Ohio State Recruiting: 3 Things We Love About Urban Meyer's Class

Ohio State has, for the most part, always recruited well. They are one of the top college football programs in the country, and big-name players like the idea of playing for the Buckeyes.

But when Urban Meyer was named the head coach of the program, they didn't just keep recruiting well, they dominated the competition and seemed to land top prospect after top prospect. They currently have one of the top recruiting classes in the country and with several top players still considering becoming Buckeyes, it's likely only going to get better.

Here are a few things we love about this recruiting class.

Defensive Ends

To become a national champion, you must have an elite pass rush. You have to be able to pressure the quarterback and force him into mistakes. You could have a great secondary, but if the quarterback is able to take a nap in the pocket, it's really not going to matter.

The one thing that really sticks out in this class is the amount quality defensive ends Urban Meyer has landed, starting with Noah Spence, who is one of the best at his position in this class. He's a speed rusher who is extremely quick off the snap and has a bunch of different moves to put on opposing offensive linemen.

Adolphus Washington and Se'Von Pittman are the other two ends this class has landed. Pittman is much like Spence, as he's quick off the ball and gets in the backfield in a hurry. Washington is more of a physical end, but he also has quickness to his game and never gives up on the play.

Players like these guys are going to give quarterbacks in the Big Ten fits for years to come.

Running Back Tandem

Any time you land one great running back, you've done your job as a recruiter. But when you're able to land two quality running backs, you're set for a solid running game.

That's the case with the Buckeyes, as they picked up Brionte Dunn and Warren Ball. Both are either 4- or 5-star backs, depending on which recruiting site you're looking at.

Dunn is more of the power running back at 6'1", 222 pounds. He has great vision of the field and is a very underrated receiver out of the backfield.

Ball is another big back at 6'2", 215 pounds, but he has a lot more acceleration. He breaks a lot of tackles and can lower his shoulder when needed, but would much rather run by you with his athleticism.

Ohio State was the 27th-best rushing team a year ago, but with Dan Herron on his way out, these two running backs were great additions to this team.

Taking Players Away from Other Big Ten Teams

A lot of these players that have given their commitment to Ohio State had offers on the table from other Big Ten teams. You take the top 10 Buckeye players from this class (by star rating) and all of them had at least one offer from another Big Ten school.

Several of them were even considering the rival Michigan Wolverines.

Noah Spence was actually really considering joining Penn State before the sex scandal shook the university. Adolphus Washington visited Michigan State before making his decision to become a Buckeye. And Se'Von Pittman actually de-committed from the Spartans to join Ohio State. The list goes on and on. 

It's one thing to land top players, but when you're landing those players that were also considering schools you play against, it has to mean that much more.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]