In a Nutshell: Justin Hilliard, Austin Clark, leader of the 2015 class, and more

Quite a bit has happened in the world of Ohio State football recruiting over the weekend and we're here to get you caught up on all of the latest happenings as we enter a new week.

Justin Hilliard and Jordan Whitehead back on campus. Where do the Buckeyes stand?

Urban Meyer and his coaching staff hosted two big visitors this weekend in the form of linebacker Justin Hilliard and cornerback Jordan Whitehead, who were both making their second trip to Columbus this spring.

I think the Buckeyes have a legitimate shot at landing both of the elite talents, but there's still a long ways to go in their recruitments, especially with Hilliard. I'm pretty certain he' will follow through with his plans to make a late college decision. Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alabama will all be major factors in his recruitment.

I could see Whitehead deciding relatively sooner, but I think he's still a little ways away from making a decision. Penn State and West Virginia will likely be the Buckeyes' top competition in the battle for his commitment.

We hope to have more from both of these top recruits later this week.

Austin Clark set to announce in a few weeks. Does Ohio State have a chance?

Standout offensive tackle Austin Clark is set to announce his college decision on June 12. His top seven (in no order) is Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

I think Tennessee are the favorites right now, but I think it's very close and wouldn't be shocked if the Buckeyes emerged as the favorite over the next couple of weeks nor would I be with him eventually committing to the Buckeyes.

Earlier tonight Clark told me that his only planned visit is to South Carolina on May 31. After taking that visit he plans on cutting his list of schools from seven to four and will have four finalist when he decision date rolls around next month.

We'll make sure to keep you updated if any new information emerges in his recruitment.

Are we going to see a commitment this month?

Even though there are less than two weeks left in the month of May, I still think we're going to see someone commit this month – though it's by no means a guarantee. The usual suspects are still on commitment watch including the likes of Van Jefferson, Liam McCullough, Dre'Mont Jones, Darius Fullwood, Sh'mar Kilby-Lane, and Elijah Taylor. For the 2016 class, George Hill fits the bill as well.

It's still not time to worry about the 2015 recruiting class as camp season hasn't even hit. There are a couple of big recruiting events in the next five weeks including Columbus NFTC and Elite 11, three one day camps, and a couple of other weekends that will attract elite talent to Central Ohio.

If this class still isn't off the ground in five weeks, then there might be some reason to be concerned, but for now it's important to be patient and trust the work Urban Meyer and his coaching staff have done in their past three recruiting cycles.

What does this recruiting class need the most?

I think the thing this recruiting class needs the most is a leader. Somebody who can step up to the plate and help recruit top talent to Columbus to play with them (see: Alex Malzone for Michigan). In past recruiting classes leaders have emerged like with Cam Burrows, Ezekiel Elliott, J.T. Barrett, and others in the 2013 class, then Damon Webb, Kyle Trout, and a few others in the Dream '14 recruiting class.

I'm not sure any of the players on commit watch are poised to be a leader in this class, though we won't know either way until they commit (if they do). I do think Darius Fullwood and Van Jefferson are a couple of guys who could step up and recruit for this class if they do commit at some point.

In any event, one of the most important things for the summer is having some kind of vocal leader emerge.

Where is OSU in terms of landing a quarterback?

We still don't have word on whether or not the Buckeyes have decided to extend an offer to the standout California quarterback duo of Sheriron Jones and/or Travis Waller, who Ohio State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman watched throw last Thursday.

I think we're going to see at least one get an offer very soon, and I think the top offer candidate is Waller. With that being said, it's very possible we see both players ultimately land one; Jones has the potential to be very successful in the spread offense.

The only things that appears to be clear when it comes to Ohio State quarterback recruiting is that Torrance Gibson is the top target at the position.

We hope to have more from both California prospects later this week.