Troy Smith Sees Greatness In Ohio State Quarterback Braxton Miller

The sky is the limit for Miller

Since first stepping onto the field in a game against the Akron Zips in the 2011 season, sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller has drawn many comparisons in his style of play. 

It's a common thing college football fans do. Terrelle Pryor was Vince Young, Carlos Hyde is/was Eddie George. When Miller took the reins at quarterback, he instantly was the next Troy Smith. 

Out of many comparisons, I think this one in particular is spot on. Both quarterbacks aren't the tallest in the game (Smith is 6'0" while Braxton stands at 6'3"), but the athletic ability surpasses any type of weakness. Whether it's making plays with their feet or dancing around would-be tacklers to buy time to throw, Troy and Braxton have a lot in common.

Now, Troy Smith himself is calling out the comparison. Only thing is, he's taking it one step even further: 

“I see a lot of myself in him, all of myself,” Smith said. “I solely believe he has a chance to be 10 times better than I was. He’s a lot faster. He’s a much better athlete.

“I’m extremely excited about his future. I want to see him take off.”

Smith said he is impressed with how Miller handles himself off the field, as well, something he learned more about when he said the two quarterbacks met for the first time recently. Smith said Miller and other players today have increased media coverage and social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, which put standouts such as Miller under more of a microscope than Smith was under during his OSU career.

To not only be compared to Troy Smith by Smith himself, but to also be told that he can be ten times better than what Smith was in college is a pretty damn good compliment. Smith, as you know, won a Heisman trophy in 2006 while on the way to the biggest stage in college football. The Buckeyes hadn't been to the championship game since 2002, when Smith was a freshman (he later red-shirted). The ending wasn't as sweet as anyone wanted it to be, but Troy had led his team to the promised land. 

Ohio State Tight End Jake Stoneburner And Offensive Lineman Jack Mewhort Arrested

Jake Stoneburner

According to 10TV, Ohio State tight end Jake Stoneburner was arrested today, being charged with obstructing official business.

"According to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Stoneburner was arrested sometime Saturday by the Shawnee Hills police.

The circumstances of his arrest were not immediately released."

Stoneburner, who attended Dublin Coffman High School, is a tight end and was listed at the top of Urban Meyer's first depth chart of the 2012 season.

Stoneburner was one of the few key playmakers that head coach Urban Meyer called out as a key part to the Buckeye offensive attack for this upcoming season. The hope right now for fans is that this case is not serious.

In 2011, Stoneburner caught 14 passes for 193 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He has caught 37 passes in his first three years at Ohio State.

Update 4:15: SB Nation's Bill Hanstock reports that Jake Stoneburner has been released on bond.

As for the obstructing official business, here's a nice definition for you:

"(A) No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within the public official's official capacity, shall do any act that hampers or impedes a public official in the performance of the public official's lawful duties.

(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of obstructing official business. Except as otherwise provided in this division, obstructing official business is a misdemeanor of the second degree. If a violation of this section creates a risk of physical harm to any person, obstructing official business is a felony of the fifth degree."

Update #2 8:05: It has now been released from 10TV that offensive lineman Jack Mewhort was also arrested with Stoneburner.

"Tight end Jake Stoneburner and offensive lineman Jack Mewhort were arrested at about 9:30 a.m. by the Shawnee Hills police near the Bogey Inn, 10TV News reported.

A third man, Austin Barnard, was also charged. He is not affiliated with the football program.

Police told 10TV News that two officers saw the three men who they believed were urinating between buildings. The officers attempted to talk with them but they ran away.

Two of them were captured while they were crouched in between vehicles, police said. The third person was found hiding in nearby woods after officers threatened to use a police dog."

All three were released about a little more than an hour later after posting $2,000 bond, according to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.

Stay tuned at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates involving Jake Stoneburner's arrest.

Ohio State Moving To Semesters In 2012-2013

Will the move to semesters change anything?

Ohio State has always had something that people called an advantage, whether or not if it's true. That so-called advantage was football without class during the early games of September. 

Now, with the arrival of the semester system for the 2012-13 school year, means that when the Buckeyes take the field against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 1, they'll do it as full-time students with eight days of class under their belts, not three-week, football-only, mercenaries.

