ESPN.com - OSU Mailbag: The promise of 2014

ESPN.com: OSU Buckeyes

Friday, March 1, 2013
OSU Mailbag: The promise of 2014

By Brad Bournival

It’s time to dip into the BuckeyeNation recruiting mailbag and answer some of your questions.

We’ll try to keep to five questions a week to give everyone a chance to get their answers.

We encourage you to send your questions by Twitter at @bbournival, e-mail at brad.bournival.espn@gmail.com or by posting a question in the Horseshoe Pit forum.

Here’s the latest installment.

@darkknight1093: Deshaun Watson is clearly No. 1 on Urban Meyer’s wish list at quarterback. At what point do you see him offering guys like Drew Barker, Caleb Henderson and William Ulmer?


	Don't expect Ohio State to stop recruiting 2014 Clemson QB commit DeShaun Watson anytime soon.

BN: Meyer certainly has an affinity for Watson, and why not? The junior threw for 4,024 yards and 50 touchdowns last season. I expect him to hold off just a bit longer -- maybe two more months. The Buckeyes' senior advanced camps are slated for the second week of June. If no movement has been made by then in regard to Watson, expect offers to come out.

@LavalleyMikey: How big a kid is Michigan getting in Michael Ferns in your eyes? I know what WolverineNation’s Tom VanHaaren thinks, but I want to know what the bad guys think ;-)?

BN: LOL. Not hiding your allegiance there. From an opposition standpoint, what VanHaaren has said about Ferns is accurate. The proof comes in the fact Meyer and a handful of coaches were there well before Ferns’ state championship game with St. Clairsville in December to watch the ESPN Watch List junior. While the 2014 class is loaded with linebackers, Ferns is one Ohio State wishes it had. Having seen him in action, Ferns can flat-out play.

@ZpHon: How many, and who, do you think redshirts next season?

BN: Meyer has said he’s not a fan of sitting freshmen just to sit them. Last year, he lost lineman Joey O’Connor to injury (he's since announced he'll transfer) and redshirted only Kyle Dodson, Frank Epitropoulos, Warren Ball, Se’Von Pittman and Blake Thomas. I expect much of the same this year. J.T. Barrett should be a medical redshirt with his knee and maybe Michael Hill or Tyquan Lewis will redshirt because of the depth at defensive line, even though that unit is young. Many of these guys could get playing time on special teams.

@Nick_Handy23: Do you see Ohio State landing any of the top-ranked players in 2014?

BN: They’ve already nailed a big commit down in cornerback Damon Webb and I expect two linebackers – or maybe three -- to come the Buckeyes’ way in Dante Booker, Clifton Garrett, Raekwon McMillan or Dillon Bates. Jabrill Peppers certainly isn’t out of the picture, nor is Jalen Hurd. So yes, there should be some big names in the class.

@DouglasDiLillo: Will 2014 be Ohio State’s most highly-regarded out-of-state class ever?

BN: It certainly looks like it could be a candidate with the aforementioned Webb, Garrett, McMillan, Bates, Peppers and Hurd already in the running. Let’s not forget about guys like Drake Harris, Tony Brown, Sam Mustipher, Quenton Nelson, Myles Autry, Elijah Hood, Montae Nicholson, Jeb Blazevich, Jamarco Jones and Dallis Todd. The names out of state -- at least right now -- are more attractive than many of the ones in state.