Ohio State looks to pull another top recruit from St. Louis

It's finally here. The long anticipated season opener versus conference foe Indiana takes place tonight, and the atmosphere surrounding this game has been pumped up to the max to say the least. After what seems to be the longest offseason in history, Urban Meyer and the 2017 Buckeyes will look to impress, as they are the highlight of the start of college football season. With this evening being the first priority, you'd think recruiting would take a back seat, but as Meyer and his staff said time and time again, recruiting is a never-ending effort.

The Gateway to the West

It wasn't that long ago when Ohio State came knocking in St. Louis, Missouri when they were hard pressed after Ezekiel Elliot. After Elliott's incredible career and a national championship season donning the Scarlet and Gray, Ohio State certainly seemed to have struck gold with their St. Louis connection. Yesterday may have been a step in that direction once again.

Jameson Williams (St. Louis, MO/Cardinal Ritter), a 6'2, 165-pound receiver, announced via Twitter last night that he had received an offer from Ohio State. The 2019 prospect is the sixth-best receiver in the Show Me state as well as the 55th-best receiver in the country for the 2019 class. While he may only have a 3-star ranking, Ohio State isn't the only program taking note of his talent.

With offers coming from schools such as Kentucky, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State, it's no secret the caliber of talent Williams possesses. With the Buckeyes being the latest to throw themselves into the mix, you can guarantee it's only a matter of time before more top programs come calling his name. Fortunately, with Ohio State's track record in the St. Louis area, Williams will be giving Ohio State nothing but his undivided attention.

Top CB prospect names final 6 schools

Ohio State and the cornerback position are already off to a premier status, but if this season brings yet another opportunity for Buckeye corners to head to the NFL Draft, the proof will be absolutely obvious that Ohio State is cornerback university. With Kerry Coombs at the helm, the success rate has been off the charts, and with the current pace the staff is recruiting the position, the continued turnover rate of top draft picks looks to be continuing.

Yesterday, a corner the Buckeyes are extremely high on, Patrick Surtain Jr. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL/American Heritage) named his final list of six schools before his decision. Ranked as the top overall corner in the country for 2018, Surtain Jr. is also the second-best prospect at any position in the loaded state of Florida and is the fourth-best prospect in the entire country according to 247sports. With a list of accolades that seems to never end, including over thirty offers, to trim a list to six is pretty impressive.

Schools making the cut for the 5-star included LSU, Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Clemson, and Ohio State. Right now, the safe pick for Patrick is LSU. With an overwhelming amount of Crystal Ball predictions favoring the Tigers, LSU seems to be a lock. However, Florida State is certainly a close second. If Ohio State looks to be a serious threat in this race they'll have to get Surtain Jr. to campus for a visit. If this happens, and it likely will, anything is possible given the success corners are having each and every season under this Buckeye football staff.

The Final 4

Ohio State's basketball program is easily the healthiest it's been in the past few years under the helm of Chris Holtmann as the new head coach. He's bringing an excitement to the basketball team that is well needed and recruiting is an aspect that has certainly proven to be one of his strong suits. However, when a new staff comes in, there's sure to be some hardships in the recruiting efforts. With the 2018 class coming to a slow start, Holtmann and the Buckeyes are hoping some good news comes in the near future.

Enter 4-star, 6'4, 200-pound point guard Elijah Weaver and that good news may be on the way. Weaver, a prospect graded out as the eighth-best point guard in the country for 2018, is also the eighth-best prospect in Florida for his class. Holding nearly thirty offers to his name, it's easy to see why the Buckeyes are hoping to land this stud prospect.

Yesterday, Elijah took to Twitter to announce his list of the final four schools still in the mix. Fortunately, Ohio State made the cut, as well as Florida, USC, and Oklahoma State. According to many, this is seemed to be a two horse race between the Gators and Buckeyes, but 247sports' Crystal Ball is giving the edge to Ohio State in this recruitment. That's great news for the Buckeyes and their 2018 class, though it's not set in stone yet. With 2018 in serious need of some momentum, Weaver may just be the answer.