Drew Thurman (8:33 pm)

As if the depth chart wasn't already deep enough at running back for the Buckeyes, they have finally added Roderick Smith to the mix. Tim May reported this on the Dispatch early this evening:

"Freshman running back Roderick Smith was cleared through the admissions procedure at Ohio State today and is expected to be with the team when it resumes practice Sunday, coach Jim Tressel confirmed.

"Smith, from Paul Harding High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., signed a letter of intent with the Buckeyes in February. But the start of his college career had been put on hold by the NCAA academic clearinghouse as it perused his high school records, which included work done in summer school this summer.

"Considered one of the top power running back prospects in the country in the 2010 class by several recruiting services, Smith now dives into a deep pool of tailbacks at OSU. Five played last night in the 45-7, season-opening win over Marshall. Among them was freshman Carlos Hyde, who had just one carry before suffering an ankle sprain."

Great news...we will finally get to see this in scarlet and gray!

Drew Thurman (12:29 pm)

Sam Webb at The Detriot News has the latest in the recruitment of Doran Grant. What quickly stands out from this article is the strong sentiments of Grant's father Ted Jones (MSU wideout 1979-1982). This what Jones had to say about what is causing the attraction between Grant and the Buckeyes:

"It's probably closeness," Jones said regarding the Buckeyes' primary appeal to his son. "That's the only thing I could think of, if anything. I told him, 'Don't let that be the only reason why you go to that school -- just because it is close. Go to a school that you want to go to. Go to a school that is going to treat you well and give you some playing time -- where you can go and grow as a student and get your education because you got to have that. That is the (most important) thing when you are going to school.'"

Jones doesn't sound like he has tons of great things to say about the Buckeyes. Maybe it's because he is pushing Michigan State.

"He always talks about, 'Spartan Green, Spartan White, Green & White all night' -- stuff like that," Grant said. "It's 'Go Green' all the time."

Grant's father is also pushing him to take a visit to Alabama, which doesn't sound like good news for Buckeyes fans since DePriest has already committed there. Regardless, everyone better get buckled in for the long haul. Grant will not be making his decision until after his senior season is over, and it appears the staff still has tons of work to do. Hopefully Jones can see there is more to Ohio State than proximity.

Drew Thurman (5:19 pm)

Rumors have been circling the recruitment of Trey DePriest for months now, many of them regarding his relationship with Alabama. It's always hard to put much stock in the rumor mill, but this time those rumors came true. DePriest announced this evening that he is headed to join Saban and company in SEC Country, which means the Buckeyes lost the top in-state linebacker for a second year in a row.

As Alex at 11W pointed out earlier this week though, there is no reason to panic over losing DePriest. Not only is linebacker the deepest position for the Buckeyes (along with running back), but the staff still has plenty of options left on the board in this class. The big three guys to watch in the coming weeks will be Ejuan Price, Conner Crowell and Andre Sturdivant, but also on the radar are Kent Turene and Michael Caputo.

Source: http://bucknuts.com/index.php/Football-Recruiting-Article/depriest-breaks-the-streak/menu-id-1346.html

Drew Thurman (3:59 pm)

Seventeen commitments are in the bag for 2011 and things are looking great for the staff. This week though, the message boards have started to be filled with some worrying and complaining for the first time with this class. Let's take a look at some of those issues and dive into them a little deeper...

1) Did the Buckeyes miss out on Shaq Washington?

Today Cincinnati got a huge commitment from Maple Heights star Shaq Washington. He didn't have an offer from the Buckeyes, and his list of offers mainly featured MAC schools (with some BCS schools like Colorado and UCLA). Yet, there are a lot of people that believe the Buckeyes may have missed on Washington's talent. Not only did he put up some serious stats this last year as a quarterback, but his film showcases how incredible he is as a wideout. Watching him in one-on-one drills during camp shows you a young man who has speed, acceleration, and the ability to change direction like few players I have watched.

Washington's problem is that he is listed at 5-9 163 pounds and is in the same class as Glenville's Shane Wynn (5-7 150). Wynn by many accounts is a much better prospect, mainly because of his speed and play making ability. He did run a 4.37 forty! I find it interesting though that Ohio High/Scouting Ohio rank Shaq Washington No. 17 in the state, while Wynn comes in at No. 37. No doubt Wynn is the more explosive player, but Washington could transition better to the next level. Who knows?

Regardless, if Wynn gives the Buckeyes the cold shoulder there will be many that wish the staff had gone after Washington.