The Hurry Up is your nightcap of Ohio State recruiting news, catching you up on the day’s events with an ear on the ground for what’s next.
MORE ON KAREEM WALKER
Last night we talked about Kareem Walker, and today we talked to Kareem Walker, including his recent visit to Ohio State. The bottom line is that Walker, the country's top-ranked running back, will – at least temporarily – not worry about any more recruiting visits and focus on his senior season with the hopes of enrolling at Ohio State come January.
In our phone conversation late last night, Walker was very upfront about where he's at with Ohio State, telling me that his visit answered all the questions he had about his role in their offense. The issues Walker had, he said, were mostly because the other schools recruiting him have pounded those ideas into him during his discussions with them.
The worries? A too-loaded depth chart and worries that the coaching staff wasn't being honest about the roles of others in the 2016 class. The concerns needed to be answered and the time he spent with Ohio State this week cleared them up entirely. He impressed Ohio State with his knowledge of their offensive schemes, thanks in part to a similar philosophy at his high school, and was explained in greater detail how his role will vary from other offensive weapons being brought in to Columbus.
BOSA AND COOPER GETTING THE BR TREATMENT
I think – and if I'm speaking out of turn here I hope you will all let me know – everyone hates BleacherReport's slideshows, but a pair of Buckeye commitments have made their way into one and I feel impelled to share. The list, from the aforementioned Bleacher Report, is their choices for the country's 23 best defensive ends.
Gahanna Lincoln's Jonathon Cooper checks in at number five. Here's their take on the 6-foot-3, 238-pound pass-rush specialist.
Cooper is one of those athletes who hasn't reached his peak but sells people on potential alone. He's built more like a linebacker than a defensive end, but his ability to rush the quarterback makes him a primary asset on the defensive line.
Cooper has a frame that will allow him to gain 15-20 pounds and not have it hurt him. The sky is the limit for Cooper, and Ohio State is excited about the future.
At the top of the list, number one, is Nick Bosa, the manchild from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale. Again, the feedback is glowing.
Bosa brings toughness and tenacity to the football field. He's a big, strong athlete who plays with a chip on his shoulder. It's that mean streak that makes Bosa such an intriguing player. He already has the mindset of a college athlete; now it's simply a matter of getting him on the field.
Former Buckeye commitment Terrell Hall is listed at number 18.
RECRUITING EARLIER AND EARLIER NOT A GOOD THING FOR URBAN MEYER?
Our friends over at the Buckeye Sports Bulletin had an excellent story on Urban Meyer and his dislike of the rapidly quickening recruiting calendar. For Meyer and the Buckeyes, who are as high-profile as any program in the country, how to deal with earlier and earlier recruiting and commitments is a bit of a catch-22.
From Jeff Svoboda:
“I can’t stand it,” Meyer said of accepting commitments so early while at Big Ten Media Days, “but how can you walk away from a guy you think is a good one when he says, ‘Well, I’m gonna go somewhere else.’ ”
One of the greatest concerns, according to Meyer, is that when you decide to accept a commitment from a player very early, you're not always sure how that player will develop, on or off the field.
“There’s less chance for error because you get to see them as a senior, less buyer's remorse because you get to watch them,” Meyer said last year on National Signing Day. “When I first started coaching the recruiting started the senior year, and now it starts the sophomore year. We had to make a decision. The first couple of years we fought that and fought it and finally we had to give in a little bit to get in the game."
The rise in decommitments and flip-flops from recruits can, in some ways, be tied to this issue. Yes, most of the time it's a case of a kid deciding too soon and not exploring all of his options, but in some cases it's more than that. There are times when, despite best intentions, a player just doesn't grow as a person or a prospect the way you hope and you have to make a move for the good of your program. Should a commitment be honored by both sides when it's made and accepted? Absolutely.
On the other side of the token, shouldn't each side have a responsibility to the other to ensure the partnership remains favorable for each side as well?
NO NEWS ON MITCHELL, POWELL SCHEDULES OFFICIAL VISIT
Continuing to speak – at least in some way – about Kareem Walker, there was a question posed yesterday about whether or not his Twitter request to Ahmir Mitchell for phone number meant anything had changed with the New Jersey wide receiver. Mitchell has continued to list Ohio State and Michigan at the top of his list, and with a decision coming soon, the questions about the Buckeyes' interest persist, but there's been no change. As things stand today, Mitchell will not be a Buckeye.
The Buckeyes will continue to look after a few names at wide receiver but one we've not discussed in months – since he committed to Clemson back in February – is North Carolina's Cornell Powell. The four-star wide receiver was, at one time, very high on Ohio State but never made a visit before he committed to the Tigers. Today, he confirmed to 11W reports by 247Sports.com that he'd take an official visit to check out the Buckeyes on October 17th when Ohio State hosts Penn State.
What's perhaps making this more interesting that if Powell is to visit Ohio State – or anywhere – it seems that will be directly against the wishes of the Clemson coaching staff, at least according to Rahshaun "Shaq" Smith, the country's top-ranked inside linebacker who decommitted from Dabo Swinney's team today.
— Humble & Hungry (@Nextlevel_shaq) August 6, 2015
Will Powell be forced to decommit? Will he end up forgoing visits or will he be granted an exemption by the Clemson staff?
HAUBEIL IS NUMBER ONE
One of the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights' commitments, 2017 kicker Blake Haubeil, was tabbed the country's top kicker today by the prestigious Kohl's Kicking Camp.
Congrats to Blake Haubeil '17, ranked by @KohlsKicking as the No. 1 2017 Kicker in the NATION! http://t.co/4YaOZZmg5l pic.twitter.com/Smc41dPioo
— Canisius HS Football (@CanisiusHSFB) August 6, 2015
Haubeil's review highlights his strengths.
With sophomore kicker Sean Nuernberger on the way out when Haubeil makes his way in, Buckeye fans should take solace in the fact that the future looks bright for Ohio State...even at kicker.
