Family Feud: Three Questions from Ohio State's 2012 Signing Day

Dave and Drew Thurman (4:04 pm)

The holiday known as National Signing Day was an absolute whirlwind for Buckeye Nation, and most of us are still recovering from yesterday. With signings, commitments and drama, most of us are still wrapping our minds around this very solid 2012 class. To give some perspective, we have joined with a group of Buckeye Blogs to take a closer look at how this class will play out in the future and the impact they could have. You can check out opinions on the same questions from The Buckeye Battle Cry, The Buckeye Blog, Buckeye House Call, Men of the Scarlet and Gray, and Our Honor Defend.

Anyway, here are our thoughts:

Who are you most excited to see in scarlet and gray?

Dave: Adolphus Washington.  Even though Noah Spence was more highly rated I think Washington is going to be special.  More than that he was the top-ranked Ohio prospect according to many experts and hails from Cincinnati, which has been an area where Ohio State has found little success in recent years.  I was overjoyed to get this pass rush specialist.  Even with the return of Nathan Williams, I look for a couple of the freshmen ends to play, and help beef up the anemic Buckeye pass rush.

Drew: The easy answer here is one of the defensive lineman or running backs, who have tons of hype coming in. I'm going have to go with Jamal Marcus though. Urban Meyer praised the kid more than about any other prospect yesterday, and considering his track record with evaluating talent, I'm sold. His film is incredibly impressive, and his athleticism is through the roof. With the depth at linebacker currently, especially at outside linebacker, I'm looking forward to seeing what he can provide. I am little biased because of my ongoing enjoyment of solid linebacker play, and with this year's horrendous unit (sans Ryan Shazier), I'm ready to see Linebacker U re-emerge.

---

Who makes an immediate impact from the 2012 class?

Dave: Well, I already mentioned Washington, and I think he and Spence both play, and maybe Pittman, too.  I never hurts to have a bunch of guys who can get off the edge and disrupt the opponent's passing game.  Armani Reeves is almost guaranteed to see the field due to the need at corner, so he is a candidate.  I also think one or two of the receivers play, and my guess is that Michael Thomas leads the pack due to the fact that he has enrolled already.  And, you know some linebackers will see the field this year.  David Perkins has awesome speed, so I think he works his way into the two-deep, although there are a number of LB candidates.  Finally, a couple of offensive lineman will have to play.  Taylor Decker is the one I would keep an eye on to get serious playing time in 2012. 

Drew: Urban Meyer doesn't seem to interest in redshirting his players, so there could be a bevy of freshman contributions this season. That being said I think when the dust settles after this next season, Michael Thomas will be the biggest contributor. The wide receiver core seems very "blah" to me right now. There not only seems to be an absence of speed, but also of big physical receivers who can be depended on to move the chains. We a got a chance to see what Braxton actually looked like as a passer when Posey returned at the end of last season. He was one of the only guy who physically created separation and caught what was thrown his way. I look for Michael Thomas to take over that role this season and become one of the major targets for Braxton. It definitely doesn't hurt that he arrives as an early enrollee.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see a guy like Camren Williams make an early statement. While I don't think he possesses the athleticism of Perkins or Marcus, I do believe he is possibly the most intelligent guy in this class. Guys that pick things up see the field quickly, and that might be what helps Williams contribute immediately.

Who do you wish that OSU hadn't "missed" on? 

Dave: I wish we had been able to keep Kyle Kalis. I know that isn't popular at this point, since he chose the dark side, but we need tackles, and he is a good one.  Of course, had he stayed with the good guys, we probably would not have secured both Decker and Dodson, so there is a silver lining. It will be fun to see him get whipped four times in "The Game."

Drew: Kalis, really? You are a nicer man than me.

Anyway, I have a hard time complaining about missing anyone in this class as the staff did a great job feeling needs. At this point I'm going to go with Ifeadi Odenigbo, but my answer will change if either Davonte Neal or Stefon Diggs don't end up in Columbus. Odenigbo just seemed like a smart, standup kind of kid and one that could really help the front seven quickly. It's obviously a selfish answer given the sheer amount of linebackers and defensive ends that jumped on board in this class, but I was very impressed with him at the Under Armour All-American Game. He's also an Ohio kid, which you always want to see in scarlet and gray. That being said, I wish him the best at Northwestern.

Don't miss out on the perspectives of our friends:

The Buckeye Battle Cry - Three Questions from Ohio State’s 2012 Signing Day
The Buckeye Blog - It’s a Great Day for Ohio State: Thoughts on Signing Day
Buckeye House Call - National Signing Day – The New Beginning
Men of the Scarlet and Gray - National Signing Day: The Aftermath
Our Honor Defend - National Signing Day Thoughts