Ohio State Lands 4-Star TE, Continues Quick Success on 2016 Recruiting Class

It hasn’t taken long for Ohio State’s national championship run to positively impact their efforts on the recruiting trail.

Urban Meyer and his staff kept up their hot streak by adding a pledge from 2016 4-star tight end Jake Hausmann on Sunday:

The 6’5”, 235-pounder from Moeller High School in Cincinnati is the sixth member of the 2016 class—all of whom rank as 4-star recruits or higher. The No. 76 overall player and No. 3 tight end in the 2016 class selected Ohio State over offers from Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame, among others.

Hausmann’s pledge has moved Ohio State up to No. 4 in the 2016 class rankings, but it’s another sign that the Buckeyes are primed to make a run at No. 1.

According to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, Hausmann’s high school coach—John Rodenburg—said that Meyer pursued his star pupil as if he was the No. 1 target at that position.

"I think wherever he went he wanted to be sure he was their No. 1 guy, and that's the way Ohio State made him feel,” Rodenburg told Wiltfong.

Rodenburg told Wiltfong late last year that Hausmann has worked himself into a player who can handle the responsibilities of the position at the next level.

“He’s gotten stronger,” Rodenburg said. “He still has the soft hands. Got the good speed. He’s a true tight end. He’s not a guy you would think to move to tight end. He’s going to be a guy that can be detached or attached, and his blocking has really come on.”

Given that rising senior tight end Nick Vannett is just one of two pure tight ends scheduled to be on the 2015 roster, landing a potential early contributor at that spot was critical for Meyer in the 2016 class.

Hausmann has the frame and athleticism to add another dimension to Meyer’s offense—which thrived using tight ends such as Cornelius Ingram and Aaron Hernandez who created mismatches all over the field during his tenure at Florida.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

As noted by Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts, his package of attributes gives Meyer some versatility to either line him up as a traditional tight end or flex him out as a receiver in certain formations.

His addition gives a boost to a group already consisting of elite talents such as 5-star running back Kareem Walker, 4-star running back George Hill and 4-star wide receiver Kierre Hawkins.

Additionally, they are in a good position with top 2016 standouts such as 5-star defensive end Nick Bosa, 4-star offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg, 4-star running back Demario McCall.

Given the Buckyes' fast start to 2016 recruitment and the momentum within the program following the national title run, Meyer is assembling a class that could potentially be his best since arriving in Columbus.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.