Ohio State Football Recruiting: Breaking Down the Top Target at Each Position

Ohio State's 13-member recruiting class in 2017 is currently ranked No. 1 nationally by 247Sports, and judging from the remaining targets left on head coach Urban Meyer's board, the Buckeyes are trying to gain an unbreakable grip on the top spot. 

The one thing that could prevent Ohio State from staying on top of the recruiting mountain is a current numbers crunch. The Buckeyes are a young team with only six scholarship seniors on the roster, leaving an estimated 19 or 20 scholarships available for the 2017 recruiting cycle. 

With only a handful of spots available in this year's class, here's a look at Ohio State's top remaining targets at each position group.  

Quarterback: Tate Martell

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Many thought Ohio State's quarterback recruiting for the 2017 cycle ended back in December of 2013, when pro-style signal-caller Danny Clark announced his verbal commitment as a freshman in high school. 

But the Buckeyes aren't done just yet, as a recent spike in activity on the quarterback front suggests that Urban Meyer is looking to add another passer to this year's class.

And Tate Martell, the nation's top dual-threat quarterback and a 5-star prospect, is getting a lot of attention from Ohio State.

The 5'10 ½", 203-pound blazer out of Las Vegas is currently committed to Texas A&M, but a surprise visit to Columbus last month gave the Buckeyes life in his recruitment. The door stayed open for Ohio State this week when Martell announced that he would take all five of his allotted official visits, and the Buckeyes have a good chance of being one of his destinations this fall. 

After his visit to Columbus in March, the Buckeyes became a contender in his recruitment, and 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictions give the Buckeyes a 21 percent chance of landing him. If Meyer can secure an official visit for Martell and host him for a prime-time game this fall, the Buckeyes' odds should increase. 

Running Back: Cam Akers

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Similar to quarterback, most expected Ohio State to be done on the running back front following commitments from 4-stars Todd Sibley and (all-purpose back) J.K. Dobbins. But when 5-star running back Cam Akers decommitted from Alabama just four days before officially visiting the Ohio State campus, that thinking changed in a big way.

That unofficial visit went well for both Akers and the Buckeyes, and there's now mutual interest in the recruitment of the No. 19 overall prospect for the class of 2017.

“I definitely love Ohio State,” Akers said, according to Bill Kurelic of 247Sports. “My family and myself love Ohio State and what the [football] program is doing. They always produce good running backs. They are always in the running for the national championship and the academics are great also.”

Akers is still looking at a host of SEC schools such as Tennessee, Georgia and Ole Miss, and Alabama is still in the thick of things, but Meyer has a chance to pluck one of the top southern prospects because of his recent success with running backs.

“Coach [Urban] Meyer and [Ohio State running backs] coach [Tony] Alford are two great men,” Akers said, per Kurelic. “They’re recruiting me hard. Ohio State will be in it the whole way. I’ll be back, but I’m not sure exactly when it will be. And I’ll probably make an official [visit].”

Wide Receiver/Tight End: Trevon Grimes

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Ohio State is chasing an epic haul of 5-star talent at wide receiver for its 2017 class, with Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tyjon Lindsey being the focus, but the Buckeyes have the best chance and the most to gain with a commitment from Trevon Grimes.

The 6'4", 195-pound playmaker is a 5-star stud and the No. 22 overall prospect in this year's recruiting cycle. His range and leaping ability make him an instant red-zone threat, but he has the speed to run away from the secondary and the polished route-running ability to get open underneath. 

Those traits are the reason schools such as Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame have thrown their hats in the ring for his recruitment, but things are shaping up as a two-horse race between Ohio State and Florida.

The Buckeyes have a commanding lead, though, earning an 88 percent chance of landing his commitment, per 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictions. And getting that commitment would pay huge dividends because Grimes is a special talent, and it would also keep the pipeline open into St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, the recruiting hotbed that also produced the likes of Joey and Nick Bosa.

Offensive Line: Josh Myers

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Ohio State's most important offensive line recruit is one who already offered his verbal pledge to Urban Meyer. 

Josh Myers, a 5-star standout and the No. 3 overall prospect in 2017, is an absolute mountain at 6'6" and 290 pounds. He's the kind of talent you can anchor the three-year future of an offense around at left tackle, and he will be a threat to appear on the two-deep roster (or even start) the moment he steps on campus. 

