Friday Night Lights: Moore's Commitment, Conrad Storyline Highlight Intriguing Night

By Jeremy Birmingham on July 25, 2014 at 11:40 pm
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Friday Night Lights got off to a pretty good start for the Buckeyes when Olathe, Kansas tight end Josh Moore committed to Ohio State somewhat unexpectedly as the evening got underway.

From there, the good times rolled under the newly-installed stadium lights at Ohio Stadium and eventually, culminated in another commitment, from another Josh. This time, it was Detroit Cass Tech two-way lineman Joshua Alabi who decided to become a Buckeye.

What happened in the meantime? Let's take a quick look back at the night that was in Columbus.

With apologies to Torrance Gibson, the most intriguing story of the evening was the decision by Ohio tight end C.J. Conrad to attend Friday Night Lights. Conrad, the country's 10th-ranked tight end, committed to Kentucky two months ago but the Buckeyes have remained in steady contact. The lifelong Buckeye fan decided at the last moment to attend and told 11W it was a "business trip" and that it was something he had to do. 

His performance was hit-and-miss, and with the Buckeyes accepting the commitment of Moore prior to the event, it's unsure where things go from here. Conrad, as well as other tight ends, has been told the Buckeyes would still like to take a pair of tight ends in 2015, so the window is not closed. He did not, however, go out and blow the doors off the Horseshoe.

Whether the offer comes or not, Conrad needs to be commended for putting himself out there and doing whatever it takes to get to where he wants to be. He's a great kid and the type of person you'd want on your team each and every day.

Torrance Gibson, as you'd imagine, was a pretty big storyline heading into the event and then during Friday Night Lights. He surprised many by working out for the Buckeyes and it appears he was having a great time in Columbus.

Although Gibson's decision to work out at quarterback will certainly open him up for criticism about his technical proficiency, it does say a lot about him as as competitor. With nothing to prove, he could have just spent his time in Columbus being a spectator. Still, the doubts remain about his ability to be a consistent collegiate quarterback.

Still, the enthusiasm and infectious personality Gibson is known for was visible. 

After the event, Gibson got the full-court press from one of the Buckeyes' most official unofficial recruiters: Stacy Elliott, the father of sophomore tailback Ezekiel.

Whether or not the Buckeyes eventually sign the enigmatic social media star, they've made a big move forward in his recruitment and will continue to be involved. He'll be in Columbus until Sunday, giving Ohio State and Urban Meyer a shot to really dig in.

During the event, Urban Meyer and his staff spent as much time as possible with a number of potential targets, including 2016 wide receiver Austin Mack. Mack, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, could be the best wideout in the midwest in his class and got special attention from Ohio State's big kahuna tonight.

One of the key performances of the night was from a player Mack went head-to-head with directly a few times, Buckeye commitment Eric Glover-Williams.  

Last year, "EGW" showed up to FNL in a Superman t-shirt and went on to steal the show with his electrifying athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. This year, after months of turmoil and rumors he might end up being removed from his spot at Ohio State, Glover-Williams stayed low-profile and let his performance do the talking: on defense.

Following the camp, Glover-Williams spoke to some media members about his situation with the Buckeyes. He was succinct and to the point.

Memphis, Tennessee four-star offensive lineman Drew Richmond got to Columbus this afternoon and spent a lot of time with a number of Buckeye commitments and players. Richmond and redshirt wide receiver Jalin Marshall has become especially good friends over the last year. Although many think Richmond is leaning towards Tennessee, he continues to keep the Buckeyes right at the top of this list. 

One of the more intriguing wide receiver prospects in attendance, Maryland's Lawrence Cager, walked away from Ohio Stadium with a big offer from the Buckeyes. 

Cager has picked up offers from Alabama and Tennessee in the last week, but has been quoted as saying a Buckeye offer meant they'd catapult to the top of his list. He could be close to becoming the next member of the "Elite '15."

One of the real joys of a camp like Friday Night Lights, is the chance for less known players to stand out in front of a crowd. Miami, Florida's Carlton Davis got a lot of attention tonight.

The Buckeyes also offered a 2016 offensive lineman who has been, up until now, a bit under the radar.

They also extended an offer to Gahanna 2016 star Jonathon Cooper, a speed-rushing defensive end that is absolutely going on commit watch. 

Cass Tech, the Buckeyes' newest pipeline in Michigan after Alabi's commitment, picked up another Ohio State offer minutes later. This time it's 2016 defensive back Lavert Hill.

Eleven Warriors will continue to bring you more from Friday Night Lights throughout the weekend, so stay with us and check back on this story often as new updates will be added.

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