Three Freshmen Who Are Likely to Play Early in 2018

There is a reason Ohio State has been able to maintain its level of success over the last 20-plus years. Its recruiting, starting with the John Cooper era, has been at an elite level.

Yes, Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce pulled in some of the greatest players in Ohio State history during their time as head coach, but since Cooper arrived, the recruiting has been at a different level.

Cooper could never get over the hump in the 1990's despite having arguably the best team in the country on more than one occasion, while Jim Tressel won a national title with a roster primarily made up of Cooper recruits. Tressel got to two more national title games with his own players and despite losing them both,…