There's no place like home

Courtesy of rivals.com

With a name like Stoneburner, one of Ohio State's newest wide receivers is going to make puns much too easy for Brent Musburger and Paul Keels.

Dublin Coffman senior Jake Stoneburner verbally committed to OSU, equipped with a 6-foot-6-inch frame and 4.46 speed in the 40. Considering this striking combination of size and speed, opposing Big Ten cornerbacks might have their hands full in the coming years.

"He's going to be able to create a lot of mismatches because he's a big guy that can run the field," said Kevin Noon, recruiting analyst for rivals.com. "With his size and speed, he's going to exploit a lot of defenses because you can't just put a (5-foot-11-inch) corner on him."

Stoneburner is rated as a four-star recruit on rivals.com and the No. 3 prospect in Ohio on bucknuts.com, behind fellow OSU commits Mike Adams and DeVier Posey.

At Coffman, Stoneburner set numerous school receiving records and helped lead the Shamrocks to a 13-1 record in 2007. Coffman advanced to the state semifinals where they fell to eventual state champion Cincinnati St. Xavier.

After nearly reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark his junior year, Stoneburner caught 74 balls for 1,271 yards and 15 touchdowns his senior season, enough to earn him first-team All-Ohio honors and a spot on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl roster.

Coffman coach Mark Crabtree said Jim Tressel's staff and OSU's elite status were the biggest reasons Stoneburner picked OSU over suitors such as Penn State, Florida and that team up north.

Yet, there were also a handful of other factors that made OSU appealing. Adams, an offensive lineman and the gem of OSU's 2008 recruiting class so far, was a teammate of Jake's at Coffman.

"Mike had committed already so that might have made it a little easier," Crabtree said about Stoneburner's decision.

Stoneburner - who weighs 223 pounds - played a versatile role in high school, causing him to be ranked as a tight end in some recruiting publications. However, the general consensus among analysts is that he will see the majority of his reps at wideout.

"I think you'll see OSU use him as a wide receiver or H-back," said Bill Kurelic, recruiting analyst for bucknuts.com. "From what I understand, they aren't planning to use him as a tight end."

"There's a possibility we could see him a little at tight end but that's all speculation," Noon said. "He's not a blocking tight end so to line him up like that would really be wasting his abilities to get out in space and make plays."

The 2008 Buckeyes will return a seasoned corps of receivers including Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, Ray Small and Dane Sanzenbacher. Noon said because Stoneburner is not a kick returner, unlike incomers Posey and Lamaar Thomas, a redshirt is likely in his future.

Kurelic has a different outlook.

"I think he has the ability to contribute his first or second year," he said. "He may get the chance to play."

Stoneburner's shot at playing time will undoubtedly be aided by his decision to start school early. He will enroll spring quarter and participate in spring practice, Crabtree said.

"He has such a strong work ethic in the offseason," he said. "He knows that's what's going to make him successful."

Frank Blechschmidt can be reached at blechschmidt.3@osu.edu.