Ohio State Commits, Targets on the Move in Updated 247Sports Recruiting Rankings
The updated 247Sports.com recruiting rankings were released on Wednesday, and a number of Ohio State commits and targets made big moves up the board.
Dante Booker, who committed to Ohio State in May, isĀ the biggest winner. The outside linebacker from Akron, Ohio,Ā jumped 73 spots, earning a 5-star rating in the process. Booker's performance at The Opening, Nike's premier recruiting camp, gave him a big lift, according toĀ Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.
"After Booker blew us all away at The Opening with his testing (6-3, 212, 4.52 in the 40), I took another look at his junior film. Not only is Booker fast, heās football fast, instinctive and a great playmaker. Thereās talk he could put his hand down in college and that would be fine. He also can play in space well enough to remain at linebacker. Booker is a special player right now, but after digging in on who he really is as a prospect and what he showed at The Opening, he has special potential as well.
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Booker is now Ohio State's highest rated recruit, but he wasn't the only one who made a dramatic leap.
In fact, the biggest move was made by wide receiverĀ Terry McLaurin. The 6'0", 190-pound speedster jumped 227 spots to No. 212Ā while also gaining his fourth star. McLaurin, who committed to the Buckeyes in June, also had a strong performance at The Opening. He wasĀ second in the Sparq competition, finishing behind 5-star receiverĀ Speedy Noil.
McLaurin's former 3-star status had some pegging him as a sleeper pick for Urban Meyer, but his impressive showing should attract the attention of other schools. That process has already begun, according to Michael Chung of The-Ozone.net.
"Buckeye fans knew this would happen, but after The Opening, Terry McLaurin has been pursued by other "bigger" named schools.
ā Michael Chung (@MChungOZone) July 12, 2013"
Ole Miss was one of those schools, but McLaurin, to this point, has no interest in wavering on his commitment to Ohio State.
Other Buckeyes commits who improved their ranking wereĀ athleteĀ Sam HubbardĀ (up six spots to No. 219), wide receiverĀ Parris CampbellĀ (up 11 spots to No. 119), linebackerĀ Kyle BergerĀ (up 46 spots to No. 94) and cornerbackĀ Damon WebbĀ (up 17 spots to No. 80).
Some Ohio State commits, however, slipped down the board. While all these prospects maintained their 4-star status, offensive tackleĀ Kyle TroutĀ (down 44 spots), offensive guardĀ Marcelys JonesĀ (down 10 spots)Ā and defensive endĀ Jalyn HolmesĀ (down 27Ā spots) took a small dive.
One of Meyer's top remaining targets made a huge jump. Curtis Samuel, a 6'0", 185-pound athlete out ofĀ Brooklyn,Ā N.Y., earned a fifth star after elevating 57 spots to No. 25.Ā
The Buckeyes' other top targets were by and largeĀ able to maintain their positions. LinebackerĀ Raekwon McMillan, who was ranked No. 14, slipped just one spot. The same goes for offensive tackleĀ Damian Prince, who ranks No. 17, and quarterbackĀ Brandon Harris, who sitsĀ at No. 99.
CornerbackĀ Marshon LattimoreĀ held serve at No. 34, but offensive guardĀ Demetrius KnoxĀ fell 25 spots to No. 135.
The recruiting cycle just hit its midway point, so these rankings willĀ remainĀ fluid throughout the year. The BuckeyesĀ haveĀ the highest rated class in the Big Ten at No. 4 nationally, behind Alabama, Miami and Florida State.
All recruit rankings per 247Sports.com.
DavidĀ RegimbalĀ is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report.
Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.Ā
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