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.
THE RECRUITING WEEK THAT WAS
- THE HURRY UP: 08/31 | 09/01 | 09/02 | 09/03 | 09/04
- 11W FUTURES: Meet 2019 offensive lineman Zach Carpenter from Cincinnati Moeller.
- PREP NOTEBOOK: Cooper, Gahanna best Williamson, Gill and Westerville South.
- KNOW THY ENEMY: Ohio State, Virginia Tech and their off-the-field matchups.
- PREP TRACKER: Week 3
RIVALS.COM EVALUATION OF JAKE MORETTI
2017 offensive lineman Jake Moretti, one of the Buckeyes' surprise commitments in his class, helped his team pull of a big win this weekend. Pomona (Arvada, Colorado) knocked off Colorado's top-ranked team, Valor Christian, 28-14.
Rivals.com analyst Blair Angelo was in attendance and he raved about the performance by Pomona and did an excellent job of breaking down the 6-foot-5, 285-pound Moretti.
From Rivals.com:
Moretti, a four-star offensive tackle and a Rivals250 member for the 2017 class, showed incredibly good feet and flexibility... He displayed great mobility and versatility as both a run blocker and pass protector. When he needed to get his hands dirty, Moretti answered the call. He got tremendous push at the goal line, paving the way for his running back on a couple short scores, but he was also impressive on screens getting out to the perimeter to stick his guy.
Angelo also talked with the Ohio State pledge about which schools reached out to him on September 1st.
A number of schools reached out to him Sept. 1 at the start of the contact period but he didn't want to identify any program because he considers himself completely solid to the Buckeyes.
HILL PLANNING ON OHIO STATE VISIT SOON
As mentioned in today's Prep Tracker, Hubbard running back George Hill had another big game, scoring four touchdowns, including a kick return for a score. For Hill, it's been a challenging few months, but the hard work he's putting in to keep his body in shape for football after a grueling track season is paying off.
"I had an 85-yard kick return for a score, and three rushing touchdowns," Hill told Eleven Warriors. "It's a lot of training and a little luck. The plan is to continue to be healthy and get the work in."
There's been a lot of speculation around Hill's recruitment and whether or not he ends up in Columbus. Right now he's focusing on his team and enjoying the attention he's receiving from schools around the country.
"I've been hearing from Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Nebraska," Hill said of the other programs that have reached out to him recently. "That attention shows that I'm getting better at different positions and as an athlete, the work is paying off."
Hill had been mentioned as a possible visitor in East Lansing this coming weekend when Michigan State takes on Oregon, but he won't be there. He also told 11W he expects to be at Buckeye game soon.
"I don't know when I'll get down to Ohio State yet," Hill said. "But I do plan on getting down there for a game. I can't go to Michigan State this weekend because I have to take the ACT. I will go watch (LJ Scott) play at some point because that's my brother and he always will be."
GILL SHOWS VERSATILITY
Although he's been battling a hip injury that has slowed him down a bit in the season's first two weeks, Westerville South 2018 standout Jaelen Gill is still managing to put up some impressive early season numbers. In a 20-13 loss against Gahanna Lincoln and 2016 Ohio State commit Jonathon Cooper, Gill made an impact at quarterback in the wildcat, from his normal running back slot and as a punt returner.
From OhioPreps.com:
Although he's still growing into his frame, Gill's explosiveness and footwork is something to behold. He's shifty and surprisingly strong and as he grows through high school it's not unreasonable to expect him to end up near 200-pounds when he enters college.
PENN STATE LOSES, BUT WON'T LOSE RECRUITS
In case you missed it, James Franklin and Penn State got embarrassed yesterday in Philadelphia by Temple. Yes, Temple.
Immediately following the loss, and in fact during the moments when it was obvious the game was over, I had a few folks ask me if there's likely to be any negative reaction from recruits, Penn State commits, etc. Right now, Penn State has the country's 4th-ranked 2016 class, and Franklin's recruiting chops have never been stronger, even though Penn State's on-field efforts looked about as bad as they could yesterday afternoon.
So, will there be blowback on the recruiting front? In a word, no, at least not yet. It's one game, and yes, a very bad game, but it's one game nonetheless. Being as good as he is at recruiting, Franklin could withstand a number of losses this year without any real damage to the class because it's easy to sell the weaknesses as a reason why the country's best should come to Penn State.
Join us in Happy Valley, come "Restore the Roar!" and all that stuff, especially for the kids in Pennsylvania, is a powerful motivational tool. Franklin is young, energetic and a believer in Penn State; don't expect any slowdown in their recruiting efforts at this time.
