Friday's Buckeye Bits

Good Friday morning! Another lovely early spring day here in Columbus. Fair warning, this weather has brought on the usual nasty cold, so my writing may be somewhat Nyquil-affected.

So the news that Fielding Yost is objecting to Wes Fesler's recruiting tactics should come as no shock to anyone.

Well, actually, Bret Bielema is the one that's not happy. "We at the Big Ten don’t want to be like the SEC," he says. He's seems a bit upset that Kyle Dodson flipped from Wisconsin.  Mark Dantonio is a bit upset, too, after Se'Von Pittman decided that Columbus is a nicer place to live than East Lansing. The coaches seem to be concerned that the "gentlemen's agreements" that had been informally in place between Big Ten coaches are being violated.

Well, too bad. Until the letter is signed and faxed (and, seriously, WHO uses faxes anymore?), everyone is fair game. And, honestly, why doesn't Bert want to be a bit more SEC-like? It's not like we are trying to train these young men to grow into mature, morally-grounded adults...

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.

3-Star Offensive Guard Joey O'Connor Commits To Ohio State

O'Connor gives Ohio State 21 in 2012

It wasn't long after 3-Star OG Joey O'Connor got his offer that he accepted the offer from Meyer to play in the scarlet and gray. O'Connor is Ohio State commitment No. 21 for the Buckeyes’ 2012 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-4 and 290-pound O’Connor committed to Penn State during the summer, but de-committed after the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke. Last week O’Connor narrowed his decision down to Ohio State, Iowa and Cal before deciding today to commit to the Buckeyes.

O’Connor, an Under Armour All-American, and played well at guard in that game and has been slotted as a guard by the Buckeyes. Joey is a 3-star prospect in the 247Sports rankings. He is the No. 5 prospect in the state of Colorado and the country's No. 20 guard prospect.

Meyer and his staff wanted to add two offensive tackles and a guard to the Buckeyes' recruiting class. They picked up a huge commitment on Sunday when offensive tackle Taylor Decker switched his commitment from Notre Dame to Ohio State. Meyer now has his guard in O'Connor. The final piece to the puzzle is to add either Jordan Diamond or Kyle Dodson.