Last week, Ohio State football quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano visited Trotwood-Madison High School to collect information about junior receiver A.J. Jordan and sophomore defensive back Bam Bradley.

The entire Buckeyes coaching staff is paying close attention to Braxton Miller, the Wayne quarterback thought by many to be the state’s top recruit in the Class of 2011.

In short, said Trotwood coach Maurice Douglass, the Buckeyes are still around, despite a lack of signees this year.

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Miami Valley will go without an Ohio State signee for the first time since 1998. In the 11 years from 1999-09, 24 area players signed letters of intent to play for the Buckeyes in a nearly unprecedented run of players to Columbus.

Area coaches and recruiting experts said the Buckeyes’ lack of a Miami Valley signee among their class of at least 18 (including eight from Ohio) is only a one-year blip.

“Dayton will be making a strong rebound in the coming year,” said Dave Berk, a reporter from Scout.com.

Beginning with 1999, when Lebanon running back Kelton Lindsay and St. Henry offensive lineman Matt Zahn signed with Ohio State, at least one area player in each high school class committed to the Buckeyes. The Miami Valley boasted three OSU recruits in four of those years.

“They’ll be coming after this area,” Douglass said. “It was just this particular year.”

Coaches and experts said this year’s lack of a Miami Valley recruit can be attributed to a mix of a relative dip in highly recruited players and non-offers to those who will go on to other Bowl Championship Series conference schools.

“They’re not ignoring the Dayton area,” said Brian Snow of Rivals.com. “They saw the top two players (from Dayton, Wayne’s Terry and Terrence Talbott) and decided not to offer. But you look at next year, and they already have interest.”

Snow said areas always face talent dips and the Miami Valley has been fortunate for several classes. This year’s recruits don’t have the depth of others, he said, while areas near Dayton, including Cincinnati, have seen an increase in big-time recruits.

“This year, Cincinnati is better than it has ever been and maybe better than we’ll see it again,” Snow said. “It all happens in cycles.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.