Ohio State Recruiting: Grading the Buckeyes' 2011 Class
National Signing Day has come once again, and Jim Tressel has once again put together quite a strong recruiting class.
The 2011 crop of new Buckeyes will be the third time in four years they are ranked in the top five on Scout.com's team rankings.
And for the Buckeyes, the strength of this class is no doubt in the front seven, as well as the QB position.
With a massive amount of quality players coming to Columbus in the fall, it's hard to break them down into the top 10.
But here is a ranking of the top 10 players in Ohio State's recruiting class that have been signed, sealed and delivered to Columbus.
For more news on where the top recruits sign their letters on intent, click here as well as checking out our live blog of National Signing Day.
10. Jeremy Cash, S
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Position: Safety
Ht/Wt.: 6'2", 185
Where he fits in best:
Cash was one of the first players to commit to Ohio State and is one of five players that enrolled early, along with high school teammate Ryan Shazier and QB Braxton Miller.
Expect Cash to be a contender for a safety spot or potentially the STAR position where Jermale Hines, Tyler Moeller and Christian Bryant have had success in the three years of the position.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. With Moeller departing after this season and questions about who can fill in the two starting spots, Cash can find some early playing time. It doesn't hurt that he has come in early for winter workouts and spring practice.
Grade: B. Cash is a big-time playmaker in the secondary and could see time early on special teams, and could eventually work his way to the SS job very soon.
9. Chase Farris, DL
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Position: DL
Ht/Wt.: 6'6", 270
Where he fits in best:
Farris, another early commit, is a player that can certainly play on either side of the ball. He has the size to manhandle offensive linemen if he moves to DT, but has the size to be a good right tackle as well.
It's unsure as of right now which side of the ball Farris will line up on, but he can certainly be a stud on the lines.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. The Buckeyes need extra linemen and made a concerted effort to land some big-time linemen. Farris might not play right away, but he certainly has the athletic ability to be a big-time playmaker on the lines.
Grade: B. You can't have too many linemen, and Farris can play on either line for the Buckeyes.
8. Brian Bobek, C
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Position: C
Ht/Wt.: 6'2", 278
Where he fits in best:
Bobek is the top center prospect in the country according to Scout.com, and certainly appears to be the heir apparent to Mike Brewster.
He is a very intelligent player who is very aggressive and has great footwork, something that the offensive coaching staff can work well with.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. OSU needed to bring in a player to eventually replace Brewster, who is a senior this upcoming season.
Bringing in Bobek helps to improve the depth in the line now and gives the Buckeyes another good center prospect.
Grade: B+. While the C position is not exactly a sexy position, it is very important. And Buckeye fans should feel good about it with Bobek in the fold.
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7. Kenny Hayes, DE
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Position: DE
Ht/Wt.: 6'5", 255
Where he fits in best:
The first commit of the 2011 class, Hayes is just one of many defensive linemen that Ohio State will welcome into their freshman class.
Hayes is a powerful DE that has strongside potential who just uses pure strength to beat offensive linemen to get to the backfield.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. Like Farris, Hayes is just one of many talented linemen that will try to fill the voids left by Cameron Heyward and Dexter Larimore up front.
Grade: B+. Hayes might redshirt early on, but expect him to gain a few pounds and become more of a power linemen as he develops in his college career.
6. Michael Bennett, DL
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Position: DL
Ht/Wt.: 6'3", 279
Where he fits in best:
Bennett's future probably lies at defensive tackle, where he brings great athleticism and explosiveness to the middle of the defensive line.
Good lines always start in the middle, and Bennett appears to be a cornerstone of the defensive front for years to come.
Does he fill a void? Not necessarily right now. Bennett faces little pressure to play right away with Johnny Simon and Garrett Goebel already ahead of him on the depth chart.
Expect Bennett to redshirt and grow more into what Jim Tressel wants in a defensive tackle.
Grade: A-. The biggest trend in recent OSU recruiting is landing talented players on the defensive line. Bennett is just another one of those guys that can give offensive lines headaches in the future.
