Will Ohio State's 2015 Recruiting Class Surge or Falter on National Signing Day?

On the heels of a run through the first-ever College Football Playoff, head coach Urban Meyer and Ohio State are hoping to close out their 2015 recruiting class with a bang.

There's a chance, though, that the Buckeyes could sputter by losing a few key commitments before national signing day on Wednesday. And right now, it's too early to tell which way the scale will tip.

The Buckeyes could get a huge boost with last-minute commitments from some of the top remaining prospects who are still uncommitted. 

Most noteworthy among that group is Porter Gustin, a 4-star standout and the No. 41 prospect overall. The outside linebacker/weak-side defensive end hybrid has offers from programs such as LSU, Florida State, Notre Dame and Oregon, but the recruiting experts have USC as the heavy favorite to land his services. 

Ohio State, however, is making a late rally. 

Credit: 247 Sports

Meyer made his way to Utah to visit with Gustin this week, and the 6'5", 245-pound athlete is returning the favor by making an official visit to Columbus this weekend. If the trip goes well, Ohio State could seal one of the biggest recruiting surprises of the year by stealing him away from USC.

Another player the Buckeyes are pushing for is 4-star wide receiver K.J. Hill. 

A 6'0", 188-pound pass-catcher out of North Little Rock, Arkansas, Hill was long considered a lean to play for Bret Bielema and the home-state Razorbacks. But Meyer and the coaching staff have given Hill a lot of attention down the stretch, and that could pay off. The Buckeyes hosted him last weekend while the team celebrated its national title in Ohio Stadium, and Meyer checked in with him in Arkansas on Thursday. 

Some, like Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue, feel that Hill's commitment to the Buckeyes is imminent.

The Buckeyes have an outside shot of landing other highly rated prospects. Players such as 5-star defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., 4-star offensive tackle Isaiah Prince and 3-star offensive tackle Venzell Boulware (who's currently committed to Tennessee) are all on Ohio State's board.

Perhaps the most important recruits on signing day will be a pair that's already on board.

Two of Ohio State's top pledges—4-star quarterback Torrance Gibson and 4-star running back Mike Weber—have been feeling a lot of heat from other programs. Both are rated as top-100 prospects (Gibson 75th, Weber 78th), and both have the ability to leave a crushing blow to Ohio State's class if they were to defer.

Gibson has gone on a spree of visits over the last few weeks in an effort to make sure he's "100 percent" sure that Ohio State is the right place for him, per his first-person column for USA Today High School Sports. After visiting Auburn and LSU over the last two weeks, the dual-threat signal-caller plans to visit Miami this weekend before making a final decision on signing day. 

Ohio State did get the chance to make one last impression with him on Thursday as Meyer stopped in for a visit. The Buckeyes are hoping they can hold on to one of their top prospects and, possibly, their next great quarterback.

Similar pressure is being put on Weber by Ohio State's chief rival. After Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach, the Wolverines have re-engaged the stud running back, making him a top priority in their struggling class. New running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley has been in to see Weber personally two times this month, pushing the Detroit native to stay in-state.

Credit: 247 Sports

Meyer is hoping he can get Gibson and Weber to stick with their commitments, something he failed to do with 4-star cornerback Carlton Davis. The Miami, Florida native committed to Ohio State in August, but he decommitted on Thursday with plans to consider offers from Auburn and Miami. 

Will Ohio State be able to end the recruiting season the way it did on the field—with a run of unexpected success? Or will the Buckeyes stumble down the stretch and lose key members of their class to other schools?

Meyer won't get those answers until national signing day, but in the meantime, he'll be doing everything he can to close things out on a high note.

All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.