Ohio State National Signing Day 2015: 5 Takeaways from Buckeyes' Class

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After winning college football's first-ever playoff, Urban Meyer proclaimed that the month leading up to national signing day would be a "monthlong infomercial for Ohio State."

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes head coach backed up his words.

The rich got richer in Columbus on national signing day this year, with Meyer adding the nation's sixth-ranked recruiting class to a roster that will return 14 starters from last season's national title team. With its 2015 class filling up relatively early, Ohio State still managed to add four recruits between the championship game and signing day, with Meyer holding off multiple attempts from fellow top-tier programs trying to flip the Buckeyes' commits.

As a result, Ohio State hauled in another top-six nationally-ranked class, despite this year originally being projected as one of the smaller classes since Meyer arrived in Columbus. The Buckeyes have added some players who should make an instant impact and others who could serve as cornerstones of the program in the long term, which should mesh well with what could be the nation's top-rated class in 2016.

That, however, is still a year away. So with the Buckeyes' newest 27 players still in mind, here are my top takeaways from Ohio State's 2015 class.

Joe Burrow Is the Next 'Next Man Up'

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Most of the headlines in Ohio State's most recent recruiting cycle may have belonged to 4-star Fort Lauderdale American Heritage quarterback Torrance Gibson, but the future of the Buckeyes program could very well be the other signal-caller in this year's class.

A 4-star prospect in his own right by way of Athens, Ohio, Joe Burrow may not possess the same sizzle as Gibson, but he should provide plenty of substance. The reigning Mr. Ohio Football, Burrow put together a spectacular senior season, which saw him complete 72 percent of his passes while throwing for 4,445 yards and 63 touchdowns.

While it remains unclear what position Gibson will play throughout his college career, Burrow has the ability to ultimately wind up as the true star of the Buckeyes' 2015 class. As Meyer proved this past season, the head coach certainly knows what he's doing when it comes to quarterbacks, and the 6'4", 200-pounder could wind up as Ohio State's starter sooner than later.

The Buckeyes haven't named a starter for 2015 yet, but it is likely that both Braxton Miller and Cardale Jones will move on from the program before the 2016 season. Depending on how J.T. Barrett performs in the upcoming season, he too could be a candidate to leave for the NFL the following year.

Regardless of how it shakes out, Ohio State's quarterback depth chart won't be nearly as crowded in 2016 as it will be next season. Burrow will have a realistic opportunity to enter his second season in Columbus as at least the Buckeyes' top backup, and he could well be starting by his third.

Burrow may be an afterthought for now, but that shouldn't last long.

Is Ohio State the New 'DB U?'

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Eric Glover-Williams

After just one look at the list of Ohio State's newest Buckeyes, it's easy to see where Meyer wanted to place an emphasis in this year's class.

Ohio State signed five players who are currently listed as defensive backs, although it remains possible 4-star prospect Eric Glover-Williams ultimately winds up on the offensive side of the ball. Regardless, the Buckeyes clearly wanted to add help to their defensive backfield and received just that with the signings of 4-star corner Jamel Dean, 4-star corner Denzel Ward, 3-star corner Joshua Norwood and 3-star corner Damon Arnette.

Some of those players could potentially move to safety, and most will probably redshirt, but it's obvious Meyer is preparing for departures in the defensive backfield after the upcoming season.

While the Buckeyes will return three starters to their secondary in 2015, it is possible—if not likely—that cornerback Eli Apple and safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell will declare early for the 2016 draft. With only uncertainties sitting behind them on the OSU depth chart, Meyer wisely made the move to add depth in the position group during the most recently recruiting cycle.

With Dean already enrolled, he's the safest bet of the bunch to make an instant impact. The 6'1", 185-pounder is recovering from a torn meniscus suffered during his senior season, but he should be healthy by the start of the season and will benefit from an early start in the Buckeyes' strength and conditioning program.

