Recruiting Roundtable: Davis decommits, assessing 2021 class, recent offers

Things are going quite well for The Ohio State Buckeyes.

The football team is slated to play in their second consecutive College Football Playoff game when they take on Clemson in just over a week. It was not always pretty in Ohio State's road to getting to this matchup, but they'll have a chance at revenge and to make their first championship game appearance since 2015.

Off the field, the Buckeyes just signed one of the top classes in the country as all 21 members of their 2021 class have signed their NLIs. They also received good news as Rivals100 linebacker target Raesjon Davis recently announced his decommitment from LSU.

In this edition of "Recruiting Roundtable," Andy Anders and Joseph Hastings discuss Ohio State's chances with Davis at this time, give an assessment of the 2021 class they have signed thus far and talk about their recent string of sophomore offers.

Anders: I’d say there’s a real shot here.

FutureCast says that USC is the frontrunner, with the Trojans currently owning 100 percent of the predictions -- but that is incredibly deceiving as it’s only one prediction made over a year ago.

USC is in the hunt, alongside Arizona State, and the Buckeyes make it a three-horse race for the No. 4 outside linebacker’s services. The stark disadvantage for Ohio State is that it’s been cultivating a real relationship for less time than the other two.

The stark advantage? State of its program. Arizona State might be trending upwards under head coach Herm Edwards and USC may have a ton of history, but neither are contending for national titles at this time.

Now, the fact that Davis has kept in touch with Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington is a good sign for Ohio State. It faces two main obstacles in overtaking USC or Arizona State.

The first is distance from home. When Davis’ father spoke to Joseph earlier this month, he cited a concern for playing so far from California, where he currently resides. Ohio State isn’t any closer than LSU, while USC and Arizona State certainly are.

Secondly, Davis won’t be able to take a visit to Columbus, at least not a staff-guided one, before making his final decision.

It would be a tremendous coup, but there’s a shot the Buckeyes can pull it off.

Hastings: This is definitely a tough one to respond to given the fact that Davis recently decommitted and there are still some questions that don't have clear answers just yet.

First off, is Davis going to even take a visit to Columbus before he signs in February? Given his interest level in the program and how much he speaks with the staff, one would assume so. Even then, it's not a guarantee as Davis' father previously told me that a trip to the school is not cheap, which prevented them from visiting for the Buckeye Bash in October.

Secondly, what if the remarks Rashad Davis Sr. made about his son wanting to be close to home were a motivating factor in his decision to reopen his recruitment on Monday?

Most assume Davis backed off of his commitment due to LSU being in a completely different shape on and off the field than they were when he teamed up with the Tigers earlier this year. But if what Davis Sr. said about him wanting to be close to home holds true, then that puts Ohio State somewhat behind the eight ball.

Based off what I'm hearing as of a few days ago, however, I would say that Ohio State has a 20-25 percent chance of landing Davis right now. I was last told that the Rivals100 linebacker is "all USC," and that five-star DE Korey Foreman committing to the school would elevate their chances with Davis as the two of them are friends.

The Trojans appear to be the heavy favorite for Foreman, so that increases the likelihood of them landing Davis. Also, USC being less than an hour from where Davis lives works very well in their favor.

I would put it near 50-50 if Davis ends up visiting Ohio State, but I'm leaning toward the Trojans as of today.

Anders: I’d say Ohio State’s 2021 class is one of its best in recent memory, but the Buckeyes prove time and time again they can assemble recruiting classes that generate tons of buzz.

Every single major position group outside linebacker and tight end holds a commitment from one of the nation’s top 100 prospects. Three five-star prospects serve as crown jewels, with defensive end Jack Sawyer serving as a can’t-miss player under defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the same going out to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka under Brian Hartline.

The final five-star commitment, offensive guard Donovan Jackson, gives flashes of current Ohio State redshirt junior guard and All-American Wyatt Davis.

I’m of the opinion that four-star quarterback Kyle McCord and running back TreVeyon Henderson deserved a fifth star, with the latter holding the best film of any running back in the country in my eyes. McCord will fit the system of head coach Ryan Day like a glove, an intelligent player with great ball placement and arm talent to make every throw.

Four-star cornerback Jakailin Johnson grades out the No. 1 cornerback in the country and No. 44 player overall and addresses a pressing need -- get it? -- for stout man-to-man cover guys in Ohio State’s defense. He should get significant playing time by year two.

