3-2-1: Dead period may be extended again, OSU a contender for top-3 WR

In this recruiting-themed edition of "3-2-1," which is presented by Infinit Nutrition, BuckeyeGrove takes a look at some of the most recent news relating to Ohio State basketball and football recruiting.

Down below, we talk about three things we learned recently, a couple of questions that we still have and dish out one bold prediction about a 2021 prized commit.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on the reports of the dead period being extended again, a five-star center's thoughts on Ohio State, wide receiver recruiting in next year's cycle and more.

1. The dead period is likely to be extended until April

According to a report from CBS Sports, the recruiting dead period will be extended until April 15.

We are still waiting for an official announcement from the NCAA but, if this report is true, then that would be a devastating blow for players in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles.

That is not an exaggeration.

Starting off with senior prospects, this would mean that they would have not been able to take an official visit throughout the duration of their recruitments. This is unprecedented and would be completely unfair to those who are members of this class.

The NCAA would essentially be asking 17- and 18-year-olds to make – and this is not hyperbole – the biggest decisions of their lives to date without taking an official visit. Some of these recruits have yet to visit a school for the first time, or feel like they need a second look in order to make the right decision.

So, for making a choice that will influence not only the next three-to-five years, but also the rest of their life, a prospect has to rely on virtual tours or would have to spend their own money to get on a campus for a self-guided tour.

Maybe an exception will be made for official visitors as those can be a lot more regulated than unofficial visits, but it would be a major disappointment if that is not the case.

Switching over to 2022 and 2023 prospects, this decision from the NCAA will have an impact on them as well. I say this because junior days typically occur in February and March, giving juniors and underclassmen an opportunity to spend a day on campus, hang out with the coaches and let the commits interacts with key targets.

Now, commit-organized events like the Buckeye Bash or Sooner Summit will need to be replicated in order for something similar to occur. These events can be productive, especially for creating a bonding experience for future teammates, but they just cannot be compared to the experience of interacting with coaches and seeing the full facilities.

I may be looking too much ahead here, but another extension of the dead period would even more devastating for these recruits. The spring evaluation period is key for under-the-radar prospects or kids looking for an offer from a certain school; a future extension would wipe that out for the second year in a row.

The hope is that things will return to normal next spring, so it will be at least another five months until players can start taking visits again.

2. The No. 1 junior in the nation has been offered by Ohio State

As I have written about a couple of times over the past few days, I have confirmed through his head coach that five-star prospect Walter Nolen has received an offer from Ohio State.

This was an offer that has been in the works for a while. Details as to why it took so long for the Buckeyes to dip into his recruitment have not been specified, but the wait is finally over for both parties.

Nolen has been in touch with the Buckeyes for the better part of 2020, and they have been making a strong impression on him. Along with hearing from former teammate Tunmise Adeleye good things about the school, the top-ranked player on Rivals is intrigued by the rich tradition Ohio State has with defensive linemen.

At this time, LSU and Ohio State are seen as the favorites for his services, but other programs, such as Clemson, Oklahoma and the in-state Tennessee Volunteers, should not be ruled out.

It is of my opinion that location will not matter for Nolen, though time will tell here. Nolen played in Mississippi last year, transferred to IMG academy and is now at St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova, Tennessee. He is someone who appears to be fine with new locations and is open to different living situations, so distance probably won’t factor into his final decision.

I am not ready to make a FutureCast prediction on Nolen’s profile page as he does not appear close to wrapping up his recruitment, but Ohio State should like where they stand at this time.

3. Chet Holmgren breaks down his top seven, including the Buckeyes

It is not every day that one of the top basketball prospects in the United States conducts a one-on-one video interview.

Well, earlier this week, Chet Holmgren, the No. 3 overall basketball recruit in the country, did just that as he broke down his top seven that he released over the summer. That final group featured Georgetown, Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State.

While speaking with Rivals basketball recruiting analyst Krysten Peek, the five-star had the following to say when discussing why Chris Holtmann’s program landed on his list.

“A lot of pick-and-pop shooting,” Holmgren said of why Ohio State made the cut. “Love to play structured basketball. I see myself being able to play whatever, but I really like playing structured as well.”

Holmgren went on to say that the possibility of playing in the G League has indeed crossed his mind, but he’s focused on choosing where he wants to go for college at this time. As for when that decision will be made, the Minnesota-based senior intends on making his choice sometime in January or February.

We know that Ohio State is still after multiple big men in the 2021 cycle as they are hoping to sign a center and wrap up recruiting for this class. Even so, Holmgren is clearly the No. 1 target at the position, and would be a big-time addition if he winds up in Columbus.

