Ohio State Football: Buckeyes Are Turning Overlooked Recruits into Stars

Urban Meyer is widely considered one of the best recruiters in college football, but his ability to scout and develop lower-rated players is as equally impressive as his knack for hauling in blue-chip prospects.

Sure, the 5-star recruits and can't-miss prospects are the foundation of Ohio State's success, but some of the Buckeyes' brightest stars were largely overlooked on the recruiting trail.

Over the years, players such as A.J. Hawk, Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis came to Ohio State as 3-star recruits, then left as consensus first-team All-Americans. Others such as Brian Hartline, Brian Robiskie and Antonio Pittman flew under the radar as high school prospects, then went on to have great careers as Buckeyes before entering the league as NFL draft picks.

All of the above were recruited and signed by Jim Tressel. Meyer is in the process of duplicating that success.

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It started with Meyer's first recruiting class in 2012, when he honored the scholarship offers sent out by Luke Fickell's staff before he officially took over. Five 3-star prospects from that group—offensive guard Pat Elflein, center Jacoby Boren, wide receiver Michael Thomas, safety Tyvis Powell and quarterback Cardale Jones—were pivotal starters during Ohio State's run through the College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes struck gold again a year later when Fickell pushed Meyer to offer Darron Lee. The 3-star athlete was a high school quarterback who projected as a defender at the collegiate level—a raw prospect who was far from a sure thing. According to Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch, it took a while for Meyer to buy in.

“I rejected him, probably four times,” Meyer said of Lee, via Rabinowitz. “Shows you how good an evaluator I am.”

That offer was made, though, and the Buckeyes are better because of it. Lee joined a 2013 class that included 4-star linebacker studs Mike Mitchell and Trey Johnson, who were expected to get Ohio State's defense back to its dominant self.

But it was Lee, who was pegged as the No. 630 recruit nationally, who thrived in Columbus. He won a starting spot in the linebacker unit last spring after taking a medical redshirt his first year on campus.

After quietly putting together a fantastic season, Lee dominated in Ohio State's last three games—leading the team in total tackles while racking up three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble, according to Ohio State's official website.

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The best may be yet to come for the Buckeyes. A number of Ohio State's 3-star prospects from the 2014 class are biding their time and waiting for an opportunity. Players such as Terry McLaurin, who had to fight for his Ohio State offer the same way Lee did, and offensive linemen Marcelys Jones will have a chance to step up and replace lost starters this spring. 

A glance at Ohio State's 2015 class reveals that same potential. 

Quarterback Joe Burrow and cornerback Carlton Davis spent a majority of their recruitment as 3-star prospects. Undeterred, Meyer recruited and secured commitments from both. In 247 Sports' final rankings, the underrated pair were given their fourth star.

Meyer and the Buckeyes will never stop pursuing the top players in the country. But over the last few years, this coaching staff has proven it can find overlooked players and maximize their potential.

All recruiting information via 247Sports.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.