Here's the in-depth report from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

"Under the former quarter system, Ohio State classes didn't begin until late September (last year it was on Sept. 21) meaning the Buckeyes always played three, sometimes four, games before taking a single class. That didn't change the NCAA rule on the 20 hours each week coaches can mandate from athletes. But it left a lot of free time for players to make the Woody Hayes Athletic Center their homes.

Extra film study. Extra conditioning. Extra hours with the playbook. Time for the freshmen to figure out big-time football before figuring out where English 110 meets. After working out all summer and going through preseason practice, the Buckeyes then were able to focus on football for 25 percent of the schedule.

It was an edge for Ohio State. But did the Buckeyes win more games because of it? Probably not.

In the last 10 years, Ohio State was 26-4 during its first three games of the season, losing at the Miami Hurricanes last season, to USC in 2008 and 2009 and to Texas in 2005. Considering 20 of those games were supposed to be home game walkovers, going 6-4 in the 10 national matchups that were designed to be competitive isn't the sign of a obvious advantage. The Buckeyes also had close calls against Toledo last year, Navy in 2009, Ohio in 2008, Marshall in 2004 and North Carolina State in 2003.

This season, when Ohio State plays its big nonconference game against California on Sept. 15, the Buckeyes actually will have started class one day earlier than the Golden Bears. See if you notice the difference."

Ohio State Ranked 20th In 2012 ESPN Preseason Poll

Ohio State is ranked 20th in the country by College Football Live's Preseason Top 25 poll. Finishing 6-7 last year under interim head coach Luke Fickell, the Buckeyes weren't ranked at all for the last few weeks. Urban Meyer was then hired and since, hope has been building that the Buckeyes can be as good as they allow themselves to be.

While OSU isn't eligible for any kind of championship, they still have the opportunity to win a lot of games to build momentum into the 2013 season.

College Football Live's 2012 Preseason Top 25:

1. USC
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
6. Georgia
7. Florida St.
8. South Carolina
9. Arkansas
10. Michigan
11. West Virginia
12. Michigan State
13. Kansas State
14. TCU
15. Stanford
16. Wisconsin
17. Nebraska
18. Clemson
19. Virginia Tech
20. Ohio State

21. Oklahoma State
22. Texas
23. Boise State
24. Notre Dame
25. Florida

Former Ohio State Tackle Mike Adams Drafted By Steelers

Adams is the first Buckeye drafted in 2012

Mike Adams, the first Buckeye drafted this year, is a Pittsburgh Steeler, reuniting with Cameron Heyward whom the team drafted last year. 

The Dublin Coffman graduate, Ohio State criminology major and Block O alumnus is the second member of the heralded Class of 2008 to enter the NFL, following Terrelle Pryor who was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the supplemental draft last summer.

Adams was a first-team All-B1G performer during Ohio State's vacated 2011 championship season and managed to get onto the second team as a senior despite missing five games due to his Tatgate suspension. He started in his final 23 games, after appearing in five as a freshman and six as a sophomore.

He recently made big news by testing positive for marijuana at the NFL combine, despite knowing for months that he would be tested. Adams now has the opportunity to demonstrate what he was able to do in a largely consistent fashion at Ohio State: Perform admirably both as a run and pass-blocker.

Adams is the first Dublin Coffman/Ohio State player to get to the NFL since Vince Workman in 1985. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe and former Buckeye/transfer to Pittsburgh Nick Goings also preceded Adams in making it to the league.

It seems in my eyes that Adams has been given a third chance at this situation and I sincerely hope he doesn't mess this one up. Best of luck to Mike in the NFL.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

2012 Spring Game Rosters Set For Ohio State

The Meyer era is set to unfold

The 2012 Spring Game will take place this Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Teams were selected earlier this morning and below are the results of the "draft" day that the Ohio State players and coaches held.

