2011 National Signing Day: Ohio State's Forgettables You Should Remember

Last year at this time,  I wrote about a few players in the 2010 class Ohio State fans should not forget about, and I decided to look at a few guys in this class as well.

Obviously the 2011 class is a very solid one for the Ohio State Buckeyes and one of the better classes in the country this year. There is a lot of star power to be excited about, with guys such as Braxton Miller, Doran Grant, Michael Bennett, Ryan Shazier and Steve Miller all coming to Columbus.

With National Signing Day just around the corner, there is also the chance to grab other superstars in the making like Curtis Grant, Aundrey Walker and JaJuan Story. Honestly, this could be coach Jim Tressel's best class ever when the dust settles.  

With that said, Buckeyes fans should not forget about some of the lesser-hyped players in this class.

Tressel has been one of the best coaches in the country at developing two and three-star players, and as Jason of 11W wrote about earlier this week, the numbers prove it. Not that any of us need the numbers for proof. Just go back and look at guys like A.J. Hawk, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins, Chimdi Chekwa, Donald Washington or Dane Sanzenbacher, and you quickly realize how great Tressel is at making these low profile players into gems. So, let's take a look at a few guys who could fit into that category in this class, I call them "The Forgettables."   

WR Devin Smith 

Now some of you may give me a hard time because Devon Smith has garnered a bit more attention than the other guys later on this list.

Still, he is widely regarded as a three-star prospect and the second best receiver in this class for Ohio State behind Evan Spencer. Personally, I think he has an opportunity to play early for the Buckeyes, maybe even as a freshman. With Sanzenbacher graduating and DeVier Posey's suspension, there are plenty of holes in the receiving corps to start the season.

While there is other young blood on the Ohio State roster, I'm not sure anyone will have the quickness and play-making ability in the air as that of Smith, making him a very viable option. His statistics the last few years at Massillon also suggest a big time player.

OL Antonio Underwood

Everyone knew heading into the 2011 class that the staff needed to grab four or five offensive linemen, and they wasted no time grabbing Chris Carter, Brian Bobek, Tommy Brown and Antonio Underwood early on in the process.

Of those four, Bobek is definitely the premiere player, and I think we would all agree, most of us have a hard time differentiating between the other three. The aforementioned Walker is also expected to be in this class, giving the staff the fifth body they are looking for.

Besides Walker and Bobek, keep an eye on Underwood. He has got a mean streak and really explodes off the ball with a lot of power. While he needs to work on some technique, I think he gets molded into a good one at Ohio State. Former Buckeye offensive lineman, LeCharles Bentley, agrees.

DT Joel Hale

The staff has arguably assembled one of the best defensive line classes in the country, and maybe the best in all of Tressel's tenure at Ohio State.

With Ken Hayes, Steve Miller, Michael Bennett, Chase Farris and Joel Hale, the Buckeyes have an incredible crop of talent for the future. In fact, with all the losses on the defensive line the last two years, you better believe some of these guys will see the field very early in their careers.

Of that group the one guy who has flown under the radar is Hale. Part of this is that he comes from Indiana and not Ohio, like the rest of the guys in the group, but he also doesn't have the same kind of national respect. While I'm not sure he plays early in his career like Miller and Bennett probably will, I think he will be a big contributor down the road. In fact, I look for him to have a similar career to fellow Hoosier Dexter Larimore. Here is what Craig Haubert of ESPN had to say about Hale.

LB Connor Crowell

When Connor Crowell first committed to the Buckeyes in November, there was a lot of excitement. Linebacker was a major need for Ohio State in this class, and before Crowell, it appeared the staff may come up empty in the 2011 class. Then just a month later, Shazier committed, followed by Ejuan Price, and Crowell quickly became a forgotten man. While Shazier and Price are higher ranked by the recruiting services, and both have athleticism through the roof, don't forget about Crowell.

If he recovers from the broken ankle that ended his senior season at North Point High School, I think he has every bit as much of an upside as the other two guys. In fact, you don't score this high on SPARQ unless you have some serious athleticism.