Recruiting roundup: Ohio State, Michigan to battle down the stretch
With 2016 National Signing Day just over two weeks away, 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong checks in from the recruiting trail with the latest news and notes.
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4 min read
To hold die-hard fans over until next November, the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan can now be followed on the recruiting trail.
And while there are really only two prospects down the stretch for whom both schools are pushing for their services -- five-star athlete Mecole Hardman Jr. (Elberton, Ga.) and four-star Top247 athlete Jordan Fuller (Westwood, N.J.) -- both are in the mix for several other blue-chippers down the stretch. With each commitment, the two Big Ten powers are jockeying for position within the 247Sports Composite team rankings.
Monday was a big day for the Buckeyes. Ohio State landed a trio of Top247 recruits, allowing it to move from No. 3 to No. 1 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings, passing Michigan and LSU. Twelve of Ohio State’s 21 commits now rank inside the Top247.
Not to be outdone, Michigan is looking to add to its 23-player class this week. Top247 cornerback David Long (Los Angeles, Calif.) announces between the Wolverines and Washington on Thursday, and the Maize and Blue are the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite heading into the decision. Two prospects that visited Ann Arbor this past weekend could commit at any time in athlete Khaleke Hudson (Mckeesport, Penn.) and tight end Chase Allen (Nixa, Mo.).
Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff are very much looking forward to this weekend as Michigan is having one of its biggest recruiting weekends of the year. The nation’s No. 1 recruit, five-star defensive tackle Rashan Gary (Paramus, N.J.) , returns on an unofficial with Paramus (N.J.) Catholic teammate Donald Stewart (West Orange, N.J.), a three-star wideout. I currently predict both will sign with Michigan.
Fuller takes his official in Ann Arbour, Michigan, after doing the same in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend. Ohio State appears to be the front-runner for Fuller with the Wolverines the biggest challenger. Former Oregon four-star receiver commit Eddie McDoom (Winter Garden, Fla.) is expected to verbal to Michigan this weekend while three Top247 targets from the West Coast in defensive end Connor Murphy (Phoenix, Ariz.), defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa (Concord, Calif.) and tight end Devin Asiasi (Concord, Calif.) all make their way in.
More notes from the recruiting trail ...
• Ohio State wants to add one more blue-chipper this week in five-star defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence (Monroe, La.) as the No. 1 recruit in Louisiana has the Buckeyes in his final two with LSU. A verbal pledge will be made on Friday. Should the Tigers keep the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Lawrence at home, and expected, coach Les Miles and company will go into the weekend where they started, No. 1 in the 247Sports Composite. Lawrence would become the 14th Top247 commit for LSU this cycle, and he’d also be the jewel of the class. If he chooses OSU, Lawrence will help the Buckeyes instantly push Auburn for the nation’s top defensive line class as coach Urban Meyer has two five-stars already in the boat in Nick Bosa (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Jonathon Cooper (Columbus, Ohio).
• Nobody's recruiting weekend is bigger than that in Alabama. Twenty-four prospects are currently slated to take an official visit to Tuscaloosa, according to 247Sports affiliate BamaOnLine, and 17 of them are ranked inside the Top247. In addition to those guys, the country’s No. 1 JUCO recruit in defensive end Jonathan Kongbo (Surrey, British Columbia) also comes to town. Alabama has just 16 commits as of press time, sitting at No. 10 in the 247Sports Composite. With what’s still on the board, I predict the Tide are in the top three by National Signing Day on Feb. 3.
• Notre Dame could score two more five-stars before National Signing Day. The Irish have the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class, and at this point, they lead for the nation’s top receiver Demetris Robertson (Savannah, Ga.). ND is also in the top two with Oklahoma for the country’s No. 3 outside linebacker Caleb Kelly (Fresno, Calif.). A former Crimson Tide verbal, Robertson visits Alabama this weekend, so that’s one for Notre Dame nation to monitor. The Irish have 22 commits led by five-star offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer (Cincinnati, Ohio).
• Penn State has the country’s No. 12 recruiting class, good for third in the Big Ten, and coach James Franklin and his staff are absorbing body blows on the trail in keeping this class together. Other schools are swirling around the Nittany Lions talented class, but Franklin and company are keeping guys in the boat. The nation’s No. 1 running back, Miles Sanders (Woodland Hills, Penn.), and four-stars in defensive lineman Daniel Joseph and safety Andrew Pryts are the latest to say they are solid to Penn State after flirting with the idea of taking official visits.
