Drew Thurman (5:40 pm)

With 23 commitments in the 2009 class, the spots left are pretty limited. The remaining commits could come from multiple different people. Here are some names that are left:

Jamaal Berry: 5-11/195/4.35 - One of the must get prospects left in the class. Berry is a running back that really combines strength and speed. Even with Hyde and Hall already committed, look for the Buckeyes to go hard after Berry.

Marcus Hall: 6-6/295 - I obviously see Hall committing to the Buckeyes in the end. Unlike Newsome, Hall will have a spot waiting for him as long he wants to wait.

Chris Watt: 6-4/270 - Nothing would be better than to steal Watt from Zook and Illinois. Watt and Hall would make the 09 class incredible on the offensive line.

Corey Adams: 6-4/275 - Adams is one of the best defensive lineman in the country, but is a long shot for the Buckeyes. If they do land Adams, it would be quite a steal!

Marlon Brown: 6-5/205/4.5 - Brown is one of those wideouts you drool over. He has it all: size, speed, and play making ability. Brown is a long shot for the Buckeyes like Adams, and very well could end up somewhere down south.

EJ Banks: 6-0/175/4.5 - The relationship between Banks and the Buckeyes seems to have cooled off a bit. He is a solid prospect, and would really add to the commits the Buckeyes have picked up in the secondary. Keep his name around.

DJ Hunter: 6-0/185/4.45 - Hunter passes the look test, and has a ton of speed. The secondary seems to be the major focus in 2009, and Hunter could add to that. I am a Hunter fan, and I hope he ends up a Buckeye. 

Brandon McGee: 6-0/175/4.5 - McGee has offers from everyone in the country, and is an incredible athlete. McGee is yet another secondary recruit, and he has great size and speed. I am not real sure he will end up a Buckeye, but who knows!

Drew Thurman (6:40 pm)

After a crazy weekend where Duron Carter, Justin Green, and Carlos Hyde commited, Monday did not disappoint. The Buckeyes received two more commitments today, bumping the total up to 22 commitments.

The first came from Bradley McDougald, a defensive back from Dublin, Ohio. The commitment from McDougald seemed imminent for several weeks now. McDougald held a ton of offers from schools like Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Even though he played both running back and defensive back at Dublin Scioto, its look as if he will play in the secondary for the Buckeyes. That gives the Buckeyes 5 defensive back commitments in the 2009 class. Like all of the rest, McDougald has a ton of speed. This seems to be a major focus of the staff for the 2009 class. On top of that though, McDougald is a run-stopper and a hitting machine. On film he looks great coming up, shedding blocks, and stuffing the run. He is a very solid commitment for the Buckeyes.  

The Bucks also got a commitment from Corey Brown today. Brown (6-2 180) plays both ways at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, but will likely play wideout for the Buckeyes. Brown was a huge commitment to get and he held offers from Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma, Michigan, and more. I am blown away that this commitment also came today. Brown has a ton of potential, and joins Chris Fields and Duron Carter at wideout in 2009. He also joins his teammate Dorian Bell (LB) who committed early this spring. I am sure most of you are as fired up as me to see Brown commit today.

So, with these two men joining the bandwagon today the Buckeyes have 22 commitments. This 2009 class has been unbelievable so far, and it shows how hard Tressel and the staff have been working. One has to wonder how this class will actually finish up. Guys like Newsome, Hall, Berry, Watt, McGee, and Banks are sure to get a lot of talk over the next several weeks. The only thing to be down about right now as a Buckeye fan is the fact that we do not have 35 scholarships to give away. If we did, who knows how amazing this class could be!

Drew Thurman (5:18 pm)

Carlos Hyde has committed to the Buckeyes today. Hyde (6-1 230) is the 19th commitment in the 2009 class. With Hyde and Carter committing this weekend, scholarships continue to get more and more valuable. Welcome to the Buckeye family Hyde! 

