Drew Thurman (11:21 am)

Since being announced as the Ohio State head coach on November 28th, Urban Meyer has made the Buckeyes the hottest commodity in the recruiting world. If his hiring wasn't already big enough to swing some recruits towards Columbus, he's been relentlessly contacting top tier talent from around the country. Those calls have made a big difference too, as the Buckeyes are set to host a handful of four and five star recruits the next couple of weekends.

His work over the last week and a half also shows that fans should prepare for a brand new era in recruiting. Tressel had his very own distinct style of recruiting, and Urban is quickly making a statement of what his will be during his time in Columbus. In fact, there's two big differences already to note.

First, Urban is showing he is going to pursue a lot more players and extend more offers than Tressel ever did. While Tressel was definitely a heavy hitter in the recruiting world, one of the criticisms of his style was that he got burnt at times because of not extending enough offers. The offensive line is a perfect example. The staff year in and year out singled a select few guys to pursue and on multiple occasions only brought in one lineman when things didn't go their way. More offers would have meant more yeses, even if the percentage was the same.

With Urban, fans won't be complaining about that at all. In fact, I've seen some fans questioning why Urban is pursuing so many prospects in 2012 with only possibly 6 more scholarships available in this class. Some of us are still used to the way Tressel conducted his business. This also helps keep things in perspective right now in the midst of all the craziness. Every hour or so it seems like a new recruit is jumping on the Urban bandwagon and is talking about a visit to Ohio State. Just prepare yourself that many of these players are Top 150 type guys that have other big time offers and will end up other places. I'm by no means doubting Urban Meyer or his woo, it's just a reality. That's why he's going after so many players right now. It is insurance. It's a great strategy and one that will yield a few big time players by signing day. 

Second, Urban is going to make more waves nationally than Tressel did. Tressel owned Ohio, and was able to pluck a few players each year from places like Florida and Pennsylvania. That was typically the pattern. It already appears as if Urban's name and style of play will peak more interest from places the Buckeyes haven't traditionally recruited over the last decade. Meyer has guys looking at Ohio State from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina. That's insane when you remind yourself he's been on the job for just over a week. I'm by no means running Tressel down, but instead pointing out that the Meyer-Ohio State marriage is already appearing to be a recruiting juggernaut.

So, Urban's calls and recruiting work have already shown us Urban's style on the recruiting trail. I don't want to stop there though for we also have learned something more specific. We have started to learn what Urban feels are the weaknesses on the current team and what he needs in 2012 by the calls he is making. Specifically, there appears to be three positions he is majorly targeting - wide receiver, offensive tackle, and defensive end.

Wide Receiver: Meyer inherits avery young wide receiving core. With Posey gone, the top returning guys will be Devin Smith, Corey "Philly" Brown, Evan Spencer, Chris Fields, Verlon Reed and T.Y. Williams. That is, if they all decide to stick around. Interestingly enough, there were already four guys committed in the 2012 class, as well, by the time Urban Meyer was announced. All those bodies have not stopped him from pursuing a lot of more options at the position though. Joel Caleb visited the Buckeyes this last weekend and loved what he saw. Cyrus Jones, Stefon Diggs, and Davonte Neal are planning visits for the near future. So what in the world is Meyer doing? It's simple, he's recruiting top end speed. All of those guys are smaller speedsters that could possibly fit a "Percy Harvin" type role, something that is currently missing from this squad.

Offensive Tackle: This one shouldn't surprise anyone. Bollman was on the verge of killing this team with his poor offensive line recruiting, which I already talked about above. The main concern is offensive tackle, where you could argue the Buckeyes only have one true player available in Andrew Norwell. So, not only is Urban looking for the future there, but needs depth right away in 2012. In fact, the sheer amount of calls he has made to offensive tackles shows how desperate he is to mend the situation. He called Kyle Kalis, Taylor Decker, Evan Goodman and Kyle Dodson right away, all who are committed to other schools currently. He's also put the full court press on with Jordan Diamond, who is visiting this weekend. Urban will hopefully grab at least two of these guys, and then can rectify the situation completely in 2013.

Defensive End: Finally, Urban is making it clear by the number of prospects he is pursuing at defensive end, that he wants something more from the position. With Adolphus Washington already committed in this class and the loss of only one guy in the rotation (Solomon Thomas), the defensive line will arguably be the deepest spot on the field next season for the Buckeyes. Despite all the bodies and potential talent, the Buckeyes don't really have any big time pass rushers on the roster. Yes, Nathan Williams will return, but no one knows how he will return from his injury. On top of that, this year showed that no one else on the roster surfaced all season to take his place. Meyer knows this, which is why he is tirelessly calling all available defensive ends. Guys like Noah Spence, Dante Fowler, Darius Hamiliton, and Jamal Marcus are all players he and the staff are in pursuit of. If you haven't blocked the '06 National Championship Game out of your head, you will remember what a lethal weapon these types of players can be in Meyer's hands.

Also of note, Meyer is finally going after some linebackers. I have been confused as to why he hasn't made more of attempt at that position, especially after declaring at his press conference that Fickell said it was a big need. With calls to David Perkins and Camren Williams, it appears Meyer isn't neglecting Fickell's advice. 2012 doesn't have lots of options at the position, though, especially in Ohio, but 2013 will be a different story.

So there you have it - Urban's calls have already given us a look into his recruiting style, as well as a look into how he wants to build this team moving forward. The last week and a half have been a lot of fun for us who follow the recruiting scene consistently, and the next month and half should provide plenty more fireworks. Sit back and enjoy the ride!