Ohio State Recruiting: Quarterback conundrum clearing up?

Urban Meyer still doesn’t have a quarterback in his 2019 Ohio State recruiting class but the coaching staff may have come closer to landing its man.

First things first. There’s no need to panic. Sure, Urban Meyer and Ryan Day would love to have a quarterback in the fold for this year’s Ohio State recruiting class. In past years, they’ve snapped up a signal caller early in the process — even if said QB eventually signed elsewhere.

Emory Jones strung the Buckeyes along for more than a year before flipping to Florida late in the 2018 recruiting cycle. He committed to Ohio State in the summer of 2016. It’s already the summer of 2018, and the Buckeyes seem no closer to landing their man for the ’19 class.

The issue appears to be a weak class overall at the most important position on the field. Last year, the top two players overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings were quarterbacks. For 2019, the highest rated QB is Oklahoma commit Spencer Rattler, who sits at number 41. There are no 5-star quarterbacks, only 1 in the top 50 overall players, and 7 in the top 100. Of those 7, only one player is currently uncommitted.

Who It Won’t Be

The Ohio State staff has seemed generally unenthusiastic when it comes to most QBs in the class. They appeared to genuinely want Alabama native Bo Nix, but the Auburn legacy was never a realistic candidate to come to Columbus.

They flirted with Allen, TX dual threat Grant Tisdale, but never really pushed to land him. Tisdale eventually committed to Ole Miss.

Pro style passer Grant Gunnel looked to be the likeliest candidate after a slam-dunk visit to campus in May, but the staff never seemed sold. Gunnel wound up at Arizona. 

One player Ryan Day and company do seem to love is Graham Mertz, a 6’3″ pro style quarterback out of Kansas.  But Mertz is committed to Wisconsin, and recently shut down his recruitment after an official visit to Madison. Flipping Mertz looks unlikely, and the list of options behind him is slim.

So why did we tell you not to panic?

For starters, this is Urban Meyer we’re talking about. 

Secondly, this weekend may have finally provided some much-needed clarity at the quarterback position. It came by way of a new offer to an old face, and a secret visit by a player committed to another school.

Who It Could Be

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Michigan State commit Dwan Mathis camped at Friday Night Lights in 2017, and by all accounts left angry after failing to receive an offer that day. Yet the Spartan showed up on campus for an unannounced official visit this weekend — a sign that a potential flip to the Buckeyes could be on his mind.

Mathis is the number 23 pro-style passer in the class, but made the Elite 11 finals this year. He’s previously said he’s “100% committed” to MSU. Could that certainty be eroding?

While Mathis showed up to FNL in street clothes, Florida 3-star Brian Maurer was all business. Like Mathis, Maurer camped at OSU last summer and did not receive an offer. But after a stellar showing at the Elite 11, his stock has been on the rise. He showed up at this year’s camp looking to earn an offer from the staff, and his performance apparently did not disappoint.

Maurer is a 3-star in the 247 composite, but his ranking is sure to rise after a solid summer. Prior to the OSU offer, West Virginia looked to be his most likely landing spot. It’s unclear whether the staff prefers Maurer or Mathis, but barring an unlikely flip from Mertz, it looks like a two-horse race.

In quarterback recruiting, nothing is final until signing day. In the 2018 class, the Emory Jones fiasco led to the eventual signing of Matthew Baldwin. Danny Clark gave way to Tate Martell in 2017. Tristen Wallace turned into Dwayne Haskins in 2016.

Next: H-back unit could be the best ever

A new name could very well emerge during the upcoming season, much as Baldwin did for the Buckeyes.  But as of now, put your money on Maurer or Mathis wearing Scarlet and Gray in 2019.