COLUMBUS – The early signing period in college football opened yesterday and the Buckeyes’ new class is considered to be third-best in the country, behind Georgia and Alabama, and includes the nation’s most sought-after high school star.
The list of 20 players who signed to play at includes five five-star recruits, including receivers Jeremiah Smith, from Hollywood, Fla,, and Mylan Graham of New Haven, Conn., and one of the nation’s top edge rushers in Eddrick Houston of St. Louis.
Although Smith hac committed to OSU early, other schools, including Miami, continued to pursue him until he put an end to any doubts by slipping on an Ohio State cap at a signing day ceremony at his high school did he put an end to any doubt he might flip to a college closer to home.
“I’ll be taking my talents to THE Ohio State University,” Smith said.
Buckeye head coach Ryan Day was holding his signing day news conference at the time. When he was told Smith had stayed true to the Buckeyes, the coach asked “Really?” and pretended as if his knees were buckling before letting out a deep breath.
“This is signing day and when you have really good players it’s going to come down to the wire. That’s how it goes,” Day said.
Nevertheless, Ohio State did not receive Smith’s letter of intent until nine hours later.
Kyle McCord’s entry into the transfer portal turned the spotlight on four-star quarterback Air Noland, of Fairburn, Georgia, who could compete for the starter’s job against Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz if coach Ryan Day doesn’t go to the portal to find an experienced signal-caller.
The Buckeyes boast the best class in Big Ten.
Penn State and Michigan are ranked second and third among teams already in the conference but new addition Oregon – with the nation’s sixth-best class — would really be No. 2.