2011 Strong Safety Prospect Wayne Lyons

Wayne Lyons from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale current has 32 offers from some of the best programs in the country. An early 250 Rivals to Watch for 2011 member, the 6’0” 190lbs defensive back makes plays all over the field and finishes tackles well. He doesn’t have a favorite college program at this time but has almost a year to make his selection.

Dillard Strong Safety Wayne Lyons Junior Highlights

Wayne Lyons 2011 Strong Safety Hits Hard

By Steve Patterson

We asked Lyons recently about his play on the field from Dillard High School. “My best attributes are my ability to fly to the ball and make big hits on the field.” he told us. A little surprising, he enjoyed his first night at Dillard the most. “I have to say the highlight of my career was my first high school game when we played Booker T. Washington and I started that game and played pretty good under the bright lights.”

His statistics the last two seasons have been phenomenal. “Last year I had 75 tackles, 21 for loss, 6 forced fumbles,  and a defensive touchdown.” he reported when we asked. And his highlight films from Diamond in the Rough are quite outstanding. Although Lyons will not qualify as a diamond in the rough when fans turn their attention to 2011 recruiting.

He has made a number of visits already. “I have visited Stanford, Notre dame, Florida, Michigan and FSU. And i will visit more in the future.” He seemed to like all five programs that he visited. “All of those places were great.” he explained.

“I look for a program that has a good winning record and also has a good academic background in engineering.” He told us about what he values in a college and a college football program. But one factor might set some schools apart, “I am also looking into early playing time.” he said. “There are many schools that have shown interest because I now have 32 offers from big named BCS schools.”

An early favorite for one of the sure to be most recruited players of 2010? “I don’t have any favorites yet."

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Drew Basil, Jumping into the Rotation this Spring

Drew Basil made many visits to colleges on his way to committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes this past Wednesday. He plans to enroll in the spring and began practicing with the team during spring camp. The Buckeyes are in need of depth at both the place kicker and punting position, so he has a good chance of seeing playing time early.

By Steve Patterson

Drew Basil is a 6’2” 188 lbs kicker out of Chillicothe Ohio who was ranked in the top 15 at his position nationally by a number of rating agencies. With offers from Air Force, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Purdue, Basil was busy visiting campuses before committing to Ohio State. “I enjoyed the recruiting process very much.” he told us this week. “I enjoyed every single part of it, including the traveling and all of the mail I received. I visited Northwestern, NC State, Purdue, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Air Force, Alabama, Iowa State, and Ohio State. There might be a few that I am forgetting.”

He likes Ohio State for its winning tradition in addition to the academics. “I was looking for where I could get a good education and feel comfortable living there for the next 4-5 years. I was looking for a football program that will be successful every year.”

Basil also liked the fan support and what he saw around the OSU campus when he was visiting. “I liked how everyone supports the athletics and how involved everyone on campus actually is.” he explained.

A bit of a surprise, he plans to enroll quickly and get started training with the team. “I plan to enroll for Spring Quarter and start practicing as soon as I get there.” he told us. The Buckeyes return Devin Barclay and Ben Buchanan this year to handle the roles of kick offs, place kicking and punting. Possibly Basil can secure on of these positions as a true freshman.

Verlon Reed, Ohio State was Everything that I Hoped it Would Be

Verlon Reed is a local product for the Ohio State Buckeye’s 2010 class but provides versatility and tremendous upside. Playing quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back for Marian Franklin, Reed led the Red Devils to four city league titles. He will get a shot at quarterback when he arrives on campus but could also play safety during his career.

Verlon Reed 2010 Quarterback/Safety Prospect

By Steve Patterson

Verlon Reed is a standout not only in football but basketball and track also at Marian Franklin. He didn’t have a long recruiting season as other sports and school activities kept him occupied, but he did visit two programs. ”I was only able to visit Toledo and Ohio State. And I really enjoyed my recruiting process.” he told us about the process of being recruited.

