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Can Buckeyes make room for second 2020 quarterback?

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Have a question about Ohio State recruiting? This is the place for you, five days a week. Submit your questions on Twitter or on the Lettermen Row forums. Check in daily to see what’s on the mind of Buckeyes fans all over the country. Today’s question asks whether or not the Buckeyes will be able to pursue a second quarterback in the Class of 2020.

Ohio State Recruiting Question of the Day

https://twitter.com/BakerBettahh/status/1148388311087628289

I touched on this a little bit in Monday’s edition of Dotting the ‘Eyes, but to rehash my position on this matter currently, let’s go back a day.

Simply put, the numbers in the quarterback room for Ohio State show a serious need at the position, one that will be amplified following the 2020 season. When Justin Fields and Gunnar Hoak depart after the 2020 year, as of right now the Buckeyes will have only Jack Miller, one year into the program, on scholarship at quarterback.

Of course, whether or not I think the Buckeyes actually take a second quarterback in 2020 is not the same as whether or not I think they should. As things are currently constructed, it’s my belief that yes, without a doubt, Ohio State should add a second quarterback in this recruiting cycle. But whether or not it actually can is a whole different ball of wax.

The biggest holdup will likely be the scholarship numbers for the Buckeyes in the Class of 2020. If kicker Jake Seibert is removed from the commitment list (because he’ll grayshirt and thus isn’t considered a scholarship in this class), then right now there are 19 verbal commitments for Ohio State. That means a maximum of six more players are going to join at some point, and it appears that two of them are being put aside for running backs Bijan Robinson and Jaylan Knighton and another two are being held for defensive standouts Kourt Williams and Lathan Ransom.

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Would Ohio State pass up a player like 5-star cornerback Elias Ricks for a backup quarterback? (Birm/Lettermen Row)

So if those four end up committing to Ohio State, that leaves two spots open and a ton of big-time, big-name talents left on the board — including players like Elias Ricks, Ryan Watts, Vernon Broughton and Desmond Evans. Would Ohio State give up the chance at landing one of those prospects, who all sit near the top of the overall target board and have for months, for a backup quarterback who may not play a snap in the next two or three years?

That’s the difficult question Ryan Day and his coaching staff will be tasked with answering. But the numbers in Mike Yurcich’s quarterback room would dictate that they should.

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