The Buckeyes are the only Big Ten team to rank among the current Top 10 in every major recruiting service Class of 2014 rankings. Michigan is the only other Big Ten team to make an appearance (in any poll).
What’s that mean locally? Not much.
Ohio State and Michigan aren’t presently recruiting the Miami Valley heavily.
Neither school has a 2014 commit from the area and Wayne 2015 defensive back Tyree Kinnel (6-foot, 190) is the only area player with an offer from either. Michigan offered the Warriors junior last week.
If you’re looking for an area senior that could potentially garner an Ohio State offer, the leading candidate is unanimously Centerville offensive lineman Patrick Osterhage (6-4, 280). Osterhage currently has 10 offers, including Virginia Tech. Several insiders think that if Jim Tressel were still Ohio State coach, Osterhage would already be a Buckeye.
Defensive duo: A pair of Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division senior defenders committed to BCS schools last week. Northmont defensive end Terry Ramsey (6-5, 223) verballed to Louisville, while Springfield senior linebacker Davonte James (6-3, 230) committed to West Virginia.
Ramsey picked the Cardinals over West Virginia and Michigan State. James, who plans to study engineering, picked the Mountaineers over Georgia Tech, Purdue and Cincinnati.
Cougar Town: Thurgood Marshall senior tight end/defensive end Landon Brazille (6-6, 230) landed his first two scholarship offers recently and quickly chose to commit. He picked Cincinnati over Ohio University.
Brazille’s commitment gives the Cougars two D-I recruits, the other being senior running back Vayante Copeland (6-0, 193), who is headed to Michigan State.
Expect at least one other Thurgood player to earn a D-I ride, that being senior defensive back Dangelo Martin (6-5, 207).
Never too early: Looking ahead to the Class of 2016, one area sophomore to keep an eye on is Tippecanoe's Jakob Prall (5-11, 160). Despite playing freshman football last year (a requirement for all ninth-graders under Tipp head coach Charlie Burgbacher), Prall enters this fall with the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.48) on Tipp's talented football team. His speed? Honed as a member of Trotwood's Northwest Track Club since fourth grade.
Prall will see time at defensive back, wide receiver and kick returner.
BCS update: Two statewide commitments of note were made in central Ohio recently. Westerville Central offensive lineman Nick Richardson (6-4, 280) continued Kentucky's Ohio onslaught by committing to the Wildcats, while Columbus Bishop Ready defensive tackle Brady Taylor (6-5, 267) verballed to Virginia Tech. Richardson had 13 offers. Taylor had 23.
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