He was looking for academics and football he explained when we contacted him this week. ”In a college I was looking for a strong academic department also with my major which is sports management. As far as a football program I was looking for a school with a great chance of winning and not just in their conference but also huge bowl games. Also a school with great tradition.”

“I liked the fact that Ohio State was everything that I hoped it would be.” He told us about his selection of Ohio State. “I felt Ohio State had everything that I would need to be more successful in life as a student player and most of all a better person.”

He plans to come in over the summer which has become very common with recruits in the last couple of years. “I will probably be enrolling in June and hopefully start practicing by June or July.”

Jordan Hicks Selects Texas over Ohio State and Florida

Westchester Ohio linebacking prospect Jordan Hicks selected the Texas Longhorns over scholarship offers from Ohio State, Florida and many others. The best outsider linebacker in the country, according to most recruiting services, flashed the hock’em horns and said that his heart was with Texas at a press conference at his high school this afternoon.

Jordan Hicks 2010 Linebacker Highlights

By Steve Patterson

The Lakota West football program has sent a number of top prospects to Ohio State in the past but Jordan Hicks grew up a fan of Texas and wanted to play for the Longhorns next year. Narrowing his list down to Texas, Ohio State and Florida a little over a month ago, rumors circulated for each school since. Tuesday night, reportedly, Hicks made up his mind that his heart was in Texas and scheduled the press conference for today at 12:30pm.

At 6’2” and 220 lbs, Hicks has all of the skills to be an elite linebacker at the next level. He excelled in high school coming off the edge and should put on some weight over the next year to be a completely dominant pass rusher. He finished his junior season with 88 tackles, 16 for a loss, and 4 sacks.

Ohio State will now focus on Seantrel Henderson, Matt James, and Dominique Brown with possible scholarships still available for offensive lineman Morgan Moses and West Virginia soft verbal Latwan Anderson. Henderson, James, and Brown are going to make their college selections next Wednesday when they sign their letters of intent.

Glenville’s Christian Bryant Selects Ohio State

Christian Bryant got the opportunity to make his college selection at his high school today, Cleveland Glenville. Like many Tarblooders before him, he waited till close to signing day to continue the pipeline to Columbus for the athletic Cleveland High School coached by Ted Ginn Sr. Bryant was a multi-talented player for Glenville and help take the team to the state championship game as a senior. He was recruited as a cornerback at the next level by Ohio State in additional to North Carolina, Michigan State and many others.

By Steve Patterson

Christian Bryant was highly sought after by schools like Minnesota, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Ohio State, North Carolina, West Virginia and Notre Dame. He was recognized as one of the top 125 football prospects in the country and a top 10 cover corner for the class of 2010. For the Tarblooders he put up stats all over the field including corner, quarterback, tailback, receiver, and returns. He became the 18th member of Ohio State’s current recruiting class that will finish ranked slightly below were the team is used to finishing on National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

Bryant at 5’10” and 175lbs is one of the top players in the 2010 OSU Class which also includes receiver Corey Brown, offensive tackle Andrew Norwell, tailback Roderick Smith and quarterback Taylor Graham. Ohio State is still hoping to land a number of other top talent nationally in offensive tackles Seantrel Henderson, Morgan Moses, and Matt James, linebacker Jordan Hicks, and defensive back prospect Dominique Brown from Winton Woods Cincinnati.

Ohio State 2010 Recruiting Class Final Stretch

The coaching staff at Ohio State hit the road shortly after the win in Pasadena to land the final 5 recruits for their 2010 class. The Buckeyes scored a defensive tackle in Johnathan Hankins from Detroit Michigan but came up short with two highly recruiting players this last Saturday. At the Army All American Bowl, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd selected Florida over Ohio State while Cleveland Glenville safety prospect Latwan Anderson selected West Virginia over the Buckeyes.

By Steve Patterson

With Charlie Weis no longer recruiting in South Bend, Urban Meyer having a short retirement in Gainesville and Pete Carroll leaving USC, Ohio State should be cleaning house this year in recruiting top talent locally and nationally. They got some important commitments early in wide receiver Corey Brown, offensive tackle Andrew Norwell, and running back Roderick Smith but have gone for more mid-tear recruits down the stretch.

