Top OSU headlines heading into National Signing Day

Since a majority of high school football prospects take advantage of the Early Signing Period, the traditional National Signing Day is not as jam-packed as it used to be.

Even with this being the case, however, there are still some big-time prospects who are expected to sign this upcoming Wednesday. These include Alabama commit Camar Wheaton, Rivals100 defensive back Terrion Arnold and coveted defensive tackle Tywone Malone.

Another key recruit slated to sign on Wednesday is Raesjon Davis, who is down to a top three of Ohio State, Oregon and USC.

With that being said, BuckeyeGrove wanted to take a look at the noteworthy storylines Ohio State fans should be paying attention to this week.

While some prospects wrestle with their decisions all the way up to, and including on, their signing day, that is not the case with Raesjon Davis.

Davis, who established himself as one of the top linebackers in the country at Mater Dei High School, made it known he came to his decision a few days ago. His father, Rashad Davis Sr., went on to tell me that while this is true, Davis has not yet informed his parents where he will be signing.

On one hand, Ohio State fans can view that tidbit as good news for their team. What Davis said in the interview linked above indicates that he made up his mind on Jan. 28, four days after wrapping up his trip to Columbus.

After seeing the city for a second time and touring the campus with his parents, Davis could have been sold on the Buckeyes, leading to a fairly quick decision afterwards. Also, Ohio State being the last school he visited, not Oregon or USC, prior to signing his Letter of Intent benefits them tremendously.

On the other hand, the Trojans have been trending ever since Davis decommitted from LSU over a month ago. The program currently has nearly a dozen FutureCast predictions in their favor on Davis' profile, with no other school receiving an FC.

USC is also where several of Davis' good friends are, and five-stars Korey Foreman and Domani Jackson committing in recent weeks definitely bodes well in their favor. There could also be an appeal to stay close to home as USC is roughly an hour away from where Davis lives.

Ohio State, Oregon and USC fans will finally figure out Davis' decision this upcoming Wednesday. He is slated to make his announcement at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, so we will have full coverage if Davis winds up choosing the Buckeyes.

Last week, Rivals.com's Adam Gorney reported that five-star J.T. Tuimoloau defensive end could wait a little bit until he signs. This is in order to take visits before faxing in his LOI, which could be a possibility starting on April 16.

Yesterday, I had it confirmed through one of his trainers, Tracy Ford, that Tuimoloau will indeed not be signing this week.

Since the spring of 2020, Ohio State has been viewed as the leader in Tuimoloau's recruitment. An incredible 20 FutureCast predictions have been submitted on his profile page, while no other program has even received one.

The Buckeyes have a lot going in their favor here, even though Alabama and Oregon are a couple of other schools that have been catching his eye. Tuimoloau's admiration for how Larry Johnson develops defensive linemen, the relationship he has with the staff, and his Washington state connections with Emeka Egbuka and former teammate Gee Scott Jr. all benefit OSU.

As for when Tuimoloau will announce his decision, however, that is up in the air. Former five-star running back Zach Evans did not make things official until May 11, 2020, so Tuimoloau could theoretically stretch his recruitment out until then, or even later, if he needs more time for visits.

I won't project into the future because who knows what a visit to Alabama or Oregon could do. Also, Tuimoloau has been tight-lipped when it comes to the media and who his family speaks with, so getting a solid read on his recruitment has been admittedly difficult.

For the time being, however, Ohio State has the edge in this one.

Right now, The Ohio State University sits at the No. 2 spot in the 2021 rankings, which is where they will ultimately wind up when this cycle is done and over with. They are sitting at 2,988 total points, with a trio of five-stars and 15 overall Rivals250 prospects signed.

With this class almost complete, we wanted to take a look at what would transpire if Davis joins the fold this week. More specifically, how would this group of prospects compare — rankings-wise, that is — to previous classes the Buckeyes have signed?

If Davis does opt to join forces with the Buckeyes, then that would give them a 66-point bump. This would bring their point total up to 3,054 points.

For the purposes of this section, we are focusing on classes from 2013 on up as that was the year our point formula was modified. So, taking this into account, this would give Ohio State their third-best finish in the Rivals.com era.

Now, even though Tuimoloau won't be signing this week, what would him being added to the fold do for the Buckeyes' rankings?

If Tuimoloau joins a class that does not feature Davis, then it gives the program a 136-point bump. That would give them 3,124 points, which is good for their second-best class of all time.

If Davis and Tuimoloau ultimately wind up signing with the Buckeyes, then that would give them 3,175 total points in this class. That would be just 17 points short of their all-time mark in the 2018 cycle, but it's important to note that class had three more signees than this hypothetical class with Davis and Tuimoloau.

To put it simply, landing one, if not both, of these West Coast-based defenders would put the bow on what's already been an impressive class for Ryan Day and company.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.