Hokies Recruiting: Josh Sweat Decision Odds and Prediction
By Tim Thomas
The Super Sleeper: Ohio State
After the Buckeyes lost to the Hokies when Josh Sweat was taking his official visit to Columbus, it seemed unlikely that Sweat would end up committing to Ohio State. The Buckeyes still do not have a great chance at getting Sweat, but Ohio State has fought their way back into contention for the five-star defensive end.
One advantage that the Buckeyes have is Larry Johnson, who is one of the best recruiters in the country and is a big reason why the Buckeyes even have a shot. Urban Meyer is also one of two head coaches at these five contenders that has won a national title and the only one that has won two national titles.
The Big 10 has declined some over the last few seasons and that definitely hurts in recruiting while Ohio State gets a slight short-term boost playing in Blacksburg next year but do not have much in terms of proximity to home. Ohio State is also a program that could offer Sweat the chance to battle for a starting spot at defensive end across from Joey Bosa.
However, the Buckeyes have never really made a big surge and NFL scouts aren’t looking at the Big 10 as much recently. Also, very few insiders seem to think the Buckeyes might get picked, and the early visit to Ohio State suggested that the Buckeyes were not one of the top contenders. The Buckeyes have a chance but it is not a good one.