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.
HARRISON FEELS HE'S CLOSE TO BUCKEYE OFFER
One of the state's most intriguing 2016 prospects is Walnut Ridge athlete Malik Harrison, a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder who plays linebacker and wide receiver for the Scots.
Currently uncommitted, Harrison has offers from Michigan State, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and others and this past weekend he visited Ohio State to check out the Buckeyes.
Chase Dreams! pic.twitter.com/FKMYWrkCbO
— Twister Rodriquez (@KMamba_) September 13, 2015
Ohio State has been staying in regular contact with the Walnut Ridge star.
"(The visit) was great," Harrison told 11W. "I think they are going to offer soon. Urban (Meyer) and (Luke) Fickell said they love the way I play and that they see me at multiple positions."
With some big names on his offer list, a potential offer from the Buckeyes could shake things up for Harrison significantly. If they don't offer sometime soon, they may find themselves on the outside looking in if that offer comes later in the cycle.
HILL VISITS MICHIGAN STATE AFTERALL
Last week Ohio State commit George Hill told 11W that he would not make a trip to Michigan State for their game against Oregon because of a standardized testing schedule conflict.
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."
Hill's plans changed and he did make the trip to East Lansing and coming out of it, it appears that his recruitment could be trending towards Michigan State again, not Pittsburgh as it had seemed to be.
Hill has had a great start to his senior season and maintains publicly that he's 100-percent committed to Ohio State. That said, I do not expect that he will end up at Ohio State come signing day, as I've said a few times in recent months.
SIMMONS OFFICIAL VISIT RECAP FROM CLEVELAND.COM
The Ohio State basketball team hosted a big-time prospect from Georgia this weekend and brought out the big guns to try and help seal the deal with five-star 2016 point guard Kobi Simmons. Mike Conley, Michael Redd, Evan Turner and even D'Angelo Russell all made their way back to Columbus to support the Buckeyes and to reiterate the family-feel of Thad Matta's program. It paid off according to his father, Demond Stephens.
From Cleveland.com writer Bill Landis:
"Every guard that's ever been there I think was there," Simmons father, Demond Stephens told Northeast Ohio Media Group in a phone interview on Monday.
Is that normal?
"No that's not normal," Stephens said. "I've been coaching and mentoring children for 18 years, and I always tell Kobi, one thing that is more valuable than where somebody goes and how successful they are is do they call you back for their marriage, their college graduation? After they've gone on, do they still even talk to you?
I spoke to one source close to the Ohio State basketball program for their feeling on Simmons and right now the Buckeyes like where they stand.
"(We) felt good about (the weekend)," the source shared with 11W. "He had a great visit. I think he will probably decide sometime later this week or early next week."
Simmons has visited Kentucky and UNLV in the previous two weekends. Ohio 2016 point guard Xavier Simpson, a four-star prospect from Lima Senior, committed to Michigan last week.
YEAST VISITS BUCKEYES
Russ Yeast, the son of Kentucky great Craig Yeast, committed to the Wildcats in August but the 2017 Ross (Fremont, Ohio) athlete visited Ohio State this past weekend.
"The visit went pretty well," Yeast told Eleven Warriors. "They've been staying in regular contact."
Yeast has been excelling at defensive back and wide receiver for the Little Giants and the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder says the Buckeyes are paying attention to his development.
"I could be closing in (on an offer)," Yeast added. "They basically want to see how I do this season."
LAMONT WADE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEKEND
The Buckeyes have a number of big-time targets at defensive back on their board for 2017, but right now there may not be on higher than Clairton, Pennsylvania's Lamont Wade.
A missile at 5-foot-10 and 185-pounds, Wade – who set a WPIAL record as a sophomore with 2762 rushing yards – was all over the field on offense and defense during Clairton's 72-6 routing of Wilkinsburg.
Rivals.com/BuckeyeGrove.com analyst Marc Givler was on the scene and captured Wade doing what he does best.
Despite only playing a half's worth of football, Wade – who left the game with an ankle sprain – once again looked the part; he finished with 109 yards rushing on eight carries.
