BOWLING GREEN — The Bowling Green State University football team’s recruiting class for 2018 already is starting to come together.

And one of the players who has verbally committed to the Falcons is a familiar name, especially to Ohio State football fans.

James Lachey, the son of former Buckeyes and NFL standout Jim Lachey, is one of 14 players who currently have pledged to sign with BG.

Per NCAA rules, Bowling Green coaches cannot comment on a recruit until that individual signs a national letter of intent. This year, there is an “early” signing window from Dec. 20-22, followed by the traditional signing period, which begins Feb. 7.

Junior college players can sign with a D-I program from Dec. 20 until Jan. 15, as well as during the February signing period.

“We’ve got a ton of steam with the 2018 class,” coach Mike Jinks said of a group ranked as fourth-best in the Mid-American Conference by the major recruiting sites. “We’re on some difference-makers, but we’re already happy with this class.

“We want to make guys want to come here by having success on the field, but Nick Young, as our recruiting coordinator, has done a good job of putting us on the right guys, and our coaches have done a great job of establishing relationships.”

Lachey, who said his plan is to sign during the February period, noted the Falcons were one of the few schools to offer him a chance to play on offense.

“I knew I wanted to play for a Big Ten or a Mid-American Conference school,” Lachey said in a phone interview. “I had some offers, but most teams wanted me to play on the defensive line. But Bowling Green offered me as a tight end, and BG runs some of the same stuff we do in high school. When I went to their camp, I knew [committing to them] was the right decision.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Lachey plays for Grandview Heights High School in suburban Columbus. Last season, he was named the Central District Division VI defensive player of the year but also is the starting tight end for the Bobcats.

Last year, Lachey helped Grandview Heights to a 6-4 record; in 2015, the Bobcats reached a D-VI state semifinal before losing to eventual state champ Kirtland.

The elder Lachey was an All-American offensive lineman at Ohio State and a first-round pick by San Diego in the 1985 NFL draft who played for the Chargers, L.A. Raiders, and Washington Redskins.

Among the players who are expected to join the younger Lachey in Bowling Green’s 2018 recruiting class are twin brothers Brad and Jake Papez of Timberland High School in suburban St. Louis.

Brad Papez is a 6-6, 265-pound tackle who ranks No. 13 on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Super 30, and Jake Papez is a 6-5, 230-pound tight end who stands at No. 19 on the same list.

The Falcons also have a third commit from the St. Louis area in Devin Ruffin, a 6-1, 220-pound linebacker from Lutheran North High School who is No. 11 on the Post-Dispatch’s list.

Another area where Bowling Green has recruited well is the Dayton area, where the prospects include Ra’veion Hargrove of Trotwood-Madison, Jevon Henderson of Centerville, and Antwuan Johnson of Wayne.

Hargrove is a 5-6 running back who entered this season with 5,036 rushing yards and 65 touchdowns the past two seasons, including four games when he ran for more than 300 yards.

Henderson is a 6-3, 265-pound defensive tackle who is a three-star recruit ranked No. 53 in the state of Ohio by 247Sports.com.

Johnson is a 6-1 linebacker who, as a sophomore in high school, verbally committed to Michigan when Brady Hoke was coach. The switch to Jim Harbaugh caused Johnson to decommit, and he played at Dunbar High School last season before transferring to Wayne this season.

The Falcons also have three Michigan players who have verbally committed to the program in safety Patrick Lupro of Belleville, tackle John O’Brien of Charlotte, and quarterback Bryce Veasley of West Bloomfield.

Two Florida natives expected to sign with BG are linebacker Deandre Fitz-Henley of Clearwater Central Catholic and cornerback James Harris of Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla.

Also planning to sign with the Falcons are defensive end Antonio Smith of Westerville South High School in suburban Columbus and receiver Onyx Smith of Cibolo, Texas. Smith attends Steele High School, the school where Jinks formerly served as head coach.

INJURY REPORT: Bowling Green officially has lost safety Jamari Bozeman for the season, as the junior will have hip surgery next week.

Offensive lineman Lorenzo Taborn also will not play Saturday against South Dakota, as he returns from a shoulder injury he suffered in warm ups at Michigan State.

Linebacker Aaron Banks also will not play against the Coyotes after suffering an ankle injury in the first half against the Spartans. While he returned to action in the second half of that game, Banks was in a walking boot at practice Wednesday.

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.

First Published September 7, 2017, 7:02 p.m.