Meyer Holds off Harbaugh in First Head-to-Head Battle

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Mike Weber

Meyer isn't scheduled to square off with Jim Harbaugh until the final game of the regular season, but he already holds a winning record over the new Michigan head coach.

That's because Meyer was able to secure the national letter of intent of 4-star running back Mike Weber, despite a late surge from the Wolverines in the race for his services. Harbaugh's efforts weren't enough to sway the Detroit Cass Tech star, who was previously committed to Michigan before flipping to the Buckeyes following the firing of Brady Hoke.

It won't be the last time Meyer and Harbaugh go head-to-head on the recruiting trail, and to be fair, Meyer possessed a built-in advantage as the timing of Harbaugh's hiring gave him a late start. But that doesn't change the fact that Meyer has again taken one of the Wolverines' top targets out of their own backyard, after landing cornerback Damon Webb a year ago.

With Ezekiel Elliott and Curtis Samuel each returning, Weber could see limited carries in his freshman season, but there's a reason he's one of the recruits Ohio State is most excited about in this recruiting class. In his senior season of high school, Weber rushed for 2,268 yards and 29 touchdowns en route to being named a U.S. Army All-American.

So not only is it a win for Meyer to add Weber's talent to his stable, but the Buckeyes also benefit by keeping him away from their archrival. And that's certainly something that could pay off for Ohio State in the long run, whether it be this November or next.

Buckeyes Place Emphasis in the Trenches

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Dre'Mont Jones

Although Meyer has long been drawn to talented speedsters, he also knows the importance of controlling the line of scrimmage. That's why 12 of Ohio State's 25 commits in this year's class play on either the offensive or defensive line.

The headliner of the bunch is 4-star defensive end Jashon Cornell, who is already enrolled in time for spring ball at Ohio State. There, he'll be joined by 3-star offensive tackle Grant Schmidt, who will get a head start on adding weight to his 6'6" frame.

Size seems to be a common thread in this year's class, with Meyer also pulling in 6'9", 305-pound 3-star offensive tackle Kevin Feder. Ohio State also managed to nab a commitment from one of the best offensive guards in the country, 4-star prospect Matthew Burrell.

Throw in 4-star offensive tackle Isaiah Prince, 4-star defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, 3-star defensive tackle Robert Landers, 3-star defensive end Joshua Alabi, 3-star offensive tackle Branden Bowen, 3-star defensive end Rashod Berry, 3-star guard Mirko Jurkovic and 3-star defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, and the emphasis Meyer placed on the lines in this year's class is obvious. Last season, Ohio State only took three defensive linemen, along with five offensive linemen.

Cornell and Schmidt will benefit as early enrollees, but don't sleep on Jones, a U.S. Army All-American by way of Cleveland St. Ignatius. With the proven work of line coaches Ed Warinner and Larry Johnson, it's a safe bet that more than one future star will emerge from the bunch.

A Strong but Not Spectacular Class

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As a result of the increased emphasis Ohio State placed on both sides of the line this year, the Buckeyes' 2015 class may not be as sexy as previous ones. With offensive playmakers littering Ohio State's past two classes, this year's class needed to be the type that maintained a core foundation in a program that builds from the inside out.

The 2015 freshmen will still have a chance to make plays, especially given the ability of Gibson, Weber, Burrow, 4-star wide receiver K.J. Hill and 4-star wideout Alex Stump. But there's a reason this is tied for Meyer's lowest-ranked class since arriving in Columbus, as it's the skill positions that often lead to the highest rankings on national signing day.

That's just fine with Meyer, whose 2016 class already contains six commitments. With top-ranked running back Kareem Walker already on board and 5-star defensive end Nick Bosa likely joining him, there stands good reason to believe Ohio State's class next season will be the best in the nation.

With most of their starters returning from last season's national championship team, the 2015 class should fit in nicely in Columbus, both immediately and in the long term. It may not possess the immediate star power of the classes ranked ahead of it, but just as he has with quarterbacks, Meyer has proved he knows what he's doing when it comes to this recruiting thing.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.