Sitting Down With 2014 5-Star Linebacker Raekwon McMillan

McMillan has top schools showing interest

With the 2013 class already rolling in big time commits and still about 8 months left to go until National Signing Day, Urban Meyer has been busy. Not only is Meyer dealing with the '13 class, but he already has his eyes set on the 2014 class.

This recruiting class has already received a lot of anticipation in what many hope is one of Urban Meyer's best classes, ever.

One of the top recruits in the country for 2014 is 5-star linebacker Raekwon McMillan. McMillan stands 6'3", weighs 233-pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds. Raekwon is the #2 linebacker in the country and #1 prospect in the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports Top 247. 

In his sophomore year, McMillan recorded 84 total tackles and 16 tackles for loss. 

After earning an offer from Ohio State, we spoke with McMillan about his thoughts on Ohio State and the recruiting process thus far. Join us after the jump for the interview.

Jalin Marshall Proves Skill At Elite 11 Regional, Nike Football Training Camp

Urban's future playmaker

Perhaps one of the most interesting prospects that the Buckeyes have in their 2013 recruiting class is Jalin Marshall. Over the weekend the 5-star athlete participated in two different camps. One of the camps was the Elite 11 Regional in Columbus, Ohio. The other was also in Columbus but for the Nike Football Training Camp.

Middletown High's star put forth a great performance at the Elite 11 Regional at Ohio Dominican University on Friday. Jalin has said many times that he would like to come into Ohio State competing as a quarterback. His day at the Elite 11 should only help him get that opportunity.

The 6'0", 190-pound Marshall was one of six quarterbacks recognized for accuracy at an event that featured the likes of Michigan bound signal-caller Shane Morris, Stanford commit Ryan Burns, Northwestern commit Matt Alviti, Notre Dame pledge Malik Zaire, Louisville bound Kyle Bolin, Kansas commit Montell Cozart, Purdue commit Danny Etling, Michigan State pledge Damion Terry and uncommitted four-star Mitch Trubisky.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 athlete prospect and No. 15 prospect overall according to 247Sports, the exciting Marshall could help a college football program at a number of positions.

“I’ll be competing for the (quarterback) job, but if they want me to get in there and run routes or take handoffs, that’s what I’ll do,” Marshall explained.

As a junior, Marshall used his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash to rush for 1,972 yards and 20 touchdowns, while passing for 781 yards and six more scores. He got off to a slow start on Friday, but heated up as the day went on. During three-step, five-step and seven-step drop drills, Marshall was particularly impressive in delivering the ball on the money and with zip.

Marshall has also been putting out calls to potential future Buckeyes, trying to recruit the best talent in the country to come play for Ohio State.

“I’m trying to get Jaylon Smith, Robert Foster and Vonn Bell,” Marshall said. “I talk to them and tell them come play with me and it’s going to be the best time of your life.”

2012 Basketball Recruit Tony Parker To Announce Decision Today

Will Parker join the Buckeyes?

Tony Parker, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound senior basketball center from Miller Grove High in Lithonia, Georgia, will announce his college choice in a 3 p.m. news conference Monday at his school. He has a final list of Kansas University, UCLA, Georgia, Duke and Ohio State.

The 20th-rated player in the Class of 2012 is said to be favoring UCLA. With the low numbers the Buckeyes have, Thad Matta would sure love to land this kid and it's certainly a possibility.

Scouting Report via 247Sports: Showed an excellent motor while playing for the Georgia Stars at the Nike EYBL in Los Angeles. Uses body well to establish position on the block, and can score with either hand around the basket. 

Has an ability to square up defenders in the mid-range and make a move toward the basket. Parker can get up and down the court well, and doesn't look like he's maxed out in terms of height just yet. 

Once he fully develops, grows into his body and benefits from an advanced conditioning program the sky is the limit for the versatile athlete.

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

National Signing Day Updates

Here's our National Signing Day dump post. You can find all of the latest Ohio State commitments here, as well as full recruiting posts later on today. For now, we wait and see who will be the last couple of recruits to sign to Ohio State after months of waiting.

Keep in mind WR's Davonte Neal and Stefon Diggs are not announcing today.

Joel Caleb: 8:30 am Prediction: Ohio State
Bam Bradley: 8:45 am Prediction: Pitt
Jamal Marcus: 10:30 am Prediction: East Carolina
Kyle Dodson: Ceremony starts 12:15 pm Prediction: Ohio State


National Signing Day Commits
Jamal Marcus 
Kyle Dodson

2013 5-Star Quarterback/Athlete Jalin Marshall Commits To Ohio State

The versatile Marshall is #2 in 2013

According to the Middletown Journal, 2013 5-star QB/ATH Jalin Marshall has committed to Ohio State. Marshall has said that playing for the Buckeyes is a "childhood dream". This gives Urban Meyer the 2nd commitment for the class of 2013, and this is a HUGE grab for Ohio State. Jalin Marshall is the #1 prospect in Ohio for 2013, as Urban is once again starting to build that fence around the Buckeye state.

Ranked as the nation’s top athlete and the No. 5 prospect overall, the 6-foot, 190-pound Marshall joins four-star safety Cameron Burrows in giving his word to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over offers from the likes of Notre Dame and Tennessee. During the fall, Ohio State and Notre Dame were running even for Marshall’s services, but when former Irish assistant coach Tim Hinton left South Bend for a job with the Buckeyes, it tipped the scales in the home-state school’s favor.

