Ohio State prepares for big recruiting weekend

The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action at home this weekend against Nebraska. This will also be a big recruiting weekend for OSU, as this will be the last home game before the season finale against Michigan.

Coming into town this weekend will be a multitude of recruits. A couple five-stars from the 2019 class are expected to be inside The Horseshoe for the noon kickoff, as well as a four-star wide receiver with family ties to the NFL.

Let’s take a brief look at three notable recruits who are expected to be in Ohio’s capital city over the weekend.

A strong bond

Garrett Wilson (Austin, TX / Lake Travis) has been committed to the Buckeye program since the end of April. For those that don’t know: He’s a five-star WR, and the top prospect in the 2019 recruiting haul for OSU. If there was any chance that he could be pried away from Ohio State, it’s non existent now, as he’s expected to be in Columbus this weekend for the Bucks clash with the Cornhuskers.

I have a feeling that Wilson is in attendance for more than a football game. With other notable recruits making their way to Columbus too, he may be out doing some lobbying, trying to help the program get commitments in the 2019 class and beyond.

Rapport build through camps and other various interactions on the prep circuit can indirectly lead to a school getting not just one recruit, but everyone associated with the recruit in question. Playing at the college level is tough, but it gets a little easier when you walk in knowing some of the people from your class.

Ohio State’s ‘19 class rests at No. 15, according to the 247sports rankings. That’s okay, but compared to the two years before that, it’s trailing. The 2018 and 2017 classes both finished in the 247sports grade books as being the second-best class. In 2016, the class was fourth; in 2015, the class was seventh. If all stays equal, the 2019 class would not only be the lowest ranked in the last five seasons, but the lowest ranked recruiting class in the Meyer era at OSU.

However, if the Buckeyes can get the commitment of local five-star defensive end Zach Harrison, they’d be on the cusp of being a top-10 class for ‘19. Speaking of the Olentangy standout...

The All-American

Harrison picked up a big honor on Wednesday, as the All-American Bowl swung by to present him his jersey.

The biggest question mark in the 2019 class may very well be around Harrison—and where he’ll end up attending college. Originally, he planned to make a decision in August, but after nixing those plans, Harrison’s recruitment is still open. The 247sports crystal balls point to OSU, but Michigan has steadily been in the conversation.

Harrison is expected to make the short trek to campus this weekend. If those plans do go through, this could very well be one of the last shots Meyer and the Bucks get for a Harrison commitment.

Maybe that’s why Wilson is here this weekend. It doesn’t hurt to try and round up the top talent, and commit to one school—which in this case has a stellar track record of sending guys to the NFL. That’s all speculation, though. But, if I were in that situation, I’d be doing what I could to bring in other five-star talents to the same program I’m committed to.

Either way, we’ll have a lot clearer view of how the 2019 class is shaping up after this weekend.

Like father like son

Muhsin Muhammad was a star wide receiver for Nick Saban’s Michigan State program in the 1990s. After that, he was a second round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, and ended up having an All-Pro career in Carolina. Even though his playing days are done, the playing days for his son, Muhsin Muhammad III, are just beginning.

A four-star WR in the 2020 class, the younger Muhammad has over 10 offers. According to his 247sports page, Ohio State isn’t one of them—but that doesn’t mean they’re not on his radar. The Charlotte native is planning on visiting OSU this weekend, and he let everyone know about it with a pretty cool graphic on Twitter.

Graded as the 26th best wideout in his class, Muhammad is another possibility for the Buckeyes at the position. It’s been said time and time again that receiving depth is going to be a problem with the Scarlet and Gray—and they’ll need to bring in a steady group of WRs over the next couple seasons.

If Meyer and OSU want the Myers Park product, they’ll have an uphill battle. Michigan State is seen as the favorite right now, and that’s shocking to almost nobody as that’s where his dad went. It’s worth keeping an eye on how this visit goes, as anything can happen in recruiting.