3-2-1: Live in the present, yet look ahead to the future

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 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 couple of 2022 targets.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on recently decommitted linebacker Raesjon Davis, the 2023 offers Ohio State dished out over the past week or so, which five-star junior the Buckeyes are trending for and much more.

1. Raesjon Davis has reopened his recruitment

On Monday, fans of Ohio State and USC received an early Christmas gift as Rivals100 linebacker Raesjon Davis decommitted from LSU.

This was not too much of a surprise if you've been following Davis' recruitment. The product out of Santa Ana, California, opted not to sign during Early Signing Period despite having been committed for nearly a year, and he's been in touch with multiple schools throughout 2020.

One of those programs that is putting the full-court press on Davis is obviously the Buckeyes.

Led by linebackers coach Al Washington, Ohio State has done a solid job of developing a relationship with Davis and his family. Davis is also hearing a lot from some of their recent signees, specifically Evan Pryor, Reid Carrico and TreVeyon Henderson.

I had previously been told a month ago that if Davis could somehow find a way to get out to Columbus from now until signing day in February, then Ohio State would be in prime position to land him. I do believe a trip to the school would elevate OSU’s chances with Davis, but the in-state Trojans are the strong favorite as of right now.

USC is less than an hour away from where Davis’ home, and they’ve been in regular contact with Davis and his family throughout his commitment to the Tigers. I also heard Davis and five-star defensive end Korey Foreman are friends, and they could eventually wind up at the same college at the next level.

Nine FutureCasts have been submitted in favor of the Trojans on Foreman’s profile page this month, while a trio of predictions were submitted this week for USC to land Davis.

Ohio State still has a chance to sign Davis, but it is highly unlikely they would be able to do so if a trip to Columbus does not transpire over the next few weeks.

2. Mookie Cooper enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

Mookie Cooper, the top-ranked athlete in the 2020 recruiting cycle, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Cooper did not receive any playing time in the season on offense or even special teams, but this year does not count toward his eligibility. So, Cooper will get a true fresh start somewhere else, and is now allowed to start hearing from other schools.

As for why he opted to enter the transfer portal, I’m hearing that Cooper believes his skill set won’t be maximized to its fullest potential in Columbus. The former Rivals100 athlete had been recruited under the type of offense Urban Meyer ran, so the one that is currently implemented does not fit him best, in his opinion.

Also, it was stressed to me that there is absolutely no animosity between Cooper’s camp and the Buckeyes. This was an amicable departure where it was understood that Cooper is simply looking for a better opportunity for himself at another school.

While this is not necessarily ideal, Ohio State’s football program is still in a good position at wide receiver even with Wednesday’s news. The team is the definition of “stacked” in their wide receiver room, and will continue adding to that group in the coming years.

The Buckeyes just signed a trio of top-20 wideouts this past Wednesday, with one of those being the No. 1 WR on Rivals: Emeka Egbuka. They also hold a commitment from top-35 overall junior Caleb Burton, and are trending for multiple 2022 pass catchers.

So, even with Chris Olave having the option to leave for the upcoming NFL Draft and Cooper entering the transfer portal, the Buckeyes are set at the position for these next few years. Also, Brian Hartline has solidified himself as possibly the best wide receivers coach in college football, so Ohio State should feel very good about where things stand at the position group.

3. Multiple sophomores reel in offers from the Buckeyes

Ohio State typically is not a program that dishes out offers to just anybody, especially players who have yet to enter their junior years of high school.

An impressive aspect about the staff is that they actually take time to develop relationships with prospects before giving them the green light.

Even with this philosophy of recruiting that they have adopted, the Buckeyes decided to get in the mix early for nearly a handful of players over the past week or so. These prospects were Anthony Hill, Chase Bisontis, Kadyn Proctor and Richard Young.

Proctor is an interesting one in this group. He is not even halfway through sophomore season, but Proctor is already listed at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds.

Also worth noting is that Proctor is teammates with Rivals100 defensive back Xavier Nwankpa at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Nwankpa, who is perceived as an Ohio State lean, is actually the one who helped the two sides get in touch with each other.

BuckeyeGrove recruiting analyst Andy Anders recently spoke with Proctor, and you can find that full article HERE. Following this conversation, Anders went on to submit a FutureCast in favor of Ohio State as well.

As for the other players on this list, I’ll briefly go over them and the other offers they have on the table.

Starting with Bisontis, the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder offensive lineman was offered by the staff on Sunday. Other schools that have dipped into the mix for the New Jersey-based recruit are Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee.

