Week 12 recruiting winners and losers: Ohio State’s ‘insane’ performance impresses

Recruits normally don’t make decisions based on a one-game performance or solely on one visit. But make no mistake, this weekend will have an impact on the recruiting trail. That’s why Ohio State, Georgia and Utah are the biggest recruiting winners for Week 12 of the college football season. It’s also why Florida is the biggest loser.

RECRUITING WINNER: OHIO STATE

Talk about sending a message. Fourth-ranked Ohio State destroyed No. 7 Michigan State in a Big Ten East showdown that turned into a chance for the Buckeyes to show off in front of a key quarterback recruit and a good group of 2023 and 2024 prospects on campus for visits.

Prospects on the offensive side of the ball walked away blown away with how quarterback C.J. Stroud sliced through the Spartans’ defense with ease. He tied the school single-game record with six touchdown passes.

It was the perfect time for Stroud to have a big game with sought-after On3 Consensus four-star quarterback Devin Brown on campus for an official visit.

There were others who were awe-struck with the strong Saturday performance in Columbus. Sophomore offensive lineman Ben Roebuck of Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward called his visit “insane” and “eye-opening.”

But he wasn’t the only one who loved what he saw. That’s why there is no question that the Buckeyes are the biggest recruiting winner of the weekend.

WINNER: GEORGIA

It was a special weekend on and off the field for the Dawgs.

UGA did what it was supposed to on the field by crushing Charleston Southern 56-7. The performance allowed plenty of younger players opportunities to grow into their roles for the future. It let seniors get the opportunity to bask in the electric environment and rest up for bigger games down the road.

It also gave prospects at the game – players like prized safety Tony Mitchell – an opportunity to see how quickly they could get on the field in Athens.

But there were fireworks off the field for UGA, too.

On Sunday, Georgia landed a commitment from On3 Consensus five-star cornerback  Jaheim Singletary from Jacksonville Riverside, a one-time Ohio State commitment.

Following the pledge from Singletary, Georgia leaped over Alabama for the top spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking. The Bulldogs’ recruiting has a score of 94.483, which edges the Crimson Tide’s score of 94.238.

RECRUITING WINNER: UTAH

Oregon’s hopes for a College Football Playoff bid came to a resounding end Saturday night when No. 23 Utah bludgeoned the third-ranked Ducks 38-7.

For the Ducks, it was a reminder they still have work to do on the recruiting trail. That’s especially on offense under Mario Cristobal. But for the Utes, it was a resounding sign to recruits – including the nearly 10 on official visits this past weekend – that the trajectory of the Utah program is on the right track.

With the win, Utah clinched the Pac-12 South title and a berth in the league title game.

Some of the key recruits on campus for visits who walked away impressed with Utah were On3 Consensus three-star safety Wade Woodaz of Tampa Jesuit, three-star defensive lineman Isaiah Ward of Ontario (Calif.) Colony and coveted cornerback Moses Alexander of Kilgore (Texas) Junior College.

There were several prospects committed to other schools who made it to campus for official visits. They all walked away swayed by the time in Salt Lake City. One such prospect is On3 Consensus three-star safety and UCLA commit Croix Stewart. It was a similar story for On3 Consensus three-star receiver and Arizona commitment A.J. Jones, who was on campus for an official visit.

Plus, three-star linebacker Kaeo Akana – Boise State’s top commitment in its class – liked what he saw while officially visiting Utah.

WINNER: OKLAHOMA

The Sooners picked the perfect weekend to showcase the progress they’ve made on the defensive side of the ball. With Oklahoma hosting a big contingent of defensive recruits, the Sooners’ defense came up big in a 28-21 victory over Iowa State.

A 42-yard fumble return for a TD by Jalen Redmond with nine seconds left in the first half was the key play. It gave OU a 14-7 halftime lead, which the Sooners increased to 21-7 late in the third quarter. While Iowa State threatened in the final 20 minutes, OU’s defense came up with two interceptions and forced a punt to hold on.

It was the perfect formula to showcase to key defensive prospects watching in the stands and should be a good boost on the recruiting trail.

One of the recruits excited by what he saw was On3 Consensus five-star junior defensive lineman David Hicks. The Texas schools have been pushing him hard, but the Sooners definitely made some headway this weekend.

Blue-chip juco defensive line recruit Jeffery M’Ba also had a great time. He can see himself in the OU defense after watching the performance. It was a similar story for On3 Consensus four-star junior defensive lineman Hunter Osborne out of Alabama. Osborne gushed about his visit to Norman.

RECRUITING LOSER: FLORIDA

The Dan Mullen era at Florida ended this weekend after the Gators fell to Missouri 24-23 in overtime and were trolled by Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz. It was a disappointing end to what at one time seemed like a perfect marriage between Mullen and the Gators.

But the Gators are just 5-6 this season heading into the regular-season finale against rival Florida State. Under Mullen, the Gators signed only one top-10 class (No. 7 in 2020). His recruiting classes averaged an overall ranking of 14^th in the country.

For many programs, that’s good enough to succeed. But that’s not the case when you’re getting lapped in recruiting in your league by Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M. To make matters worse, the Gators were so inconsistent on the trail in this cycle they had fallen behind Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri.

While the Gators are definitely losers this weekend on the recruiting trail, in the long run, the move away from Mullen might be just what the doctor ordered. That’s because the Gators have an outstanding recruiting base and world-class facilities are on the way.