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.
VICTOR FOCUSING ON FOOTBALL NOT RECRUITING
With one victory under his belt already in the 2015 season, Coconut Creek wide receiver Binjimen Victor – arguably Ohio State's top remaining wide receiver target in the 2016 class – is off to a good start in his senior season. The 6-foot-4 wideout and his Cougars teammates will head to Atlanta for their second game this coming weekend and Victor is happy to be back to working on the field instead of worrying about recruiting off of it.
"I've been focusing on the season," Victor told Eleven Warriors. "I've not really been talking to anyone. It's been a while since I've talked with Ohio State."
Prior to his first game, Victor did talk with CanesSports.com about the Miami Hurricanes, a school he called his "dream school."
"They were my first offer," he says. "I'm a Miami fan – that's my dream school."
In recruiting, there's few things that are more certainly a kiss of death than that label, and Victor told me that, in truth, a "dream school" growing up doesn't mean much in reality.
"That (calling them a dream school) doesn't mean anything," Victor told 11W. "It's all about what is the best fit for me now."
WADE SHOWS OFF
Shaun Wade, the five-star 2017 cornerback from Jacksonville who committed to Ohio State in January, is back in action and turning heads once again.
#7 Shaun Wade (Ohio State Commit) - Pick 6 and runs away from ...#7 Shaun Wade (Ohio State Commit) - Pick 6 and runs away from wide receiver.
Posted by Trinity Christian Academy Football on Sunday, August 23, 2015
That's Wade from this past weekend's scrimmage, an easy win that saw the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder grab two interceptions, including the pick six you just saw.
This week, the Conquerors take on Ocala's Trinity Catholic, a game that Wade says will be a challenge.
"We've got to come to play," Wade told 11W. "I know that."
FUNDERBURK HEADING TO HARGRAVE
It was about two weeks ago that 2016 Buckeyes' basketball commitment Derek Funderburk announced he'd be leaving St. Edward for a prep school elsewhere, with the hopes of better preparing himself for the college level.
Today, Funderburk announced his plans on Twitter.
For my senior year I'll be attending Hargrave Military Academy pic.twitter.com/m81upCaUGe
— Derek Funderburk (@TooEvsy4) August 24, 2015
Hargraves Military Academy, in Chatham, Virginia, is a prestigious institution known for producing professional athletes in multiple sports. Funderburk will begin classes there this Thursday.
HUNTER JOHNSON HEADING TO KNOXVILLE
Yesterday afternoon, 247Sports.com wizard Steve Wiltfong broke the news that Brownsburg, Indiana's Hunter Johnson, the country's top-ranked 2017 quarterback, had committed to Tennessee, their first 2017 pledge.
The 6-foot-3, 197 pound quarterback, who had been close to the Vols through the entire process, chose Butch Jones' team over Notre Dame, the home-state squad. Many had thought the Irish would have the edge for Johnson after Penn State took a commitment from Cincinnati St. Xavier's Sean Clifford in July.
Johnson's commitment – along with last Friday's commitment by Tate Martell to Texas A&M – means that the top two signal callers in the 2017 class are already off the board. In total, six of the country's top 15 pro-style quarterbacks and six of the top ten dual-threat quarterbacks are already committed in the 2017 class.
Having your quarterback committed early is often a boon to a recruiting class and it's not a surprise that many of these youngsters are leading the way in the country's best groups for 2017.
GRAY HAS POSITIVE FIRST VISIT TO OHIO STATE
BuckeyeGrove.com analyst Marc Givler caught up with Tony Gray, a four-star offensive lineman from Georgia, following his visit to Ohio State this weekend.
"My first look at Ohio State was great," said Gray. "I liked the intensity that they had on both sides of the ball in practice and everything. It was just a terriffic visit."
Gray, who has family in Cleveland, had never been to Ohio State before. While most still expect that Georgia will keep him in state, his head coach, Todd Wofford, told 11W that he's not likely to be swayed by the pair of offensive tackles already committed to the Buckeyes. In fact, fact he also doesn't think that a little travel away from home would be a hindrance if he chose Ohio State.
"He doesn't really care," Wofford told Eleven Warriors. "His mom will probably move where ever he goes."
Gray's long trip, which he made with some teammates and also included a stop at Kentucky, is rare for August, so it's clear he has some early legitimate interest in Ohio State.
MITCHELL MAKING DECISION THURSDAY
As I mentioned yesterday in the forums, don't expect the Buckeyes to be the choice this coming Thursday when New Jersey Top 100 athlete Ahmir Mitchell makes his college decision.
My decision is coming; It is time. Probably the biggest decision of my life Aug.27 #CommitmentDate pic.twitter.com/JaZ7ITv9PP
— Ahmir_SoDevoted (@TheDeuce_2_Nice) August 23, 2015
Mitchell, a very talented 6-foot-3, 205-pound athlete, has been high on Ohio State and Michigan for a while now, but the Buckeyes have been unable to find the right spot for him in their schemes and despite repeated inferences that it's a two-team race, it's really not been that way for a while.
Unless there's another team, like Rutgers, that creeps up at the last minute, Mitchell will commit to Michigan on Thursday and will be another excellent addition to the Wolverines' class.
