Ohio State expected to lose elite WR commit to USC in Signing Day bummer

The Early Signing Period begins Wednesday and Ohio State is going to sign another top-10 class, but the Buckeyes might lose a top player in the final hours.

Several different recruiting "insiders" from On3/Rivals have predicted blue-chip wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt to flip from Ohio State and sign with USC. Whether that anticipated decision comes early or when Dixon-Wyatt signs remains to be seen. Last week Wyatt-Dixon re-affirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes despite reports that had him interested in the Trojans.

Can this development be tied to Brian Hartline?

It makes sense on some levels that Dixon-Wyatt, a four-star prospect from Orange County, California, would decide to stay closer to home despite being committed to the Buckeyes since June. But Dixon-Wyatt is also close with teammate and five-star Buckeyes commit Chris Henry Jr. 

Maybe Dixon-Wyatt wants to go his own direction, but there's a potential tie-in to the coaching status of the Buckeyes offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach. It's no secret that Hartline's name has been batted around for several head coaching jobs. 

So far, Ohio State has gotten lucky. Florida decided to hire Jon Sumrall from Tulane and Michigan State looks like it is going to hire former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Kentucky job opened Sunday night when Mark Stoops got fired, and then there's the Penn State opening, where Hartline has been mentioned as a possible candidate for a while. 

Hartline is one of the best recruiters in the country, and he has been in charge of arguably the best run of wide receiver talent that any school has had in the history of college football. It could be as simple as Wyatt-Dixon wanting to stay home, but there could also be concerns about Hartline's future at Ohio State.

Where is Ohio State's recruiting class ranked?

According to 247Sports, the Buckeyes' class is currently ranked sixth overall and third in the Big Ten, behind USC and Oregon. That ranking includes Wyatt-Dixon in the class. If the rumors are true and the top-100 national prospect flips to USC, there's a likelihood that number will drop a spot or two. 

The wide receiver class still has Henry, who is one of the top-20 prospects in the country. Losing Wyatt-Dixon would sting, but there's still plenty of talent coming to Columbus.