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.
CRAIG-MYERS BACK ON THE MARKET
The big news in the recruiting world last night – post Hurry Up – was that the country's top-ranked 2016 wide receiver, Tampa's Nate Craig-Myers, was back on the market.
Nate Craig-Meyers (@NateCraig2016) , the countrys top-ranked WR in 2016 has re-opened his recruitment per @joshnewberg247 -
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) May 7, 2015
If you recall, Craig-Myers was once a top target of Ohio State, and not just because of his ridiculous talent. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide out was vocal about having the Buckeyes as his favorite for months before a sudden commitment to Auburn last summer. Since his verbal to the Tigers, Craig-Myers has been on a number of visits to Auburn, but its been repeated trips to Florida State that have had people believing it will eventually be the Seminoles who land the Florida standout. But what about the Buckeyes? Will they put their hat in the ring? Of course they will.
You should expect Zach Smith and Tony Alford to both work to get very involved with Craig in the hopes of landing a summer visit and then working on an official visit. A new decision from Craig isn't expected until January, so time is on Ohio State's side. The odds aren't great for the Buckeyes, but they've got everything Craig-Myers is looking for in a school. He's clearly not adverse to leaving Florida for college, so now it's about how much of a chance he gives the Buckeyes' staff.
HANSARD JUST STARTING THE PROCESS, LIKING OHIO STATE
New Jersey 2017 defensive tackle Fred Hansard, a 6-foot-4, 310-pounder from Princeton, was offered yesterday by the Buckeyes. Judging by a tweet from Hansard last night, he's been impressed by the reception Ohio State fans have given him.
There are a ton of Ohio State fans #Buckeyes
— Freddo_Ehh (@omg_freddo_ehh) May 7, 2015
Hansard is just getting started in the recruiting process; Ohio State's offer was his sixth, and today he added number seven from Iowa. He didn't expect the attention from the Buckeyes.
"They came by last week," Hansard said of the Ohio State coaches. "It was pretty surprising, I had no idea they were going to offer."
Hansard has made a couple college visits, he's visited Penn State, Temple, Syracuse, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. He says right now there is no favorite. It's just too early in the process, but the Buckeyes offer is one that he's taking seriously.
"I have no favorite schools right now," he said. "I definitely have an eye on Ohio State. I will definitely visit there this summer."
The Buckeyes coaching staff was impressed by Hansard's physicality, according to the junior-to-be.
"They see how fast I can move for a guy my size," Hansard added. "They said they like how fast my hands are."
WATTS HAS BUCKEYES IN TOP TWO
We've talked about it over and over, but the pursuit of defensive backs in the 2016 continues to be, well, befuddling. One commitment is in, Baltimore's Kareem Felder, but beyond that the names seem to change daily. Today, the en vogue name appears to be Craig Watts, a 6-foot-tall, 180-pound safety from St. Petersburg, Florida. Watts will make a college decision on July 14th, his mother's birthday, and according to an update ($$) with 247Sports.com analyst Josh Newberg, two teams are standing out to him.
"I’d say two standout; Ohio State and probably Alabama,” he added. “I have a great connection with the Ohio State staff and I loved my visit to Bama last month. The staff and the facilities were just amazing.”
What coaching staff does Watts have the best relationship with?
“I would say I have the best relationship with Ohio State and USF right now.”
Interestingly, the Buckeyes are on the list, and near the top, without ever receiving a visit from Watts. Is this a case of a player trying to garner more attention from the Buckeyes by including them in the top of his list? Maybe. The fact is, without a visit from Watts – which he indicates could happen soon – he's just another defensive back on a long list of possible options.
BUCKEYES HOPING TO MAKE IMPRESSION IN GEORGIA
During the evaluation period, the Buckeyes' coaching staff is literally all over the place, offering players from all over the country. Yesterday, in Georgia, the Buckeyes extended offers to a pair of four-star teammates at Lawrenceville's Archer High School, 2016 wide receiver Kyle Davis and 2017 athlete Jamyest Williams.
Davis is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound wide receiver, currently committed to South Carolina, who many believe will end up in Athens playing for Mark Richt. Last year, the Buckeyes went to Florida to flip a South Carolina commit (Damon Arnette) and Davis, as the country's 5th-ranked wide receiver, is worth the flyer.
Williams is a 5-foot-9, 180-pound speedburner, listed with a 4.35 40-yard-dash time. He could play defensive back or in the slot on offense. You can expect Georgia, Florida State, Clemson and a host of others to be heavily involved in his recruitment, but the Buckeyes are making a play and will hope to develop a relationship with him and get him up to Columbus for a visit.
