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.
RIVALS 250 SEES BIG MOVES FOR MACK, JORDAN AND MORE
Yesterday, the brand new Rivals 100 was released and the Buckeye commits therein, led by Jonathon Cooper's big move, were worth noting. Today, the recruiting network released their updated Rivals 250 and a number of players with Ohio State in their future took leaps and tumbles.
Offensive lineman Michael Jordan, unranked in the previous version of this list, jumps all the way to No. 118.
"There are so few weaknesses in Jordan's game and the Ohio State commit has proven he could play either the right or left tackle positions in college. His size at 6-foot-6 and 300-plus pounds is ideal, and he also brings plus-athleticism to the position. Seeing Jordan again this summer revealed to us he is among the top offensive tackle prospects in the Midwest and the country, and was deserving of a bump." -- Midwest Analyst Josh Helmholdt
Austin Mack also made a big move with Rivals, going from No. 208 to No. 149.
"An injury forced Mack to miss most of the offseason, but he came back this summer looking even more explosive than when we last saw him during junior season. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver has always had a silky smooth style to his game, but he showed up this summer at events like Ohio State's Friday Night Lights showing greater playmaking ability." -- Helmholdt
Here is the rest of the 250 and a few names of note:
- No. 111 - Rashard Lawrence - DT - Louisiana
- No. 113 - Antwuan Jackson - DT - Georgia
- No. 132 - Damar Hamlin - DB - Pennsylvania
- No. 176 - Chris Daniels - DT - Texas
- No. 209 - George Hill - RB - Ohio
- No. 210 - Luke Farrell - TE - Ohio
Antwuan Jackson, Ohio State's most likely addition at defensive tackle, moved down 54 spots.
"Sometimes in rankings meetings, the analysts disagree, and that's exactly what happened with Jackson. Despite being 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, some feel Jackson is a bit of a tweener and may not be big enough to be elite at the next level. The guess here is he climbs back up the rankings soon enough." -- Woody Wommack
Another Buckeye commitment, defensive tackle Malik Barrow, dropped from No. 102 all the way out of the Rivals 250.
BUCKEYES STILL IN A BATTLE FOR WARRIOR
Ohio State was the first offer for Atlanta's Nigel Warrior in the spring of 2014 and although they've not had a chance to see much of him in that time, they're still in his mind for that reason. Warrior told Rivals.com analyst Jake Reuse, who covers the Georgia Bulldogs, that Ohio State will get an official visit this fall.
"Ohio State and LSU will get an official," Warrior said. "I'd say Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon (are standing out). That's pretty much it right about now. I can't really think of some of them."
The Buckeyes continue to gain ground thanks to a long standing relationship and established success.
"It's because they were my first offer," Warrior said. "I've always liked Ohio State just because of their uniforms when I was younger. I didn't really know about football yet, but I saw that they were winning and liked the uniforms. Now that I can recognize football and understand it, I know that's a great team that I can play with. I can probably start there. That's just a great team, and they just won the national championship. That's also another reason."
Warrior is one of a handful of national-level prospects that would absolutely have a spot with the Buckeyes if he were to take it.
The country's 62nd-ranked overall prospect and 4th-ranked safety is the son of former Tennessee Volunteer Dale Carter. Georgia leads the way on the 247Sports.com crystal ball.
FLORIDA'S BEST FEELING OHIO STATE
The other night we talked about how Ohio State's coaching staff has made an impact in Michigan; but it's clear that Urban Meyer's impact hasn't waned in Florida, specifically talent-rich South Florida, either.
The Sun-Sentintel "Super 11" features Broward county's best players, a number of which are the best in the country at their position, and the Buckeye flavor is noticeable right away.
The list, in alphabetical order, includes these seven names that should be familiar to fans of recruiting and Ohio State:
- Nick Bosa // 2016 // DE // St. Thomas Aquinas
- Sam Bruce // 2016 // WR // St. Thomas Aquinas
- Trevon Grimes // 2017 WR // St. Thomas Aquinas
- Josh Hammond // 2016 // WR // Hallandale
- Trayvon Mullen // 2016 // DB // Coconut Creek
- Binjimen Victor // 2016 // WR // Coconut Creek
- Malek Young // 2016 // DB // Coconut Creek
Besides showing that there's a couple of very talented teams in South Florida, this sampling illustrates exactly how deep the Buckeyes have permeated the fertile recruiting grounds.
Bosa is of course committed to the Buckeyes and Grimes is expected to be soon. Sam Bruce – a teammate of the aforementioned – is scheduled for an official visit this fall when Ohio State takes on Penn State. Hammond, committed to Florida, visited Ohio State this past spring and the Coconut Creek trio has been to Columbus twice in the last year and both Mullen and Victor are likely to take officials with the Buckeyes.
CHANDLER TALKS TO CLEVELAND.COM ABOUT HIS BUCKEYE VISIT
Ohio State hosted 2017 Texas point guard Jay Jay Chandler for a visit this past weekend and although they've not yet offered the 6-foot-3 guard from Katy, they made a good impression on him.
From Cleveland.com and Bill Landis:
Jay Jay Chandler got a surprise on his visit to Ohio State last Friday. Or maybe it was some good planning by the Buckeyes.
"When I got there, I took a tour of the campus, and then I ended up talking to Evan Turner," Chandler told Northeast Ohio Media Group in a phone interview on Monday. "I talked to him about Ohio State and he gave me some background."
No offer yet, and the Buckeyes – with Westerville big man Kaleb Wesson already committed – don't even have a spot in their 2017 class yet. But what if the Buckeyes came calling? Chandler told Landis that he'd likely return to Columbus and check out the school again.
"If an offer comes, then I'll be up for another visit or a football game," Chandler said.
One potential advantage for the Buckeyes? There's a significant Texas flavor that will be on the floor for the next couple of years as a pair of incoming freshman from the Lonestar State – Austin Grandstaff and Mickey Mitchell – provide some sense of "home away from home."
"It's good because that means they understand where (Texas guys) are coming from," Chandler said. "A good thing on my side too is that I have family in Ohio, so it would be a good transition."
