Thanks again, VIP 'Nutters!
I hosted my weekly chat LIVE on Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST for VIP users. We decided that with the offseason settling in, it was a time most could enjoy. Please check out the transcript of that chat below.
** As a reminder, I'll post a Front Row thread every week in the afternoon, well in advance of my evening chat, so those who can't make the live chat can submit questions ahead of time.
Thank you, VIP 'Nutters!
Buckaholic: I see Brayton Feister is up to 31 offers with some prominent schools involved.. it says on his profile we offered him?.. I may have missed the boat on that one.. when did we offer him and why in the hell are we dragging our feet on this kid?.. do they see him as a tweener?.. he is a rock solid 230 lbs and his future may have his hand in the dirt at DE even though Laurinaitis is listed as his recruiter.. his strength component would serve well there IMO.. thoughts?. Edit: I see we offered him on January 29th.
Mark Porter ***:***Brayton Feister started his career as a running back, and there were people who believed he could play that position in college. He built an early offer list that was pretty impressive. Hoban did not initially need him on defense, but as he entered his junior year, he began getting full-time reps at linebacker. Instead of projecting what he might look like at linebacker, he went out and put it on tape, and that was really all it took. James Laurinaitis attended his May showcase last year and spent a great deal of time watching him, so there was already familiarity there. I also think the national board for linebackers is very strong, and some of those players have to be national priorities or you have no chance with them. It is encouraging to see they are recruiting him and his brother, as you never know if they could be a package deal. He is a rock-solid player and a tough, hard-nosed competitor, the kind of player you want on your roster and the type you want to go to war with. He brings a true old-school, throwback feel to the game.
roundtheshoe: Have you identified any instate kids that fit the werewolf criteria from the 2027 or 2028 classes?
Mark Porter: When Dan Rubin talks about werewolf-type players, he is usually referring to athletes on the freakish end of the genetic spectrum. These are players who are often the fastest and biggest on the field, or at least at their position, and many of them rank among the top players nationally. When you watch them on film, they immediately jump out, and it is not a label that gets handed out lightly because there has to be something truly rare about their ability. In the class of 2027, two players come to mind who fit that description. Jamier Brown from Big Walnut is one of them, as his 10.35 time in the 100 meters puts him firmly in that category. That level of speed at around 190 pounds is extremely rare, and he has the type of build that wide receiver coaches love, giving him the ability to come in and make an impact. He may not be the tallest receiver, but he clearly checks the boxes for speed and explosion. The other player is Brayton Feister from Akron Hoban, who was a highly productive running back and a physical presence on offense. When he transitioned to defense, his toughness and physicality immediately stood out, and he has proven to be a better athlete at linebacker than many would expect. He is capable of making plays all over the field and brings a level of grit that can elevate an entire defense. With a legendary work ethic and a strong background in wrestling, there is a lot to like about what he brings to the position.
In the class of 2028, it is still difficult to assign the werewolf label, but there are a few players who are clearly in contention. Judah Blair from Lakota West is one of them, as his track times suggest that once he adds weight and continues to fill out, his ceiling is extremely high. Ohio State may be taking a patient approach with him, but he projects as a potential linebacker down the road. Right now, he has his hand in the dirt, but he may not have the size to play there at the college level, so the key question will be whether he can transition to a stand-up linebacker role, which he appears capable of doing. Brydon Feaster, the younger brother, is another intriguing prospect with rare traits, although he is still between positions. It remains to be seen whether he will settle in as an outside linebacker or grow into a defensive end. Jameer Whyce from Trotwood Madison is another player with significant upside on either side of the ball. He already looked like a senior as a freshman and continued to improve on the defensive side as a sophomore. He projects as a high-level run stopper in the future. At this stage, all three players show flashes of that rare ability, but they are still developing and have not fully reached that werewolf level yet.
