Drew Thurman (9:35 am)

No more January blues indeed! Earlier this month I talked about how Meyer had proven himself as a closer and an elite recruiter late in the process, and he has definitely not disappointed. Last week alone the Buckeyes reeled in five commitments in OL Taylor Decker, OL Joey O'Connor, LB David Perkins, DB Cameron Burrows ('13), and LB Camren Williams.

With those commitments the Buckeyes have now soared to the top of the national recruiting rankings. Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports all have this class ranked at No. 3 overall. ESPN recruiting, who places a much higher value on southern recruits, lists the Buckeyes at No. 8. ESPN is the only service to rank Michigan's class ahead of Ohio State.

What about the rest of the Big Ten? Well, it isn't very pretty. Outside of the Buckeyes and Wolverines, there isn't another Top 25 class. Scout, for instance, ranks Penn State as the next highest rated class at No. 37. Wisconsin ranks No. 41, Michigan State at No. 43, Iowa No. 46, and Nebraska No. 59. The other services aren't far off from those rankings. Those are supposed to be the perennial powers in the conference, and they aren't getting it done on the recruiting trail. It's especially amazing the the Badgers and Spartans haven't been able to capitalize on what has been two great seasons for both programs. They better be ready to take things to the next level because the hiring of Urban Meyer has drastically changed the recruiting game in the Midwest in the B1G.

Anyway, let's take a look at where things stand for the Buckeyes as signing day quickly approaches. 

Battle Between Hoke and Urban For Reeves

Thanks to some attrition over the last month, the staff find themselves much thinner in the defensive backfield than expected and are in need of some help at the position, especially corner. The Buckeyes do have three defensive backs already on board in this class in De'van Bogard, Najee Murray and Tyvis Powell, though none of them likely project at corner at the next level. Murray is the closest thing to a corner out of the three, and technically Bogard could end up at the Star position or outside linebacker.

The name at cornerback everyone is keeping an eye on is Armani Reeves. The former Penn State commit narrowed things down to Michigan and Ohio State after taking visits to both campuses. The Buckeyes chances have seemed pretty good as his teammate is the aforementioned Camren Williams, and Williams' father is Reeves' godfather. It has also been well documented that both Williams and Reeves would like to play together. Hoke may just win this battle though. Reeves didn't walk away from the visit to Columbus quite as blown away as Williams. He also had an in home visit with the some of the staff last night, and supposedly wasn't that impressed with Urban. I'm sure more news will come out in the coming days, and we will see if this report is true. Greg Mattison has an in home visit today.

At safety, the Buckeyes had Demetrious Cox on campus this last weekend. Cox enjoyed his visit, but seems to be playing things close to the vest. He's also taken visits to Michigan State and Penn State, while still looking at Notre Dame and Wisconsin. It's anyone's guess who he ends up picking up in the end. Equally as mysterious is the recruitment of Bam Bradley, who's down to Ohio State, Stanford and Pitt. Since interviewing him early this month, it has become more clear that he is honestly torn on where to go. I think he likes the Buckeyes, but I'm not sure they are going to win this battle.

One More Linebacker?

Urban announced in his introductory presser that linebacker would be a focus in the 2012 class, as Fickell made it clear to him the massive need there. Last week we saw the first steps forward to completing that mission with Camren Williams and David Perkins committing. They join Luke Roberts and Josh Perry in this linebacker class. So would the staff use one of the few valuable scholarships left on another linebacker? Well, apparently yes. Jamal Marcus was on campus this weekend, and the staff definitely made it clear that they like him. In fact, Marcus even tweeted that Meyer made it clear to him how much he liked his film. He really enjoyed his visit and is now down between East Carolina and Ohio State, though he will visit North Carolina this weekend. It's seems pretty clear that his mother wants him to stay closer to home - will that be a deciding factor in the end?

The staff is also heavily pursuing Miami (FL) commitment Reggie Northrup. He will be taking a visit to Columbus this coming weekend, something that should not be underestimated. Meyer has proven himself as the master of the campus visit, and Northrup seems to be having an increased interest in the Buckeyes thanks to Everett Withers. Let's see how things stand next week after he gets wooed by Meyer. Also visiting this coming weekend is Keilin Rayner.

Dodson and Diamond Decisions

I've spent plenty of time talking about offensive tackle in previous recruiting rundowns. With Taylor Decker now on board, the staff is looking to add Kyle Dodson or Jordan Diamond, or possibly both. We will find out the verdict on Dodson first, as he will announce his college choice this Saturday. He has stayed loosely committed to Wisconsin throughout the process, despite taking visits to Ohio State, USC, Michigan State and Auburn. Coaches from each of those schools are making their final pitches in Dodson's home this week, and he will decide between the five of them this Saturday. It's tough to predict where he ends up, though the Scout guys have no problem predicting OSU.

As for Diamond, he is announcing his decision on February 3rd at 7:00 pm at his high school. He is coming off a visit to Arkansas that he gave high marks, and he has a visit to Wisconsin coming this next weekend. Like Dodson he is tough to read, especially considering how much he has enjoyed the recruiting process. In the end though, you have to believe he is going to choose somewhere closer to home that offers an early opportunity to play. Many, including myself, see this as another battle between Michigan and Ohio State. Warinner and Meyer have some serious work to do here before the 3rd. 

Other Notes:

** There has been a lot of confusion as to where things stand on the scholarship count for the Buckeyes. With 23 current commitments and 62 returning players (currently), it would appear the Buckeyes have already taken more than 82 scholarship players now that they are under sanctions. To help give some further understanding, check out Tim May's piece over at the Dispatch. Tony Gerdeman of TheOzone.net also gives this insight:

"The Ohio State class now stands at 23 commits, with six of those players backdated to the 2011 class. That means there are currently 17 players who will count towards the 2012 class. So, in theory, the Buckeyes have room for eight more commitments."

** WR Joel Caleb still says that Ohio State is high on his list and is still in contact with Ohio State coaches. He's down to Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Ohio State, and will announce on signing day. After his visit many thought he would end up in scarlet and gray, but now weeks later the Hokies appear to be the team to beat for his services.

** ATH Stefon Diggs will be on campus this weekend for a visit. Many have questioned his interest level, and getting a visit is huge for the staff. Diggs is coming off of visits to Auburn and Florida the last two weekends.

** ATH Davonte Neal is another player whose recruitment is all over the place. He took his third visit to Arkansas after visits to Notre Dame and Ohio State. He's far from done looking around. The team to look out for is Arizona and Rich Rodriguez. The Wildcats have numerous connections to Neal and his dad, and with his father's heavy involvement in his recruitment, you get the feeling that staying close to home is likely going to happen.

** Another name to keep an eye on is running back Fabian Moreau. The 6-0 180 pound speedster from Davie, Florida, is committed to UCLA, but is very interested in Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. Stan Drayton has visited his school recently, and Moreau had made it clear to the media that he wants an offer from Ohio State. Depending on how things work out with the numbers game and other playmakers, Moreau could be a late addition to this class.