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Urban Meyer Calls Out 2015 Ohio State Class, Needs to Add 2014

By Thomas Scurlock

Sep 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer runs his team through drills before the game against the Hawaii Warriors at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer runs his team through drills before the game against the Hawaii Warriors at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Back to back Ohio State recruiting classes have underperformed on the offensive side of the ball.

Calling out the 2015 Ohio State recruiting class was long overdue for coach Urban Meyer.  He needs to puts his foot down on the 2014 class too.

After getting embarrassed by Clemson in the playoff semifinal, I wrote that the duds from the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes were directly responsible for the offensive woes.

Out of the 12 offensive players in the 2014 class, only Curtis Samuel and Jamarco Jones have played beyond expectations.

No one else has sniffed a mentionable career.  Noah Brown left early after producing one memorable game.

The 2015 class with 13 offensive players isn’t any better.  Mike Weber was impressive in his debut season rushing for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns.  Isaiah Prince started every game at right tackle last year, but his play was substandard against stronger competition. That’s about it for this class.

Noticeably absent in 2014 and 2015 is the lack of quality offensive linemen which is incredibly shocking given Ed Warinner’s ability to develop NFL-ready linemen.  Something went wrong in player evaluation, development or both.

By comparison, the right number to hit in a class seems to be five.  The 2012 class produced Pat Elflein, Taylor Decker, Jacoby Boren, Michael Thomas and Cardale Jones.

The 2013 class had J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliott, Jalin Marshall, Billy Price and Dontre Wilson.  Back to back fantastic recruiting classes.

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Will the highly rated players from these classes hit their stride in 2017 and finally make an impact?  That depends on four players.  Prince, Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin and K.J. Hill.

The offensive line needs Prince to play considerably better, especially with Demetrius Knox expected to win the right guard spot.  The hope is that Knox is ready for primetime, but his ramp up will be quicker with Prince protecting the edge.

Campbell, McLaurin and Hill have combined for 497 yards receiving and three touchdowns.  That won’t cut it if this offense expects to become dominant again.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson likes to utilize a lot of receivers so I expect all three to hit at least 600-yards receiving along with a few others including Binjimin Victor and Austin Mack topping 500 yards.

Wilson’s ability to inject the needed changes to the offense will be the difference for the stars of the 2014 and 2015 classes.  No one will be happier than Barrett.

Next: Defensive Tackle Room is Crowded and Loaded

His struggles to find the balance and consistency from the 2014 season will be in the rear view mirror, and Barrett will potentially leave Ohio State as the most decorated quarterback to play for the Buckeyes.

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