Switching over to Young, the product out of the Sunshine State is one of the top running backs in his class. He’s in possession of nearly 20 offers, including ones from Florida, Georgia, LSU, Texas and Wisconsin.

Finally, with Hill, he resides in a state that the Buckeyes are well accustomed to recruiting in: Texas. Some other noteworthy programs that have dished out offers to him, besides Ohio State, are Miami, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

1. Is Ohio State now the leader for Jaheim Singletary?

The answer to this question is yes.

In fact, I am going to go as far as to say that Singletary will, barring a last-minute shocker, commit to Ohio State on Jan. 2.

I initially submitted a FutureCast prediction in favor of the Florida Gators back in February, shortly after Singletary named them his leader. Given his close proximity to the school and his relationship with the coaching staff, UF had put themselves in a solid position to land the Jacksonville-based defensive back.

On Nov. 5, however, everything changed as Ohio State’s staff extended an offer to him on that day. Singletary went on to say that his recruitment changed when the Buckeyes jumped into the mix.

I’m now hearing that Ryan Day’s program is the one most likely to land Singletary when he announces his decision in just over a week. This was due to multiple factors, including a few that Singletary listed during our conversation last month.

The third-ranked cornerback in the 2022 cycle told me that all of the people from Jacksonville that made the move to Columbus stick out to him. Those players are Marcus Crowley, Shaun Wade and Tyreke Johnson, and Wade’s dad, Randy, has even been in touch with him.

Also, Singletary made a bold statement by saying that Ohio State is actually “Defensive Back University.” This was something that caught my attention as Florida and its fan base always claims the moniker “DBU,” so this comment by Singletary showed that he had legitimate interest in the Buckeyes.

Another thing I was told today is that Kerry Coombs, Tony Alford and the rest of the staff are doing an excellent job of manufacturing a strong relationship with Singletary’s mother. They FaceTime her several times a week, and are essentially recruiting her as well. This is a smart move as Singletary has repeatedly said his mother will be a big factor in his final decision, so they’re putting in a lot of work here.

I usually don’t flip picks like this, especially when it’s been in place for about ten months, but that’s how confident I feel in this prediction.

2. How did the Buckeyes do in comparison to other Big Ten schools during Early Signing Period?

The current recruiting cycle obviously is not completely over, but Ohio State did sign most of their 2021 class last Wednesday. To this point, they are the No. 2 overall school on the Rivals Team Rankings as they check in with 3,005 points and a 3.95 average start rating.

I did not write up a "3-2-1," following the beginning of the Early Signing Period, so I wanted to take this section to see how the Buckeyes did in comparison to other programs in their conference last week.

Starting in the West, Wisconsin is 15th in the rankings, and have over 1,000 less points than Ohio State despite having the same number of signees. Nebraska is No. 19 in the Rivals Team Rankings with an average star rating of 3.11.

Iowa and Minnesota both have 17 total commits/signees, though the Hawkeyes are nine spots ahead (No. 26) of the Gophers (No. 35). Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue each had 14 signees, and range between No. 64 and No. 80 in the Rivals Team Rankings.

Switching over to the East, this division did comparably better last week. Michigan is No. 11 in the rankings with an average star rating of 3.55 commits. They are the Big Ten program that finished closest to Ohio State, yet the average star rating of their signees were 0.4 less than the Buckeyes and they had over 700 less points in their class.

Maryland, Penn State, Michigan State and Rutgers all finished between No. 23 and No. 34 in the rankings. Indiana was last out of this group as they sit at No. 72 with just 13 total signees despite their impressive regular season campaign.

Overall, Ohio State showed yet again that they are the cream of the crop in the Big Ten. There is no other staff recruiting at this high of a level in the conference, and it would be hard to see anyone else closing the gap anytime soon.

My last prediction was that the Buckeyes were going to land Emeka Egbuka on Dec. 11.

Now, I wanted to take my bold prediction up a notch by saying Ohio State is going to earn a pair of commits over these next couple of weeks.

First, I believe the Buckeyes will soon land four-star wide receiver Kyion Grayes. Grayes has already went on record saying that OSU is his leader, and it seems almost imminent that he'll end up joining forces with the program.

I heard that Grayes may want to give a little breathing room after his decommitment from Arizona, but I believe his next decision will be sooner rather than later.

Next, I am expecting Ohio State to receive a commitment from top-10 overall junior Jaheim Singletary on Jan. 2. Barring a last-minute change of heart, I'm hearing that the Buckeyes are going to add Singletary to their 2022 class next week.

Singletary would be a huge addition given his ranking and Ohio State's need for more DBs, and Grayes would bolster a wide receivers group that will continue to be one of the best in the country over the next few years.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.