COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football’s top-ranked 2021 recruiting class has thus far successfully mixed national prospects with home-grown talent — and sometimes found the sweet spot where both meet.
Two cornerback prospects in the past 24 hours continued that trend.
Cincinnati’s Devonta Smith gave his pledge to the Buckeyes on Monday, following Jakailin Johnson’s commitment on Sunday.
Johnson fits that blue-chip description as a recruiting challenging for a top-50 designation.
Smith is a three-star prospect from LaSalle ranked No. 428 in the 247 Sports composite. However, those recruits have proved invaluable to the Buckeyes in recent seasons, both in terms of depth and contributions.
The 6-0, 185-pound Smith recorded 72 tackles and five interceptions as a LaSalle junior. He has displayed solid but not great speed, running the 100 in 11.21 seconds as a sophomore in track. He helped LaSalle win its fourth state championship in six years last fall.
As much as Ohio State needs those national prospects, it also needs ones like Smith — solid talents who could develop into more and, perhaps with geographical ties in mind, will allow the time to do so.
Ohio State’s B.I.A. reputation should always contend for top cornerback talent. Kerry Coombs’ return to the staff only bolsters that outlook. The Buckeyes remain engaged on other elite prospects, including Virginia Beach, Virginia’s Tony Grimes, the nation’s top-ranked 2021 corner.
However, OSU has also looked for value lower in the rankings. Lejond Cavazos and Ryan Watts were both ranked in the 300s. So was Cam Brown, who could contend for a starting role in 2020. Damon Arnette Jr., ranked No. 653 overall in 2015, will soon play on Sundays.
Bringing in prospects such as Smith who made need more development before making an impact provides some stability in pursuit of another highly ranked prospect who can make a quicker impact.
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