The Buckeyes still hope to land a couple nationally top ranked recruits before the beginning of February including Seantrel Henderson, Matt James, Jordan Hicks and Christian Bryant. But may end up with only 50% of these ideal four and therefore give scholarships to recent Columbus visitors Bradley Roby and Dominique Brown, great athletes in their own right, but not the blue chippers top programs covet.

Seantrel Henderson is the top ranked offensive tackle in the country and is believed to be leaning to Ohio State after only taking a couple of official visits. He had interest in Southern California but the recent departure of Pete Carroll could seal the deal for the Buckeyes. He’s the latest ‘next Orlando Pace’ left tackle.

Matt James is an in-state offensive tackle from Cincinnati St Xavier. He was leaning towards the Bearcats while also considering Ohio State and Notre Dame. Now with Brian Kelley in South Bend, Notre Dame is the favorite. Florida has also come on lately and is always hard to beat for a recruit. He plans to decide on National Letter of Intent Signing Day.

Jordan Hicks is an another in-state national top recruit that doesn’t seem too interested in the Buckeyes. He has favored either Florida or Texas for the majority of his recruitment but has kept the Buckeyes in his top 3. The Lakota West linebacker made an official to Ohio State for the USC game and knows the coaching staff well. But he is a fan of Texas and seems to want to leave Ohio.

If there was a lock (for sure commitment) in this final four it would be Christian Bryant. The Cleveland Glenville corner back plays a position of need for the Buckeyes and grew up watching the Scarlet and Gray. He is the normal Glenville player that has been in the program for more than a year and respects the coaching staff at Ohio State the way he respects the Glenville coaches. He is waiting till the end to make his announcement as many Ted Ginn Sr players have done in the past.

Ohio State Buckeye Recruiting Heating Up

This coming weekend a good number of recruits will be on campus as Ohio State tries to encourage the remaining members of their 2010 class to commit to play for the Buckeyes next year. Christian Bryant, Latwan Anderson, Johnathan Hankins, Matt James and Verlon Reed will all be on campus as OSU continues preparing for their Rose Bowl appearance on January 1st. Head Coach Jim Tressel and his staff would like to secure verbal commitments from all five high school recruits.

By Steve Patterson

Our partner site eScoutRoom.com has stories on Latwan Anderson, Christian Bryant, Matt James, Johnathan Hankins and Verlon Reed. Plus an additional article on defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd who visited the Buckeyes the weekend of October 24th. Floyd is the fourth best defensive tackle in the country. He attends Philadelphia George Washington and is also considering Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Penn State and USC. His top two currently are Florida and South Carolina.

Verlon Reed Gets Late Ohio State Offer

Ohio State Invites Recruits to Bowl Practice December 12th

Latwan Anderson Favors West Virginia

DT Sharrif Floyd Makes a Number of Visits

DT Jonathan Hankins Gets Ohio State Offer for 2010

Christian Bryant, Glenville Recruit Heading to Ohio State?

Matt James 2010 Offensive Lineman from St Xavier

Ohio State Buckeyes 2011 Class Prospects and Offers

With colleges making early offers to juniors starting in September, Ohio State has jumped on earlier with offers to 15 high school juniors who could make up their 2011 class. A lot can change between now and when 2011 recruits sign their letters of intent in February 2011, but at the current time there should be 14 scholarships available for the class as 14 seniors will be leaving the program to graduation.

By Steve Patterson

Here is the list of current 2011 recruits with offers from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have a good distribution of offers across all positions with only the tailback position not present in the current offer list.

QB Everett Golson
6-0 170
Myrtle Beach, SC

QB Braxton Miller
6-2 185 4.47
Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne

WR Shane Wynn
5-8 160 4.43
Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville

WR Karlos Williams
6-0 187 4.5 
Davenport Ridge (FL)

TE Ben Koyack
6-5 230 4.75
Oil City, Pa.

