The Hurry Up: Ohio State Commits Moving Up the Rankings, New In-State Offensive Line Offer and More

By Jeremy Birmingham on December 14, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Trevon Grimes during Friday Night Lights in 2014.
Trevon Grimes
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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.

SCOUT UPDATES THEIR RANKINGS

Last week it was Rivals.com that updated their 2016 rankings for the final time in this cycle. Monday, it was Scout.com doing the same. 

The Scout.com Top 300 has four Buckeye commits in the Top 100 (Nick Bosa at No. 2, Jonathon Cooper at No. 35, Austin Mack at No. 68 and Demario McCall at No. 78) and a number of Ohio State targets throughout. 

Rashan Gary holds the top spot, defensive back Nigel Warrior is a five-star prospect at No. 21 as is Rashard Lawrence at No. 25. Coconut Creek wide receiver Binjimen Victor checks in at No. 32, Antwuan Jackson at No. 97 and Detroit's Donnie Corley rounds out the Top 100 at No. 100.

Outside of the Top 100, Ohio State commits are well represented.

Although he's not in the Top 300, Scout.com also gave a nice bump to Buckeyes' commit Gavin Cupp. The Leipsic, Ohio, product is now ranked as their 23rd best offensive guard and a four-star prospect.

WHAT ABOUT GARY?

As for Rashan Gary and the Buckeyes?

It appears that the addition of Greg Schiano to the Ohio State coaching staff could help give the Scarlet and Gray one more last chance to try and get the 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive lineman in town for an official visit. In recent weeks, the Buckeyes have visited Gary and his mother twice, with Urban Meyer, Ed Warinner and Larry Johnson Sr. all making an appearance. Schiano, who began recruiting Gary unofficially in junior high school, has been in contact with the Garys and he and Johnson are expected to visit New Jersey as soon as the recruiting dead period ends in January.

Schiano's focus with Gary has been almost entirely academic, an area that is extremely important to Jennifer Coney, the mother of the five-star talent. For whatever reason, during a spring visit to the school, something didn't resonate with Coney during the academic portion of the trip, and it's been that disconnect that has kept the two sides further apart than you'd expect them to be since, considering the football fit is a no-brainer. 

The Buckeyes will hope the long-standing relationship with Schiano gives them an edge over a handful of other teams still vying for his final official visit. He's been to Michigan, Ole Miss and Auburn and has a scheduled trip to USC on Jan. 15; Ohio State will have to beat out Alabama, Clemson and LSU, each of whom are hoping to land the final official.

Clemson added a five-star defensive tackle commitment today (Dexter Lawrence) and LSU has verbals from two defensive tackles already and are at the top of the list with Rashard Lawrence and D'Andre Christmas-Giles, who was offered by the Tigers last week and promptly decommitted from Tennessee.

With the dead period upon on, there can be no in-person contact between recruits and coaches, so Schiano and the Buckeyes will have to make their play without seeing the player or his family.

2017 RIVALS 100 SEES BUMP FOR BUCKEYES' COMMITS, TARGETS

Rivals continues to update their database, unleashing the changes to their 2017 rankings on Monday. Ohio State, which has the country's top-ranked class in 2017, has a new five-star commit and top target, as well as movement by others they're watching closely.

Cornerback commitment Shaun Wade is now a five-star prospect, and according to Rivals Rob Cassidy, it was a relatively simple decision.

"Wade is a major reason his team cruised to a state title. His speed, vertical and length are a combination rarely seen at the high school level. He covers ground as quickly as any defensive back in America and has a knack for spectacular interceptions, some of which he made with one hand. Wade is an early commitment to Ohio State but Florida is also heavily involved." 

Texas safety Jeffrey Okudah, who has the Buckeyes as the leader in his recruitment, is also now a five-star according to Rivals and their ninth-ranked overall prospect in 2017, right behind Buckeyes' commit Josh Myers.

The potential 2017 class, based on current commits and players with higher-than-incidental Buckeye interest, could be crazy good if it all comes together.

Here are the five-star prospects that could be Buckeyes.

The rest of the Top 100 is just as impressive and exciting if you're a Buckeye fan.

PSA: It's a pretty good time to be a Buckeye.

CARMAN OFFERED BY THE BUCKEYES THIS WEEKEND

When he visited Ohio State in late November for their game against Michigan State, Fairfield's 2018 star Jackson Carman felt he'd be receiving an offer at that time. Unfortunately for Carman (and the Buckeyes) the outcome of that game soured the post-game mood and opportunities for face time with Urban Meyer and the staff, and no offer happened. 

This past Saturday, the 6-foot-6, 275-pounder returned to Ohio State and checked out the Buckeyes again.

His offer came this time around.

Don't expect too early of a decision from Carman, but the Buckeyes are the natural and assumed leader for the sophomore tackle, who has already been offered by Michigan and Michigan State. He's likely to be one of the region's top prospects in 2018.

GRIMES STILL HAS BUCKEYES ON TOP

After winning his second straight Florida state title Friday night, Ohio State's top 2017 wide receiver target, Trevon Grimes, made no bones about where things stand with his recruitment.

The five-star wideout also took some time to discuss where things stand with his recruitment with Scout.com analyst Corey Bender, who was in attendance for the title game.

Grimes, who hasn't been to Ohio State in over a year, isn't the traditional attention-seeking wide receiver prospect. The recruiting circus isn't something he's interested in and because of that he may come across as disinterested or aloof, neither of which is true; he's just a kid who's actually enjoying being a kid and spends his time on school, sports and family.

With football over, Grimes is likely to turn his attention now to track, where he competes and dominates in the hurdles. The Buckeyes have visited Grimes recently (last Thursday) but I wouldn't expect to see him back in Columbus until the spring.

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