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.
CLARK IMPRESSING AT ARCHBISHOP HOBAN
There's no way to sugarcoat it: the sophomore season at Massillon Washington for Danny Clark was not good, for a number of reasons. The Buckeyes' 2017 quarterback commitment transferred to Akron's Archbishop Hoban and, according to his new offensive coordinator, things couldn't be going better.
"He's great," Drew Sarachman told 11W. "He's still getting used to a new offense, but he's been our No. 1 quarterback from day one."
Because he committed to the Buckeyes in his freshman year, Clark's got a bit of an unfair target on his back to go along with heavier-than-should-be-realistic expectations on his shoulders. Sarachman doesn't see any cause for concern and thinks the future is as bright as Clark is able make it.
"A lot of people want to see (Danny) fail for no reason other than jealousy. People make up rumors, he doesn't deserve a lot of the criticism he gets," the Hoban assistant continued. "He is a great teammate and a great kid. If he was never able to play a snap for us we would still be a better team with his presence alone. When you get to work with him every day like I do, it's no mystery why (Urban) Meyer wants him at Ohio State. I love that kid and there is not a quarterback in America I'd rather have."
SIMMONS OPTIONS DWINDLING?
We mentioned a little over a week ago that Ohio State is in a good position with Alpharetta, Ga., point guard Kobi Simmons. The 6-foot-5 five-star has an official visit to Columbus scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 19, and according to Scout.com basketball guru Brian Snow, will no longer visiting Xavier officially the week before as planned because the Musketeers are done at guard for the 2016 class.
Kentucky continues to be on the periphery, Xavier has moved on and the Buckeyes – along with Georgia – now appear to be the two schools with the best shot at Simmons.
I talked to one source close to the Ohio State basketball program today and there's a guarded (pardon the pun) optimism that things are heading in the right direction when it comes to Simmons and the Buckeyes.
MACK MAKING MOVES
The lone "pure" wide receiver commitment in Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class, Austin Mack, was back on campus this past weekend. Mack traveled east to watch the Buckeyes during their first fall camp scrimmage and liked what he saw.
"Yeah, I went over there to watch the scrimmage," Mack told Eleven Warriors. "It was good to see what I need to do in order to get ready for next year."
For Mack, at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, there's just one thing he knows he has to do and it's part of the reason the Buckeyes are hoping he's able to enroll in January. He had a chance to talk to Ohio State about that this weekend.
"(Urban) Meyer said he wants me to get there midyear," Mack said. "So I can get bigger."
The country's 17th-ranked wide receiver is currently in the final four of the NewsSentinel.com Fan Choice Preseason Football Player of the Year voting. The preseason player of the year voting is determined exclusively by the online vote, so if you're a fan and want to help push Mack to the top, make sure you go vote here.
ALL COOPER ALL THE TIME
We have no shortage of discussion on Jonathon Cooper, and for good reason: he's pretty darn good at football. Scout.com's new series, the Scout Spotlight, focused on the Gahanna Lincoln defensive end today.
WALLACE PREPARING FOR KEY SEASON
After missing the majority of his junior season, Tristen Wallace is back and ready for a big senior season.
"My legs feel great," Wallace told 11W. "Our offense is looking good, and our defense is looking better. I've been working all summer to get ready."
Wallace and his DeSoto teammates are weeks away from one of the country's most most anticipated high school games of the season against Bradenton, Fla.'s IMG Academy. The 6-foot-3, 228-pounder and his 4.40 time in the 40-yard dash will have a tall order against the Ascenders, but he's focusing on Game 1.
"When that week comes, I'll think about (how we attack their defensive)," Wallace said. "Right now, really all I'm focusing on is week one against Arlington Martin on ESPN. In Texas, every game is basically against a team like IMG."
Wallace and his teammates aren't thinking too far ahead, and there's good reason to worry about one day at a time.
"It's 108-degrees down here in the dirty south, Birm," Wallace added. "I'm just focused on Week 1."
FUNDERBURK CHOOSING SCHOOL SOON?
Derek Funderburk is close to choosing his new school, according to the former Lakewood St. Edward star.
My choices are in the air but I will be announcing my school sometime tomorrow
— Derek Funderburk (@TooEvsy4) August 18, 2015
No choice has been made yet, but it should be coming soon. Last week, Funderburk announced he'd be transferring in the hopes of better preparing himself for college.
