Martell named USA Today OPOY

Just one day removed from 2017 cornerback Shaun Wade — an Ohio State pledge — out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL) was named American Family Insurance All-USA Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today, another future Buckeye on the other side of the ball received similar honors.

After putting together a senior campaign at Bishop Gorman (NV) that consisted of over 2,300 yards and 41 touchdowns through the air with just one interception and 1,257 yards and 21 scores on the ground, 2017 quarterback Tate Martell was named American Family Insurance All-USA Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today.

Martell, as you can see, put together an incredible season and led the Gaels to an undefeated 15-0 year that ended with a Nevada State Championship. The four-star QB went out on top after scoring a combined five times in a 84-8 win over Liberty (NV) in his final official contest before heading to Columbus.

Thoughts on Davis

Two days ago, Ohio State hired former NFL defensive coordinator Bill Davis to join their staff at the conclusion of the season. Davis, who has spent just one year in the college ranks, in all likelihood will be the replacement for Luke Fickell, who took the head coaching gig at Cincinnati.

Make no mistake, Davis will definitely bring plenty of knowledge and overall football experience to Ohio State. However, it is alarming that his only collegiate coaching experience was back in 1991 as a Graduate Assistant at Michigan State.

No one really knows how Davis will adapt to coaching at the college level. With that being said, being a good recruiter is a must at Ohio State. It is not set in stone what areas Davis will cover. All we can do is look at where Davis could bring a boost to the Buckeyes recruiting efforts.

First things first, Davis graduated from the University of Cincinnati. One would imagine that he may be able to help in that area and it's definitely not a bad time for a boost there with the 2018 talent in the Queen City. Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman, a major Ohio State target, is nearby. Also, '18 linebacker Christopher Oats and '18 defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins are two top targets from the 513 and they attend Winton Woods (OH) and Archbishop Moeller (OH), respectively. It is worth mentioning that Kerry Coombs is undoubtedly the main guy for this area. However, especially in Oats case, having a linebacker coach who pitches in to help in the city isn't a bad thing.

It's also worth mentioning that Davis was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Anytime you can get more help within your own state, that's a plus. Especially when programs like Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame are all doing everything they can to get their foot in the door in Ohio.

Lastly, as mentioned above, Davis spent a season at MSU as a GA. Does that mean he will help immensely in enemy territory? Not necessarily. With that being said, maybe it counts for something. Ohio State has made noise in the state of Michigan for the past for years. They will likely be shut out this year after losing out on '17 wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, however, any boost in that specific state would be huge.