Brian Bobek To Transfer?

There are some rumors floating around the interwebs that sophomore center Brian Bobek intends to transfer from Ohio State following the spring academic quarter. There's also a rumored announcement to come, but that hasn't been given a real timeline as to when that's supposed to occur.

Bobek, a native of Inverness, Ill., played sparingly as a true freshman in 2011 as Michael Brewster’s backup. The 6'2", 275-pound Bobek was expected to take over as the starting center in 2012, but the Buckeyes are going with fourth-year junior Corey Linsley.

In addition, Bobek was passed on the depth chart by true freshman Jacoby Boren, who ended up missing the vast majority of spring following shoulder surgery. Boren was the second-team center by the end of the first week of practice, pushing Bobek to the third-team.

Bobek ended up being a four-star recruit and was by far the highest ranked offensive line recruit in OSU’s 2011 class.

There is no word yet on where Bobek might be headed.

Stay tuned for the latest on Bobek and news on Ohio State athletics

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.

Class of 2012: Recruiting Breakdown

Dunn leads the way in 2012

The nightmare might finally be over. Currently, the Buckeyes sit with 11 commitments, and only lost one that had been previously committed. It seems it is not the doom and gloom it's made out to be right? The Buckeyes are loading up on in-state prospects, some of the sleeper variety, but all of the "football player" variety. A smart move. This class started off with flash and through the summer, they added some toughness and intangibles. 


Perhaps the most important get in this class is Brionte Dunn, at tailback. To get one of the state's best was significant. Since then, there have been rumors aplenty that he may look elsewhere, and he did, in fact, visit rival Michigan. Through it all, the Buckeyes have solidified their position with him and he continues to reaffirm his commitment. The "get" was big, the "hold" has been even bigger. The only real loss in this class was Kyle Kalis, which in my opinion is a gigantic loss. Ohio State hasn't done the best with recruiting offensive linemen, and the recruiting staff had finally landed one with some serious skill and strength. When he de-committed and headed to Michigan, his legacy was sealed, and now he has had to take the backlash for his choice to head to Ann Arbor.


With Dunn and four-star Warren Ball, the Buckeyes have two stud tailbacks. The concern with Ball has been injuries and that he may not be a 25 carry a game back. That's just fine, because Dunn is, and I think they'll complement each other perfectly. Ball has great athleticism, balance, and good speed for a bigger guy. Dunn is a pounder with good lateral agility for a battering ram type.

Blake Thomas Becomes #7 In 2012

He can catch, but especially block

After Ohio State signed two tight ends for the 2011 class, most thought that would be more than good enough for the next 2 years or so. The recruiting staff must think otherwise, as they grabbed a kid that was rumored to be ready to receive an explosion of offers from big name schools after he attended different football camps over the summer.


As of now, Blake Thomas comes in at 6-4/240, and seems to be the perfect fit as a tight end at OSU, thinking block first, catch second. I wouldn't be surprised to see him used much like Fragel was/is once he develops some more. Even for his size, he has deceptive speed that could help out on some toss plays or play action throws. He had offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Louisville, Indiana, Virginia, and others before deciding to don the Scarlet and Gray.


Thomas joins Frank Epitropoulos, Josh Perry, Warren Ball, Brionte Dunn, Jacoby Boren, and Kyle Kalis as members of the 2012 recruiting class. It's a good thing we are still getting recruits, showing that there is no confidence lost in our staff of recruiters. They are still able to go and get who they need to fill roles. While there is still plenty of time for the 2012 class to get in, we have some more spots to fill, and we should have about 12-13 more recruits to pick up in the future. Keep checking ITS out for more updates and news on recruits and everything else.

Jacoby Boren Completes Trio Of Borens

Will join his brothers at Ohio State

Jacoby Boren has committed to Ohio State. This was expected, but still a very good addition to the 2012 class. Jacoby is smaller than Justin, but still stands at 6'3'', 275 lbs. He will most likely be playing guard or center for the Scarlet and Gray.

Boren is a 3 star recruit (according to Scout.com), and if he is anything like his brother, he can one day lead the OSU line to good solid efforts. Boren becomes the fifth member of the 2012 class and the second offensive lineman in the group.


His best position is likely center, but with Brian Bobek committed to play there in the 2011 class, where does he fit? If Boren or Bobek can slide over to guard, the Bucks will have versatile and mobile players at both positions.


Video highlights after the jump