Top-ranked Ohio State may be struggling on the field after back-to-back subpar performances against Hawaii and Northern Illinois, but the Buckeyes' recruiting efforts are currently outpacing everyone else's in the country.
With 19 verbal commitments in the fold, Ohio State has a firm grasp on the nation's No. 1 ranking. The class is anchored by two 5-star and 13 4-star prospects, and with some big-time recruits still on the board, head coach Urban Meyer has a chance to run away with the top class of 2016.
Here are the latest storylines surrounding Ohio State's commits and top remaining targets.
4-Star Commits Demario McCall and Austin Mack Are Dominating
One of Meyer's biggest priorities when he first took over in 2012 was to upgrade the talent on offense, which he called a "clown show" during his first season, according to the Associated Press (h/t PennLive.com).
Over the last three recruiting cycles, he's done just that by signing a total of nine 4-star wideouts.
More help is on the way this year in the form of H-back Demario McCall and receiver Austin Mack, both of whom are coming off dominant performances.
McCall ripped off touchdowns of 66 and 57 yards on his way to a 175-yard performance, according to Joe Noga of Northeast Ohio Media Group (h/t Tyler Donohue of Bleacher Report).
Mack was even better, registering 95 receiving yards and 93 rushing yards to complement three total touchdowns, via the Journal Gazette (h/t Donohue).
McCall is rated as the No. 44 prospect in the nation and Mack checks in at No. 101, but if they keep putting up numbers like these, they could climb higher in the rankings.
Top Defensive Tackle Target Nearing Decision?
Ohio State has a big need at defensive tackle thanks to the departure of Michael Bennett, who was drafted by Jaguars in the sixth round last May, and the recruiting misses of Terry Beckner Jr., Christian Wilkins and Neville Gallimore during the 2015 recruiting cycle.
The Buckeyes already have a commitment from Malik Barrow, a rising 4-star who's shooting up the rankings. But 4-star Antwuan Jackson is one of Ohio State's top remaining targets, and the big-time prospect is reportedly nearing his decision.
In fact, Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports wrote that Jackson—who's rated as the No. 56 prospect overall and the No. 9 defensive tackle—was going to announce his commitment on Tuesday, but Rivals' Allie Davison reported that his decision was pushed back.
When a new commitment date is set, Jackson will be deciding between Ohio State and Auburn.
4-Star Running Back Commit George Hill Wavering?
George Hill became the first commitment of Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class when he pledged back in June 2014, but he's showing legitimate interest in the Buckeyes' biggest rivals.
The 4-star all-purpose back was just at Ohio Stadium to watch the Buckeyes take on Northern Illinois, but the week before, he had a front-row seat to Michigan State's impressive victory over Oregon. Hill has been targeted as one of the Spartans' top prospects, and it's clear that Mark Dantonio and Co. are major players in his recruitment.
Jeremy Birmingham of Eleven Warriors reported on Sunday that Hill's visit to Columbus seemed to go very well, but it's hard to forecast where the country's No. 129-ranked prospect will end up.
The Buckeyes already have commitments from McCall and Kareem Walker, the top-rated running back for 2016, so a defection from Hill wouldn't be a crushing blow. But the staff wants to hang on to him because he's a dangerous playmaker, and if it loses him, it'll have to find a way to stop him when the Buckeyes meet the Spartans in the future.
Tristen Wallace Is Getting Back on Track
Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett aren't the only Buckeyes quarterbacks getting off to a shaky start this season.
DeSoto High School's Tristen Wallace, the 4-star quarterback who committed to Ohio State in April, entered his senior season as the No. 3-rated dual-threat in the country.
But his first game back in action was rough, as he completed just 45 percent of his passes and threw two costly interceptions in a 46-26 upset loss to Martin. A week later, he threw for just 112 yards and two more interceptions in an ugly 47-29 loss to IMG Academy.
But his last two performances have been much better, as he's completed 74.5 percent of his passes for 475 passing yards and two touchdowns (against no interceptions) to complement 166 yards and three more scores on the ground.
That's the kind of production and efficiency that made Wallace such a highly rated recruit, and the coaching staff has to be relieved to see him righting the ship.
Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information via 247Sports and high school statistics courtesy of MaxPreps.
David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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