The Climb Back to the Top and How OSU Got Here: A Review of the 2019 Recruiting Class

Joe Khatib

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1:31p, 11/18/21

The defensive line recruiting class was AMAZING as all those guys have contributed in a major way.

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CaliforniaCowboy

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9:54a, 11/19/21

IMO, including transfers-in, as part of a "recruiting class" is a bit misleading; especially since the entire point that you're trying to back into is "recruiting made the difference".

It seems like ignoring he Elephant in the room.... do we recruit well? (our class rankings suggest not so much, if you like rankings), but the advent of the Portal over that time seems to really be the discerning factor in our rise.

I'm not sure about that, since all those numbers are lumped together.

and coaching changes.... we've had several significant coaching changes over that time..... our our players better, or our the coaches (Knowles) better? Or both, possibly.

Many of our kids, especially the OLine, have lots of "starts" because our recruiting had been so bad, and they got forced into early PT, and they weren't very good.

Clearly I understand your point, our recruits are pretty good once they get maturing and experience. I really appreciate the effort that you've put into these articles, but isn't our current situation more a factor of COVID really helping us gain much needed experience and maturity?

Is this season a culmination of our "recruiting" or is it a one-shot season where the stars in heaven align?

Frankly, our recruited classes would not have been able to accomplish this without Sills and Danny G, inside, and Antwine at DT, and the other transfers.... and also the addition of Knowls, and the time to learn his system.

Marshall Levenson

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In reply to CaliforniaCowboy • 11:20a, 11/19/21

Staff

CaliforniaCowboy said:
IMO, including transfers-in, as part of a "recruiting class" is a bit misleading; especially since the entire point that you're trying to back into is "recruiting made the difference".

It seems like ignoring he Elephant in the room.... do we recruit well? (our class rankings suggest not so much, if you like rankings), but the advent of the Portal over that time seems to really be the discerning factor in our rise.

I'm not sure about that, since all those numbers are lumped together.

and coaching changes.... we've had several significant coaching changes over that time..... our our players better, or our the coaches (Knowles) better? Or both, possibly.

Many of our kids, especially the OLine, have lots of "starts" because our recruiting had been so bad, and they got forced into early PT, and they weren't very good.

Clearly I understand your point, our recruits are pretty good once they get maturing and experience. I really appreciate the effort that you've put into these articles, but isn't our current situation more a factor of COVID really helping us gain much needed experience and maturity?

Is this season a culmination of our "recruiting" or is it a one-shot season where the stars in heaven align?

Frankly, our recruited classes would not have been able to accomplish this without Sills and Danny G, inside, and Antwine at DT, and the other transfers.... and also the addition of Knowls, and the time to learn his system.

My whole point of these is to show how little "recruiting rankings" matter. Recruiting is the most important thing in college football but a third party group making judgements on your actions and who you bring in does not matter in the slightest, especially when recruiting rankings are politics, they are used to boost the big brands.

And, yes, clearly, the coaches are the key factor in this and developing them. We all know that and that goes without saying. If you cant develop then nothing matters.

But saying that transfers are a bit misleading is off to me. Because you still have to recruit them. It's not like you can just pick them and they have to come like a draft. You still have to go out and seek them in the portal and make judgements on whether you like them. Thats the easy part. The hard part is getting them to like you.

Only one transfer (Antwine) had any former relationship or connection to OSU so going out to get them is still impressive when you consider these were guys who had other opportunities and offers.

And has the portal been the main factor of our rise? No. Its been a big one but the only one.

84% of the teams starters have been recruited out of high school.

CaliforniaCowboy

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In reply to Marshall Levenson • 1:09p, 11/19/21

Fantastic. We're mostly in agreement. I'll wait for you final installment.

I do believe though, that the common vernacular for "recruiting", is primarily HS recruiting (since JUCO ratings are not the same), and that "recruiting" in general conversation is a reference to the "class ranking".

The transfers never show up in our rankings, nor do they show up in casual conversation or recruiting. (although they are technically "recruited", as you point out)

If it's not in the ranking, then it didn't happen (so to speak), because nobody goes back and re-ranks the class. (there are one or two, but it's typically not used in casual conversation).

If you have time, I would be interested to see how portal transfers have changed our "ranking or average stars", and also the "average stars" of our busts, which I think really brings home your point about ranking services.