Ohio State commits pick up more accolades from U.S. Army All-American Bowl

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl has wrapped up and Ohio State entered the contest with a total of nine commitments representing the program on Saturday—many of which were able to show off their prestigious rankings. Two of these future Buckeyes stood out even more than the others and were recognized by Rivals.com as being some of the top performers of the weekend.

Five-stars Chase Young (Hyattsville, MD / DeMatha Catholic) and Wyatt Davis (Bellflower, CA / St. John Bosco) proved all week why they are viewed as two of the top recruits in the country. Leading up to the game on Saturday, both had provided strong showing in practices and the two looked equally as impressive in the game.

Young, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive-end, impressed throughout the entire week, including Saturday’s game. Young looked explosive off the line, no matter who was blocking him and looks to have a bright future in Columbus.

Davis, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive-guard worked hard to keep his team in the game all day. The five-star OG is viewed as the best at his position in the country and continued to prove why at this game. The big guy’s specialty is run-blocking, which will come in handy at Ohio State, as head coach Urban Meyer has shown to favor the run in his offense.

Also selected as one of the top performers of the event, was Buckeye target Jay Tufele (South Jordan, UT / Bingham.) Tufele is one of the few remaining targets for the Buckeyes in this class and after his showing Saturday, teams across the country will be focusing on him even more. The four-star defensive-tackle was arguably the most consistent competitor all week, and showed his elite talent is matched with an elite work-ethic.

The Buckeyes are competing with BYU, Michigan, USC and hometown school Utah for Tufele after he narrowed his list of suitors down to five during the festivities last week.

Who’s left for Ohio State in 2017

With both the Under Armour All-American and Army All-American games completed, the 2017 recruiting cycle is coming to an end. Ohio State has secured 18 commitments in what has been recognized as one of the best classes in the country, along with being one of the best classes in program history. Of the 18 commitments, seven are five-star talents and the remaining 11 are all seen as four-star prospects or the best at their position.

National Signing Day is Feb. 1 and there looks to be four recruits the Buckeyes will focus on to close out the class.

• Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, TX / Episcopal) is the biggest name left on the Buckeyes recruiting big board. Wilson is arguably the top overall talent in the 2017 class, and Ohio State has been making a push in his recruitment over the last few months. Early on in 2016, Ohio State looked to be a long shot, but after an official visit for the Ohio State vs Michigan game, the program has been gaining momentum in his recruitment and should be seen as a legitimate contender. Wilson only has one more official visit scheduled as he is set to visit LSU later this week.
• Jay Tufele was mentioned above when discussing the top performers during Army week, and after the performance he gave, look for the Buckeyes to increase their efforts in landing him. Interior defensive-linemen are tough to come by and Tufele is showing he has everything you want in one. Tufele was another visitor for the Ohio State vs Michigan game and still has official visits lined up for USC and Utah before he makes a decision. Utah looks to be Ohio State’s strongest competitor in this one.
• Jaylen Harris (Cleveland, Oh / Cleveland Heights) will likely choose Ohio State when it is all said and done. The four-star WR has longtime been viewed as leaning heavily towards the Buckeyes, the biggest question in his recruitment has always been the limited space in this year’s class. With two elite WR’s already committed to the Buckeyes in Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey, it was never a foregone conclusion that there would be room for Harris. However, with the news of Ohio State WR Noah Brown and H-Back Curtis Samuel declaring for the draft, there is now more of a need for a third WR in this year’s class. This one isn’t 100 percent yet, but it is getting closer.
• Thayer Munford (Massillon, OH / Washington) is the last recruit the Buckeyes seem to be focusing on as the 2017 recruiting cycle comes to a close. While being an Ohio native, the four-star OT has not been to Ohio State’s campus in almost six months. Early in Munford’s recruitment, Ohio State was seen as a favorite to earn his commitment, but the program has seen less official communication with him as of late. Kentucky looks to be the school to beat in this one, but the Buckeyes are still contenders if they want to be. Munford is probably the least likely of the bunch to choose Ohio State, but with Urban Meyer at the helm, anything can happen.