3-2-1: Playing the waiting game

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 2021 prized target.

Some of the topics below include a discussion on five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka's upcoming decision, what to make of Raesjon Davis' recruitment, how Ohio State can usurp Alabama in the rankings and much more.

1. Emeka Egbuka will commit on Dec. 11

Steilacoom, Washington, product Emeka Egbuka previously had planned on announcing his commitment prior to his senior campaign. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged dead period, however, Egbuka was unable to utilize his official visits in time to make that decision.

In fact, Egbuka never got to play in his final season of high school and could not take any officials as a result of the current crisis. Instead, Egbuka focused on training and getting his body prepared for the next level.

Recruiting had been put on the back-burner for him... that is, up until this past weekend. Egbuka and his father, Henry, opted to make the journey out to Norman, Oklahoma, to check out the University of Oklahoma and attend their game against Baylor.

A couple of days after wrapping up that visit, Egbuka announced that he is going to commit this upcoming Friday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. As we reported over two weeks ago, the final three schools in his recruitment are Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington.

I've mentioned a few times this week that this visit was, without a question, not what Ryan Day's staff wanted to see. A trip to what some consider to be the No. 2 school in his recruitment, attending their game alongside a five-star quarterback commit and the timing of it just didn't bode well for the Buckeyes.

Although there was a lot of initial speculation following this trip that Oklahoma usurped the Buckeyes, I'm currently sticking by my pick that Day and company will come out on top tomorrow.

Ohio State has been the perceived favorite for Egbuka for well over a year, and I'm not buying that one visit to Oklahoma turned the tide completely. It would have been preferable if Egbuka went out to Columbus before he made his decision, but the only reason he's not doing so is because he already took two unofficial visits there as a sophomore and junior.

I'm not writing off Oklahoma completely here because of their pass-friendly offense, how hard Caleb Williams has pushed for him and they have also proven they can develop players at his position for the next level.

In the end, however, I am in the mindset that Egbuka will opt for the school he's the most familiar with, and while he may not be as tight with Ohio State's commits as he is with Oklahoma's pledges, the opportunity to be coached by Brian Hartline will be too enticing to pass up.

2. The new 2022 rankings have been released

Last week, there was a lot of disappointment as a number of Ohio State commits dropped in the rankings, with Marvin Harrison Jr. (36 spots) being the biggest riser.

This week was not too different, but there was one major change that Buckeye Nation was certainly happy about. Quinn Ewers, who committed to Ohio State two weeks ago, was elevated to the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 class.

Here is what Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell had to say about Ewers earlier this week:

"Ohio State quarterback commitment Quinn Ewers from Texas is our new No. 1 and he might be hard to knock off his perch as a do-everything quarterback who just keeps getting better," Farrell wrote. "Ewers has excellent downfield accuracy, a very good arm and his ability to throw on the run and feel the rush is excellent. The comparisons to Trevor Lawrence aren’t there for me but Matt Ryan and others who have all the tools and the smarts to be great seem to fit."

I wrote yesterday that Ewers is not only one of the best prospects in the 2022 class, but is one of the best I've seen in my time covering recruiting. Someone else may assume the No. 1 spot when it's all said and done, but I believe he will be in the top three come February 2022.

Most of Ohio State's other commits, however, fell in the new update. CJ Hicks dropped six spots to No. 10, Gabe Powers fell eight spots to No. 24 and Dasan McCullough checks in at No. 32 now while Caleb Burton is at No. 34. Even so, that's still impressive to have five pledges who are top-35 overall prospects in the nation.

Tegra Tshabola did go from a borderline Rivals100 recruit to No. 135, but fellow Lakota West prospect Jyaire Brown did rise 11 spots to No. 156.

Benji Gosnell is no longer considered a Rivals250 prospect, though he does remain a four-star. I attribute this mostly to him not playing this season, and I think he'll get back in the top-250 once he gets some new film out.

Even with these changes, Ohio State is over 500 total points ahead of LSU in the 2022 Rivals Team Rankings.

3. Raesjon Davis' dad says the Buckeyes remain in contention for his son

Even though I've been told multiple times by an LSU source that the Tigers feel confident that Rivals100 linebacker commit Raesjon Davis is a lock to sign with the program, that definitely does not appear to be the case.

Davis has not backed off of his pledge, but he is still in touch with a number of college coaching staffs. These include Arizona State, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and, of course, Ohio State.

Adding more fuel to the fire that Davis could eventually be flipped is that he will not be signing in a week. His school won't allow him to graduate early, so he is slated to sign in February.

From what I've gathered, the Buckeyes appear to be the No. 2 school in Davis' recruitment. At this time, I would go as far as to say that if Davis does not sign with LSU two months from now, then Ohio State would be the program he signs with.

