Ohio State Football Recruiting: The Good and Bad from National Signing Day

With the ridiculous surge of recruits committing to Ohio State recently, it's hard to find any negatives on National Signing Day for the Buckeyes.

Things have been rolling in Columbus as Urban Meyer has turned a mediocre recruiting class into a top five in just two months. The success Meyer has experienced on the recruiting trail in such a short period of time has been unprecedented, but as is life, not everything has gone the Buckeyes' way.

Let's reflect on the good and bad of National Signing Day for Urban Meyer and company.  

Good: The Commitments of Kyle Dodson and Jamal Marcus

When Urban Meyer took over in Columbus in late November, he purposely set out to address two positions of need. The first position was offensive tackle and the the second was linebacker. Today, Meyer further addressed these thin positions with a commitment for each spot.

Today, Kyle Dodson out of Cleveland, Ohio officially announced his commitment to Ohio State after months of speculation, according to ESPN.

Dodson was previously committed to Wisconsin but reopened his recruitment directly after the hiring of Urban Meyer.

Rivals rates Dodson as a four-star and the 16th best offensive tackle in the nation. This is a huge pickup for Meyer and his staff who only had one other offensive tackle commit in Taylor Decker. Both Decker and Dodson have the potential to be in the two deep at the offensive tackle position on OSU's depth chart next year.

Along with the commitment of Dodson, OSU also received good news from linebacker Jamal Marcus who announced his commitment to the Buckeyes according to Rivals. The Buckeyes were extremely thin at linebacker but have now bolstered that position with five linebacker commits signing their letters of intent today.

According to Scout.com, Marcus is a three-star defensive end. However, at Ohio State he will most likely play linebacker. Marcus has an impressive combination of size and speed and despite his lower rating he had offers from programs like USC, Notre Dame and Auburn.

These are two great announcements for Urban Meyer as he continues to pad the Buckeyes' 2012 recruiting class.

Good: The Signed Letter of Intent from Noah Spence

Although this isn't a major surprise, the reality of Spence becoming a Buckeye can't be underestimated.

He is Ohio State's flagship recruit of the 2012 class and Buckeye Nation can expect big things from Spence during his time in Columbus.

According to Scout.com, Spence is a five-star and the number two defensive end in the nation. He's one of the top players overall in the country and has the perfect skill set to dominate at Ohio State's hybrid linebacker/rush end "Leo" position.

Spence is a relentless pass-rusher with a high motor and an impressive work ethic. In the Under Armour All-American game, Spence dominated and had several sacks, a forced fumble and a few tackles for loss.

He proved he can be a force even against some of the best talent in the nation and will be competing for playing time the second he gets to Columbus.

Good: The Buckeye's Recruiting Domination over the Big Ten

Despite a 6-6 season and a bowl-ban next year, Ohio State has yet again managed to dominate recruiting amongst the Big Ten.

Not only does OSU have the highest rated Big Ten class according to every major recruiting website, but they have also managed to nab several recruits from the clutches of Big Ten foes.

In the past few months, Urban Meyer and company have stolen one Wisconsin commit, one Michigan State commit and four Penn State commits. These whopping numbers don't even include the close races for recruits like Armani Reeves and Bri'onte Dunn that OSU managed to win against arch-rival Michigan.

It is plain to see that Meyer is making his presence know in the Big Ten.

Bad: Kyle Kalis' Signed Letter of Intent to Michigan

This announcement also came with no surprise, but anytime a player of Kalis' caliber leaves the state of Ohio to attend Michigan it's a bad thing for OSU. Kalis is rated as a five-star and the sixth best tackle in the nation by Scout.com.

Very early on, Kalis was an Ohio State verbal commit but abandoned the Buckeyes for Michigan after the resigning of Jim Tressel. He's the number one player in the state of Ohio this year and in order for Ohio State to be extremely successful they have to put a recruiting fence around their home state.

Meyer never really had a chance at Kalis by the time he was hired, but losing such a highly rated player to Michigan hurts.

Bad: The Loss of Roger Lewis

Roger Lewis was a part of Ohio State's 2012 recruiting class up until a week ago.

The Pickerington, Ohio native had to reopen his recruitment due to academic issues, according to sources. Things have only gotten worse for Lewis as he is now being charged with two counts of rape according to reports.

While I'm sure Meyer is glad to have this trouble away from his program, Lewis was a big time commit before his fallout with academics and other troubles. Rivals rates Lewis as a four-star and the 46th best wide receiver in the nation, although it doesn't look like he'll be playing receiver anywhere as of now.

In a way, Lewis' academic issues were a blessing in disguise because OSU can now avoid the troubles surrounding this young man, and I'm sure if these charges are true, Meyer and his staff would want nothing to do with Lewis.

However, anytime you lose talent this close to National Signing Day, it's not a good thing.

Bad: The Lack of Announcements from Davonte Neal and Stefon Diggs

If there is one thing missing from Urban Meyer's first recruiting class it's a big time, play-making receiver. However, the Buckeyes are still hot on the heels of two highly touted receivers in Davonte Neal and Stefon Diggs. 

While Diggs may be a long shot, Meyer did have him on campus this past weekend, and it would be icing on the cake to receive a commitment from a talent like Diggs.

However, Diggs is still going to visit Maryland this weekend and will announce his decision on February 10th, according to the Washington Post. With this delay, the race is wide open, but the Buckeye's are a long shot.

While the Buckeyes are a long shot for Diggs, they have the inside track on Davonte Neal.

The Ohio native has been a Buckeye fan since his days as a ball boy for Ohio State. This being said, it hurts that Neal wasn't ready to announce his decision on National Signing Day due to a visit he is taking to Arizona on February 10th, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

If the Buckeyes were to lose Neal to another school, it would be a harsh blow.

Many expected Neal to make his announcement on National Signing Day, and the fact that he is taking his time is not a good sign for the Buckeyes.