Update (9:23 pm)

The Buckeyes also received a commitment from Justin Green (CB - Lousiville, KY) on Sunday. Green adds to an already stellar class in the secondary. Green is in the Rivals100, and is a huge pick up for the Buckeyes. He held offers from Miami Fl, Alabama, Tennessee, Illinois, and more. This weekend has been incredible, and the commitments just keep coming in. It really is a great time to be a Buckeye fan! Here are some links:

Brightcove Video
Rivals Video

Drew Thurman (9:37 am)

I think Beanie Wells has skewed our perspective on running backs. His combination of size and speed has helped affect who fans want in the future. The evidence of this is clear in the 2009 class. Look at most boards and the first name you will see for running backs in 2009 is Carlos Hyde. Fans want the Buckeyes to get another Beanie. The problem is that a running back like Beanie only comes along every 10 years or so. I think Hyde is a very quality running back, but he will never be Beanie Wells.

So with all of that say, let me go in a different direction. Our offense is going to change under Terrelle Pryor. Our look is going to change under Terrelle Pryor. Speed is going to be important in the backfield with Terrelle Pryor. Enter Jamaal Berry. Berry has some incredible speed and playing making ability. I think he is obviously the best choice to be in the backfield with Terrelle Pryor.

Watch the second film below, and you will see what I mean. Berry comes from 10 yards behind a guy, and chases him down for a tackle. The play is remarkable, and shows the speed Berry has. Speed kills, and I want that speed to be in the backfield. I think Hyde is a solid back, but I offically hop on the Berry bandwagon. He is the kind of play maker we need in the backfield.

Drew Thurman (12:31 pm)

After a few weeks of slow news on the recruiting front, Sunday started what has been an exciting week. That day Dominic Clarke (Frederick, MD) committed to the Buckeyes, and showed that the Buckeyes are making a big effort to load up the secondary. He joined C.J. Barnett and Jamie Wood as secondary recruits in the 2009 class.

Clarke's commitment was big for several reasons. First of all, he replaces Darrell Givens that the Buckeyes lost to Penn State. The second reason is because he provides a ton of speed. His critics complain that he is not big enough, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed (4.4 second forty). Clarke was a very nice pick up for the Buckeyes. (Check out his video below)

Then yesterday the Buckeyes added Adam Bellamy (DL - 6-4 275) from Aurora, Ohio. Bellamy adds to an already great defensive line class with John Simon and Melvin Fellows. Bellamy's film is pretty impressive, and he seems to always know where the ball is at. I personally think Bellamy will a blue collar lineman, and will get it done in the trenches for the Buckeyes.

So with these two commitments this week, the Buckeyes are up to 17 in the 2009 class. So who is next? Well I am not totally sure, but they need to jump on the bandwagon fast. This class is shrinking quickly, and there are a lot of really talented players left out there. The scholarship count does worry me a bit right now, and we will have to see how things play out in the coming weeks.   

Drew Thurman (8:54 pm)

The Buckeyes were in need of a tight end in the 2009 class, and they received a commitment from one today. Reid Fragel (Grosse Point, Michigan) became the fifteenth commitment in the 2009 class. He chose the Buckeyes over teams like Michigan State, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Cincinnati.   

At 6-7 255, Fragel has incredible size. He also fits the mold of Tressel tight ends that can get it done in the trenches. He may not be the most flashy tight end, but Fragel really gets in done in multiple ways. Fragel adds to an already stellar 2009 class, and fills a much needed position. I welcome Fragel to the Ohio State family.

Drew Thurman (10:01 am)

The Buckeyes have offered a scholarship to Bradley McDougald, from Dublin Scioto High School. McDougald is an athlete at 6-1 190 pounds, and plays running back, defensive back, and even some wideout. The Buckeyes seem to be most interested in having him play safety instead of running back though. I was a little suprised at this because he is pretty impressive at tailback on film, and I like his running style. With that said though, McDougald is a very hard hitting safety who is not afraid to come up and stuff the run.

McDougald holds offers from a host of schools including West Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Louisville, and Boston College. I am pretty impressed with his film, and I would love to see him follow the two Dublin commitments (Dublin Coffman HS) last year in Jake Stoneburner and Mike Adams.

Drew Thurman (2:11 pm)

There is one question at the back of every Buckeye fan's mind, "what happens to the running back position after Beanie leaves?" Go to about any board and you will see some post about this topic. Maybe not directly, but there are thousands of topics and posts just dedicated to the recruitment of running backs in the 2009 class.