The Buckeyes secured his commitment in January 2015, less than two weeks after bulldozing their way over Oregon to claim the first-ever College Football Playoff. Myers watched as Ohio State bullied its way to 296 rushing yards (and 538 total yards) in a 42-20 rout of the Ducks, and it was easy for him to envision himself in the same system.

But his recruitment was unique in that he ended it so early, and his high school football coach Steven Channell explained why.

"He'll never say this, but he committed to Ohio State so early because he wanted to give the coaches the freedom to recruit everyone else without having to worry about him," Channell said, per Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com."He's always about the team. He wanted to commit, be solid and a major piece of their class without the pressure that usually comes along with prospects of his stature." 

That kind of leadership and selflessness makes Myers' commitment that much more important to the Buckeyes, and that's why he's still at the top of their board despite his verbal pledge.

Defensive Line: Joshua Kaindoh

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Ohio State has had a difficult time landing a top-flight defensive tackle in recent years, missing out on Terry Beckner Jr., Christian Wilkins and Neville Gallimore in 2015 and then failing to land any of the top targets in 2016, with 5-stars Rashan Gary, Dexter Lawrence and Rashard Lawrence and 4-star Antwuan Jackson all going elsewhere.

The Buckeyes finally got their interior guy when Haskell Garrett, the No. 4 defensive tackle in 2017, committed to Urban Meyer in February.

With Garrett's commitment in hand, the Buckeyes shifted their focus to the edge, where they're hoping to land 5-star weak-side defensive end Joshua Kaindoh.

Kaindoh is rated the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 20 overall player in the country, and after visiting Maryland in late March, the Terrapins made a surprising surge as the favorites to land his pledge. But that notion was disrupted on Wednesday when Kaindoh tweeted that he was down to a final four of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan.

The Fighting Irish have surged to the forefront, per 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictions, and because he's planning to enroll early, the Buckeyes have a lot of ground to make up quickly, as they only have a 14 percent chance of gaining his commitment.

Linebacker: Antjuan Simmons

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Ohio State has loaded up at linebacker in recent seasons, signing eight players to stockpile talent for the unit over the last three years.

Because of that, linebacker wasn't a huge need for the 2017 class. But that didn't stop Urban Meyer from stealing 4-star linebacker Antjuan Simmons from rival Michigan's backyard.

The 6'1", 215-pound outside linebacker from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is in the thick of enemy territory, as his high school is a half-mile away (or a 10-minute walk) from Michigan Stadium, according to Google Maps.

Plucking a prospect that close to the Wolverines' home base had to feel good for Meyer and the Buckeyes, but that's not the only reason they recruited the Pioneer High School standout. The two-way prospect (he also plays running back but projects as a linebacker at the collegiate level) has an impressive offer list that includes Cal, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and, of course, Michigan.

But the Michigan product joined a recent trend of Wolverines prospects heading south to join Ohio State. The Buckeyes have signed a player from Michigan in each of the last three recruiting cycles, and with Simmons' commitment, that streak will continue to four. 

Secondary: Jeffrey Okudah

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Ohio State is in the hunt for a number of the nation's premier defensive backs—a list that includes 4-star standouts Lamont Wade, Amir Riep, Ambry Thomas and Jaylen Kelly-Powell. 

But Jeffrey Okudah, a 5-star and the No. 1 ranked safety in the country, stands above them all.

The Buckeyes overtook Baylor as the leader in Okudah's recruitment in February, according to 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictions, and Urban Meyer is hoping to stay there. Ohio State didn't sign a true safety in last year's class, and with the departures of both starters from last year's team, depth is a bit thin at the position.

Much of that was alleviated when 4-star Isaiah Pryor, the No. 3 safety nationally, offered his verbal pledge to the Buckeyes last July. But the coaching staff would love to pair the country's best safety with Pryor and secure what would be the best safety haul for the class of 2017.

Okudah explained why he currently has Ohio State at the top of his list to Greg Powers of Scout:

"I believe that iron sharpens iron and Ohio State has the No. 1 class for 2017," Okudah said. "I want to compete against the best guys so I can get the best level of play out of myself."

Looking at all of the top targets remaining on the Buckeyes' board, it's clear that they're looking to remain at the top of the recruiting standings. That's something that's important to Okudah as well, so if Meyer keeps rolling, Ohio State could land the nation's top safety on national signing day.

All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.