Team Scarlet

Head Coach – Tom Herman

Assistant Coaches – Everett Withers, Mike Vrabel, Tim Hinton

Game Captains – Zach Boren and Jack Mewhort

QBs – Braxton Miller, Justin Siems

OL – Darryl Baldwin, Reid Fragel, Marcus Hall, Eric Kramer, Corey Linsley, Jack Mewhort, Tim Trummer

RBs – Carlos Hyde, Rod Smith

FB – Zach Boren

TEs – Jeff Heuerman, Derek Burkholder, Nick Vannett

WRs – Chris Fields, Frank Kangah, Ryan Ross, Evan Spencer, Michael Thomas, Tyrone Williams

DL – Michael Bennett, Logan Beougher, Chase Farris, Joel Hale, Johnathan Hankins, William McCary, J.T. Moore, Se’Von Pittman, Kharim Stephens

LBs – Connor Crowell, Storm Klein, Ryan Shazier, Stewart Smith

DBs – C.J. Barnett, Christian Bryant, Doran Grant, Zach Domicone, Travis Howard, Vincent Petrella, Ron Tanner, Julian Vann, Jamie Wood

K/P – Drew Basil, Kyle Clinton, Kevin Niehoff

LS – Bryce Haynes

Team Gray

Head Coach – Luke Fickell

Assistant Coaches – Kerry Coombs, Ed Warinner, Stan Drayton, Zach Smith

Team Captains – Etienne Sabino and John Simon

QBs – Kenny Guiton, Cardale Jones

OL – Ivon Blackman, Brian Bobek, Jacoby Boren, Tommy Brown, Taylor Decker, Andrew Norwell, Ben St. John, Antonio Underwood

RBs – Bri’onte Dunn, Jordan Hall

FB – Adam Homan

TEs – Kyle Schuck, Jake Stoneburner

WRs – Corey Brown, Peter Gwilym, Verlon Reed, Taylor Rice, Devin Smith

DL – Adam Bellamy, Dalton Britt, Chris Carter, Garrett Goebel, Steve Miller, John Simon, Nathan Williams

LBs – Curtis Grant, Ross Oltorik, Joshua Perry, Andy Reed, Luke Roberts, Etienne Sabino

DBs – Corey Brown, Adam Griffin, Orhian Johnson, Tyvis Powell, Bradley Roby, Nick Sarac

K/P – Ben Buchanan, Kyle Clinton, Russell Doup

LS – George Makridis

2013 4-Star DB Eli Woodard Commits To Ohio State

Woodard is Meyer's 4th commit in 2013

Voorhees (N.J.) Eastern four-star cornerback Eli Woodard committed to Ohio State last Friday, and went public with his decision six days later via Twitter. 

The future U.S. Army All-American is the fourth commit for Coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes in the class of 2013, joining five-star athlete Jalin Marshall and four-star safety Cameron Burrows and four-star defensive lineman Billy Price.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Woodard has been an Ohio State lean throughout the recruiting process, and chose the Buckeyes over offers from the likes of Alabama, California, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Wisconsin.

All four of Ohio State’s commits are ranked inside the Top247, with Woodard checking in as the nation’s No. 5 cornerback and No. 82 prospect overall. He joins Cameron Burrows as the second cornerback to commit to the Buckeyes, and will look to make an instant impact. 

If it wasn’t for the coaching turnover and the NCAA cloud that was hovering over the program during the 2011 season, Woodard says he may have given his pledge sooner. That spells out a true Buckeye, and we can't wait to see what becomes of this talent.

4-Star Offensive Tackle Kyle Dodson Commits To Ohio State

#25 in '12 is a huge one for the Buckeyes

4-Star offensive tackle Kyle Dodson switched his commitment from Wisconsin to Ohio State today during National Signing Day, in a move that was an absolute great grab for Urban Meyer's class of 2012.

Even though he committed to Wisconsin during the summer, Dodson made official visits to Ohio State, Michigan State, USC, Auburn and Wisconsin. Dodson's commitment gives the Buckeyes their 25th commitment for the 2012 class.

This past Sunday he was back in Columbus for an unofficial visit as the Ohio State staff had a huge junior day and the Buckeye basketball team took on Michigan. By far the biggest grab for Ohio State today, Dodson has a lot to like about.

The 6-foot-6 and 310-pound Dodson is one of the country’s premier offensive tackles. He had over two dozen scholarship offers including Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Auburn, USC, Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Louisville and Connecticut.

Dodson is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the No. 12 prospect in the state of Ohio, the country’s No. 24 offensive tackle and the No. 224 overall prospect.

