Ohio State Football Recruiting: Looking Ahead to 2016 Class

Urban Meyer and Ohio State are only a week separated from signing their 27-member class for 2015, but that doesn't mean the Buckeyes aren't hard at work preparing for the 2016 recruiting cycle. 

In fact, Meyer has already secured commitments from six blue-chip prospects, a group that currently ranks third nationally.

According to Ohio State's official website, the Buckeyes will only have 12 seniors on scholarship this year. Of course, Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott are nearly locks to enter the draft after their junior seasons—and players such as Cardale Jones, Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell (among others) will have NFL decisions to make.

With the graduating seniors, early departures to the NFL and annual and inevitable attrition, the Buckeyes should have room for about 20 freshmen in their 2016 class. 

Here's a look at what's in store for Ohio State on the recruiting front this year.

The National Title Effect

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Ohio State's run through the first-ever College Football Playoff only had a small impact on its 2015 recruiting class because, at that point, most of the hay was in the barn. It helped the Buckeyes land signing day surprises K.J. Hill and Isaiah Prince—a pair of 4-star prospects who were also considering Alabama—but the '15 class was all but sealed by that point.

The Buckeyes will see a big bump in their 2016 recruiting efforts, though.

At least, that's what Urban Meyer believes. Ohio State's head coach likened his team's run through the playoff to free advertising for the program.

"I tell people it was like a 30-day infomercial," Meyer said of the playoff, according to Bill Landis of The Plain Dealer. "Go pay for positive advertisement for 30 days and see what that looks like." 

Cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said the Buckeyes are able to go into schools they've never had access to after their title run.

"

Coombs said Ohio State coaches are able to walk into schools they've never been and create buzz after winning the Title.

— jbook™ (@jbook37) February 4, 2015"

With Meyer at the helm, it would be surprising if the Buckeyes failed to cash in on their recent success on the field.

Dethroning Alabama...Again?

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Exactly how high can the Buckeyes climb in the recruiting rankings this year? 

Since Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have signed classes that ranked fifth (2012), second (2013 and 2014) and sixth (2015).  But this year, Ohio State has a chance to claim the recruiting title and dethrone Alabama, which has signed the nation's top class for five consecutive years.

History would indicate the Buckeyes are in for a special year. Since 2007, only two teams who won the national title failed to sign the nation's top recruiting class the following year. The first was Auburn in 2010, which was the only championship school that fired its coach two years after winning the title. The other was Florida State, which just inked the nation's No. 3 class.

The numbers may not be in Ohio State's favor, however. Unless there's an unexpected amount of attrition, the Buckeyes, optimistically, will only have room for about 20 players. Ohio State will challenge Alabama for quality, but the Tide could overwhelm the Buckeyes with quantity. 

Ohio's Finest

Credit: 247Sports

Recruiting the state of Ohio has been one of Urban Meyer's top priorities since taking over in Columbus. 

Dating back to the 2012 recruiting cycle, the Buckeyes have signed 23 of the state's top 45 recruits. Some of the Buckeyes' most important players—Adolphus Washington, Taylor Decker, Pat Elflein, Joshua Perry, Cardale Jones and Jalin Marshall—are products of the Buckeye State. 

So it shouldn't be a surprise when the Buckeyes go after the top homegrown talent. 

Ohio State already has commitments from five of the state's top 13 prospects—George Hill (running back), Jake Hausmann (tight end), Jonathon Cooper (defensive end), Tyler Gerald (offensive guard) and Kierre Hawkins (wide receiver)—all of whom are 4-star prospects.

Five of the top 10 who are uncommitted—Demario McCall (4-star running back), Prince Sammons (4-star defensive end), Brendan Ferns (4-star linebacker), Liam Eichenberg (4-star offensive tackle) and Justin Layne (4-star wide receiver)—are favored to land with the Buckeyes, according to 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions.

Meyer could get a clean sweep of Ohio's top 10 prospects if he can flip 5-star offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer from Notre Dame. The 6'5", 305-pound lineman pledged to Brian Kelly last October, but the Buckeyes could make another run at him after stealing Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Tony Alford away from the Irish. 

Whether they can flip Kraemer or not, the Buckeyes should be able to land most of Ohio's finest.

