Ohio State Football: Negative recruiting hurting the Buckeyes?
Is negative recruiting the only thing schools have in their arsenal when going up against Ohio State?
Somehow finding defensive ends who want to be a part of the 2018 Ohio State recruiting class has become an issue. Is that a result of negative recruiting?
Apparently rumors of Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson retiring sometime in the near future have been flying around the recruiting trail. Possibly players have been convinced they won’t get to learn from the master for very long, if at all.
Anybody who has followed college football for very long knows negative recruiting is often used by some coaching staffs, so this shouldn’t come as any surprise. And what other reason would other teams have to persuade defensive ends not to play for a coach who routinely sends players to the NFL?
Coach Johnson took to Twitter to dispel the rumors he was planning to leave Ohio State:
"Apparently there is misinformation about my future. I want to make a bold statement that I am not going anywhere and I’m proud to be Buckeye. #Buckeyes #RushmenForLife"
I do find it interesting how Ohio State has had problems recruiting defensive ends this cycle. Things appeared to be starting out well with Brenton Cox in the fold. But when he decommitted from the class a couple of weeks ago it did raise questions as to why.
It was thought Cox may have just wanted to stay closer to home and play for the University of Georgia. And who would think an SEC school would use negative recruiting to their advantage?
But check out these two targets and you will find one thing in common, Penn State University. Nearly everyone has Tyreke Smith and Jayson Oweh deciding between the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions.
It’s probably just a coincidence that Larry Johnson coached at Penn State for nearly two decades and is an outstanding recruiter, especially in regions the Nittany Lions target.
More from Scarlet and Game
- Ohio State Football: How Denzel Burke has bounced back so far this season
- Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes conference schedule is set
- Ohio State Football rolling into form at the perfect time
- How Ohio State football has done historically versus new Big 12
- Ohio State Football: We need to see “Killer Ryan Day” at South Bend
Until recently it appeared each of the two highly ranked defensive ends were leaning towards playing for Penn State, even though Smith is an Ohio recruit. Following visits to each by Urban Meyer and coach Johnson recently it appears things are now looking up for Ohio State.
The 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for Smith are now 96 percent for the Buckeyes. It’s too early to say where Oweh stands, but with his post on Twitter it appears he appreciated the visit by the Ohio State coaches.
Whether there has been a significant amount of negative recruiting against coach Johnson is difficult to say at the moment. But you really can’t blame the coaches for taking that approach if they did.
They are competing for a player’s services who could play for the Buckeyes and compete for national titles. And be taught by the best defensive line coach in the country who could turn him into an NFL prospect.
Next: Keita Bates-Diop makes the Buckeyes dangerous
What could an opposing coach offer a defensive end that would match that? They may have to make the recruit think Larry Johnson won’t be coaching at Ohio State just to level the playing field.