COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer says being the coach of a national champion opens the door to recruiting in every living room in the United States.
EXTRA: Complete list of OSU 2015 recruiting class
Experts rank Ohio State’s 2015 recruiting class as one of the 10 best in the nation while giving Southern California and Alabama the highest marks for their incoming players.
Meyer locked up 27 new Buckeyes on Wednesday, the first day for the signing of Division I national letters of intent.
His haul included 13 players on each side of the ball and a long snapper. He signed 12 recruits from Ohio, three from Florida and two from Michigan and Virginia. The class includes five defensive backs, three linebackers and two high-profile quarterbacks, including Ohio Associated Press Mr. Football Joe Burrow.
The two new QBs will just add to the intrigue at the position, where the Buckeyes already have three star returnees.
Perhaps the biggest prize of the group is five-star linebacker Justin Hilliard out of Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School.
The class included two prospects – each rated as four-star players – who kept their college intentions public until the last minute: wide receiver K.J. Hill from North Little Rock, Ark., and offensive lineman Isaiah Prince from Greenbelt, Md.
There were four players who were already enrolled: Linebacker Nick Conner from Dublin, defensive lineman Jashon Cornell from St. Paul, Minn., defensive back Jamel Dean from Cocoa, Fla., and offrensive lineman Grant Schmidt from Sioux Falls, S.D.
An athletics department spokesman says Schmidt is believed to be the first Ohio State football recruit from South Dakota.