I also recently had a chance to catch up with Rashad Davis Sr., who is Davis' father. There were a lot of interesting things he had to say, which you can find in THIS premium article, but this was one of the quotes that stood out to me the most.

"We talk to Coach Washington a lot,” Davis Sr. previously told BuckeyeGrove. “We actually really, really have a good relationship with Coach Washington. He’s a great guy. We talk to him quite often. He tells us he’s not giving up on Raesjon just yet, so he’ll wait until that ink is signed to the paper before he stops calling, which I don’t blame him. You’ll never know what will happen."

Davis Sr. also did not rule out the possibility of taking a visit to Columbus in the future. The family was actually supposed to be in attendance for the Buckeye Bash, but ticket prices to get out to the city were too expensive.

If Davis and his family end up making the trek out to the Buckeye State and step foot on the campus, however, then I would lean toward saying he'll sign with the school come February. It's a waiting game right now, but don't count out the fourth-ranked inside linebacker on Rivals just yet.

1. Is there a scenario where Ohio State can realistically usurp Alabama in the 2021 Rivals Team Rankings?

After the latest Rivals update, Alabama increased their lead significantly over Ohio State in terms of their total points. This was due in large part to J.C. Latham rising over 20 spots to assume the No. 2 overall ranking in the country, and Dallas Turner going from outside the Rivals100 to a five-star prospect.

Factor in the previously mentioned drops from the Buckeyes' commits, and the Crimson Tide now have a 305-point edge over Ohio State in our rankings.

Some may just write off OSU's chances of catching up, or say the final update may not go in their favor again, but I think there is a realistic chance of the program earning their first-ever No. 1 class on Rivals.

First of all, Alabama only has one outright lead out of their remaining top 2021 targets (Terrion Arnold), at least according to FutureCast predictions. Top-30 overall senior Shemar Turner was expected to be Tuscaloosa-bound, but the in-state Texas A&M Aggies are the team now trending for him.

Secondly, there are a few top targets Ohio State can land in the coming weeks. Let's just say they land Emeka Egbuka and JT Tuimoloau, both of whom are perceived Buckeye leans at this juncture. If that happens, then Ohio State gets to 3,141 total points, five points ahead of the Crimson Tide.

Now, this would be a close call, but where it gets interesting is if Davis winds up joining the fold. If this transpires, then he will be adding an additional 70 points to that previous total. That would put Ohio State at an incredible 3,211 points.

This could be seen as far-fetched as the Buckeyes would need to land two five-stars AND a top prospect currently committed elsewhere. But even if Egbuka and Tuimoloau join the fold, there is a legitimate shot at Ohio State claiming the top spot in the rankings.

I will admit that this could be thrown out the window depending on how the final rankings go and where each commit is ranked following this last update. Based on how things currently stand, however, there is still a shot the Buckeyes could finish on top in this class.

2. Is it time to officially write off Tristan Leigh?

I never like to officially write off a prospect, especially when they are adamant that a particular school is in contention for him, but it's appearing to get to that point with Leigh.

The five-star offensive tackle still has his profile pic of him in an Ohio State tank top, but that seems to be the only thing going in the Buckeyes' favor when it comes to their pursuit of him. Leigh recently took a visit to Norman, Oklahoma, with his family, including his brother and 2023 offensive lineman Aidan Leigh.

Now, he is slated to make his way down to Gainesville, Florida, to attend UF's home game against LSU. This makes sense as both of them are in his top six, but this would have been a great weekend to go to Columbus.

Leigh, who is set to commit on Jan. 2, will now only have two weekends left to make a trip out to Ohio State's campus. I am still giving the Buckeyes a very slight chance just because a visit could possibly turn the tide, but that seems doubtful at the moment.

In my opinion, Ohio State is a better fit than Oklahoma because it may be an easier transition for him scheme-wise. Leigh is used to run-blocking as his high school team focuses on a heavy run attack, and he can seamlessly slide over to guard if he needs to.

Oklahoma is all about their passing game, but the Buckeyes, which are adding Evan Pryor and TreVeyon Henderson to the team, will put more of an emphasis on their ground game than the Sooners.

This one is still not technically over, but I would be shocked if the Sooners don't land Leigh in less than a month from now.

Is this a bold prediction as Egbuka has been trending to the Buckeyes for over a year and they are a top-three school for him?

No.

Am I cautious about making bold predictions as some of them have been a little too ambitious?

You're absolutely right.

In all seriousness, as I mentioned above, I am rolling with Ohio State to come out on top for Egbuka's services tomorrow. I was a little less confident on Monday, but it seems like some conversations with the staff and a few days being removed from his visit has helped out the Buckeyes here.

He's not the most necessary prospect out of Washington (Tuimoloau is more of a need), but he'll be adding to what is already a strength for Day's program, which is their passing attack.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.