Why Urban Meyer Is College Football’s Most Versatile Recruiter

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A week before Ohio State saw 12 of its players—including five first-rounders—picked in the NFL draft, I asked Buckeyes wide receivers coach Zach Smith what plays better on the recruiting trail: national championships or the ability to put players in the pros? “I don’t know that either sells better,” Smith said. “They all want both.” Having played wide receiver for Urban Meyer at Bowling Green before serving as his graduate assistant at Florida and eventually rejoining him in Columbus, Smith knows that with his boss, he has the luxury of not having to pick just one pitch. With camp season in full force, recruiting currently rules the college football world and no coach in recent months has had more success at luring talent to his program than Meyer. On Sunday, the Ohio State head coach bolstered what was already the nation’s top-ranked 2017 class when he received a commitment from 4-star quarterback Tate Martell, the country’s No. 1 dual-threat signal-caller. Any short list of college football’s top salesmen undoubtedly includes Meyer, who has signed four top-five classes since arriving in Columbus in 2012 and is well on his way to a fifth. But unlike his recruiting contemporaries—Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Jimbo Fisher and that might be it—the fifth-year Buckeyes head coach doesn’t have to stick to one script. Much like his explosive spread offense, the key to Meyer’s approach on the recruiting trail is an unmatched…

Ohio State Football: 5 Toughest RBs Buckeyes Will Face in 2016

Ohio State will face a lethally talented crop of running backs this fall—a group that’s headlined by Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine and Northwestern’s Justin Jackson. Stopping (or even limiting) these talented ball-carriers will be a huge challenge for a defense that’s replacing eight total starters, five of which are in the front seven. Superstar defensive end Joey Bosa and hole-clogging defensive tackle Adolphus Washington won’t be back in 2016, so the Buckeyes need to find game-ready successors right out of the gate. If co-defensive coordinators Luke Fickell and Greg Schiano fail to do so, these five running backs could shred the Buckeyes defense this season. Begin Slideshow

Tate Martell to Ohio State: Buckeyes Land 4-Star QB Prospect

The Ohio State Buckeyes added one of the elite offensive playmakers in the entire 2017 recruiting class Sunday when quarterback Tate Martell joined the fold. Martell took to Twitter to announce his decision: The 5’10 ½” and 203-pound Martell is a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 33 overall player, No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 1 recruit from the state of Nevada in the 2017 class. While Martell is a Las Vegas native, he generated interest from across the nation as a top-notch prospect. National powerhouses such as Ohio State, Alabama, USC and Michigan were all on his 247Sports college list, and he originally committed to Texas A&M before he reopened his recruitment in May. There was plenty of drama surrounding Martell’s decommitment from the Aggies. Connor Tapp of 247Sports noted that Texas A&M assistant coach Aaron Moorehead apologized for sending critical tweets after Martell decommitted: “Moorehead’s tweets criticized Martell—without mentioning him by name—for lacking loyalty and accountability.” Kevin Wade of Scout reported in April that Martell planned to use all of his official visits even before he decommitted from Texas A&M, which indicated he was still open-minded about his collegiate future. Martell’s choice to join the Buckeyes comes after 247Sports’ “crystal ball” predictions were split on May 5, with 42 percent going to Ohio State, 38 percent going to Texas A&M, 12…

No. 1 Dual-Threat QB Tate Martell Is Urban Meyer’s Signature Recruit at OSU

COLUMBUS, Ohio — While Las Vegas filled with partygoers and tourists as one of the final few weekends of spring melted into summer, one Sin City resident set sail for Columbus, Ohio. By the end of the weekend—and perhaps thanks to a little bit of luck—head coach Urban Meyer found himself hitting the jackpot. Like a blackjack player on a hot streak, Ohio State has found itself riding a wave of momentum in the recruitment of 4-star quarterback Tate Martell throughout this past spring. On Sunday evening, the Buckeyes cashed out when the Bishop Gorman product committed to Ohio State in the midst of a weekend visit to his now-future school. As a result, Meyer finds himself with a verbal pledge from a prospect unlike any other he’s landed during his four-plus years in Columbus. For all of the three-time national champion head coach’s recruiting medals—including the building of a top-five class two months into the job in 2012, a national-championship-cornerstone class in 2013 and the signing of numerous 5-star prospects and future NFL talents—Meyer had yet to sign a top-ranked quarterback since arriving at Ohio State. Obviously, the Buckeyes have been just fine, thanks to the previous presence of Braxton Miller, accelerated development of J.T. Barrett and even the promising future of Joe Burrow. But in Martell, Meyer finds himself with the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class, a stature of signal-caller prospect he hasn’t…

Ohio State Announces Stadium-Wide Beer Sales for 2016 Football Season

Ohio State announced Wednesday that it’s going to implement stadium-wide beer sales during the 2016 season after allowing the sale of alcohol in select areas of Ohio Stadium last year. A release posted on the Buckeyes’ official athletics site noted the additional revenue will be directly used to create two new full-time positions within the Ohio State Police Department. Police division Chief Craig Stone commented on the decision, which comes with a $300,000 price tag. “The safety of our campus community, including fans and visitors, is our No. 1 priority,” Stone said. “Thanks to this partnership with the department of athletics, two new, full-time officers will bolster our security presence and enhance campus safety year-round.” Additional revenue—$50,000 over the next two years—will be used to fund research in the school’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery. Any remaining money will go into the general athletics department budget, according to the announcement. Selling beer during college football games has become a growing trend in recent years. Christian Malone of Saturday Down South cited VinePair statistics last fall that showed 34 stadiums across the country served beer during college games. The biggest concern is the distribution of alcohol at a sporting event where a sizable portion of the crowd is underage. Although beer still can’t be sold to anyone under 21, West Virginia president E. Gordon Gee told…

