Top recruits expressing their opinions about lineup options is now officially “a thing,” at least around Ohio State.
A day after five-star defensive end Micah Parsons made public his opinion that the Buckeyes should bench quarterback J.T. Barrett in favor of Dwayne Haskins, the top overall prospect in the state of Ohio proffered up the same opinion. Jackson Carman, a five-star offensive tackle from Fairfield (Ohio), Tweeted a photo of himself at the Ohio State-Oklahoma game, along with a comment that explicitly supported Haskins as the Ohio State quarterback.
Haskins himself mentioned Monday that he expects to see some time on the field in the weeks ahead, on the back of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s comments that it would be good for Haskins to get acclimated to game time in case he’s needed in another game.
The point Parsons and Carman have made is that Haskins should be given the snaps proactively, leading the offense after Barrett has failed to fire this year. The impact of their statements on both their recruitment and Meyer’s decision remains to be seen.
For now, there are only unknowns on both fronts, though the chorus of voices calling for Haskins including two very high profile recruits can’t drive down the din. It can only amplify it.