Signed: Elijah Gardiner

Sometimes we see recruitments that can take the better part of a year or two years and other times we see ones that come together quickly. The recruitment of Elijah Gardiner is one that falls under the latter category as Gardiner's whole recruitment took about a week from the time of serious contact to signing.

Now the 6-foot-5 receiver is signed and is part of the Ohio State class after decommitting from the University of Missouri, a school where Gardiner went public with his commitment in December of 2016.

Gardiner was not one to spend much time talking to the media and there are still a lot of questions from fans about the game of the tall receiver out of Kemp (Texas) but he is a player that new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson coveted when he was the head coach at Indiana University. When an opportunity made itself available for the Buckeyes to swoop in and kick the tires, the Bucks made the most of it and landed the three-star wideout.

Ohio State was not the only school making inquries about Gardiner but just happened to be the one school to secure an official visit from the big receiver. Gardiner made his way to Columbus (Ohio) with his parents in tow and obviously hit a home run as Gardiner committed to the Buckeyes on the following Monday, just a matter of hours before National Signging Day.

A signed Letter of Intent made it all official for Gardiner and the Buckeyes and he joins a recruiting class of tall receivers that include Trevon Grimes and Jaylen Harris, all tall receivers who can run and high point the ball with the best of them. Ohio State was in the market for some help in the WR room after the loss of players like Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown and Corey Smith.

"If there is one thing that stands out on Gardiner's film, it is that he has some wiggle and burst for a tall receiver," BuckeyeGrove.com recruiting analyst Marc Givler said when Gardiner committed to Ohio State. "He is utilized in a variety of ways for his high school team but his ability to take jet sweeps and maneuver through tight spaces is an impressive attribute at his size."

Head coach Urban Meyer does not usually bring players in with the intentions of redshirting them but Gardiner could benefit from a year in the program under Mickey Marotti in terms of adding some mass and strength to his lanky frame. Gardiner also has only a couple of years under his belt as a full-time receiver so the additional time with Wilson and Zach Smith could only help as the Buckeyes look to get Gardiner up to speed.

It has been an incredible haul from the state of Texas for Ohio State in the class of 2017 with players like Baron Browning, Jeffrey Okudah and J.K. Dobbins all already in the class and on campus. Gardiner will join his fellow Texans when he reports after the end of the 2017 academic year and in time for summer conditioning work and the start of fall camp.