Notre Dame Football: With Gant Commit, Urban Meyer Continues His Domination of Brian Kelly

Four-star outside linebacker Dallas Gant verbally committed today — his 17th birthday — to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The 6-foot-3, 226-pound U.S. Army All-American shunned several schools, including the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. (They remain in the market for a weakside inside linebacker to add to the 2018 class.)

Gant is part of Urban Meyer’s continued dominance of Brian Kelly on the recruiting trail, regardless of which way you slice it. (I’ll be using the coaches’ names as shorthand for their respective recruiting staffs.)

ATTRACTED TO WINNING

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In 2008, the Journal of Sports Economics published a study that suggested a recruit’s decision on where to attend college is “governed by a handful of primary factors” including “the opportunity for individual success and exposure, a team’s recent on-field success and the distance to the school from his hometown.”

Meyer is 61-6 since being announced as Ohio State’s coach on Nov. 28, 2011. Brian Kelly is 43-22 during that same time period.

There are 53 players who were offered scholarships by Notre Dame and ultimately signed with Ohio State since Meyer’s hiring. In addition, there are four athletes in the class of 2018 who have committed to the Buckeyes despite having an Irish offer.

On the flip side, there are 36 players who were offered Ohio State scholarships and chose Notre Dame instead (again, since Meyer). There are three athletes from the class of 2018 who have picked South Bend over Columbus (so far).

Gant is the eighth athlete who also held an Irish offer to commit to the Buckeyes since Notre Dame concluded its disastrous 4-8 season. Four-star cornerback Derrik Allen is the only player to commit to the Irish after Nov. 26 — the date of the USC game — who also held a Buckeyes offer.

MEYER PROTECTS OHIO

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Gant plays at St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio. The Ohio State staff has excelled in keeping in-state talent.

Notre Dame and Ohio State have fought over 29 Ohio athletes since Meyer’s hiring. Of those, 23 — 21 four-stars and 2 five-stars — have chose the in-state school. Six Ohioans — all four stars — picked Notre Dame over Ohio State. (They are Malik Zaire, Jimmy Byrne, Elijah Taylor, Shaun Crawford, Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg.)

Meyer, who coached the Florida Gators from 2005-2010, has pulled eight recruits from the Sunshine State that held Notre Dame offers. Brian Kelly has returned the favor, however, grabbing eight Floridians with Ohio State offers. (There is a difference in star ratings — Ohio State had 5 four-star players and 3 five-star athletes, while Notre Dame had 3 three-star players and 5-four star players.)

Ohio and Indiana both border Michigan, but neither coach has really made inroads there. Kelly lured four-stars Khalid Kareem and Daelin Hayes away from Ohio State offers, while Meyer grabbed four-star running back Mike Weber and four-star offensive tackle Michael Jordan out of the Great Lakes State and away from Notre Dame.

TUG-OF-WAR FOR LINEBACKERS IS CLOSE

Gant, who is categorized as an outside linebacker by 247Sports, is the sixth athlete at his position group to set aside a Notre Dame offer and commit to Ohio State instead. Notre Dame has had three inside linebackers commit in the reverse instance.

However, Notre Dame has landed more middle linebackers — two to Ohio State’s one — and inside linebackers — one to the Buckeyes’ zero — in their head-to-head recruiting battles.

The biggest disparities are at defensive end, where Ohio State holds a 9-to-2 advantage and wide receiver, where the Buckeyes have grabbed eight guys with Notre Dame offers to the Irish’s three with Ohio State offers.

SILVER LINING

Ohio State grabbed the first nine recruits in the battle with Notre Dame after Meyer’s hiring and they’ve gotten 11 of the last 12. Kelly and the Irish were holding their own between mid-February 2012 and the summer of 2016.

If Notre Dame can return to its winning ways, they have a legitimate chance to sway some of these recruits back toward their direction. Nine or more wins per season ought to do it. A bonus, of course, would be Ohio State unexpectedly struggling. (I will not hold my breath.)

If you see any mistakes or omissions, note them in the comments or tweet at me.