As a junior, Marshall rushed for 1,972 yards and 20 touchdowns, and he also passed for 781 yards and six more scores. He will begin his Ohio State career as a quarterback, which is very important to him. Along the way, both the coaches and Marshall may decide his talents best fit at slot WR, where many hope they will see him don the scarlet and gray.

To read more about Marshall's talents, we point you in the direction of one of our Recruiting Profiles. 

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

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.

2013 Recruiting Profiles: WR Jalin Marshall

Marshall runs a 4.4 40

Although the 2012 recruiting class has not yet been finished, with the recent hiring of Urban Meyer, 2013 has already perked some interest into Buckeye fans across the country. With that said, here are our efforts to give you the in-depth knowledge about who Ohio State's top targets are.


When we told you about Robert Foster, and why he was leading our '13 recruiting profiles was because he was the big threat wide receiver. If, in fact, we do land Foster our next prospect would be a perfect fit into the type of offense that Urban Meyer is looking for. John Peterson, the current Ohio State recruiting coordinator who also coaches tight ends has been the one to personally recruit 5-star recruit Jalin Marshall, a 6'0'', 190 lb Quarterback/Athlete. Marshall hails from Middletown, Ohio and earned some serious offers, and more importantly, gained the interest of not only Ohio State, but of upper tier teams like Florida, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama, and West Virginia.

While Marshall doesn't have the offer list that Foster does, he is certainly not far off, with offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Pitt, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and UCLA. Jalin is ranked as the #1 Athlete overall in the class of 2013, and #1 overall recruit in the state of Ohio. Nationally, Jalin Marshall is the #5 recruit overall in 247's ranking. He's a 5-star recruit on all boards, and is another recruit you simply cannot say no to. He's already visited Ohio State unofficially twice, and it is safe to say that the Buckeyes are the front runner for Marshall's talents. He's also visited Tennessee and Notre Dame, which were both unofficial as well.

Though he plays quarterback in high school, Marshall projects to be a star wideout or defensive back in college. His more than 1,400 rushing yards prove why. With the ball in his hands, he is one of the nation's most exciting players, owning both the creativity and versatility to burn by over-matched opponents. Jalin was selected as a Middletown Journal All-Area First-Team, D-I Southwest District Special Mention and Greater Miami Conference First Team in 2010 (his sophomore year). Also a standout on the track, Marshall was a state qualifier in the 800-meter relay and high jump in 2011.

2013 Recruiting Profiles: WR Robert Foster

Foster has it all

Although the 2012 recruiting class has not yet been finished, with the recent hiring of Urban Meyer, 2013 has already perked some interest into Buckeye fans across the country. With that said, here are our efforts to give you the in-depth knowledge about who Ohio State's top targets are.

There's a reason that '13 wide receiver recruit Robert Foster starts off our 2013 recruiting profiles: He's simply the best of the best. The junior from Central Valley has already been offered from a multitude of schools, including our very own Buckeyes. Ohio State isn't the only one noticing the game-breaking receiver, as Foster currently holds offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Penn State, West Virginia, Virginia, Rutgers, Pitt, and Purdue.

At 6'2'', 175 pounds, Foster could very well be one of those few players that you don't say no to. All-State in Class 3A as both a wide receiver and a punt returner during his sophomore season, he put up some serious numbers: 45 carries for 406 yards with 3 rushing touchdowns, and 25 receptions for 520 yards. As a junior, Foster did a little bit of everything in helping the Warriors finish 11-1. He caught 37 passes for 584 yards and five touchdowns, including a long of 99. He rushed another 36 times for 419 yards and two scores, including a long of 55.

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. 

Recruiting: 5 Star DE Noah Spence Set For Official Visit

Playing opposite of Washington?

Bishop McDevitt five-star defensive end Noah Spence is busy enough preparing for the District III Class AAA title game on Friday night against Lampeter-Strasburg, but he has also made time for several college coaches to come through and make their pitch.

Spence is a pure pass rusher to play in the state in a long time. He has a long wing span and uses his hands well. He is well versed in a number of pass rush moves. He gets a good up-field push and always seems to be a disruptive force in the backfield. Of course, he's also an athlete (4.50 40-yard dash) and is outstanding in pursuit from sideline to sideline.

Imagine this: With Ohio State having already locked up Adolphus Washington, having another 5 star DE on the other side of the ball could be an offensive nightmare for quarterbacks and opposing offense's in general. I'm sure that both together could be dominate. 

The former Penn State commit has been talking with a number of different schools and coaches, but since Urban Meyer has been hired at Ohio State, Spence has announced his interest in the Buckeyes. That interest, is that Noah has Ohio State as his #1 school as of right now. That can change at any time, but I have a good feeling it won't.

Here's his thoughts on Meyer at OSU:

"Urban Meyer has done a lot of great things, a lot of players have developed and succeeded under his tutelage and guidance. His personality is wonderful, very down to Earth, easy to talk to and energetic with myself and my son. He let us know that he was very interested in Noah as a young man and a prospect as a rush end for them. We listened and Noah left the conversation very excited with having spoken with coach Urban Meyer."

Ohio State assistant Luke Fickell will be swinging through Bishop McDevitt on Thursday, while Spence will head to Ohio State for his official visit on December 12th, which is this Monday.