CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and school president Michael Drake huddled around high school receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones just off the field at Ohio Stadium before an OSU football game in October 2016. This is what Ohio State does for priority recruits — the Buckeyes put on a full-court press. It didn’t work. The Michigan native, who played at a powerhouse Detroit high school that Ohio State had previously successfully recruited, stayed home to play for the Michigan Wolverines. The No. 12 overall recruit in the Class of 2017 and No. 1 receiver recruit could have put the Buckeyes over the top as the No. 1 class in the nation. Instead, he headlined Michigan’s No. 5-ranked class. After three years at Michigan, Peoples-Jones was picked by the Browns on Saturday in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The top receiver in his recruiting class was…
Continue Reading: Ohio State couldn’t get Donovan People-Jones, and after some Michigan struggles, the Browns might benefit