In fact, Rivals basketball recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy says it’s not a far-fetched notion that Holmgren could commit to the Buckeyes. Cassidy currently has Ohio State at No. 2 in Holmgren’s recruitment, citing the 7-foot, 190-pounder’s visit to school before the pandemic began as a key reason why they occupy that slot.

Gonzaga seems to have the edge here, but do not discount the chance that the Buckeyes wind up with Holmgren when it’s all said and done.

1. Can Ohio State land two top-five wide receivers?

As many of you all noticed, several FutureCast predictions rolled in for Ohio State to land Caleb Burton. Burton is the No. 5 overall wideout in the 2022 cycle, and holds an expansive offer sheet that features 40 schools.

I still have my prediction in for Burton to wind up in Columbus, but another out-of-state prospect worth monitoring is CJ Williams.

Williams, who hails from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, has been a priority target for the Buckeyes ever since they extended an offer to him back in April. In a recent conversation with Rivals football recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, Williams said that contact with Ohio State has been "pretty consistent," with fellow powerhouse programs Alabama and Clemson also staying in heavy communication with him.

The top-25 overall junior in the country is looking to narrow down his recruitment in the near future as well, with the Buckeyes almost certainly guaranteed a spot on that list.

When looking at where things stand with uncommitted 2022 wideouts, Adam Friedman and Mike Farrell went on to say they believe Alabama, Ohio State and USC are the top contenders for Williams.

Farrell did say he believes the Crimson Tide are his early pick because Williams was born in Tuscaloosa and the way Alabama develops wideouts, but noted that it is very early in his recruitment.

The question is now this: Is it possible for Ohio State to land two of the top five wideouts in next year's class?

I think it's say to assume they'll receive a commitment from one of them, with Burton being the most likely of the bunch.

I also would not rule out the possibility of the Buckeyes getting Oklahoma commit Luther Burden on board. The five-star made a relatively early decision without ever visiting Ohio State, and a future trip to Columbus could make him reconsider his options.

At this time, I'd say it's more likely that Brian Hartline and company land at least one of the trio of Burden, Burton and Williams than them landing two or even all three of them.

2. Is it now out of reach for Ohio State to land the No. 1 class in the 2021 cycle?

A few months ago, this would not have really been a question worth spending too much time on. The Buckeyes were operating at a historic pace on the trail, and I spent some time wondering what it would take for them to land the best class in the Rivals.com era.

With the decommitment of Tunmise Adeleye, significant rankings bumps and pledges for Alabama and multiple recruits looking/committed elsewhere, however, it's going to be tough for Ohio State to leapfrog the Crimson Tide.

As things stand, the Buckeyes currently trail Alabama by 102 points for the No. 1 spot in the 2021 Team Rankings. What is worth noting, to be clear, is that the Crimson Tide have two more commits and their average star rating (3.82) is lower than that of Ryan Day's program (3.85).

For this section, I'm going to go through a realistic scenario for each team, and assess what's the most likely outcome in this cycle.

With Alabama, I'll give them Rivals250 prospects Shemar Turner and Terrion Arnold as they are currently trending for both of them. No other prospect is trending on the FutureCast for Alabama, so we'll stick with these two recruits. This will give the Crimson Tide 3,016 total points for this cycle.

Best-case scenario for Ohio State would be be to get Tristan Leigh, along with Emeka Egbuka and JT Tuimoloau, but I'm going with the latter two for this exercise as they are the ones trending toward the Buckeyes.

With these two prospects on board, the Buckeyes would raise their point total to a whopping 3,155 total points. So, even if Alabama's commits gets some more increases with their rankings, Ohio State should be far enough ahead to secure the No. 1 class.

Getting Egbuka and Tuimoloau, which may take a lot of time due to the extended dead period, would almost certainly put the Buckeyes over the top here, but time will tell what transpires with these recruits.

Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell revealed today that meetings will be held next week to discuss rankings for 2021 prospects.

Although he said in his piece that he does not personally view Kyle McCord as a five-star, Farrell went on to say that there will be some debate due to the improvement he's shown.

In my opinion, McCord has done enough to show why he should be elevated to five-star status.

I initially thought he would earn that final star after his showcasing his skill set at the Elite 11 Finals in Tennessee back in the summer. McCord didn't have a spectacular first day, but went on to win the Pro Day event on the second day of the event.

In my opinion, McCord has done enough since then to earn that coveted fifth star. Checking the stats every week, you see a pattern of McCord tossing for multiple touchdowns in the first half and guiding his team to blowout victories.

He's shown that what transpired a few months ago wasn't just a one- or two-day fluke; McCord is one of the top players in the nation and should receive a significant bump when the next update comes out.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.