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.
TALKING THE TALK, WILL WALKER WALK THE WALK?
OK, so here we sit, roughly three days following the commitment of Antonio Williams, and Kareem Walker has not made a public declaration of decommitment from the Buckeyes. In fact, Wednesday he did the opposite, taking an opportunity to try and get his situation clarified before he makes his final official visits.
This is the latest statement from RB Kareem Walker, sent today, on where he's at and what visits he'll take pic.twitter.com/aBruV2KJ1i
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) October 21, 2015
As you can see from Walker's statement, he's attempted to quiet the doubters on a number of different fronts and confirms what we told you last week; that Alabama, Ole Miss and Arizona State would still get official visits before a final decision will be made.
I talked to a few different sources around the recruitment of Walker and I don't think it's a coincidence that the Ohio State official visit (if he takes it) will be the last one. First, Walker has been committed to the Buckeyes since January and they've been the program he's compared everyone to since, so giving them the final look (if it happens) makes sense.
Beyond that, visiting Ohio State last gives both sides a chance to see if the questions/doubts/concerns that have arisen in the last few weeks can get patched up. If it can't, from either side, then Walker will have the chance to adjust his plans and visit somewhere else. It's important to remember that he's planning on enrolling early, so the official visits and a decision are all going to come in relatively quick order.
Right now, as of Wednesday, I don't think Walker ends up at Ohio State, but the door is still open if he chooses it.
HAMLIN LISTS FINAL FOUR
There has been no 2016 defensive back more regularly and aggressively recruited by Ohio State than Pittsburgh's Damar Hamlin. The country's 14th-ranked cornerback has been to Columbus a lot in the last year and a half — close to 10 times — and despite being closely linked at varying times to Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and more recently Pitt, Hamlin is still playing his recruitment exceptionally close to the vest. Last night, he dropped his final four schools and it's the group you'd expect, in alphabetical order.
Hamlin, expected to make his next visit to Ohio State on Nov. 21, hasn't been to see the Buckeyes since July. His good friend Paris Ford committing to the hometown Panthers last Friday has a lot of people – myself included – thinking it's only a matter of time before he announces a decision to stay home himself.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder talked to Scout.com analyst Brian Dohn Tuesday about his leaders. What does he think about Ohio State?
"I feel like coach (Kerry) Coombs, coach (Chris) Ash and coach (Luke) Fickell are all really good coaches," Hamlin said. "They could really develop me to be the best player I could be. I would also get a chance to win a national championship."
The Buckeyes are still the 247Sports crystal ball leader for Hamlin, but their lead has been shrinking little by little.
VOTE FOR WOLHLABAUGH
Ohio State 2016 commitment Jack Wohlabaugh is one of a handful of prospects across the country who has been selected to compete for a spot in the Under-Armour All-American Game, thanks to a fan vote sponsored by American Family Insurance.
As of now, the Walsh Jesuit star is trailing in his head-to-head matchup, so if you've got a moment to help provide him a boost, you can do so by clicking here.
The website and bracket also has a link to Wohlabaugh's impressive highlight tape and a nice breakdown of his career to this point.
Jack Wohlabaugh is a three-year varsity letter winner for Walsh Jesuit High School. Jack has been the Warriors starting guard since his sophomore year. Last year, Jack finished the year with a 91 percent blocking average and a team leading 36 pin blocks. Jack has earned Offensive Linemen of the Week honors each game this season and continues his physical play as he leads the team with 24 pin blocks this year. In addition to Jack’s role on the offense, he has been asked to take a leading role on the defensive line as well. For the season, Jack has 18 tackles, 17 assists, and two batted passes. Jack was voted as one of the team Captains this year by his teammates. He has earned: 2015 Esmark All-American, as well as First Tean North Coast League.
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Wohlabaugh committed to Ohio State in April. Go give him a helping hand, will you?
DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES, WHERE DO THINGS STAND?
It seems like, every time we talk about or mention the 2017 recruiting class, Detroit Cass Tech's Donovan Peoples-Jones gets brought up as a "hey, I'm surprised you didn't mention him" type of guy. After all, the Buckeyes are the leader on the 247Sports.com crystal ball.
So what gives?
To put it simply, the Buckeyes haven't felt good about their chances with DPJ, despite being the first school to offer him, for some time. They have done everything they felt they needed to do in order to forge a positive relationship with him, but the five-star wide receiver just seems more interested in other places.
If I had to guess right now, I'd give a school outside of the Big Ten, like Florida, Tennessee or USC, the edge. Obviously Michigan and Michigan State will continue to work hard to keep DPJ in state, but unless he has a sudden surge of renewed interest in Ohio State, or takes a visit, it's time to put this one to bed.