5. Ryan Shazier, LB
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Position: LB
Ht/Wt.: 6'2", 202
Where he fits in best:
Shazier was a surprise commit after leaving Florida. Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell should be excited to have Shazier, who has quite a combination of speed and instincts, which make him a deadly pass rusher.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. Ohio State could use a LB with pass-rushing capabilities, and Shazier brings all of the tools and so much more.
He is already in Columbus with Cash and Braxton Miller going through winter workouts. And with two openings in the LB corps, Shazier can make a case for consideration with great practices in the spring.
Grade: A-. Getting Shazier was very unexpected, but he is a gamer and will be quite the player to watch in the future.
4. Doran Grant, DB
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Position: CB
Ht/Wt.: 5'10", 177
Where he fits in best:
Grant is a very explosive playmaker at the corner position, combining the ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage with gamebreaking speed.
He will see action very early in the defensive backfield based on his athletic gifts alone.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. With Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence both gone, OSU had a major need at corner that was filled very quickly.
Doran has the ability to be a top-flight corner in college, especially if he can improve his open-field tackling ability.
Grade: A. Grant is a dynamic playmaker that will make any secondary better, and can eventually play well enough to allow his coaches to put him on the island and let the front seven loose.
3. Steve Miller, DE
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Position: DE
Ht/Wt.: 6'4", 230
Where he fits in best: Miller committed to OSU just after Kenny Hayes, but is definitely the highest-rated linemen in this class. Projected as a weakside end, Miller has a great combination of size and speed that makes him a great defensive lineman.
He has the ability to play right now with his talent and athleticism.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. With the loss of Cameron Heyward, the chance to start at DE is very good. And with the athletic gifts Miller has, he can certainly make a case for the starting job in the summer.
Grade: A. Expect Miller to be the next big thing in what's quickly becoming a DE pipeline in Columbus.
2. Curtis Grant, LB
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Position: LB
Ht/Wt.: 6'3", 215
Where he fits in best: The commitment of Grant on National Signing Day was just the icing on the cake for what is a spectacular Ohio State recruiting class.
Grant combines tremendous size and strength with instincts that have warranted him comparisons to Ray Lewis, quite high praise for a high school senior.
With his pure size and athleticism, it will be tough for Tressel and the staff to keep him off the field in his freshman season.
Does he fill a void?: Not really, but Grant is the type of impact playmaker you make room for in your recruiting class.
He could be the future star at MLB and will only add to the great linebackers in the history of the Buckeyes, ranging from Spielman to A.J. Hawk and James Laurinaitis.
Grade: A+. Grant is a special defensive player and can really make a large, immediate impact on Ohio State's defense.
1. Braxton Miller, QB
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Position: QB
Ht/Wt.: 6'2", 185
Where he fits in best: Without question, Braxton Miller is the highlight of this 2011 recruiting class. Already enrolled in classes and taking part in winter workouts, Miller is looking for a starting job while Terrelle Pryor sits out his five-game suspension.
Miller appears to be a hybrid of both Pryor and Troy Smith, as he is a pure dual-threat with a strong arm and excellent elusiveness on the run. He is the future of this team at the QB position.
Does he fill a void?: Yes. Ohio State needed a QB to replace Pryor when he graduates, and Miller is certainly that player.
Tressel's offense works best with dual-threat QBs running the show, and he will enjoy letting Braxton run his offense throughout his Buckeye career.
Grade: A+. This kid is a stud and can be one of the best QBs in the country within two or three seasons.
Final Grade and Breakdown
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Final Grade: A.
This is one of Jim Tressel's best recruiting jobs in his tenure, including their third top-five class in four years.
Getting Braxton Miller helps to secure the future of the QB position, and they made significant strides in recruiting defensively all over the place, especially in the front seven.
However, OSU did not recruit any running backs in 2011 with a full complement of backs already intact.
While it's tough to judge who among these players will have an immediate impact, this class has tremendous potential and star power.
As far as filling needs and getting quality people at multiple positions, Tressel succeeded immensely.
And looking forward to 2012, Ohio looks to be even deeper, especially at DE and WR. If Tressel can keep the fence up once again, the Buckeyes will continue to reign supreme in the Big Ten.
For more news about recruiting and college football, follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.
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