OT Tyler Moore
6-5/280
Clearwater Countryside (FL)

DE Kenny Hayes
6-5 230
Toledo (Oh.) Whitmer
Committed to Ohio State

DE Steve Miller
6-4 205
Canton (Oh.) McKinley
LB Trey DePriest
6-1 215 4.5
Springfield, Ohio

LB James Vaughters
6-2 215 4.6 
Tucker, GA

CB Doran Grant
5-11 175 4.45
Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary

CB Keelin Smith
6-3 185
Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (FL)

S Jeremy Cash
6-2 185
Plantation (FL)

S Eilar Hardy
6'0 175
Pickerington (Ohio) Central

S Lamarcus Brutus
6-1 185 4.6
Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast (FL)

Ohio State 2010 Recruits Latwan Anderson, Jordan Hicks, and Tyrone Williams

The eScoutRoom.com continues to write about some of the top Ohio State recruits for their 2010 class. From recent offer to Latwan Anderson to the commitment of Tyrone Williams they cover a number of high school prospects you want to know more about. Also find corresponding video for many of the recruiting stories available.

By Steve Patterson

Latwan Anderson Finally With a Buckeye Offer

Cleveland Glenville has been a pipeline high school to Ohio State for the best athletes in the program since Jim Tressel took over the Buckeyes in Columbus. Very few Tarblooders with offers from Ohio State have gone elsewhere. 2010 was going to a year when only one Glenville player received an Ohio State offer until last night.

Buckeye Recruit Jordan Hicks Will Hold Weekly Teleconference

High School standout Jordan Hicks and his high school Athletic Director Todd Hummer have decided that the only way to handle the overwhelming requests from the press is to hold weekly teleconferences. This just demonstrates the overwhelming interest in recruiting. His first one was held on Monday, August 31.

Tyrone Williams Commits to Ohio State

Tyrone Williams has made his choice; he will become a Buckeye in 2010. He shared that he committed for one reason. “I couldn’t wait. I just like it down there. I like the school, the coaches, the players, Terrelle Pryor. I was ready.”

2010 Star Prospects Attending Ohio State vs. USC

Ohio State is bringing in as many high caliber prospects for the 2010 class as possible on September 11th for the weekend that could be the making of a historic year for the Buckeyes. That is of course if Ohio State can do to USC what the Trojans did to the Buckeyes last year in beating them at home and practically knocking them out of National Championship contention with one game.

Latwan Anderson Junior Highlights

Roderick Smith Highlights and Commitment

Jordan Hicks 2010 Linebacker Highlights

Ohio State 2010 Commit Chad Hagan

Reid Fragel: Jake Ballard is a Big Help

Reid Fragel is a big tight end from Gross Point Farms Michigan that came to Ohio State as the 11th best tight end in the country for 2009. At 6’7” and 260lbs, Fragel presents a large target for Terrelle Pryor as he looks to throw more often this year.

By Steve Patterson

We spoke with Reid Fragel recently about the offseason and what he did to prepare this season. “During this off season I was able to work out with the team to help me not only on the field physically but I was also able to get a slight grip on the offensive playbook during some seven on seven practices.” The preparation has helped as Fragel looks to get on the field as a true freshman at the thin position of tight end.

Fragel enjoyed the recent August 24th open practice at the Horseshoe. ”My most memorable moment during camp this year would have to be our night practice in the horseshoe, it was just a taste of what game day will be like from what it seems.” This weekend he will get to experience a packed Ohio Stadium as OSU faces Navy in the season opener.

Fragel feels the tight end position at Ohio State is just what he was looking for. “I love the tight end position at Ohio State, it fits me perfectly I feel.” he reported to us. And having a senior in Jake Ballard at the position is also beneficial. “Having an experienced tight end like Jake Ballard above me really helps, he is a big help for me learning the offense and getting the hang of things.”

With USC coming in week 2 of the Buckeyes schedule, is it possible Ohio State could look past Navy and be upset? “Navy is relentless in everything they do in their game, the offense will just need to execute like we have been in practice.  It is no trap if we prepare ourselves like we have been, it just comes down to execution.”

