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.
PRINCE GETS ROYAL TREATMENT
So, it was Isaiah Prince. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Prince, a Greenbelt, Maryland native and Alabama commitment, visited Ohio State this weekend and did so without informing the Crimson Tide coaching staff. The decision to make a "secret" visit a day after committing could be viewed a number of different ways but it's impossible to see it as anything less than a good thing for the Buckeyes and Maryland, both of whom were surprised by Prince's sudden commitment. There is a train of thought that would suggest Bama pushed for a decision by telling the lineman that if he visited Ohio State he would no longer have a spot in Tuscaloosa, a move that worked on a number of other Tide pledges this past weekend including linebacker Josh McMillon who canceled a visit to Michigan at the last moment.
Prince reportedly called the Buckeyes on Friday night, just hours after pledging to Alabama and told Ohio State coaches that he felt he might've been rushed into a choice and wanted to make his visit as planned. He and his family were welcomed by the Buckeyes and spent a lot of time with Ed Warinner, Urban Meyer and Larry Johnson, Sr. The latter was key in getting Prince interested with the Buckeyes in the first place and the family spent Sunday evening at dinner with Johnson.
So what happens next? That's anyone's guess. Prince is rumored to be visiting Maryland this coming weekend and will get an in-home visit from Nick Saban this Tuesday night, which is bound to be interesting. Right now, the Buckeyes are confident in where they stand, but Tuesday looms large.
OHIO STATE HAS BIG VISITS THURSDAY
Speaking of looming large, Ohio State and Urban Meyer will do their final in-home visit with Norland (Miami) defensive back Carlton Davis and quarterback Torrance Gibson this Thursday. Davis and Gibson both made official visits elsewhere this weekend — Davis to Auburn and Gibson to LSU — and it's fair to label each situation as tenuous at best right now. Davis, specifically, appears to be trending away from Ohio State and towards Auburn, who is rumored to be landing a commitment from his close friend Jeremiah Dinson, another cornerback who decommitted from Kentucky during his own visit to Auburn.
Gibson's LSU visit seemed to have gone well, and while he's not talking, I was able to speak with some folks who spent time with him in Baton Rouge and even they were unable to get a good read on what the enigmatic star is thinking or feeling. Gibson will get Zach Smith and Urban Meyer in-home on Thursday night before he visits Miami this weekend. What happens? Ohio State still believes that they're in the lead position for Gibson, but there is concern. Not Carlton Davis-level concern, but concern nonetheless.
The bottom line, especially on Gibson, is that while there's going to be some stressing out and worrying about what happens with these kids, it is ultimately their decision to make. If you, or anyone you know, feel it necessary to talk to Gibson, Davis, or any recruit on social media, the only thing you can do to "help" is to be supportive and understanding of how difficult their choice is and wish them good luck in making their pick. Replying to everything they tweet or post with "#Buckeyes" or "Stay loyal, bro!" is not only ludicrous but more importantly does nothing good for the Buckeyes or their coaching staff. Best practice? Leave recruiting to the coaches, they get paid a lot of money to do it, and they do it well.
LOTS OF DEFENSIVE END OPTIONS FOR 2016
While 2015 is close to wrapping up (we hope) the possibilities for 2016 are just lining up. One key position that Ohio State will attack with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind is defensive end. Why? Need, pure and simple. In the 2015 class there is only one player at the position (Dre'Mont Jones) and he's got the frame to grow into more an inside defender. On the current roster, the only true defensive ends likely to be on the roster come 2016 are Jalyn Holmes, Sam Hubbard and Darius Slade, and Hubbard could end up at 17 other positions if last year taught us anything. That brings to the fore a serious need to land — if possible — up to five defensive ends for 2016. Who are the candidates outside of current commitment Jonathon Cooper?
- Nick Bosa is not a lock for the Buckeyes, but he's close. Don't be surprised if a few schools (Florida State and USC are consistently mentioned to me) make it close for the country's 18th-ranked player but as long as Urban Meyer and Larry Johnson, Sr. are in Columbus, it's safe to expect Bosa to be as well.
- Terrell Hall is the 16th-ranked defensive end in 2016 and this past weekend he made his third trip to Ohio State on his own dime. He's a three-star prospect who is likely to move way up in the rankings come spring and has an offer list that is as good as anyone in the nation. The Buckeyes love where they're sitting with the Washington, D.C. standout right now.
- Joshua King is Illinois' top player in 2016 and ranked 50th-nationally in his class. He's consistently been mentioned as a player Ohio State feels confident they can land, but he's not been able to get to Ohio State as often as some others. If there's a player I feel is less likely to end up in Columbus right now, it's King, but that could change with one great visit.
- Auston Robertson is a nephew of Ohio State's Stan Drayton and a Lima, Ohio native who has been in Columbus more times in the past few months than most of the current Ohio State players have been. 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Robertson is a versatile athlete who could end up at a different position in college if needed, but right now his future is still along the defensive front. He's the 7th-ranked weakside defensive end in 2016 and the Buckeyes are absolutely in the lead to land him at this time.
- Prince Sammons is ranked fifth among strong-side defensive ends for 2016, but there's many (including myself) who believe his future will involve a positional switch to offensive tackle. He's 6-foot-8 and 280-pounds and cuts an imposing figure no matter what spot he plays. Relatively new to football, Sammons is exactly the kind of prospect that coaches love because he's capable of being molded quickly because of his athleticism and lack of long-instilled bad habits.
- Khalid Kareem is the most recent offer along the defensive line and he's an incredibly intriguing prospect. Ohio State offered the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Kareem on Sunday (Notre Dame followed suit today) and the Harrison High School (Farmington, Michigan) star now has 23 offers on his belt. Another three-star defensive end that is likely to see a big bump this evaluation season, Kareem is absolutely willing to leave Michigan and attend school elsewhere according to sources close to the family. The Buckeyes have been very aggressive in the Mitten and would love to steal another stud from under their rivals' nose.
NEXT 2016 COMMITMENT COMING SOON?
One thing I realized last night is how fun a good, old-fashioned guessing game can be. To that end, I'll let you guys know that there are some rumblings that another of Ohio's top junior could soon be making a commitment for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State currently has commitments from five of the top 15 in the Buckeye state's 2016 group, and if this pledge happens soon he would be the fifth from that group. There's not any specific date planned for an announcement but it does appear that at the very least a decision has been made.
I'm sure this one won't be as difficult to figure out, but hey, guessing games are fun, right?
