Take Two: How much will Meyer investigation affect recruiting?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.comnetwork of team sites.
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THE STORYLINE
The investigation surrounding Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and his involvement, or lack thereof, in the Zach Smith drama was expected to be wrapped up Sunday. The next steps are for the investigators to provide their report to the independent working group and a determination to be made on Meyer’s future in Columbus. A final decision is expected sometime this week.
The three seemingly plausible outcomes are firing Meyer, suspending him or reinstating the Buckeyes’ coach without penalty. It has been one of college football’s biggest surprise turmoils in recent memory and the fate of Ohio State’s program - and its recruiting - hangs in the balance.
Currently, Ohio State has the No. 15 recruiting class nationally (which is low for the Buckeyes by this time of year) and third in the Big Ten behind Michigan and Penn State. Meyer has routinely had his Ohio State classes finish among the elite nationally every year he's been the coach.
Since the drama started at the beginning of this month, Ohio State has not lost a commit. How drastic will the damage be to the 2019 recruiting class if Meyer receives the hardest judgment - that he's no longer coaching the Buckeyes?
FIRST TAKE: MARC GIVLER, BUCKEYEGROVE.COM
“There were several good reasons to make Ryan Day the interim head coach when Urban Meyer was put on administrative leave. One of those reasons was Day's relationship and impact on the commitments of Garrett Wilson and Harry Miller, the two gems of the class so far. Those relationships have helped guide Ohio State through this time of uncertainty on the recruiting trail, as nobody has decommitted to this point.
"With that said, If Meyer were to be let go it is hard to imagine it not having an impact on the class in a negative way. There will undoubtedly be guys who take a look around at other schools and there would likely be some decommitments. But if Day were able to keep the team winning on the field that, combined with the brand of Ohio State and his relationships with some of the top commits, would help in minimizing the damage.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“I don’t think the recruiting class will nosedive but I do think it will take a dip. I don’t think it will be a top-two or top-three recruiting class if Urban Meyer leaves. They’ll probably go with an interim coach for a year if he is dismissed. Ryan Day is a good coach, he’s a good recruiter, they have a very good staff and it’s a brand-name. They’ll get kids, there is no doubt about it, but when you’re talking about the way Meyer has finished recruiting classes - in the top two, top three, top five, I don’t think they’re going to be at that level. But I don’t see it plummeting.”