By Eric Geier

ESPN to air OSU vs. USC game in 3-D

ESPN plans to air the OSU vs. USC game on three screens, in Columbus, Los Angeles and Dallas. The screening will mark just the third game in history to be shown in 3-D. ESPN will utilize seven cameras to broadcast the event. "The results of this research will enable ESPN to quantify what it takes to produce, transmit and enable the 3-D experience for our fans," said Anthony Bailey, ESPN's vice president of emerging technologies. Past airings of games, including the Florida vs. Oklahoma National Championship game in 3-D last year have been mired in difficulties and technical issues, but the overall effect has been tremendous, with positive reviews from viewers. Tickets to the 3-D showing will be given away to fans who listen to ESPN affiliates in the cities where the game will be showing.

Six Big Ten teams receive votes in Associated Press preseason poll

Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa cracked the top 25 in the AP preseason poll. Illinois and Michigan State received votes, but landed just outside the top 25 at 27 and 29 respectively. Northwestern was the final Big Ten team to receive media votes. The Big Ten is also only one of three conferences to have multiple teams in the top 10.

Michigan to use three quarterbacks in opener

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez announced that he will use three quarterbacks in the opening game against Western Michigan. Rodriguez will use Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson and Nick Sheridan. Rodriguez has given each quarterback the chance to steal the starting job, but he obviously doesn’t have his heart set on any single quarterback to run his system yet. Rodriguez is hoping that either freshman Forcier or Robinson will take the reigns and lead the team, after all, Rodriguez did recruit them to run his system.

Minnesota to face Greg Paulus and Syracuse in week 1

From the hardwood to the gridiron, basketball player turned quarterback Greg Paulus has worked his way into the starting quarterback position at Syracuse University, just months after announcing he would use his final year of NCAA eligibility to play football. Paulus was a tremendous quarterback in high school, was a Parade All-American, and could have played at a number of Division I schools. However, he decided to pass on football to play basketball at Duke University. Paulus will have his first test against a Gopher team that went 7-6 last year, including 0-2 vs. AP opponents.

Freshman running back Jamaal Berry is third on the depth chart behind Brandon Saine and Daniel “Boom” Herron, but depending on his learning curve, Berry could see significant playing time this season.

By Eric Geier

Last year a friend of mine emailed me a link to a YouTube page that contained the highlight reel for incoming freshman running back Jamaal Berry. Somewhat annoyed that I had not seen this recruit first, I watched as Berry burst and plowed his way towards the end zone, always running north to south and always with his eyes on one thing, the end zone.

In high school, Berry showed tremendous breakaway speed and an ability to shed would-be tacklers. Despite a tendency to get tackled easily by the ankles, coaches are impressed with Berry as they continue working on improving his running style in an attempt to keep him from getting ankle tackled.

Berry is pretty much built to run the I-formation system. He rushed for 1,033 yards and 14 touchdowns on 140 carries at Miami-Palmetto high school his senior season. But, like virtually every piece of the Buckeye offense, Berry’s productivity can only be as good as his offensive line. However, an inconsistent Buckeye O-line may actually be the best thing for Berry in terms of playing time. Berry is much quicker and makes better cuts than Daniel “Boom” Herron, therefore, if the line can’t block, Tressel may insert Berry in place of Boom in order to elude rushing defenders, creating a Saine-Berry combination in the backfield.

Jamaal Berry- Incoming Statistics

Ht: 5-foot-11
Wt: 185 lbs
Forty: 4.43 secs
Bench reps: 16
Vertical: 37 inches
Shuttle: 4.38 secs

Jamaal Berry 2009 High School Highlights

The sudden loss of veteran linebacker Tyler Moeller and the absence of Ray Small and Rob Rose have been a distraction at the start of summer camp, but those distractions won’t stop the Buckeyes as they enter the new season.