Don’t sleep on four-star cornerback Jordan Hancock for that role, either.

Four-star running back Evan Pryor is one of the fastest, most electric and versatile skill position players in America. I can’t say this enough, he clocked a 4.31 in a camp-time 40-yard dash. That beats every running back that attended the NFL Draft combine this year, and all but two players total.

Throw in imposing four-star defensive tackle Michael Hall, physical four-star linebacker Reid Carrico, the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer in four-star wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. and a true mauler anchoring the line in four-star offensive tackle Ben Christman and there’s an incredible amount to look forward to from this class at Ohio State.

Hastings: If I had to give a letter grade for the class Ohio State has signed up until this point, it would be an A.

They landed one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Kyle McCord, added a pair of Rivals100 running backs and signed a trio of wideouts who are top-150 overall juniors, with Emeka Egbuka being a five-star prospect. Throw in four-star tight end Sam Hart to the mix, and you have a potentially elite offensive group for the next several years.

Defensively, the Buckeyes signed possibly the best cornerbacks class in this cycle. They were able to sign Jakailin Johnson (the top-ranked player at the position), as well as Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock. Andre Turrentine and Jantzen Dunn were solid additions to the secondary, and you also have to take notice of the linebacker duo of Jaylen Johnson and Reid Carrico.

In the trenches, Ohio State's first commitment in the 2021 class was Jack Sawyer, who absolutely wreaks havoc for opposing offensive tackles. I won't even blame the staff for missing out on Tywone Malone as that was a result of the baseball program not pursuing him, but I still like the additions of Michael Hall and Tyleik Williams.

The program converting on Jager Burton or J.C. Latham, Latham specifically, probably pushes them close to an A+, but their signees along the o-line were still solid. Donovan Jackson is a five-star, Ben Christman is one of the top tackles in the country, and Zen Michalski was a steal out of Indiana as he flew under-the-radar throughout his recruitment.

I'm giving Ohio State an A+ if they land J.T. Tuimoloau or Raesjon Davis, or possibly both, so there's still some work left to do in this cycle.

Anders: It’s good to see Ohio State getting in on some priority targets early. The risk is always that a player doesn’t finish his high school career the way he started, but it never hurts to cultivate these relationships early on.

I’d be shocked if running back Richard Young isn’t listed among the top three at his position when Rivals releases its first batch of rankings come spring. Watch his film and you’ll see why.

Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor already stands 6-foot-7, 300 pounds on the offensive line as a sophomore and Ohio State has a built-in relationship since he plays at the same high school as four-star 2022 safety target Xavier Nwankpa.

He’s still a bit raw, this past season his first at the Varsity level, but tons of potential there. I’ll have a story about my interview with him out Wednesday for those who would like to know more.

The Buckeyes are reaching back into the Texas bag early in the 2023 cycle by pursuing inside linebacker Anthony Hill, another sophomore who landed an offer recently. Hailing from the Dallas area, he’s already secured offers from Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Texas and USC alongside the Buckeyes. He’ll absolutely be a prospect to watch in the class.

It’s clear Ohio State is getting a head start on its offensive tackle recruiting for 2023, because the most recent offer went out to Chase Bisontis, a tackle from New Jersey. If the Buckeyes pursue him hard, it could turn into a battle between them and Michigan give the Wolverines’ offer and penchant for recruiting the New Jersey area.

Hastings: What's impressive about Ryan Day's staff and their approach to recruiting is that they never rest on their laurels.

This is a program that is vying for the No. 1 class in this current cycle, while also holding the top spot in the 2022 class by a considerable margin. At the same time, they are in the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year, but they're still looking ahead to the future.

Dishing out nearly a handful of offers to sophomore prospects after the beginning of the Early Signing Period shows how much the Buckeyes are invested in recruiting. They could have easily taken a break, or just focused primarily on 2022 recruiting as they prepare for Clemson.

Instead, Ohio State is capitalizing on the impressive class they just signed and their appearance in the CFP by getting in the mix for Bisontis, Hill, Proctor and Young. It's actually smart when you think about it.

The Buckeyes are offering these players at a time where their recruiting is at the highest level it's been in a few years, and they're in a position to be in the national title game come next month. Now is the time when you want to offer underclassmen and emphasize to them the trajectory this program is on.

A championship football team begins on the trail, and Day, Mark Pantoni and the rest of the program are continuing to prove they're truly committed to that philosophy.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.