The Current Pledges

Credit: 247Sports

Even before Ohio State was named the fourth and final team in the College Football Playoff, Urban Meyer had already secured commitments from four players for the 2016 class. 

Two more players joined the fold while and after the Buckeyes beat Oregon to win their eighth national title, giving Meyer a solid foundation to build on moving forward. 

Kareem Walker, 5-Star Running Back

Kareem Walker, the nation's top running back and the ninth-rated prospect overall, committed to Ohio State as Ezekiel Elliott was tearing his way through the Oregon defense. The 5-star ball-carrier reaffirmed his commitment after the departure of former Buckeyes running backs coach Stan Drayton, who accepted the same position with the Chicago Bears. 

George Hill, 4-Star Running Back

The Buckeyes' backfield will be absolutely loaded, as George Hill, a 4-star running back out of Hubbard, Ohio, is set to join Walker in this year's class. Rated the No. 4 running back nationally and the No. 3 prospect in Ohio, Hill has the speed to break away from a defense, but he's strong enough to get the tough yards between the tackles. 

Jake Hausmann, 4-Star Tight End

The Buckeyes will have a big need for tight ends after losing Jeff Heuerman this year and Nick Vannett after the 2015 season. That's why the commitment of Jake Hausmann was so pivotal. The 6'5", 235-pound pass-catcher out of Cincinnati is Ohio State's third commitment that's ranked inside 247Sports' top 100. 

Jonathon Cooper, 4-Star Defensive End

Defensive line will be another area of need for Ohio State with the pending departures of Joey Bosa (who's likely to forgo his senior season for the NFL), Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt. The Buckeyes already got a big commitment from in-state star Jonathon Cooper, who turned down offers from the likes of Michigan State and Notre Dame to end his recruitment early. 

Tyler Gerald, 4-Star Offensive Guard

Ohio State boosted its offensive line with its 2015 recruiting efforts, landing six linemen in total—three offensive tackles and three guards. But Tyler Gerald was a prospect Meyer had to have. The 4-star standout from Portsmouth, Ohio, is rated the No. 4 guard and No. 163 prospect nationally, and he chose the Buckeyes over offers from Florida State, Penn State and Virginia Tech. 

Kierre Hawkins, 4-Star Wide Receiver

Kierre Hawkins is a 6'4", 210-pound pass-catcher who will bring an excellent blend of size and speed to the Ohio State offense. Rated Ohio's second-best receiver, Hawkins uses his size to his advantage, especially in the red zone, where the Buckeyes could use him as a similar threat as current wideout Michael Thomas. 

The Top Targets

Credit: 247Sports

Outside of the uncommitted targets from Ohio, there are two players whom Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes desperately want for this year's class. 

Nick Bosa, 5-Star Defensive End

How does Ohio State expect to replace a superstar like Joey Bosa? Why don't the Buckeyes just get his younger brother to join the fold? Nick Bosa, the star defensive end out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, may end up being just as good—or even better—than his older brother. 

Nick has certainly earned more accolades on the recruiting trail. 

Rated as a 5-star prospect, the top weak-side defensive end and the No. 18 recruit in the country, Nick is drawing more favorable rankings than Joey did in his senior year, when he was rated a 4-star prospect and the No. 37 player nationally.

Nick has offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and Notre Dame. But according to 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions, the Buckeyes are the unanimous favorite to land the 5-star stud. 

Jarrett Guarantano, 4-Star Quarterback 

Does Ohio State really need another quarterback? 

According to the Buckeyes' 2016 recruiting board, the answer is a resounding yes.

The Buckeyes have been in hot pursuit of one of the nation's top signal-callers for a while now. Jarrett Guarantano, a 4-star prospect and the No. 6-rated pro-style quarterback, received an offer from Ohio State last May, and many expected the talented prospect to announce his commitment soon.

But Guarantano appears to be taking a step back from the recruiting process. 

"

Taking a few steps back with this recruiting thing .

— Jarrett Guarantano (@Guarantano18) February 5, 2015"

Like Ohio State's top defensive target, Guarantano is a heavy Buckeyes lean. But with the quarterback taking a step back, Meyer will have to battle schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Penn State for his commitment. 

All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.

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