By Eric Geier

The start of camp has not gone quite as smoothly as Coach Tressel and the Buckeyes coaching staff had hoped. This offseason has been like a trip through Willy Wonka’s factory, right when you think everything is peachy, someone drinks from the chocolate river. Self-inflicted wounds are what this off-season has been about. Incoming freshman running back Jamaal Berry was busted for drug possession in Florida, Ray Small and Rob Rose are out with pending academic issues, and fourth-year junior Tyler Moeller was hospitalized after a freak accident in a bar during a family vacation. Not exactly the start every coach dreams of.

Off the field issues are nothing new for the Buckeyes. In the past five years there have been a number of players who have been in trouble with the University and with the law, including the most infamous of them all, Maurice Clarett. But through it all, Coach Tressel has kept the Buckeyes focused and determined on their goals, to win the Big Ten Championship and a National Title. It is at these moments that Tressel proves what a valuable coach he is. When other programs might get flustered or falter in the face of adversity, Tressel and the Buckeyes always seem to forge ahead.

While much of the media focus has been on Ohio State’s off the field issues, new players are stepping up to fill contributing roles on the team. Freshman running back Jamaal Berry, fresh off a dropped drug charge, has impressed players and coaches with his speed bursts and Coach Tressel has high hopes for receiver Dane Sanzenbacher who is coming off ankle surgery.

The long and short of it all? Buckeye fans need not worry. Though the beginning of summer practice has been anything but a stroll through a park with a pretty lady, the Buckeyes are far from the only team with issues. As long as coach Tressel keeps his players focused from here on out, they still have a chance to build this team into the powerhouse they can be.

By Eric Geier

Ray Small

According to various media reports, including ESPN.com and Bucknuts.com, Ray Small has had his scholarship revoked and is no longer with the team. But wait Buckeye fans, you still may get to see him play this fall.

Sources say that small is in summer school and is having an academic issue involving a history class. Reports have surfaced that he will not be with the team when they report to practice on August 10th, while an unnamed OSU source says there is still a chance he could report to practice if he gets the history class issue resolved. Despite reports, his father believes he will be at practice, saying, "He was just here (Columbus) last night and he was saying how he wants to go to camp, and that's a first," Ken Small said, adding, "Usually it's like, 'Man, we've got to go to camp.' Now, he was like, 'I can't wait until camp.'"

This is not Small’s first brush with controversy, just last September he was suspended two games for violating come back as a return man while getting a chance to compete for a receiver position. Unless reports on his status surface, when players arrive on Sunday, all eyes will be looking for Ray Small.

Jamaal Berry

In other news, Jaamal Berry’s felony marijuana charges have been dropped as long as he completes a six month diversion program. Berry and the prosecution agreed on the terms Friday, clearing the way for the talented freshman to enter camp on time.

Jaamal Berry was ranked third according to ESPN Scouts Inc. coming into the season. 

eScoutRoom.com Covering Ohio State Recruiting for 2010

The writers at the eScoutRoom.com, our parent portal, have been covering some recent events in the OSU 2010 recruiting world. News of James Louis committing to Ohio State, Jim Tressel discussing the running back situation at the Big 10 Media Day and Chad Hagan getting close to pulling the trigger for the Buckeyes.

James Louis Gives Verbal Commitment to Ohio State

James Louis out of Delray Beach, Florida has verbally committed to play football for Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes. With interest from Florida, Florida State, Alabama, LSU, and Georgia, he made his final choice to play in Columbus.

Coach Tressel at Big 10 Media Day

Coach Tressel made some comments on day one of the Big Ten media day, and some of those comments regarded members of the 2009 recruiting class.

Chad Hagan Close to Committing to Ohio State

Within the next two weeks, Chad Hagan, defensive back from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, may make an announcement of where he will play football in the Fall of 2010.

2009-10 OSU Position Preview: Running Back

It’s no secret that with the departure of bruiser Chris “Beanie” Wells to the NFL after last year will definitely be a big loss for the Bucks, but with Terrelle Pryor at QB, OSU will more likely run out of a shotgun anyway, which probably wouldn’t have suited Beanie’s smash mouth style.

Darryl Baldwin is a Buckeye

The day before his high school team starts practice for the upcoming season, Darryl Baldwin has announced that he will be part of the 2010 Buckeye football squad.