Ohio State offers QB already committed to Big Ten foe

Ohio State players are either finishing up their classes or are already at home for a much deserved break. While being a part of the Ohio State football program rarely offers a break to players, that rare break from the grind hasn’t been given to the coaching staff. This gang of relentless recruiters is still on the trail at top speed looking all over the country to bring in the next Buckeye great. While the 2019 class is certainly coming together as of late, Meyer and his staff of coaches know that the only momentum they have comes when they continue this pursuit. Until fall camp hits, you can guarantee the Buckeye recruiting efforts will be atop of the priorities list and more “Booms” will soon follow.

Change in plans?

Ohio State hosted Texas native quarterback Grant Gunnell last weekend for his official visit to see what the Buckeyes had to offer. While a commitment pledge could have come from the visit, no official word was given after the visit as Gunnell is still on the market. While Ohio State certainly looks to have the upper hand in the Gunnell sweepstakes, there’s still other threats out there against the Buckeyes that have to be respected. It is true and maybe telling as to why Ohio State leads in even the 247sports crystal ball predictions, but again, until a final decision has been made, the staff has to do what they have to do in order to find a signal caller and leader of their 2019 class.

Enter Dwan Mathis, a 2019 QB prospect of Oak Park, Michigan, and you have the latest quarterback in the 2019 class to hear from the Buckeyes. Yesterday, via Dwan’s Twitter account, he made it public that Ohio State had extended a scholarship offer in his favor. More in depth, news came to the surface that QB coach Ryan Day was even at Oak Park High School yesterday outside of Detroit to check in on Dwan. The kicker: Mathis is currently committed to the hometown Michigan State Spartans. Obviously no love lost between the Buckeyes and Sparty, the Buckeye offer to Mathis will certainly prove its weight in the near future.

Graded out as the eleventh best pro-style quarterback in the class, Mathis is truly a prospect to watch. A lengthy signal caller to say the least, Mathis measures in at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds and can run a bit here and there when he’s not slinging the rock all over the field.

As mentioned earlier, Gunnell has been thought to be the QB of Ohio State’s class, but this offer to an already committed prospect certainly has the minds stirring. It could mean a number of things including the fact that the Buckeyes know Mathis is a very good football player and want to be considered before pen hits paper. On the other hand, this could be looked at as a potential backup plan if Ohio State doesn’t in fact end up with Grant Gunnell. It could even be a ploy to try and put the pressure on Gunnell to commit to Ohio State sooner than later, but if one thing is for sure, trusting the coaching staff is what’s needed here. They know what they’re doing and this 2019 QB recruitment will eventually settle itself.

Nothing wrong with getting a head start

Ohio State’s first priority in the recruiting world right now is locking down their 2019 class. As they continue to evaluate and receive verbal pledges from their top targets, the staff has to be pleased about where the current class is headed in terms of quality and quantity. However, time and time again, looking a little bit ahead to the classes beyond the immediate cycle certainly doesn’t hurt your efforts when that next class is up and ready to be top priority. As the staff is on the road in various parts of the country, it’s expected that new offers are going to go out fairly often. Yesterday, was no different as multiple were sent out.

In addition to the aforementioned Dwan Mathis, another prospect was fortunate enough to receive the highly coveted Buckeye offer. 2020 defensive-end Tyler Baron, a Tennessee native, also announced via Twitter that Ohio State was the latest to throw their hat into the offer ring.

At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Baron already has impressive size. Being that he still has two full seasons of prep football to be played however and his frame, there’s a solid chance that Tyler will continue to put on weight and gain strength before he plays on Saturday’s at the next level. An impressive youngster, Baron is currently ranked as a four-star by 247sports and listed specifically as the 10th best player in Tennessee as well as the 13th best weak-side defensive end in the 2020 class. To add to his accolades, Baron also holds double digit offers with schools such as Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, and more already in the fold.

With his current class status, Baron has not yet been to Columbus before, but now with an offer in hands, a trip to Ohio State is certainly a visit that could see planning in the near future. The Buckeyes will know how serious of a contender they are if they can get Tyler in campus and if so, they’ve been able to go into Tennessee more than once and poach a top prospect. Could Baron be the next? Time will tell.

Quick Hits:

• In-state prospect and Ohio State priority target Zeke Correll (Anderson/Cincinnati, OH) released his top four schools yesterday. The Buckeyes feel good about where they currently sit with Ohio’s fifth best prospect, but they’ll have to fend off Clemson, Stanford, and Notre Dame in order to bring this star north up the highway to Columbus.

• Four-star linebacker and Florida native Rian Davis announced a top-12 list yesterday via his Twitter. In addition to Ohio State making the cut, Georgia, Houston, Louisville, Oregon, Texas, Clemson, Arizona State, Alabama, Miami, Indiana, and NC State also made the list.