Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets - Buckeyes could land Carter Coughlin this week

Spring practice is underway and the grind has officially started for the 2015 Ohio State football team. Though this version's team is new to the grind, the coaching staff feels it every single day -- whether it be preparing the current Buckeyes for battle or putting all of their efforts onto the recruiting trail. The class of 2016 is shaping up to be one of the best ever at Ohio State, according to recruiting rankings. With a handful of good prospects already on board, the Buckeyes will look to add another as linebacker Carter Coughlin is set to announce this week.

Coughlin set to announce

Coughlin, who has held Ohio State in high regard in the past, is down to the Buckeyes, Minnesota, and Oregon as his finalists. The catch is that he was born and raised in Minnesota and the Gophers appear to be the favorite as we stand right now. Coughlin is a tough, nasty linebacker who can run. He's up to 6'3 and though he only weighs 200 pounds, he has plenty of frame to fill out over the summer and when he arrives on a college campus. Coughlin is a unanimous four-star prospect and the top rated player out of the state of Minnesota. He holds offers from other top Big Ten schools, which include Michigan State and Iowa, so there's no secret about him: he can play. Since he's announcing this week, it could be a telling sign that he just visited Minnesota last weekend. Though we can only speculate, the Gophers most likely feel good about this one. Still, Ohio State is in a position to make a final pitch. Coughlin last visited Columbus on January 30.

Class of 2017 on right track

As mentioned before, a Coughlin commitment would only add to the firepower that Urban Meyer will be bringing in for the 2016 class. However, the greatness isn't about to start there. Here's a fun fact:

8 of the initial #Rivals100 for 2017 have already committed. 3 of those 8 have committed to #OhioState

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivlerBG) March 9, 2015

That list includes Josh Myers, Bruce Judson, and Shaun Wade. Myers is set to be the top offensive lineman in his class, while Judson plays second fiddle to no one when talking about pure athletes. Wade, from Florida, will also challenge to be one of the top cornerbacks in his class. Also not to be forgotten is quarterback commit Danny Clark, who committed to the Buckeyes his freshman year of high school. We know the story on Clark: Unreal hype at age 15, great size, huge arm, etc.. After having a quiet sophomore season, he'll be looking to make a leap in the rankings come this time next year. In case you forgot, Clark will play this upcoming season at Hoban High School, where most think he will be happier.