Ohio State Football: Recapping the Buckeyes' Big Recruiting Week

A number of Ohio State's top 2015 recruiting targets made their way to Columbus this past week to visit the campus and watch the Buckeyes go through spring drills.

It was a pivotal stretch for Urban Meyer, and it could be the start of a huge momentum swing in Ohio State's recruiting efforts.

The Buckeyes have already secured commitments from 4-star cornerbacks Eric Glover-Williams and Jamel Dean and 3-star safety Ben Edwards. With the traction gained this past week, however, more prospects could join the fold soon.

Here's a recap of Ohio State's big recruiting week.

The Top-Rated Ohio Duo 

Ohio State's recruiting strategy under Meyer is to secure the top talent in Ohio and then go national to cherry-pick elite prospects.

The Buckeyes already have a commitment from Ohio's No. 3 recruit—Glover-Williams—and the two prospects ranked ahead of him were on campus last week.

Five-star linebacker Justin Hilliard, the top in-state recruit, visited Columbus on Friday just a week after taking things in at Michigan.

According to Josh Helmholdt of Rivals, the visit secured Ohio State as a top contender for Hilliard's commitment.

That's great news for the Buckeyes, who have recently lost out on a pair 5-star linebackers from Ohio. In 2011, Trey DePriest chose Alabama over Ohio State, just one year removed from Jordan Hicks spurning the Buckeyes for Texas. 

Credit: 247 Sports

Jerome Baker, Ohio's No. 2 prospect, is a two-way player out of Cleveland.

Baker stars as a running back and linebacker at Benedictine High School, and while his collegiate position remains unclear, he made it known that Ohio State is his definitive favorite. 

Jeremy Birmingham, the director of recruiting at Eleven Warriors, wrote this about Baker's recruitment:

"

Upon completion of the visit, Baker reaffirmed that Ohio State is the favorite is [sic] his recruitment, a key step for the Buckeyes who have been fighting off Penn State for the 6-foot-1, 215 pound running back/linebacker. Baker still insists a decision isn't coming until after his senior season, but more and more I believe this ends sooner rather than later.

"

If Meyer can get Hilliard and Baker to join Glover-Williams, it would be the second consecutive year that Ohio State landed the state's top three prospects.

The Notables

Three other major in-state prospects—4-star defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, 4-star running back Larry Scott and 4-star linebacker Anthony McKee—were in Columbus this week, via Birmingham's article.

Jones, who plays defensive end and tight end for St. Ignatius High School, is a unanimous pick to land with the Buckeyes, according to 247 Sports' recruiting experts.

Scott has offers from some big-time programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Michigan State and Tennessee, so the Buckeyes will need to battle for the talented running back. McKee, who plays for Walnut Ridge High School in Columbus, doesn't currently hold an Ohio State offer.

The Buckeyes also made huge strides with a pivotal out-of-state recruit.

Four-star offensive lineman Patrick Allen made his way from Reisterstown, Md., to visit Ohio State last weekend, and that paid off in a big way for Meyer, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247 Sports.

Ohio State's recruiting efforts will only continue to surge through spring practice, but this past week could prove to be the start of some big moves for the 2015 class.

All recruit rankings and information per 247Sports.

David Regimbal is the Ohio State Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.
Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.