Gators loss is OSU's gain

[furls]

Ryan Shazier (4*) LB recruit out of Plantation, FL, withdrew his verbal to the Gators and committed to OSU last night at his graduation party. The kid will be joining the OSU team this winter as an early graduate, giving him a leg up on other incoming freshman and an extra set of spring practices to show his wares.

He is fast, albeit undersized, and played DE primarily in HS dominating O-Tackles with a lightning quick first step. In FL camps this year Shazier was routinely one of the fastest kids in every camp at all positions (including CB/WR/KR). He definitely brings speed to the OSU lineup and projects as a Star or OLB for OSU. I tend to think Star in the bruising B10 where your LBs must be 230lbs (Shazier is 205 soaking wet) in order to survive the road graters in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa. The kid is an excellent prospect with unlimited upside as long as he can get his speed to translate to the NCAA.

Better than his 4.47 (electronically timed) 40 is his acceleration/quickness. The kid routinely destroys shuttles and L-cones. I personally believe that those drills are a much better gauge of a players football playing speed. I am not sure how he will do in the transition from DE to LB, but there are some promising signs in his video. He does an outstanding job as a DE of engaging blockers, shedding them and then making tackles in the open field on the edge. Watching him cover kicks is a thing of beauty. I just wonder how he will do as he LEARNS a brand new position. If the Bucks give him an easy job (like Star) where all he does is read the play and make the play then his life will be easier and his transition will be faster.

[danwismar]

The timing of this thing is huge too, Furls. Curtis Grant, the other highly-rated linebacker who was presumably a Gator lean, is in Columbus this weekend...as is SVSM's Doran Grant (MSU or OSU)and other top recruits. The excitement over the Shazier announcement could have a ripple effect at the Woody this weekend, snow and cold notwithstanding. After losing the top OLB in Ohio two years running (Hicks and DePriest) the importance of this commit is hard to overstate.

[noles1]

Thishe type of player that will allow OSU to play with the non-Big Ten foes in their scedhule and match the "SEC speed".

That said, against the Wisky and Iowa types he's going to have to be versatile and play that Rover position and support the 8 in the box.

Good type player though for OSU and anytime they get into Florida for a solid to big time recruit that is impressive.

[peeker643]

Gotta strike while the iron is hot on the Florida commits. That program is in flux and they'll be feeling the sting of Meyer leaving for a couple classes IMO.

Any receivers on the fence?

[danwismar]

Any receivers on the fence?

Bucks redshirted a receiver from Fla. this year (James Louis) that the Gators offered a year ago, and the big kid from Shaw (Tyrone Williams) also is a RS, both in addition to Corey Brown - freshman.

They already have two good looking WR's in the 2011 class...Devin Smith (Scout #20) of Massillon and Evan Spencer (Tim's kid)(Scout #28) from Chicago.

Darius Jennings (#14 WR) from Baltimore is the only other receiver with a good shot of getting in the 2011 OSU class. Only at most four or five spots left.