Scouting Report: Dodson has the upper body playing strength to dominate opponents as an inline drive blocker, but also has the size with enough athleticism for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition. However, defensive speed could become a challenge down the road; if this occurs, a move inside to guard could be in his future. Either way, he's a great asset to any team, and the Buckeyes are grateful to have him.

2012 4-Star Cornerback Recruit Armani Reeves Commits To Ohio State

Reeves is the 24th commitment in '12

2012 4-star cornerback Armani Reeves has just committed to Ohio State via Twitter, giving Ohio State it's 24th commitment.

Reeves picked Ohio State after decommitting from Penn State along with fellow Buckeye Camren Williams, and then choosing over the Wolverines, who were the only other choice besides OSU.

It has been a very busy week for Reeves. Last Saturday Michigan coach Brady Hoke visited him. On Monday, Urban Meyer, Everett Withers, Mike Vrabel and Luke Fickell met with Reeves. Then on Tuesday Michigan assistant Greg Mattison met with Reeves.

In addition to all of the football visits, Reeves is in the middle of his high school basketball season.

The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound Reeves made 57 tackles and intercepted a pass playing cornerback during his senior season. He is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings, the country’s No. 82 overall prospect and No. 7 cornerback, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Massachusetts.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates, news, and opinions on Ohio State Athletics.

4-Star Outside Linebacker Camren Williams Commits To Ohio State

Williams is the 23rd 2012 commit

It's been rumored for a while now that 4-star OLB Camren Williams was going to decommit from Penn State and become a Buckeye, and even hinted his Buckeye lean in our interview with Camren a while back. As of today, Camren has officially given his commitment to Urban Meyer and Ohio State via Twitter, giving the Buckeyes their 23rd commitment in the 2012 class.

During Wednesday and Thursday, Meyer had played host to two super prospects visiting Ohio State over the past two plus days, which of course included then-Penn State commit Camren Williams but also was hosting William's teammate, Armani Reeves.

The 4-star linebacker and 4-star cornerback flew to Columbus on Wednesday morning and finished their visits this morning. Reeves was accompanied by his aunt and was on an official visit to Ohio State. Williams was an unofficial visit, but it was to bring his mother to the campus and see what Ohio State had to offer as a school, not just a football program.

The 6-foot-2 and 217-pound Williams made 119 tackles with two interceptions playing mostly middle linebacker during his senior season. Williams is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the No. 2 prospect in the state of Massachusetts, the country’s No. 15 outside linebacker and the country’s No. 174 overall prospect.

Reeves made 57 tackles and intercepted a pass during his senior season. He too is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. Reeves is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Massachusetts, the country’s No. 7 cornerback and the country’s No 82 overall prospect.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates, news, and opinions on Ohio State athletics. 

4-Star Outside Linebacker David Perkins Commits To Ohio State

Perkins becomes #22

According to 247Sports, 4-star outside linebacker David Perkins has committed to Ohio State. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Perkins is ranked as the nation’s No. 16 outside linebacker and No. 177 prospect overall. Perkins did have future officials scheduled with Oregon, Illinois and California, but will no longer be taking those trips.

Perkins is the 22nd commit to Ohio State in the class of 2012 and the eighth ranked inside the Top247. He previously took an official visit to Missouri, and also held scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona, Iowa, LSU, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee and Notre Dame, where he originally committed to during the summer before reopening his commitment during the season.

As a senior, Perkins earned First-Team All-State as a running back, but was also a standout defensively. He finished with 191 carries for 1,311 yards and 15 touchdowns, and also caught another 19 passes for 275 yards and three scores. On the other side of the ball, Perkins racked up 103 tackles including 24 stops for loss and seven sacks. He also forced eight fumbles, recovered five and intercepted two passes.

Perkins helped lead Washington to the class 4-A state championship game this season, and had eight tackles, with three coming for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in the loss to Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates, and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

4 Star Offensive Tackle Taylor Decker Commits To Ohio State

Commit #20 is a big one for Ohio State.

According to Scout.com, 4-star offensive tackle Taylor Decker has decommitted from Notre Dame and has committed to Ohio State and Urban Meyer. Taylor Decker is a 6'8", 315-pound Offensive Tackle from Vandalia, OH. He is ranked No. 266 in the country by 247Sports. Decker is the 20th commit in Ohio State's 2012 class.

