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Miller's most wanted
If there is one thing that is perhaps a little bit overrated when it comes to recruiting, it is the impact that other recruits have on uncommitted players.That said, there is no question that having a close knit group of commits who work hard to help the coaching staff recruit is a net positive. The 2020 class has seen the Buckeyes land commitments from four prospects and I think all of them will be pretty vocal in helping to attract more talent to Columbus.
The newest commit (well kind of, he technically beat Paris Johnson) is of course Rivals100 quarterback Jack Miller. The quarterback position is unique because it is seemingly the one position where not only leadership but also becoming a vocal recruiter and leader of the recruiting efforts among the commits is actually implied.
Miller is going to be up to that task. While he has a great base in front of him with a pair of tackles in Johnson and Jake Wray, the possibilities are just about endless right now when it comes to skill position guys. The Buckeyes will undoubtedly take a couple of running backs in 2020 and they'll undoubtedly take at least a few wide receivers, allowing Miller the opportunity to get an early start on helping at both positions.
Expect Miller to shoot for the stars when it comes to trying to build relationships with top receiver prospects. Names I've been told he is already working on include; Julian Fleming, Johnny Wilson, and Rashawn Williams. All three of those guys are ranked among the top 26 overall prospects in the class so far.
He will undoubtedly add to that list as he connects with guys and as he gets his marching orders from the Ohio State staff. Jordan Johnson out of St. Louis is certainly one I'd expect to get a phone call at some point.
Beyond the obvious at running back, which is teammate Darvon Hubbard, here's a name to throw out there that has not been *too* heavily linked to Ohio State yet. Kendall Milton.
Milton is the nation's No. 15 overall prospect in 2020 and the No. 2 ranked running back early on. It is hard to pull these West Coast guys across the country, but Miller's presence out there in the same vicinity, running into guys at the same camps and 7on7's, etc. may help the Buckeyes get a visit they otherwise wouldn't have and visits can change things.
Milton has offers from everybody. He is one of those kids that will be able to pick any school in the country. But expect Miller and the Buckeyes to take their swing on this one.
Ultimately each kid is going to make the best individual decision, but every little bit helps in recruiting and this class might have a little more recruiting chops to it than what we've seen recently. Ohio State is already in on many of the nation's top 100 (and beyond) prospects in the class so having a well organized front between both coaches and commits can't hurt.
This cycle is going to be very interesting for me to cover. I don't keep the stats on my stories, but whatever my personal record is for stories written about Top 100 kids, the 2020 cycle might break that. Ohio State is just involved with so many of the top guys right now and this early momentum will help them and is already creating some buzz among the prospects. Certainly they aren't going to get all the guys that we're talking about right now, but they are in the ball game for as many top guys as I've ever seen at this point. It's like 2018 on steroids with 2020 being a more talented crop.
Hopefully that translates into a lot of interesting reading for you guys. Buckle up.
Wilson's unique skill set
I don't know if Garrett Wilson is going to be the best wide receiver that Urban Meyer has recruited to Ohio State, but I think he's absolutely going to be the most unique. Wilson once again showed at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge that he is a weapon from anywhere on the field as a receiver.
Wilson has a very special ability to separate. Something that transcends 40 times or shuttle times, it can't be measured with a stopwatch or a laser. He just knows how to run routes and how to use his feet, and really his entire body, to freeze defenders and blow past them. He shows this ability from all over the field. He was so impressive working the slot at times this week. He has that short area burst and quickness to gain that little bit of separation in tight windows and he is so sure handed, it was like watching Anthony Gonzalez at times the way he can work the middle of the field.
But then he can go outside and make an unbelievable catch along the sideline against tight coverage on a back shoulder fade. He got Lejond Cavazos on one ball where Lejond was in good position but Garrett just went up and made a play. Again, it can't be measured with a stopwatch. Garrett is likely never going to run anything better than a 4.5 40, even after Coach Mick gets three to five years to work with him. But he separates better than a lot of guys who can run faster 40's, it's something that is almost hard to describe but you know it when you see it. I saw it this week.
I'm just not sure Ohio State has had anything quite like him recently. They've had guys that were tremendous working out of the slot and they've had guys who were excellent on the outside. But Wilson is a unique individual that can excel at both. He can work the middle of the field the way a guy like K.J. Hill does, or he can make the tough catch down the field on the outside with great body control like a Michael Thomas can.
Buckeye/Bama battle brewing?
The two teams with the most momentum right now for Rivals250 wide receiver Jameson Williams are absolutely Ohio State and Alabama. We've discussed the four-star prospect frequently here over the past month or so as he has named Ohio State his leader and then promptly made back-to-back visits to Tuscaloosa and Columbus.
It has again been reiterated to me that Ohio State is the team to beat for Williams and while I still think you can't completely dismiss Oregon, Alabama has emerged as the biggest threat in my opinion and the opinions of a few other sources tied to this one.
You've heard me say on here some times that Alabama's recruiting doesn't really start until about right now. Well it is starting and the Crimson Tide have made Williams a huge priority. For as much as Alabama and Ohio State is a major recruiting rivalry and for as different as the environments are at the two schools, both share one common thread in recruiting. When they come after you, they really get after it and Alabama has made that move recently with Williams.
As things stand today, I very much like where Ohio State sits with Williams and think it is a clear line of 1 and 2 between the two programs more so than a 1a and 1b situation. But with that said, Alabama was able to get the unofficial visit last week before Jameson made his way to Columbus. That means they still have that official visit in their back pocket for the fall and right now Williams is talking about taking more official visits before deciding.
With only one more opportunity to make official visits between now and September, that means a decision won't be until at least this fall, if not the winter. Luckily for Ohio State, St. Louis isn't Houston or Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles, it's both driveable to Columbus and also not a super expensive or time consuming flight. So I suspect the Buckeyes will get Williams back on campus this fall at some point, but that will be the one thing to watch here is how the order of these visits takes place this fall and if Alabama is able to maneuver in such a way where it can get the final visit before Williams decides. Right now the Bama official is tentatively set for the weekend of October 13th when the Tide host Missouri.
We seem to have a few of these OSU/Bama battles each cycle don't we? Well here's another one.
As for this past week, I continue to be impressed with Williams as a prospect. He is a long-strider, but while some of those guys struggle with the sharp cuts involved in route-running, I thought Williams was explosive out of his breaks and just overall very smooth. Having seen him twice in the past six weeks or so, his stock is rising with me personally, just really like his game. Makes a lot of tough catches with guys on him, which was a concern I had looking at him at under 170-pounds, but he has strong hands. Should only get better once he throws on 15 pounds.
