Trade, Entourages and Crisp Passes
December 14, 2011Cavs Practicing Patience Early On
December 14, 2011If you think back to Memorial Weekend, The Ohio State University football team was reaching the culmination of the darkest time in recent history. You’d have to go back to Woody Hayes’ unfortunate punch and resulting termination to find a more stunning end to such a successful period of OSU football.
With Jim Tressel being pushed aside despite the University’s administration previously proclaiming their full support of the coach, with the potential for more violations to surface in the fallout, with the heavy cloud of NCAA sanctions hanging overhead, with the daunting challenge of dealing with multiple suspensions to star players. All of these things were weighing heavily on the program.
So to think that Ohio State could have anything close to resembling hope, forget optimism, before the end of 2011 would be something of a miracle. Though we won’t know for sure until it’s official, Ohio State appears to have avoided the most severe sanctions. They hired one of the best coaches in college football today. They are assembling a team of the best recruiters and the best coaching staff that the school has ever seen.
All of which is great if you’re an Ohio State fan. But still, even the most excited observers had to preach cautious optimism and a level of restraint. Urban Meyer seems like the perfect coach at the perfect time for Ohio State, but hiring him at the end of November, with National Signing Day just a couple months away, it had to be too late to much about the 2012 Recruiting Class. Didn’t it?
Prior to Adolphus Washington committing to the Buckeyes, the class of 2012 wasn’t ranked in the Top 20 per Scout.com. With high profile in state recruits such as Se’Von Pittman, Kyle Dodson, Chris Wormley, Tom Strobel, and Kyle Kalis all committed to other Big Ten schools and no other 5 star recruits seriously considering the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer’s recruiting outlook for 2012 was bleak.
To top things off, the only 5 star recruit other than Washington, Canton GlenOak RB Brionte Dunn, a long time verbal commit to the Buckeyes, was looking more and more like he might switch. And to Michigan of all places.
Dunn originally committed to Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes. Then the scandal hit, Tressel was gone, and Kyle Kalis switched his allegiance from Ohio State to Michigan. For his part, Dunn never did de-commit, but he certainly loosened the definition of what “committed” means. He admitted he would be keeping his options open and looking around just in case.
Brionte Dunn then took unofficial visits to Michigan in back to back weekends, including for the Ohio State-Michigan game. It had to be difficult for Ohio State going up to Ann Arbor, losing to Michigan for the first time in 8 years, and having one of your most prized recruits sitting on the Michigan side of the field.
Michigan would make an in home visit (sans Brady Hoke), and with the relationships Brionte Dunn had with Michigan commits (including Kalis and Dunn’s own cousin, junior Dymonte Thomas) it just looked more and more like Dunn would be switching to Michigan. With an official visit to Michigan scheduled for this weekend, many felt this would be the weekend OSU officially lost Brionte Dunn.
Fortunately for Buckeye fans, Urban Meyer was having none of this. On his first day on the job, Meyer began calling every recruit he wanted. He spoke to Brionte Dunn and whatever he said to him on the phone seemed to bring Michigan’s momentum with the RB to a halt. Meyer spoke with Pittman, he spoke with Dodson. He spoke with Tommy Schutt, the 5 star d-line prospect from Illinois, who was committed to Penn State. He spoke with Jameis Winston, a star QB prospect from Alabama. He reached out to Noah Spence, a d-line prospect from Pennsylvania. He got in touch with Jordan Diamond, a top offensive tackle prospect from Chicago.
Last weekend, Urban Meyer was able to get Se’Von Pittman, Kyle Dodson, Jordan Diamond, Tommy Schutt, Brionte Dunn, and a bunch of other solid OSU commits, to all take an official visit together. In the time since that visit, we’ve seen Pittman and Schutt already announce they were switching to Ohio State.
Tuesday night, Urban Meyer pulled off one of the most impressive recruiting saves yet. Urban Meyer and RB coach Stan Drayton made an in home visit with Brionte Dunn, and during that visit, Brionte Dunn informed Meyer that he was done with his recruitment and was re-solidifying his commitment to play football at Ohio State. He has cancelled his official visit to Michigan and told Scout.com’s Bill Greene that he is “officially 150% a Buckeye”.
Suddenly that 2012 class that everyone thought was a lost cause is now ranked #8 in the country. And Urban Meyer isn’t done yet. Kyle Dodson could still switch to Ohio State. Jordan Diamond will be one to watch. Massachusetts LB Camren Williams took his official visit to Ohio State earlier this week and is another possibility. By the time Urban Meyer is done with this class, it could very well end up being a top 5 class.
Just think about that. From Memorial Day with no coach, no recruiting prospects, and no hope to Christmas with Urban Meyer and his recruiting prowess on full display. For sure, Urban Meyer sent shockwaves through the Big Ten this week with his recruiting, and coaches around the conference can’t feel great about the instant success Meyer is having.
Of course, recruiting is only part of the job. Urban Meyer still has to finish rounding out his coaching staff and then he has to get his system implemented into the scarlet and gray. But this is the season of recruiting, and the hiring of Urban Meyer is already off to a better start than anyone could have ever imagined.
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Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
28 Comments
Easy to do when you don’t have to, you know, coach…
I don’t recall it being easy for Rich Rodriguez when he was recruiting for Michigan while Lloyd Carr was coaching the bowl game.
I guess it was easy to do for RichRod as well when you know, he didn’t have to coach while Lloyd Carr was finishing his career.
u got me Andrew! haha
Don’t forget Cyrus Jones, he and Spence would be perhaps our top two recruits. Also Ricquan Southward considering decommitment and visit to Florida.
