With national letter of intent day just five days away, the Ohio State football coaching staff can only wait until a handful of blue-chippers announce their intentions.

Fifteen high school stars already have verbally committed to this year’s class, and OSU is waiting to hear which other players will be added to the list of future Buckeyes.

During the last two weeks, a few more highly-touted prep stars have decided to play college ball in Columbus. One of the program’s biggest pick-ups is Hoboken, N.J. safety and running back Ira Guilford, who chose the Buckeyes over Notre Dame on Wednesday. Rivals.com ranks him as the eighth best safety in the country.

Bill Kurelich, publisher of The Ohio Football Recruiting News, said Guilford’s versatility and ability to play running back makes him a big commitment. He is the only rusher in this recruiting class.

Last week, OSU picked up a pair of verbal commitments. According to Kurelich, Sian Cotton, a defensive tackle from Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary, informed OSU coach Jim Tressel he would play his college ball for the scarlet and gray.

“He’s one of the top defensive lineman in the state,” Kurelich said. “He’s got good size at 6 foot 5 inches, 300 pounds.”

Also, Charleston, W. Va.’s Cedric Scott, a linebacker and the younger brother of Buckeye defensive end Darrion Scott, is set to join his brother on the sidelines. He will need to improve academically before he can accept the offered scholarship.

OSU resecured wavering Youngstown tight end Louis Irizarry, who switched his oral commitment to Miami (Fla.) almost a month ago. Irizarry, who committed to play for OSU last summer, changed his mind after seeing how the Hurricanes used fellow tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. in the Fiesta Bowl.

The prospect decided to take another look at OSU after Miami received a commitment from a junior college tight end. According to Kurelic, that new addition puts six tight ends on the Hurricanes roster.

Winning the Fiesta Bowl has helped the Buckeyes in the last month, but OSU recruiting coordinator Bill Conley said the championship will help the program recruit throughout the next 12 months.

“It has made a difference late in this recruiting season, but it will make a real impact when we recruit next year’s class,” he said.

Last week, Kurelic said OSU was still focusing on five key prospects, one of which was Guilford. The remaining four are Shawn Crable, defensive end from Massillon, Ohio; Moe Dampeer, defensive tackle from Decatur, Ill.; Michael Bush, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back from Louisville, Ky.; and Aaron Sears, offensive lineman from Russellville, Ala.

The Buckeyes would love to keep Crable in state, especially considering his other finalist is Michigan. At 6 feet 6 inches and 230 pounds, he is not only the top defensive line prospect in the state, Kurelich said, but one of the best in the nation.

Another defensive tackle the Buckeyes are on the trail of is Dampeer, who is considered to be the best at his position, according to ESPN.com’s Tom Lemming. The lineman visited OSU two weeks ago. His coach at Decatur’s MacArthur High School, Cordell Ingram, said Dampeer ended his official visits with Miami and Purdue.

“He likes Oklahoma and he likes (OSU), but he needs to concentrate on his academics and is in no rush to make a decision,” Ingram said.

Dampeer retook the ACT last week and needs to score an 18 to qualify academically.

As a junior, Bush was picked as Kentucky’s Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball, but will concentrate on football, said Bob Redman, Bush’s coach at Male High School. Bush has narrowed his list to OSU, Louisville, Tennessee and Kentucky. Redman said Bush and his parents are likely to decide on Sunday, but not announce the decision until Wednesday.

In college, Bush wants to play quarterback, which may present problems for OSU. The Buckeyes had St. Henry, Ohio quarterback Todd Boekman commit last summer and redshirted Justin Zwick and Troy Smith from last year’s class.

“His ability is just great naturally,” Redman said. “His arm’s so strong and can play under duress. He has a great ability to move around in small areas and stay focused on receivers downfield even with defenders hanging all over him.”