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.
GIBSON'S DECISION
As of now, four days after his official visit, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 2015 four-star athlete Torrance Gibson still isn't talk about his trip to Ohio State. Why? I don't know, but I'm not in the habit of asking questions that I don't have a right to know the answer to. That said, I was able to reach out to a few people in the Gibson camp earlier this week and get a little more insight into his decision and what should be expected coming up.
"The visit was great, that's what he's told me," a source close to Gibson shared. "He said the fans were amazing, and that they knew who he was and were chanting his name and he loved that."
Despite some chatter that a commitment was looming, our source says that's not the case. He also, interestingly enough, said he thinks Gibson should make a decision and soon.
"I know he wants to visit Oklahoma, and he'll do that from what I've been told," the source added. "But right now, it's Ohio State by a big margin. I think he should commit, get it out of the way. He could help bring in a number of other players that are still on the fence and if he's confident that's the place for him, why not commit to help bring in the best class possible?"
VAN STILL THE MAN?
One of the bigger "surprises" of the summer, recruiting-wise, was Tennessee wide receiver Van Jefferson committing to Georgia over Ohio State and Tennessee. The Buckeyes, long Jefferson's "favorite team" had been close to pledging Scarlet and Gray more than once during his recruitment, but decided to keep things open and eventually felt like the opportunity in Athens was going to be the best fit.
While there's not much reason to get excited yet, I've heard through the grapevine that the Buckeyes haven't given up this chase just yet and Jefferson isn't shutting the door completely. Does that mean he's "back in play?" No, but he's listening and paying attention.
"Jefferson could be back in play, at least a little bit," a source told 11W. "There's some talk that seeing the way the Ohio State offense is evolving has piqued some interest. Don't underestimate the impact that JT Barrett's style and play could have on some wide receiver recruits."
A.J. ALEXANDER INJURY/OFFICIAL VISIT UPDATE
About ten days ago it was reported that Ohio State 2015 commitment A.J. Alexander had torn his ACL and would miss the remainder of his senior season. At the time, Alexander said things had not been completely confirmed regarding his injury, but that is no longer the case.
"I tore the ACL, l'll be out for a while," Alexander confirmed with Eleven Warriors following his official visit last weekend. "I had surgery on Tuesday. I'm a little sore but I'll be back and better than ever."
Despite the disappointing news injury-wise, Alexander said his visit to Columbus was all he'd hoped it would be.
"(The visit) was great" he said. "I had a great time. The game was awesome, the offense was rolling and JT (Barrett) was nice. He's a very smart quarterback, you can see him going through his reads really well. It was cool to see the offensive line step up big time as well. I like how balanced the offense is."
What else did Alexander do on his trip? Worked on the bonds with his future teammates of course.
"I spent a lot of time with the other commits and the recruits, like Torrance Gibson, basically the whole day," he continued. "Everyone is really cool and it's not my first time meeting them, because I was at Friday Night Lights and other camps we've been to."
KRAEMER VS KRAEMER
Perhaps the most discussed player in Ohio's talent-rich 2016 recruiting class, Tommy Kraemer, could be very close to the end of his recruitment. That news, however, isn't exactly ideal for the Buckeyes. Kraemer has said repeatedly that a decision wasn't coming until following his junior season at least, but it appears that could be changing.
"I'm not sure," Kraemer said about the increasing rumors surrounding a potential weekend commit to Notre Dame, where he'll be visiting. "I'm taking an overnight visit there Saturday and meeting with the staff Sunday. We'll see how that goes."
Throughout his recruiting process, Kraemer has been one of the more likable kids I've ever spoken with. He's thoughtful, decent, respectful and always honest, so him changing his tune on a possible commitment is something to pay attention to. He says though, nothing is decided yet.
"Nothing is set in stone," he added. "Sitting down with my family and talking over everything has really helped me a lot (in figuring things out). It's a decision that will be about what's best for me whenever the decision is made, but nothing is set in stone."
Kraemer and his Elder Panthers take on Ohio State 2015 commitment Justin Hilliard and Cincinnati St. Xavier Friday night. He'll depart for South Bend on Saturday and if I were a betting man, my money would be on him returning Sunday committed to the Irish.
If there's any silver lining for Ohio State it is this: there's a long way to go before he signs with Notre Dame, or anyone else. The Buckeyes won't stop their recruitment, and nor should they. Kraemer is the best player in Ohio for 2016 and at a position of great importance for the Buckeyes.