Urban Meyer! Been following this over at 11W as well… if he is able to complete this completely ridiculous last minute haul with Diamond, Spence, Jones, and one or two other prospects, wow. Just wow. It will be the best D-line class in the history of OSU, but more importantly, its a great little warning to the Big 10 and the rest of the country that not only are we not going anywhere, but we have every intention of owning the FBS for years to come.
Heck, if he has done this in 2 weeks… imagine what he can do with a full recruiting season and this crop to build upon. Gotta love the optimism and momentum! I can’t remember the last time I have been so excited for the recruiting process
Not saying this type of waiver is ever fair, for Rodriguez or anyone else. Just saying it’s a clear advantage over other programs that don’t get to add coaches this time of year and any evaluation of Meyer’s recruiting (which should be good regardless) ought to include that caveat.
Do people ever get tired of making excuses as to why Ohio State is successful besides, you know, that is always been a top-tier program with a HISTORY of winning/recruiting? You would think OSU was a D1I school prior to 2001 based on all the calories people are burning explaining OSU’s SUDDEN SUCCESS.
caveat noted. still excited! have heard Luke has been with him at all the in home visits and everything as well… so he is multitasking and coaching as well! Another reason I am so damn glad he is staying on with the program.
@7: I would argue that the relationships tenured coaches have built with recruits over the year(s) is a much bigger advantage than a new coach coming in and trying to do the same thing in a matter of months. I think the waiver actually levels the playing field. I didn’t have a problem when Rich Rod did it and I don’t remember a lot of OSU fans crying about it either.
@Mike E – also, who says how much actual coaching Urban is going to be doing?
recruit, hire good coaches, and schmooze the alumni for donations. figurehead coach is fine with me if he has good people working for him.
If he can snag Jameis Winston from FSU (unlikely), along with Spence, Dodson, Diamond, Caleb, and Cyrus Jones, we have a top 3 recruiting class.
We really need Cyrus Jones and/or Joel Caleb because it appears that Ricquan Southward is going to decommit.
when RichRod went to michigan, he still had the WVU job, which he left before their bowl game vs Oklahoma, you know, when WVU and the Big East still had true relevance in college football. a few days earlier, Lloyd Carr’s last game (a new years day bowl vs Florida) was played. The recruits at UM at the time were in the traditional power run Big Ten offense and RichRod is a spread coach, so his success was very limited. The OSU recruits now are still a majority of Tressel’s but the system that Tressel used for Troy Smith and Terelle Pryor has enough spread elements that both his and Urban Meyer’s recruits can work in the new system. It’s not like theres such a huge difference in the style of offense than when Lloyd Carr retired at UM, hence the high level of excitement with the new coach
Does anyone know if they are recruiting anyone in the Baltimore area? Last week and the week prior I saw Luke Fickel on my southwest flight out of BWI into Columbus. 2 weeks in a row seeing him in Baltimore was weird.
gotta love his enthusiasm towards recruiting.
mgbode: i agree completely. Let him recruit and delegate. Should be a good recipe for success.
Tron, you sure it wasn’t Rob Riggle?
@Tron: Cyrus Jones is from Baltimore
Tron, two guys from Baltimore are being recruited heavily. Cyrus Jones is the big 2012 recruit that is coming to visit here soon, but there is also one other player from the same school that is a top 2013 recruit.
100% positive it was Fickel. Last week he sat 2 seats behind me, before take off I pulled up a picture of him on my phone and held it up next to his face. He looked me dead in the eye and probably thought I was a huge weirdo, but it was definitely him.
Slowly, but surely, we’re catching up with Michigan’s 2012 elite class. LOL It only gets better, from here on out. Who would have thunk it before Urban Meyer used his magic.
@ Tron… LOL thats hilarious that you did that! You should’ve asked him what he was up to!
See I I think Fickell has more of an Adam Sandler look to him.
Has anyone heard from the Kalis camp on whether the Ohio border is still open? Hope Urban doesn’t give him a second thought after bailing. I’ll look forward to him being dominated by Washington, Pittman and Schutt in the coming years.
My favorite part of the recruiting experience is the bipolarness of fans when it comes to evaluating recruits. Dunn is a Buckeye? He’s fantastic. Dunn is leaning Michigan? F that, we didn’t need him anyway. Dunn is back? Welcome him with open arms. This is the silly season, where amateur analysts hitch their wagon to teenagers they have never see beyond highlight videos, based solely on “did the kid like the school i went to (or in the case of many buckeye fans did not)”
When is the ncaa announcing the sanctions?
@yerfdog: Nobody knows. Should be any day now, but of course they’ve been saying that for weeks.
@Steve: In the case of Dunn, OSU didn’t need him near as much as they needed to keep him out of Michigan. Warren Ball is a very talented looking RB in his own right. But if Jamaal Berry and Rod Smith have shown us anything, it’s that you can never have too many RBs. You never know who is going to pan out and who is not. Brionte Dunn is one heck on a nice luxury to have.
I know in the MD area they are trying to get Stefon Diggs. I thought he was supposed to have his offical visit to us now too.
I love reading these sour grapes articles from the Michigan fans about how unfair everything is. That Ohio State gets to do this, & that, and boo wo wo… They were as happy as they could be some months back. Jumping up & down when Tressl was fired. Specially when they could never beat the red sweater vest guy. Remember the old saying, watch what you wish for because it just might come true. Well you got your wish. Then Urban Meyer was hired. When Urban Meyer gets a few years at OSU coaching under his belt. Michigan & the Big-10 will be wishing & praying again. It’s not the fault of the OSU fans that they got the #1 coach that they wanted, and he except. Michigan was only able to get their third choice. Remember Harbaugh & Les Miles. Oh well, that’s life… Biggy21