Taylor Decker is the No. 14 recruit in Ohio (OH) and is the No. 31 Offensive Tackle in the nation.

This commitment is huge for Ohio State, as they are in desperate need of offensive linemen, especially in the tackle area. Decker has prototypical size for a tackle, and will most likely play at left tackle, and that is a huge thing for the Buckeyes offensive line.

Decker is just finishing his weekend visit, along with 3 other recruits. Decker plans to major in zoology and reports a 3.7 core GPA and 25 ACT.

Video highlights after the jump.

Ohio State Offers 4-Star 2013 Offensive Tackle Ethan Pocic

Pocic is a big boy

Lemont (Ill.) Township junior offensive tackle Ethan Pocic is taking the recruiting process slow, and on Tuesday the nation's No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 13 prospect overall added another scholarship to consider from Ohio State.

Pocic spoke briefly with Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes join Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Purdue, West Virgina and Wisconsin in offering the 6-foot-7, 280-pound Pocic, who is only 16-years old.

Pocic doesn't appear to report any favorites at this point in the process, but he does plan on looking further into Ohio State. This fall, Pocic attended games at Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Illinois, where his older brother Graham is a junior offensive lineman.

Pocic does not have a timetable for a college decision, but he still has another year to take part in. The process is starting early for Meyer, so that's another good sign.

Ohio State Offers Top TE Adam Breneman In 2013 Class

Breneman has some speed

Ohio State and Urban Meyer are continuing their quest on the recruiting trail by dipping into the 2013 class. 

This time in the form of top rated tight end Adam Breneman.

Meyer and the Buckeyes join the likes of Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford and Virginia in offering the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Breneman. The Camp Hill (Pa.) Cedar Cliff standout checks in as the country’s No. 32 prospect overall according to 247Sports 2013 recruiting rankings.

Breneman has been been an absolute dynamic player these past two seasons. The future Under Armour All-American caught 72 passes for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, following up a sophomore campaign of 59 receptions for 863 yards and eight scores.

Early in the process, Breneman doesn't seem to have any favorites. In the past he’s taken visits to the campuses at Alabama, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers and Virginia. Coach Meyer and the rest of the coaching staff have been in "constant" contact with Breneman, and it so far it sounds like Breneman is taking it all in right now. 

Urban has shown in the past that he likes tight ends that can move, and change a game quickly. Meyer loves the tight ends that aren’t big and slow, and word is that he is going full force on getting Breneman to end up being a Buckeye. 

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates, and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

Ohio State's 2012 Bowl Ban Isn't The End Of The World

Bowl ban? No biggie.

The pre-Christmas announcement of Ohio State’s 2012 postseason ban came as a shock to Buckeye Nation, who mistakenly assumed that the self-applied punishment of scholarship restrictions would absolve the program of all sins. 

The wave of Urban Meyer-induced euphoria that had enveloped Columbus over the last several weeks has subsided, and fans can finally look at the grim reality. A 6-6 season, with a loss in Michigan, is not a season worth remembering. A bowl ban for 2012 has hopes from Buckeye fans as gray as an Ohio November day. 

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Sitting Down With 2012 Offensive Lineman Commit Jacoby Boren

The third Boren to come to OSU

Our coverage of the recruiting front continue with another interview.

This time Jacoby Boren, a 3-star offensive guard, answers our questions. Boren is the youngest of the Boren brothers, with former Ohio State offensive lineman Justin Boren and current OSU fullback Zach Boren.

Jacoby committed to Ohio State well before Jim Tressel was forced to resign (December 4th to be exact), but has stayed true to his commitment to the Buckeyes. Now with a class that is depleted in offensive line recruits, Urban Meyer has made it a priority to try and land top offensive linemen across the country. Keeping Boren is just as important, and Meyer proved it by calling Boren up recently.

We talked with Jacoby on Wednesday night to get his thoughts and feelings on Ohio State and his recruitment overall.

Brionte Dunn Reinforces His Commitment To The Buckeyes

Soon to be in the Scarlet and Gray

According to many reports, with Dustin Fox being the first, Brionte Dunn has officially backed Ohio State after an in-home visit that was after an already sweet official visit to Ohio State itself.

