Ohio State's Secondary Rated #1 Overall In Big Ten

Roby is ready for a break-out year

The Ohio State secondary was rated as the best overall secondary in the Big Ten according to Tom Dienhart of the B1G Network. Dienhart goes one step further, continuing his praise for Ohio State's secondary unit by calling it "one of the best secondaries in the nation."

Here's how he looks at the secondary:

"1. Ohio State - All four starters are back for what should be one of the best secondaries in the nation. Cornerback Bradley Roby was a freshman sensation in 2011. His next stop: stardom. Travis Howard forms the other half of this strong corner tandem. 

Christian Bryant (strong) and C.J. Barnett (free) are a stout duo at safety. Barnett is one of best safeties in the Big Ten. In fact, he may be the top safety, flashing instincts, tackling ability and coverage skills."

The rest of the top 5 include Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois. He ranks the rest of the B1G, but here are the explanations for the top 5.

"2. Michigan State - Losing star safety Trenton Robinson hurts, but this still shapes up as a strong secondary. Johnny Adams rates as one of the top corners in the Big Ten—and the nation. He’s a legit Thorpe Award candidate and likely first-round draft choice. Darqueze Dennard is the ying to Adams yan, a corner with size and coverage skills who often is tested with Adams on the other side. 

Strong safety Isaiah Lewis came into his own as a premier talent with All-Big Ten ability last season. Kurtis Drummond is penciled in at Robinson’s strong safety slot. Coaches like his potential."

"3. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers are strong at safety even with the loss of Austin Cassidy. Strong safety Daimion Stafford should be one of the stars of the secondary and maybe the best player on the defense. He’s a big hitter who covers a lot of ground. Free safety P.J. Smith is a veteran who knows the defense and rarely is out of position. There is talent at cornerback but little experience. Standout Alfonzo Dennard is gone, which hurts. Mohammed Seisay arrived from a junior college in the spring and looks like a potential star as the No. 1 corner. Andrew Green and Ciante Evans—among others–also figure in at corner. Former running back Braylon Heard could an asset as a nickel or dime back."

Final Recap: Recruiting 2010 Part 2 of 2.

This is part 2 of our final recap on recruiting for Buckeye football.

For part 1, click here.


Christian Bryant - CB - 5'11''/178 - LOI - Ohio State - ITS said Ohio State
The corner from the Glenville pipeline was a big addition to the class of 2010, and adds a very good defensive player for the Buckeyes. Bryant is an aggressive player, who likes to make big plays at key moments. Bryant is also very good at jumping routes, and it seems his only weakness is that he is a bit to short. His instincts are amazing, and he really does belong on this outstanding defense. The coaches will show him the ropes, and if he succeeds, he can do a good job. Grade: B+

Matt James - OL - 6'7''/260 - LOI - Notre Dame - ITS said Ohio State
Matt James was sort of under the radar for scouts at Ohio State, but I never thought we would lose him, especially to Notre Dame. It could have something to do with that being his last official visit to a school, but either way, this came as a shock to me. This year in Ohio brought some pretty good linemen, and James was one of them. If it hadn't been for Henderson, this would have been tOSU's number one linemen choice. He also does a great job drive blocking and in pass protection against a high level of competition. While he’s got good moves, Ohio State probably was worried about his flexibility. Regardless, I think this one should have been a Buckeye, no doubt. Grade: C-

Latwan Anderson - DB - 5'10''/185 - LOI - None - ITS said West Virginia 
Anderson is an outstanding athlete that plays with great aggression. He is outstanding in coverage and is very good at supporting the run. Anderson has very good ball skills and can fly around the field to help his teammates. Sometimes he will get overly aggressive at times, but mostly, he is similar to Jermale Hines when it comes to playing on defense. Anderson verbally committed to West Virginia, like we thought he would, but he never signed his LOI, maybe hoping for a late Ohio State offer? Then Tressel simply came out and said that they would not be pursuing Anderson any longer. So my guess is that he is waiting to see if someone else wants him, which is surprising. Grade: C

Overall
Overall, Ohio State's recruiting class has been mediocre this year, and it came as a shock. 2011 is really looking awesome right now though, especially if we end up with Quarterback Braxton Miller. Eleven Warriors put it best, saying that he was Terrelle Pryor 2.0. Right now, were about 6-8 weeks from hearing what Seantrel Henderson will decide to do, but until then, the class has mostly been a disappointment. Do remember, though, that gems have been found in the rough with classes such as this before. So with that we give the 2010 recruiting class: Final Grade: C+

Good recruiting leads to this...