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Now or never?
The Spring Game visitor list is still forming and will continue to do over the next month, but there may not be a more important visit that weekend than the one that is being made by Rivals100 offensive tackle Turner Corcoran.
When Corcoran received his offer from Ohio State last year, it was a huge one for him personally. It's a school that he has always really liked and I'd argue he was more pumped about that offer than any he received in terms of just the first impression of getting it.
But the regional schools have battled hard here with Nebraska and Oklahoma specifically making a big run at him over the past six months. Geography makes it easier for him to get to those places, especially Nebraska, and this has become quite a battle for the Buckeyes. Corcoran is also contemplating a summer decision so this one is in the final months before a commitment is likely coming.
Simply put, Ohio State must make a move with Corcoran on this April visit. I rarely put this amount of importance on a single visit eight months before anything can be signed, but the Buckeyes need to come out of this visit either with a commitment or with a firm lead in this race. With an earlier decision coming, momentum moving a bit toward Nebraska and Oklahoma, and likely limited opportunities to return to Columbus between April and his summer decision time frame, the time is now to make a move.
If Ohio State does not come out of this visit having made a significant move, I think it's going to be difficult to win this battle.
Buckeyes make top five for O-Line target
Centennial (CO) Eaglecrest offensive tackle Reece Atteberry has been a significant target for the Buckeyes in this very important 2020 O-Line class. The three-star prospect announced a top five on Monday, which included Ohio State.
Atteberry has been to Columbus and has been very upfront in his affection for Ohio State. He doubled down on that again Monday after releasing his top schools list.
"It's been a dream of mine to be a Buckeye now it's just time to see if it's the right dream to follow," Atteberry told me today.
Ohio State has plenty of irons in the fire right now and so competition for the remaining few O-Line spots is pretty fierce right now. Duke, Michigan, Nebraska, and Notre Dame round out the top five for Atteberry. The belief continues to be that Ohio State is the favorite if the Buckeyes make the big push. There could be some guys higher on the board right now, notably Turner Corcoran who we discussed above so Ohio State will have to balance being aggressive with guys like Atteberry with also wanting to see where things are going with a few other guys like Corcoran and Justin Rogers, among others.
That is always a tough line to walk. Last year it kind of backfired and Ohio State did not take a couple of sure things early. This year the strategy has changed a bit with taking Jakob James instead of slow-playing and with the new offer to Trey Leroux, who I expect to end up in the class as well.
Atteberry will be on campus March 22nd, a big recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes, so it will be interesting to see how things are handled there. An early decision would not be a surprise here so the Buckeyes might have to make a decision on how to handle this one before that visit takes place. Though it's a bit of a different situation than Corcoran's, this visit could also be the turning point here where the Buckeyes have to decide to push for the commitment or risk losing him to a school like Michigan or Notre Dame while they weigh all of their options.
Change of plans
One of the more fast-rising guys in Ohio's 2020 class right now is Groveport-Madison two-way lineman Terah Edwards. We've talked about Edwards a few times on here recently and he was at Ohio State on Friday to watch practice.
Most schools have been recruiting Edwards as an offensive lineman, but after noticing Edwards at practice, he spent the whole hour of availability watching the defensive line. It looks like the Buckeyes have had a change of heart on where they view the local standout.
"Yes sir, I was watching defense because they’re recruiting me as a DT (now)," Edwards confirmed. "That’s where they see me playing if I went there."
Edwards had a chance to speak with defensive line coach Larry Johnson on Friday, the two have just started to build a relationship.
"I sat down with him and talked," Edwards recalled. "I really liked coach Johnson and I can’t wait to build this relationship up. He told me the real and I know what I’d be getting myself into if I took on the opportunity."
Edwards has racked about 20 offers this off-season and the outlook on the defensive line could provide him a better path to Columbus. The defensive tackle board right now is pretty wide open, even if we assume that Darrion Henry kicks inside at the college level, something Darrion certainly doesn't want to hear at this point.
So there is plenty of opportunity for a defensive tackle prospect like Edwards to impress this spring and summer and jump to the front of the line. Edwards told me he plans to get back to campus soon, which won't be hard as he lives just 15-20 minutes away. So this is one that is worth watching the next few months. He'll almost certainly need to camp in the summer to earn an offer but there is now a clear path laid out that he is a defensive tackle in the eyes of the staff and it's falling in a good year where the Buckeyes will likely take a couple and don't have many slam dunk options right now beyond Henry, who again needs to be recruited as a defensive end at this point.