JamesWright: Mark, given our new recruiting philosophy, it feels like there are more lower rated recruits to get excited about these days. Are you seeing that? If so, who are some specific guys who the staff spotted and got or should get that you have particularly high expectations for? Rembert is one obvious one for me.
Mark Porter: Landry Brede from Mentor is one of the lowest-rated players in the class, but there is reason to expect big things from him. People are already talking about his size and how he looks like he belongs at this level. Just because he was offered later in his senior year does not mean he is not a strong player, and he could easily outperform expectations. Brock Boyd from Southlake Carroll in Texas was more impressive on film than expected, showing a great deal of polish and toughness along with a highly productive high school career at a very high level. He has the ability to make plays earlier than most anticipate, even if he has to work his way onto the field in three or four-receiver sets. Jamir Perez from Glenville dealt with a significant ankle injury for most of his senior season, which limited his production and overall exposure, but many are already identifying him as a potential dark horse. If he can control the interior and shut down the A gaps, he will be a valuable piece. Jaeden Ricketts from Watkins Memorial is somewhat of a mystery, as he posted excellent track times but played in an offense that did not feature receivers very often. It was difficult to evaluate him offensively at times, but his speed consistently showed up, especially on defense, where he flew around and made plays. He has the potential to emerge as a true sleeper once he is developed. Overall, this group represents the type of under-the-radar prospects who could become key contributors, and it would not be surprising to see Ohio State continue to identify and develop players like this into valuable pieces of the roster.
Snoke5: Hi Mark, I just read your assessment on Whitehead, and noticed that he has prototypical long arms for an edge player. It made me think back to another d lineman for the Buckeyes who had a freakish wingspan, Alonzo Spellman. Do you have any recruiting stories about him from the past, or how you assessed him at that time?
Mark Porter: Alonzo Spellman played at Ohio State from 1990 through 1993, where he developed into one of the top defensive linemen in the country. (I was in College at the time) He went on to play in the NFL after being selected in the first round of the 1994 Draft by the Chicago Bears, and he also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers during his professional career. He was a little bit before my time with Scouting Ohio, but I do remember watching him with the Bears. What always stood out was his incredible length, as it felt like he could keep blockers off of him with ease. His wingspan seemed enormous, almost like a 747 airplane, and he truly looked like a giant even among professional players. Speaking of Spellman, the next Buck-Eye In The Sky coming is on 6-foot-7 edge Mekai Brown from Greenwich Country Day.
3296woody: Mark, give me 2 guys: one on the OL and one on the DL that we are not recruiting that you feel would be a great fit for the Buckeyes.
Mark Porter: Here are a couple of defensive linemen who stand out as interesting prospects and could be the type of players to attend summer camp and potentially earn offers. Dominic Letlow from Cardinal Mooney and Jaiden Davis from Middletown both play defensive end right now and bring intriguing skill sets. Letlow is built more like a linebacker at this stage, but he has the frame to continue adding size and could grow into a true defensive end at the next level. Davis already carries good size and looks the part physically, making him another player to watch closely moving forward. At defensive tackle, Jeremiah Nash from Trotwood Madison could develop into a player similar to Jamir Perez from Glenville as a strong run stopper in the middle. Playing at Trotwood also helps, as the staff is already familiar with the program and its talent. Zay'vion Smith from Warren G Harding is another name to watch, as he shows extremely quick feet for his size. While some view him as a potential offensive lineman, he has enough twitch and athletic ability on the defensive line to draw serious attention.
