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When the clock struck midnight on Monday night and Tuesday morning, the Ohio State coaching staff was already hard at work, building upon the groundwork the staff made on the recruiting prospects of the class of 2017. Despite college coaches not allowed to officially contact recruits of the '17 class, the Buckeyes had already managed to seal up 10 commitments from some of the top players in the country. Now, it's fair game for college football teams to try and reach out to recruits directly and Urban Meyer is making sure to use that ability as much as possible.
One of the very first people contacted at midnight was '17 cornerback William Poole III. Poole III is a 6'0, 170-pound defensive back that has been clocked at 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash and is rated as a four-star under the 247Sports Composite. Poole III is also ranked as the country's 11th best cornerback and the 15th best player at any position from the state of Georgia.
Last night, Ohio State came in contact with the standout and gave an offer to Poole III, who also holds offers from other top programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, just to name a few.
Right now the 247Sports Crystal Ball favors Georgia (60 percent) over Alabama (40 percent), but with this latest offer, I have a feeling Poole III's list will be changing somewhat over the coming weeks. Be sure to stay tuned for any news on that front.
Ohio State already has a commitment from '17 Archer safety Isaiah Pryor but also has its sights on one of Pryor's teammates: '17 wide receiver and cornerback Jamyest Williams. Williams is an explosive player, checking in at 5'9, 170-pounds, but has been clocked in the 40-yard dash with a jaw-dropping 4.35 seconds. The defensive back is a truly dynamic player, who can play both safety and cornerback, while also playing on the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver. Williams is rated as a four-star prospect under the 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the nation's seventh-best athlete in addition to being ranked as the ninth-best player from the state of Georgia.
Amazingly, Williams already holds offers from the country's top schools, but seems to be favoring Georgia (60 percent), Clemson (20 percent), and Florida State (20 percent) according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions:
In 2014, Williams proved his versatility by showing he could play on both sides of the ball at a high level and still produce quality numbers. Playing for his high school team, Williams had 60 tackles, two interceptions, 700 rushing yards (with eight touchdowns), and 35 receptions for 452 yards and five touchdowns.
The Buckeyes were the first to contact Williams at midnight and made it pretty clear that Williams is high on Ohio State's board. While Urban Meyer and co. may not be favored to win this recruit, having a commit on the inside (Pryor) may end up proving to be a deciding factor in the end.