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.
NICK BOSA COULD BE BEST EVER FROM TALENT-RICH ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
At the start of the NFL season, there were 17 players on league rosters who made it there from Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas High School. That's a lot. There are a number of soon-to-be NFL players still in college, including Ohio State defensive lineman Joey Bosa.
To say that Nick Bosa could be the greatest student-athlete to ever emerge from the Raiders football program is kind of crazy, but it's not exactly hyperbole, either.
From CBSMiami.com:
“I think he’ll go down as one of the all-time player type guys and student-athlete that we’ve had here,” said St. Thomas athletic director George Smith.
Smith has been at St. Thomas for almost 40 years, so that praise for Bosa, who is recovering from knee surgery, doesn't come without plenty of information to back it up. Of course, to be a success on the field, Nick has had to remain focused off of it, and he has.
“He’s a 4.0 student. So he meets expectations with in the class room. In the weight room he has an extraordinary work ethic,” said St. Thomas football coach Roger Harriot. “It’s not a Jekyll and Hyde or a Clark Kent and Superman. He goes about his business by doing what is expected of him on a daily basis.”
You can watch the entire video with Bosa below.
JORDAN SENIOR YEAR TAPE
Ohio State 2016 commitment Michael Jordan has released his senior year tape.
The Buckeyes' pledge is an Army All-American and will enroll at Ohio State in January.
THE SLOWDOWN DOESN'T REQUIRE A MELTDOWN
It's been just under a month since Ohio State fans last saw a "Boom" from the Buckeyes' director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, the international sign of a commitment for the Scarlet and Gray. October, for the Penn State game, and November, with Michigan State, saw many high-profile recruits come and go, but only one commitment (Antonio Williams).
As we enter December, a month that will see a number of decommitments around the country, along with coaching changes (likely at Ohio State as well), it becomes easy to start panicking a bit as names we've heard for months seem to drift away from the Buckeyes. There have been players we've talked about for what seems like ever that now seem to be less than interested in the Buckeyes and there are fewer new names to take their place. Where are the booms?
In early October, there were few who knew the name of Antonio Williams, but the Buckeyes did. The Ohio State coaching staff had a backup plan in case Kareem Walker left the class, which he did.
The point? Don't worry about the slowdown. It's all going to take care of itself.
MR. OHIO FINALISTS
With the state championship games taking place at Ohio Stadium this weekend, it's time to start looking at the possible winner of the state's Mr. Football.
Here are the finalists:
- Keishaun Sims, Massillon Perry
- Jeremy Larkin, Cincinnati LaSalle
- Ridge Durbin, North Ridgeville
- Logan Bolin, Midview
- DeShaunte Jones, Cincinnati Colerain
- Chaz Westfall, Perrysburg
- Brendan Ferns, St. Clairsville
The winner, according to KnoxNews.com, will be Keishaun Sims from Perry. They've got a story, dated Wednesday, highlighting him being named Mr. Football Thursday, as though they've seen the future.
Sims laughed at his own response but has reasons to smile after being named Thursday as the 2015 Associated Press Mr. Football for Ohio in voting by a media panel.
He enters the game against Cincinnati La Salle (12-2) Friday at 8 p.m. in Ohio Stadium with 3,108 yards and a 7.9 yards average for 393 carries along with 43 touchdowns this season.
Congrats, Mr. Sims.
COACHING CHANGES COULD IMPACT BUCKEYE TARGETS
With rumors of Mark Richt being hired at Miami, it didn't take long for recruits to being reacting on Twitter.
Binjimen Victor, Ohio State's top remaining wide receiver target in 2016, is apparently on board with the idea.
Mark Richt to the
— BVIC #9 (@BinjimenVictor) December 2, 2015
Victor has not been seriously considering Miami in the past, but Richt, if he's hired, is a name that could have some impact.
I received a message today from one Georgia source regarding Richard LeCounte in reaction to Georgia's hiring of Kirby Smart.
"Smart to UGa," the source said. "Is not a good thing for Ohio State with Richard."
The coaching carousel will definitely continue to make things interesting.
