Finally, tomorrow the No. 1Ohio State Buckeyesare back in action on the field when theMaryland Terrapinscome to town for FOX’s “Big Noon Saturday” game of the week. If you’re still trying to get over how stressful the game against the Terps was last year, the good news is that this Ohio State team is obviously built completely differently, and the country is taking notice.
With the issues that plagued the 2018 season seemingly behind them (fingers crossed), Ohio State is relevant again nationally in November and ready to compete for championships. But, the team’s players and coaching staff are doing and saying all of the right things publicly, focusing on the weekly task at hand, rather than letting the current moment get in the way of their ultimate goal.
Now that Ohio State’s bye weeks are complete, recruiting news will wane a bit until following the regular season, but as it’s been mentioned countless times before, the Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts never truly stop and even when the front is quiet, there’s still work going on behind the scenes.
With two home games left – including the huge match-up with Penn State on Nov. 23 – the staff is pushing to get as many undecided targets in town as possible. As the early signing period closes in, Day and the rest of the crew will be looking to put the finishing touches on an already incredible 2020 class.
Keep him home, Ohio State!
Rather than talk again about running back recruiting in the 2020 class, let’s shift our focus to 2021 and a class that will hopefully be less of an emotional roller coaster regarding that specific position.
One of the many things to love about Coach Day is his commitment to recruiting in-state guys, and making them an early priority in the recruitment cycle. Locking up the best guys in your own back yard has clearly been a top priority in the way that Day and his staff have gone about their business thus far. In the 2021 class there’s a wealth of talent right here at home for the Buckeyes to go after. With four of the top five players in Ohio already committed to OSU, Day has certainly put up a fence around the borders, keeping his home-bred studs in the scarlet and gray.
An area that the staff would love to continue that trend is obviously at the running back spot. With questions still clouding the position in the 2020 class, they will certainly need one – and maybe even two – in 2021. So, Ohio State is keying in on their top targets and have already begun to establish strong, positive relationships with a number of top recruits, something that Day and his staff do incredibly well.
To get into specifics, with Ohio State off last week, it gave the time for position coach, Tony Alford to make his way around the country in full pursuit of his next back in the program. Not having to go far, Alford checked in on Cincinnati native,Corey Kiner, a 5-foot – 10, 205 pound back that is currently Ohio’s top ranked RB, the seventh best player overall in the state, and a top – 185 prospect regardless of position in the entire country. A highly regarded four-star, Kiner checks all of the boxes, and with double-digit offers, many have obviously taken notice.
In regards to the Buckeyes though, Kiner’s visit with Alford is an important one considering that right now, the 247 Sports crystal ball predictions favor Michigan , which is certainly not where the Buckeyes want to see him end up.
Of course there’s plenty of time before Kiner can sign on the dotted line for the first time in December 2020, but a positive visit by Ohio State last week is exactly how you make up ground, and become a serious threat to keep him at home for his college years.
Look for the Buckeyes to see if they can convince Kiner to come visit them this time for an unofficial visit. If that does happen sooner than later, then the chances for Ohio State get that much better.
Quick Hit:
- Four-star IMG Academy running back,Lovasea Carrollcame out with his top-eight schools list as he narrows down who he will decide between. Making the cut included Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, Mississippi State, and Ohio State. The nation’s eighth best back in the country, Carroll would be a huge get for any of those programs.
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