Ohio State Recruiting: The kind of offer to LB and No. 2 TE committing?
News concerning the Ohio State recruiting scene never stops.
When linebacker K’Vaughan Pope announced he would hold off on committing to a school, was that an indication of what kind of scholarship offer he had from the Buckeyes? And when the No. 2 tight end in the country said he would announce where he will play his college ball within a few weeks, did it mean he will soon join the 2018 Ohio State recruiting class?
First let’s get to Pope’s situation. He has been adamant about playing for the Buckeyes but Urban Meyer wanted to see his high school transcripts first. They have now been sent to Ohio State, but there is no commitment.
It has been widely reported he will now visit other schools. But just last Sunday, here is what Pope had to say about Ohio State and his transcript situation as reported by Jeremy Birmingham of LAND OF 10:
"“Ohio State,” Pope replied Sunday when asked to name schools on his recruiting list. “Just Ohio State.”“I sent them over to them,” Pope said. “I know most of their coaches are on vacation so now we’re just waiting until they get back.”“I know where I want to go — I want to go to Ohio State,” he said. “I am hoping to commit to them when I get home, I am thinking probably Friday. I just need to make sure that they’re going to have room at linebacker.”"
His last comment explained a lot.
Those who follow Ohio State recruiting on a regular basis know there are different types of scholarship offers. There is one like the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country Jackson Carman has, where he could announce via twitter at 3 AM without talking to Urban Meyer first and it would be accepted.
Then there are offers where a player has to check with the coaching staff to see if there is a spot available for them in the recruiting class at the moment. It seems like Pope’s offer was the latter.
It’s understandable at this point. People in the know have Urban Meyer’s recruiting class at around 22 players when the dust settles. There are now 14 recruits committed and he is becoming choosy as to the players he will add to the class. And he is also on the hunt for very highly ranked linebackers at the moment.
One player whose commitment he will accept in a heartbeat is one from Jeremy Ruckert. He is ranked as the No. 2 tight end in the country in the 247Sports Composite and a player who Urban has wanted from the beginning of the recruiting cycle.
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Ruckert is 6 ft. 5,5 in., weighs 238 pounds and is very athletic. He has the ability to high point a ball and has great hands. You can see for yourself in a video I put in last night’s article, Short takes on ‘The Opening’.
Ruckert can also maul a defender as a run blocker. Everyone knows how important it is for a TE to be able to do that in Urban Meyer’s offense.
Ruckert took to twitter and said his school choice will be made in the next few weeks. Could it happen at Friday Night Lights 15 days from now? The fact that he is supposed to be there, along with the fact that the Crystal Ball predictions at 247Sports have him 100 percent Ohio State, should make Buckeye fans feel pretty good about which school Ruckert will choose.
Next: Goodwin to play for Notre Dame, curious situation
Speaking of Friday Night Lights, there will be plenty of top flight recruits coming to town. It’s not unusual for Urban Meyer to get a surprise commitment on that day. Who knows, there may be more fireworks in Columbus on July 21st.