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.
JOSH MYERS ADDED TO ALREADY HUGE VISITOR LIST
Earlier today, Mike took you through a number of the bigger names that will be in attendance on Saturday as the Buckeyes host their I-71 rivals from Cincinnati. This afternoon, I received confirmation that another big name, from the class of 2017, will be on hand as well.
Miamisburg's Josh Myers will take in the sights and sounds of the capital and it's a chance both are definitely looking forward to. Over the last few months, Myers has developed an excellent rapport with Danny Clark, the Buckeyes 2017 quarterback commitment. It's a relationship Ohio State hopes is fruitful long-term.
"Yes, I am going to Columbus for the game," Myers told Eleven Warriors. "I'm really looking forward to the crazy atmosphere of a night game there."
Myers has been to Ohio State only once for a game, prior to the start of his freshman year at Miamisburgh. He's the nation's top-ranked offensive tackle for 2017.
THE SON OF EDDIE GETTING SOME LOVE
Yesterday was the 41st birthday of one of the all-time Buckeye greats, 1995 Heisman winner Eddie George. His son Jaire George has just recently started to garner some recruiting attention of his own. Stanford, Virginia, and Harvard are among the institutions reaching out to the 2015 running back and linebacker, who's clearly been taking care of business off the field.
The elder George was not heavily recruited out of high school either, and he turned out just fine. It's conceivable that Jaire could be a bit of a late-bloomer himself. His recent highlight tapes show a much more explosive player for DeMatha High Scool than even a year ago.
Gives a bit of the old familiar feeling, doesn't it?
MALIK JEFFERSON
The Buckeyes are still hoping to make a big impression on Mesquite, Texas star Malik Jefferson, who is scheduled to visit Columbus on November 1st. Yes, the most likely linebacker to join the class is Jerome Baker, who is visiting this weekend, but Jefferson's talent and character make him a player you just can't say no to.
Jefferson is the country's 13th-ranked overall prospect and the top-ranked linebacker in the class of 2015, but he's much more than that. Despite his prodigious talent and lofty rankings, he might be a better person than football player. That's saying something for a player of his caliber. I was fortunate enough to meet his mother, Teresa, at The Opening this summer and it was easy to see where Malik's off-the-field demeanor comes from. I talked to a source in Texas about Jefferson's recruitment while he didn't seem overly optimistic about the Buckeyes' chances of landing the Poteet High School standout, he didn't out-and-out deny it, either.
"Malik is different than almost any top recruit," our source shared. "He's interested in the recruiting stuff, but he's not swayed by the same stuff most kids are. He and his family are really looking for a place he can succeed on and off the field and around coaches that will help him as a person and a player. Faith is important to him and his family. I know there's a pull to stay in Texas, but he's not interested in going somewhere just because other kids are."
Jefferson has been linked at times to Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor, and each of them remain firmly entrenched his recruitment. Ohio State will get their shot though, and with Urban Meyer, Tom Herman and others involved, that's all you can ask for.
NEXT UP OFFENSIVE LINE TARGETS?
Ok, before everyone freaks out let me get this out of the way: Ohio State still feels very good about their chances with Virginia's Matt Burrell. Yes, things are a bit "tighter" now than they were prior to his Tallahassee trip, but Ohio State is hardly conceding. That said, it's important to understand the need for quality offensive lineman in this year's — heck in every year's — recruiting class. Ohio State offered Utah commitment Branden Bowen on Sunday night and by last night, he had set up an official visit to Columbus.
Would I expect a flip from Bowen? Not really, at least not initially. The Buckeyes have their primary targets, but here's the thing about elite high school football players: they don't all want to come to Ohio State. Shocking, right? The Buckeyes, and every other school in the country, have to put themselves in the position to move from recruiting misses. Bowen is a talented player, and although "stars" are a good indicator of talent, they're not the only indicator of talent, according to someone close to the Bowen situation.
"Here's the thing about Buckeye fans, and all fans of recruiting, to a degree," the source shared. "Ohio State is used to getting the best players whenever it wants them, and the fans should expect that, but stars don't mean (squat) when it comes to seeing a kid in person and then being actually evaluated by a college coach. If Ed Warinner and Urban Meyer offer any kid a scholarship, forget the rankings. Throw them in the trash and be excited about the kid, because he can play. Meyer doesn't offer roster-fillers."