While Dunn had never really de-committed from Ohio State, he himself told the media that he would still be taking visits to Michigan, and he was re-thinking the Buckeye commitment, saying he was now only a "soft" commit. Now, there's no need to worry about him ending up somewhere else, as he had announced he will not be taking any more visits, and that he is 100% Scarlet and Gray.

Dunn had said he had some questions he wanted answered including how he would fit in when it comes to Meyer’s “spread” offense, and between the official visit and Meyer’s in-home visit those questions have been answered to Dunn’s satisfaction, it appears.

The 6'1", 220lb RB rushed for 1,700 yards this season despite missing a couple games with a fractured pelvis. He rushed for over 2,000 yards his junior season.

The Urban Meyer pain train continues, as he is just barreling over any Big Ten coaches that stand in his way. 

Official: Ohio State Will Play Florida In The Gator Bowl

Greg Smith, Chairman of the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl and Jacksonville & NE Florida President of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, announced today that the Ohio State University will play the University of Florida in the January 2, 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.

The last meeting between these two storied programs was in the 2007 BCS National Championship game, which Florida prevailed in a 41-14 victory.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the Big Ten representative, and this match up will mark Ohio State’s second appearance in the Gator Bowl. Their first and only other appearance was in 1978 Gator Bowl (You might remember that game). Ohio State has appeared in 12 different bowl games and the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl will be their 42nd bowl game in their history. 

This is widely considered the "Urban Meyer Bowl" because Buckeye coach Urban Meyer will be coaching against his former team, which he led from 2005-2010. Ohio State is 1-9 vs. the SEC (0-8 if you're not counting the vacated win over Arkansas last year)

The game between the Gators and Buckeyes will be played on January 2nd, mentioned above, at 1:00 PM EST in Jacksonville, Florida. 

If you want to buy tickets, they are going on sale Monday, December 5th (tomorrow) starting at $60 per ticket. 

We'll have all the coverage and info here at ITS, so stay tuned for analysis and news. 

Recruiting: 3 Star Wide Receiver Ricquan Southward Switches Commitment To Ohio State

Coming to Ohio State

3 Star wide receiver recruit Ricquan Southward has decommitted from Miami (Fl.) and has verbally committed to Ohio State. This is a pretty good get for Ohio State, as they recently missed out on Dwayne Stanford to Oregon. Southward, who is 6'2'' 190 lbs, was committed to Miami until his official visit to Ohio State, which took place on November 20th. From then on, rumors and whispers occured about Southward perhaps changing his mind on the Hurricanes, in favor of Ohio State.

When Dwayne Stanford committed to Oregon, that left the door wide open for Ricquan, He was recruited primarily by Stan Drayton, who is expected to remain on Meyer's staff next season. In addition to OSU and Miami, Southward had interest from Ole Miss, USF, Florida State, Mississippi State, Maryland, Florida, Texas Tech, Georgia, and others.


This might be the first recruit that had influence from Urban Meyer coming to Ohio State. Stan Drayton and Urban Meyer are normally after wide receivers of Southwards talents, and could come into Ohio State knowing that Urban is the man at the helm next year. This is the 16th recruit to join the 2012 Ohio State class. 


Video highlights after the jump.

WR Michael Thomas Official Commitment Gives Ohio State #13 In 2012

Game face

A week ago, we told you that wide-out Michael Thomas was just about set in stone to come to Ohio State. Now, that's been confirmed after his official visit to Ohio Stadium when the Buckeyes hosted the Badgers in a 33-29 upset win. After the game, Thomas said that he was going to announce his commitment officially sometime this weekend. Michael is currently enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy, with fellow Buckeye commit Cardale Jones.

Christian Bryant and Braxton Miller were the ones that hosted Thomas on his stay at Ohio State, and Thomas said that there were many reasons for staying,  as he was noting the tradition OSU holds with the country, and he knows there's a great opportunity to come in and start right away next year. Thomas is 6'4'', 200 pounds who runs great routes, and has outstanding explosiveness.

Ohio State's 2012 class of recruits is already a fantastic bunch, and Thomas is the 13th commit, with that number expected to rise to 18 by National Signing Day.