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Ohio State Recruiting: Short Takes on ‘The Opening’

By Charlie Lockhart

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on against the Clemson Tigers during the 2016 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 31, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on against the Clemson Tigers during the 2016 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 31, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Takes from Urban Meyer’s 2018 Ohio State recruiting class at The Opening.

Now that Nike’s elite football camp The Opening, is over, here are some short takes on Ohio State commits and targets who participated.

Barton Simmons of 247Sports was following the action closely at The Opening and two of the players he had ranked near the top of his ‘Dream Team’ are of a particular interest to me, Jaelen Gill and Jeremy Ruckert. 

Here is what he had to say about Gill who is already a member of the 2018 class:

"RB: Jaelen GillA running back with a true wide receiver skillset, Gill was awesome as a pass catcher and was even dangerous after the catch with the ball.Key: 23 catches, 2 TD; 1 TD rushing247Sports Composite: No. 34"

It’s good to see Gill has successfully recovered from the injury he suffered last year.

Ruckert is a top target of the Buckeyes and the Crystal Ball predictions at 247Sports are 100 percent for Ohio State. Here is what Mr. Simmons wrote about the tight end:

"TE: Jeremy RuckertHe validated his position as the top tight end in the country and may have put himself in the five-star conversation in the process.Key stat: 21 catches. 247Sports Composite: No. 75"

This kid would be a great addition to an already outstanding recruiting class.

Other commits and key targets had very good camps as well, including offensive tackle Jackson Carman and defensive end Tyreke Smith. Both are in-state recruits and Ohio State leans.

Most importantly, the eight players committed to the 2018 Ohio  State recruiting class who were at The Opening, all played for Team Vapor Speed. Being around each other in a team setting always helps build bonds and friendships, which strengthens their commitments to the class. That’s important because signing day is a long time away.

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And the three defensive backs, Jaiden Woodby, Josh Proctor and Sevyn Banks were all there. The DB unit is always a work in progress as players learn to work together. Just getting familiar with one another before enrolling at Ohio State was a good first step.

Also, the No. 1 ranked OT Carman was on Vapor Speed as was the No. 2 ranked CB Anthony Cook who is said to be leaning towards playing for the Buckeyes. And remember, the Ohio State commits were on their annual recruiting trip.

Vapor Speed had some success in Oregon as they made it to the 7 on 7 championship game. Unfortunately they ran into red-hot QB Justin Fields of Mach Speed and lost 31-15.

From everything I have read and heard, Fields was probably the most impressive player at the camp. Not to worry though, if these Buckeye recruits face the QB in the future, defensive linemen Taron Vincent, Brenton Cox and Andrew Chatfield will be chasing Fields in full gear. Then Fields may not be as comfortable in the pocket as he was in a 7 on 7 game.

Next: RB runner up for Heisman but left out of HOF so far

It would appear that the Buckeyes had a pretty successful west coast trip. Stay tuned for more news on the 2018 Ohio State class as Friday Night Lights will be coming soon and recruiting is beginning to heat up again.

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