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: 9/21 | 9/22 | 9/23 | 9/24 | 9/25
- Mike took a look at some players who could be considered "must gets" for Ohio State recruiting
- The "Recruiting Rewind" investigated the 2011 recruiting class, Jim Tressel's last in Columbus
- The Cincinnati game featured a lot of big name visitors
GIBSON OFFICIAL VISIT FEEDBACK
There are plenty of big names to discuss following Ohio State's big recruiting weekend, but not many uncommitted prospects "bigger" than five-star athlete Torrance Gibson. Gibson, who arrived at Ohio State on Saturday morning, was still on campus at the time of this writing so there's not much "news" on him at the moment. It's Eleven Warrior's policy to not contact kids while they're on an official visit, so we'll have whatever news we can from Torrance directly as soon as possible. That said, from discussions with people on the periphery of Gibson's camp, things couldn't have gone better.
Gibson told 11W last week that he would not be committing on his trip to Columbus, and that appears to be accurate, for now. The Buckeyes are firmly in the driver's seat for the 6-foot-4, 200 athlete/quarterback but I'd expect him to make at least one more official visit before any sort of public declaration is made.
BAD NEWS FOR ALEX STUMP
Last week Ohio State finally offered 2015 Lakewood St. Ed's wide receiver Alex Stump, who committed to Kentucky in May. The offer came on the heels of the Eagle's upset loss at Cincinnati Elder, where multiple Ohio State coaches watched him play live. After a mid-Sunday-afternoon visit to Columbus, the offer to Stump happened, thanks in large part to this performance that Saturday night.
In retrospect, that performance is even more impressive than initially thought: Stump tore a ligament in his foot and will miss the remainder of his senior season.
"I had surgery Friday," Stump told Eleven Warriors. "I was at the doctor's all last week and this sort of was all thrown on me at once. It sucks because that's not how I want my career at Ed's to end, but I've got to work and get better and be better than ever now."
Stump informed the Ohio State coaches of his injury/surgery on Friday. Their message was as you'd expect.
"My dad and I called Urban Meyer on Friday," he said. "He basically said 'Hey, injuries happen and we still want you to be a Buckeye.'"
As for Stump and the Buckeyes? He says he's still working out the difficult decision he's got to make.
"I'm really just taking my time with things," he added. "I've got to weigh the options and see what's the best fit for me."
BAKER VISIT SPARKS FLIP DISCUSSION
If there's any recruiting "story" this weekend that was on par with the intrigue of Torrance Gibson's recruitment, it's the evolving Jerome Baker saga. The Florida commitment took in the Buckeye game with his family and from all accounts, the entire family was blown away by the atmosphere and the attention from Ohio State coaches.
"It was sweet," the understated Baker shared with 11W. "I enjoyed the game and am just trying to explore my options. You never know what could happen so I'm trying to enjoy my recruiting process."
Baker will visit Florida on the weekend of October 10th for his official visit, and that weekend is going to be instrumental in the Gators' efforts to keep him locked up. It's getting harder and harder to imagine a scenario where Baker ends up signing with Florida in February.
JOSH MOORE HIGHLIGHTS
One of the less-talked-about Buckeye commitments, Olathe, Kansas tight end Josh Moore took to Twitter this afternoon to share his latest highlight reel.
Put a little highlight together. trying to represent The Ohio State correctly ! #GoBucks http://t.co/ImOVfwAl0K
— Josh Moore (@JoshMoore_08) September 28, 2014
Buckeye fans should be excited about this unique blend of size, speed and athleticism. While he's currently listed as a tight end, don't be surprised if Moore eventually outgrows that position entirely.
ROBERTSON ADDS BUCKEYE OFFER
Just two weeks after their last visit to Columbus, Indiana's top two prospects in 2016 returned to Columbus. Austin Mack and Auston Robertston, ranked number and two respectively in the Hoosier state, continue to be high-priorities for the Buckeyes. Robertson was offered by the Buckeyes yesterday afternoon prior to the start of Ohio State's home game against Cincinnati.
"To get the offer from Ohio State feels really good," Robertson, a Lima native, said. "I've always loved Ohio State."
Don't expect any resolution to his recruitment anytime soon, but the Ohio State offer puts the Buckeyes squarely in the race for his pledge. This should be a two-team battle with Notre Dame.