Ohio State Football: Recapping the Biggest 2016 Offseason News so Far

From signing one of the country’s best recruiting classes to sending a historic crop of talent to the NFL draft, it’s been a busy and eventful offseason for the Ohio State Buckeyes football program. The Buckeyes entered the quiet season with a loud and convincing 44-28 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, and since then, head coach Urban Meyer has been busy prepping his team for a pivotal 2016 season. Here are the biggest storylines out of Columbus so far this offseason. 9 Underclassmen Declare for NFL Draft Almost everyone expected non-seniors such as Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas and Cardale Jones to forgo their final season of eligibility, but Ohio State led the nation when an incredible nine underclassmen making an early jump to the NFL. Players who were considered fringe prospects at this stage in their career—namely wide receiver and Jalin Marshall and safety Tyvis Powell—fueled that number. And high-level players such as linebacker Darron Lee, safety Vonn Bell and cornerback Eli Apple complemented them. Much like the fans, Meyer wasn’t surprised by many of those decisions, but he didn’t expect to lose nine non-seniors, according to Austin Ward of ESPN.com: Nine is a lot. Nine’s a lot. The four or five is more manageable. One year at Florida we had 12 players send in their paperwork, and you’re like, ‘My goodness.’ I mean, it’s what we do when you recruit like that. I’ve been in scenarios where you don’t have a…

Ohio State Football: Buckeyes’ 2016 Offseason Summer Checklist

With a number of key players working their way back to full health and the height of recruiting season on the horizon, head coach Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes are on the brink of a busy and pivotal summer in Columbus. The championship expectations haven’t faded for Buckeye nation, even after Ohio State sent a historic 12 players to the NFL draft and lost 16 starters total. That’s because quarterback J.T. Barrett is back as the clear leader of a young but explosively talented team. True, on-field preparation for the 2016 season won’t commence until the start of fall camp, so what should Meyer and the Buckeyes focus on over the next two months? Get (and Stay) Healthy Ohio State escaped the spring session relatively intact, at least from the first-team perspective, as the only major injury befell third-string quarterback Stephen Collier (ACL tear). Meanwhile, a trio of key wideouts—Noah Brown, Corey Smith and Curtis Samuel—spent the spring working their way back from injuries that either ended or hindered their 2015 campaigns. Brown and Smith both suffered season-ending broken legs. Brown’s injury came in fall camp, derailing what many anticipated to be a breakout year for the bulldozing playmaker. Smith stepped up in his absence, but he suffered the same injury in Week 5 against Indiana. Samuel, however, fought his way through a nagging foot injury that required surgery after Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame….

Position-by-Position Preview of Ohio State’s 2016 Roster

There weren’t many question marks for the 2015 edition of the Ohio State football team, but after sending 12 players to the NFL via the draft and losing 16 starters total, the team that takes the field this fall will look completely different than last year’s squad. There will be familiar faces, of course, with quarterback J.T. Barrett back to lead the offense and middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan returning to anchor the defense. But both units are undergoing a huge makeover this offseason as head coach Urban Meyer is working to identify eight new starters on each side of the ball. Here’s a detailed look at each position as Ohio State heads into summer camp and starts preparation for fall camp. Begin Slideshow

5 Years Later, Ohio State Tatgate Scandal Looks Like a Blessing for the Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A half-decade before Baylor dominated this past weekend’s news cycle with a barrage of firings and hirings, Ohio State was responsible for college football’s seemingly annual Memorial Day news dump. And the five years that have followed the forced resignation of former Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel have only brought clarity to the ramifications of the de facto firing. Recruiting in Columbus has changed—as have on-field results—as the future of one of college football’s most prominent programs finds itself with a new trajectory moving forward. Nothing at Ohio State has been the same since Tressel’s firing—only not necessarily in the way many would have expected in late May of 2011. As crazy as it would have sounded at the time, the Buckeyes now find themselves better off because of their program-altering Memorial Day morning five years ago. The transformation has been quick and drastic since Ohio State fired its Hall of Fame coach. What it hasn’t been, however, is expected for a team that was engulfed in scandal and without an apparent exit strategy when it added the need for a new head coach to its growing list of problems in May 2011. A 50-4 record, the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship and a recruiting revolution can’t all be directly attributed to Tressel’s firing. But following a 6-7 season under interim coach Luke Fickell in 2011, Urban Meyer has ushered in a new era of…

Ohio State Football Recruiting: Can OSU Raid Texas and Steal Its Top Talent?

Ohio State has taken a more national approach with its recruiting under Urban Meyer, and as the 2017 cycle nears the critical summer season, it’s clear that the coaching staff is trying to raid the talent-rich state of Texas. It started in early March when the Buckeyes secured a commitment from 4-star all-purpose back J.K. Dobbins—Texas’ No. 6 prospect for the class of 2017. Dobbins had offers from all the in-state players—Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M—in addition to national brands such as Florida, Notre Dame, Stanford and USC. One look at Dobbins’ highlight reel makes it easy to understand all the attention he’s receiving. Rated the No. 47 overall prospect and the third-best all-purpose back nationally, his blend of speed and vision make him an absolute nightmare to corral near the line of scrimmage. “I can do more than just have speed,” Dobbins said of his game, according to Ari Wasserman of The Plain Dealer. “People think that’s what I’m about. But I can run through the middle, through the trenches, and I can pass block, too. I am a three-down back. That’s what most people would like to say.” Dobbins was the most recent member to join Ohio State’s No. 1-rated class, but Meyer’s efforts in Texas haven’t stopped there. Ohio State is trying to add more top talent from The Lone Star State by poaching 5-star prospects Jeffrey Okudah and Baron Browning. Both are elite prospects—Okudah is ranked the No. 2 Texas product…