Welcome to The Hurry-Up, which runs Sunday through Thursday, serving as your last stop for recruiting news and notes nightly. We'll recap the day as it happened and preview the days ahead while keeping our ear to the ground on the Ohio State recruiting scene.
WEEK IN REVIEW
Here's a look back at a few of the items we talked about this week on Eleven Warriors.
- "The Hurry-Up," our (almost) nightly recruiting recap: 9/28 | 9/29 | 9/30 | 10/1 | 10/2
- Mike reviewed a few of the big names that were in attendance for Ohio State and Cincinnati
- Top 2017 lineman Josh Myers recapped his recent Buckeye visit
- Elijah Holyfield made his second trip to Ohio State and talked to 11W about it
- The Buckeyes are in a battle for three of Ohio's top 2016 players
- Two of the top 2016 basketball prospects in the region checked out Ohio State
- Prep Tracker: Week Six
HASKINS TAKES IN TERPS
Ohio State’s top quarterback target for 2016 was able, thanks to his convenient residency, check out two schools he’s interested in on Saturday. Dwayne Haskins, Jr. and his parents were on hand to watch the Buckeyes and Terrapins and saw the Scarlet and Gray thoroughly dispatch the the Red, Black, Yellow and White.
I was fortunate to talk to Dwayne Haskins, Sr. prior to the game and he affirmed quite solidly the Buckeye interest, not just from his son, but his entire family.
“We really like Ohio State,” Haskins Sr. told Eleven Warriors. “There’s not many places like it, if any. They’re right at the top of the list but Dwayne is going to keep taking his time and make sure he does things the right way.”
On Thursday, Haskins was offered by Penn State and the timing is certainly interesting considering 2015 Nittany Lions’ commitment Brandon Wimbush officially visited Notre Dame this weekend. If Wimbush were to consider a “flip” as many are already suggesting, there’s a chance Penn State skips quarterback in 2015 and Haskins becomes a big priority. Interestingly, it was suggested to me that Haskins could be waiting to make a decision because he’s watching what Torrance Gibson does.
If Gibson were to commit to Ohio State, despite positional uncertainty, a source told 11W, that could hurt with Haskins. Ironic, isn’t it? One of the more efficient recruiting tactics used against Ohio State in their pursuit of Brandon Wimbush was the “Gibson is going to be a Buckeye” card and now Wimbush could be looking elsewhere and Gibson’s looming decision could hurt the Buckeyes in 2016 as well.
TYLER GREEN IMPRESSED BY BUCKEYES
As I walked around the field at Maryland yesterday, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd, first row, right behind the Terrapins bench: 2015 Buckeye commitment Tyler Green. Yes, Green is a DMV guy and made the short trip to College Park, but his seat was peculiar all things considered.
“Hey,” he quipped when I asked him about the first row. “It’s all about who you know. I’d wish I could be suited up and out there on the field instead.”
Never one to hide his affection for the Buckeyes, Green tried to watch the game with a discerning eye. He saw plenty to like from his future teammates.
“I really like how confident we were every time we lined up,” Green said post-game. “When a play needed to be made, I knew we’d get it done. Whether it’s E-ZE (Ezekiel Elliott), or Michael (Thomas) or Raekwon (McMillan). They know how to finish as a team and that’s not always easy to do when you’re up big.” Green finished with a little future dreaming. “I can’t wait to play with those guys.”
DAMIEN HARRIS CONFIDENCE: FADING
Rarely does one game, or one season, strongly impact the decision of a top-ranked player. Earlier this year, I said I believed if Kentucky won seven or eight games however, that it seriously helped their odds of landing Damien Harris. After last night’s big come-from-behind win against South Carolina, it appears that “Stoop’s Troops” are well on their way to that number.
Damien Harris was in attendance last night, and will be back at Kentucky next week as well, according to his Twitter. I realize Berea, Kentucky is a stone’s throw from Lexington, but it’d be unwise to disregard his repeated attendance and growing public affection for the Wildcats. With a planned decision date towards the end of November or early December, it becomes imperative that Ohio State find a way to get the country’s top running back back on campus. The Buckeyes, for their part, are no doubt angling to bring him to Columbus for the The Game against Michigan, but right now it appears things are moving in Kentucky’s direction.
Urban Meyer and his staff have done everything that they can to position themselves to land Harris, but as of now I’d put this one in the “concerned” category.
WHAT'S UP WITH WEBER
Back in late April, early May, I was told unequivocally that the Buckeyes were the “favorite” for Michigan running back commitment Mike Weber, who committed to Michigan a few months later.
Weber, from what I was told, believed like many that Ohio State would eventually end up landing Damien Harris and when Michigan State secured Hubbard, Ohio’s L.J. Scott he moved the Wolverines back to the top of his list.
Now, as Michigan’s struggles continue and a likely administration change means a likely coaching change, could the Buckeyes be creeping back up the list for the Cass Tech star? One source in the Detroit area says that’s precisely what he’s hearing.
“Don’t count out Ohio State for Weber,” the source said. “Mike has always liked Ohio State but he believed they’d land Harris and they’re not going to take two running backs. With what’s going on in Ann Arbor, don’t be surprised if he looks around.”
Ohio State’s Kerry Coombs recruits the Detroit area and Cass Tech specifically, and it’s that relationship which keeps the Buckeyes in the game. An assistant at Cass Tech, Jermaine Crowell, speaks glowingly of Coombs.
“Kerry Coombs,” Crowell told 11W over the summer. “Is the best college coach I’ve ever met when it comes to recruiting.”