There is some merit to this concern as well. With Devoe Torrence not being in the 2008 class the Buckeyes did not bring in a true running back. So if Beanie does indeed leave after the season, that would leave the Buckeyes with Saine and Herron. So, let's look at the running backs in 2009 class...

Jordan Hall

Hall committed to the Buckeyes in April, and is most known for being Terrelle Pryor's teammate. There are a lot of questions that surround Hall, and his senior season could tell a lot. One of the biggest questions is if he will actually play running back at Ohio State. Like Laamar Thomas, Hall's size and speed could put him at wideout or as being a returner.

Carlos Hyde

Hyde seems to be the fan favorite to fill Beanie's shoes, and to be in the 2009 class. This is probably because he runs with a similar style to Beanie. At 6-1 225, Hyde is a dominating runner who does shy away from taking a hit. Hyde is originally from Ohio, and this is about the best thing working for the Buckeyes. He has a host of offers, and the staff is going to have to continue to fight for Hyde. He does fit the Buckeye mold well, and he is really exciting to watch on film. 

Jamaal Berry

Berry seems to have to most realistic chance of being a Buckeye at this point. Berry has made it clear that the Buckeyes are his leader over schools like Florida, Michigan, and LSU. Berry is a gamebreaker who has a ton of speed. Some Buckeye experts seem to think he may not fit our system as well as Hyde, but our system may very well change under Terrelle Pryor. Berry seems to be a great fit as a combo running back next to Pryor.  

Bud Golden

Golden does not get much play or talk among Buckeye fans. We should not be so quick to write him off though. Golden has some nice skills, and he really impressed at the Nike Camp at Ohio State. Golden also has very nice size and speed. At 6-0 195, Golden has the ability to both break tackles and break away. I am also impressed with how fast Golden hits the hole. He is a total north-south runner who does not waste his time dancing around. Unlike Hyde and Berry he does not have an offer, but that could change anytime. If either one of them fall through, get ready to see the staff show some more interest in Golden. Here is a link to his video...

http://scoutingohio.com/Bud_Golden_Sycamore.htm

By Drew Thurman (7:36 pm)

Today I want to look at the wideouts in the 2009 class. The Buckeyes are set to lose a lot of the depth at wideout over the next several seasons, and they will have to replace guys like Ray Small, Brian Robiske, and Brian Hartline. This makes the 2009 class very important at the position of wideout. Lucky for the Buckeyes, this class has started very strong here...

The first commitment came from Chris Fields (6-1 180), a wideout from Painesville, Ohio. Fields is the type of wide receiver the Buckeyes need on the outside. Fields is a great playmaker with a lot of speed. A few of the recruiting sites are not the high on Fields, but I do not understand why. Watching Fields on film makes you drool, and I feel he has some great things in store. The other commitment came this week from James Jackson, who hails from Grand Ledge, Michigan. Jackson was a huge commitment for the Buckeyes to get. Jackson is super fast, and is a great wideout to bring in with Fields.

Even though the Buckeyes have received commitments from these two gentlemen, there are still a ton of names on the radar. The first has to be Duron Carter (pictured) from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Carter has great size at 6-3 180, and has the ability to really go up and get the ball. Chris Carter being his father is not hurting his stock either. Duron is going to be more a fight then people think though. Some want to already sign him off as being in this class, but I think the Buckeyes have a lot of work to do still. I feel LSU is still quite a player for Duron's services. Two other names to watch are Marlon Brown (Memphis, Tenn.) and Kraig Appleton (East St. Louis, Illinois). Getting either one of these guys will be a tough task for the staff, but if they do it will be quite a reward. Both possess great size, especially Marlon Brown who is listed at 6-5 205. I am not counting either one of these guys in the class, but who knows what Tressel and the staff can pull off.

So overall I see us getting at least one more receiver. If Brown or Appleton pull the trigger the Buckeyes way though, we could see more taken. This 2009 class is loaded at wideout, and it is good to see the Buckeyes tapping into that. It will be interesting to see who finishes off the class.