Patrick O'Brien from Moeller, Reed Gerken from Perrysburg, Conner Rutherford from Chillicothe, Dominic Black from Tri Village, Lual Aleu from Winton Woods, Dylan Latell from Girard, Aden Norris from Louisville, and Carter DeJulia from Warren John F Kennedy are all offensive linemen who project as possible Ohio State targets. This is a very strong group with a lot to like across the board, as each player brings size, movement ability, and intriguing traits to the table. There are several big bodies in this class who move well for their size, and any one of them could separate from the pack with a strong summer camp performance. It is difficult to single out one player at this point, which is likely why Ohio State will take a patient approach and evaluate them further during camp settings. There is no need to rush on any of them right now, as allowing them time to develop physically and compete will help clarify who rises to the top. Overall, this is a very impressive group of offensive linemen with significant upside.
gessig: Mark, What is your opinion of 'Ohio State Speeding Up The Offensive Tempo Next Year?' IMO the 'slow tempo' offense worked in the regular season because the Buckeyes played mistake free offense for the most part during the regular season..The loss of 2 starters on the O-Line really messed-up the O-Line cohesiveness during the CFP..The Ohio State offense was not a juggernaut in 2025 anyways so a 'slow tempo' was really not a bad decision by Coach Day? Isn't the job of the offense to protect the defense and give the defense time to rest,recover and get coached-up??
Mark Porter: This is an interesting philosophical question. Dan Rubin talked about this last year, where the idea was that if you slow down the offense and run fewer plays over the course of the season, your team may stay fresher for a playoff run. It is a long year, and there is value in not wearing down your starters. There may be some real logic to that, although it is difficult to truly quantify whether it makes a difference. I tend to believe that if you are the better team or have the better offense, you want as many possessions as possible so the odds work in your favor. At the same time, you have to consider the risk of quick three-and-outs and how tempo can impact your defense. We saw that with Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles, where the offense played so fast that it increased the number of snaps in a game and left the defense on the field more often, which eventually led to them wearing down. There are clearly different schools of thought on this, and there is probably statistical support for both approaches. Personally, I would not be opposed to seeing the offense play faster with more hurry-up and more total plays to see how it performs. However, I also think Ohio State will always need to maintain its identity as a team that can run the ball, especially later in the season. If there is a middle ground, it is the ability to do both. You need to be able to play with tempo when it benefits you, but also control the game and assert your will when the situation calls for it.
foxr2001: Dan and Dave make a big deal out of having NFL coaches on our staff. I get that a lot of elite players will be attracted to this because they think (probably rightly so) that they will be in the NFL in a few years. But what about average HS football players who are just hoping to get D1 offers. Do you think they would be more influenced if a coaching staff has NFL coaches (whether former head coaches or assistant coaches) or are there other things they would value more like early playing time? Don't bring NIL into this as we all know thats important to 98% of these kids.
**Mark Porter:**Dan and Dave make a strong point about the value of having NFL coaches on the staff at a school like Ohio State. It makes sense that elite players are drawn to that, as they expect to be playing in the NFL in a few years and want that level of development. For more average high school players who are hoping to earn Division One offers, the appeal can be a little different. Having NFL coaches still carries weight because it signals high-level teaching, structure, and credibility, but it may not be the deciding factor. Many of those players are going to be more focused on opportunity, such as a clearer path to early playing time, positional need, and a coaching staff that shows a strong track record of developing players similar to them. Eddie George at Bowling Green just brought on Lorenzo Styles Sr. We will see how Hartline does...
At the MAC level kids might be thinking less about NIL.
Relationships also matter a great deal at that level, including how comfortable they feel with the position coach and how much personal attention they receive during the recruiting process. While the presence of NFL coaches is certainly a positive and can open doors, it is usually one piece of a larger puzzle for those types of recruits, who are often making decisions based on fit, opportunity, and development rather than just the prestige of the staff.
foxr2001: Speaking of Jamir Perez, does he have werewolf status? Very big man who seems to move well, at least for his size. If he's not a werewolf, how close is he to being one?
Mark Porter: Would love to see him healthy. Soph year in High School he looked explosive and athletic, once he was injured we never really saw that skill set again. Got some great reports about Perez training and getting healthy right now. I hate to hand out werewolf status before anyone earns it, but Perez has Vince Wilfork-type upside if he puts it all together.