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Coaching carousel spinning
The yearly coaching carousel is hitting full speed today with changes all over the country and certainly more will be coming over the next week. Ohio State is one school that won't be firing anyone, but as more and more openings pop up it will be more about keeping the guys they have.
Al Washington is going to get tied to Boston College, and there are a few people that I've spoken with today who feel he's a top target for BC, though whether that is in more of a head coach or defensive coordinator/head coach in waiting capacity is up for debate. So that may be something that the Buckeyes have to navigate through in the coming weeks. There has been no indication on my end that Washington has a foot out the door or anything like that, but it certainly makes sense that Boston College would target him.
Greg Schiano and Rutgers coming back together today probably helps the the Buckeyes in terms of Jeff Hafley not becoming a primary target for the Scarlet Knights. He's undoubtedly a hot name right now but may be a year or two away from receiving major national interest as a Power Five head coach. Rutgers would have made a lot of sense (at least from RU's standpoint) so that's one less hurdle the Buckeyes will have to worry about this month. There is also the Boston College opening that would make some sense, but right now I've been hearing Washington more than Hafley for that. Of course if nothing happens there with Washington, that could change things with Hafley on BC's end as well.
But right now a lot of the talk of the day is about Texas and the staff shake-up there. I don't see this having a huge impact on what Ohio State is doing. Tim Beck is no longer the offensive coordinator, but he is being retained in a lesser role. Beck has been the main guy for Tom Herman and Co. in recruiting Arizona. He along with Stan Drayton have been the two most responsible for recruiting five-star running back Bijan Robinson.
I've talked with people both in Texas and just in the general college coaching community today who are pretty adamant nothing would happen to Drayton until Robinson has signed somewhere. So for now, it looks like Beck and Drayton will both be on Herman's staff at least through the early signing period.
Again, USC is the team that I believe has the most to gain if Robinson were to decommit from Texas but despite reports today of Clay Helton's demise, there has been no formal announcement from USC about this. Certainly USC is going to have to stabilize its head-coaching situation in order to flip Robinson. Whether that is moving on from Helton and making a quick hire or whether that is them backing Helton and announcing his return, but as long as things are in limbo, I think Robinson will stick it out with Texas. Not buying anything with Urban Meyer for the 2020 season at USC, or anywhere else for that matter. I just don't see him coaching next year but I guess we'll see how that all plays out. I really think that he'd have been announced by now, he'd want to have the ball rolling on recruiting already.
Ohio State will undoubtedly keep sending the texts to Bijan and will try for an in-home visit at some point, but there just isn't much optimism on that front right now.
Stroud update
Four-star Rancho Cucamonga (Cali.) quarterback C.J. Stroud did not make his anticipated official visit to Oregon this weekend, but that doesn't mean a commitment is imminent and it doesn't mean Oregon is out according to the people that I've spoken with over the weekend.
I do think the non-visit to Oregon this weekend is a something, though it is expected that if Stroud doesn't reschedule, that he will at least host the Ducks for in-home visits this month so it's not time to cross Oregon off the list here. It is still looking like an official visit to Ohio State will happen the weekend of December 14th with next weekend being a bit up in the air, though Michigan has kind of been the expected destination.
I know there has been some increased smoke around Georgia for Stroud and that would certainly make some sense given the wide open depth chart in Athens. I think it will be interesting though if Ohio State does in fact get Stroud back on campus in two weeks to see how those interactions are with Stroud and Justin Fields who will undoubtedly be able to give some insight into the differences between UGA and OSU. Probably not something that Stroud would even comment on publicly, but there's no chance that conversation doesn't happen.
Pick stays on Ohio State for now. Just don't think all that much has changed in recent weeks with the coaching uncertainty at USC, the lack of an Oregon visit, etc. Next two weeks should be pretty busy for Stroud though, expecting a lot of action in that recruitment between now and the early signing period opening up.
Focus is on Wisconsin
We're at the time on the recruiting calendar where in-home visits are now allowed and coaches can hit the road and stop at high schools to check on top targets and underclassmen. Don't expect much, if any, of that this week from Ohio State however. Am told the coaches will be off the road this week as all focus is on preparing for Wisconsin and the Big Ten championship game. Always possible they could make some stops here locally in the Columbus area, but I've been told not to expect to see the staff out and about this week as it is all hands on deck around the Woody in preparing for the rematch with Wisconsin.
Expect things to fire up next Sunday/Monday on the in-home visit front for the Buckeyes.
