'Tis the season for high school all-star events, and this week some of the nation's top talent will head south for Under Armour's All-America Game. While the roster features just two current Buckeye commits—both of whom are not expected to play due to injury—there are still a number things to be on the lookout for.
- UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME
- SATURDAY, JANUARY 2ND @ 12PM
- ORLANDO, FL
- ESPN2
BUCKEYE COMMITS IN RECOVERY MODE
While Nick Bosa and Tyler Gerald both accepted invitations to partake in the Under Armour festivities, we aren't expecting either to see any action. Bosa suffered a partially-torn ACL this season and underwent surgery on November 10th, so he definitely won't be competing this week. While no timetable is set in stone, the expectation is that the five-star will be ready to go for fall camp.
Gerald has been battling a labrum injury all season, though he has been able to play through the pain. There haven't been any official reports of him missing the Under Armour game, but it appears unlikely at this point.
Bosa may still be able to make the trip to Orlando which would allow him to assist with Buckeye recruiting efforts.
HASKINS WATCH
Seemingly everyday we've talked about Dwayne Haskins and the possibility of him flipping his commitment to Ohio State, but as of now we are still in "wait-and-see" mode. Speculation has been that the four-star will make an announcement in Orlando, but no definitive plans have been made thus far. The Maryland commit has been pretty silent since his official visit to Columbus two weeks ago, so it will be interesting to see what he has to say this week in Florida.
The Mike Locksley saga has been a hot topic in College Park, but this week's news seems to indicate that the former quarterbacks' coach/offensive coordinator/interim head coach will not be retained under the D.J. Durkin regime. Haskins' feelings towards Locksley have been well-documented and it remains to be seen what kind of impact his departure could have.
The Terps have also seen a string decommits this past week, though there's some speculation that a few of the players may have been pushed out by the new staff. Four-star wideout Tino Ellis is one player that Haskins has built quite a relationship with, and the DeMatha Catholic product has made it clear that he has no intention of decommitting. Ellis will also be on hand at the Under Armour Game.
Haskins continues to be courted by a couple SEC schools as well. The Gators continue to show interest despite already having a verbal from the nation's third-ranked quarterback, Feleipe Franks. Haskins has spent the last several days in Florida and has spent some time with some Gator commits and top targets. LSU is still looking for a 2016 signal-caller but would need an official visit after the dead period to have any shot.
So could the Buckeyes land their quarterback next Saturday? It's certainly possible, but things appear to be totally up in the air right now. We should know more as the week progresses.
TACKLES ABOUND
We've talked about what's next for the Buckeyes at defensive tackle. Yes, the Antwuan Jackson decision stung a little bit, but Ohio State has moved on and has reached out to some other targets—both new and old. In Orlando, there will be some familiar names competing among the best of the best.
Rashan Gary and Rashard Lawrence continue to be the top names on the Buckeyes' board, and while both appear to be longshots right now, Urban Meyer's January/February recruiting prowess is tough to ignore. There have been some rumblings that Greg Schiano hiring could put Ohio State back in the game for Gary, but they will need to lock up an official visit to even have a puncher's chance. Auburn, Ole Miss, and Michigan have already hosted the nation's top prospect, and USC is scheduled to receive a January official. The Buckeyes are among the schools competing for the fifth and final visit.
As for Lawrence, the odds of snagging a Louisiana prospect from the SEC schools are usually pretty slim. LSU remains to be the perceived leader with Alabama probably running second. It's tough to ignore a Southern recruit making two trips to Columbus in a matter of months, but it's difficult to get too excited about this one. One thing to note is that LSU has already secured commitments from two of the nation's top tackles and they are in the running for Shavar Manuel.
One newer name to keep an eye on may be Georgia's (Jackson) Michail Carter. The four-star is expected to end up at Georgia, but Larry Johnson has been in contact since the Antwuan Jackson decision. The Bulldogs are currently sitting pretty at the position with a pair of four-stars already in the fold. They're also expected to land Derrick Brown, which could cause a bit of a logjam along the defensive line. Though it's worth noting that Georgia runs a 3-4 which only increases their need for versatile tackles.
WIDEOUTS TO WATCH
Donnie Corley and Binjimen Victor, Ohio State's top wide receiver targets, will be in San Antonio for the Army All-American Bowl on January 9th, but there will be some players to keep an eye on in Orlando. Sam Bruce (St. Thomas Aquinas) remains committed to Miami and his commitment seems to have strengthened since the Mark Rich hire. The Buckeyes remain interested in the nation's top slot receiver, but the Gators look to be the likely destination if something were to change with the Miami verbal.
Miami commit Sam Bruce took an official visit to Ohio State back in October. Via
Nate Craig-Myers is another familiar name, and he too will be in attendance. The one-time Auburn commit has discussed the possibility of getting back to Columbus before signing day, but if he does end up leaving the Sunshine State, it would appear that a (re)commitment to Auburn would be the most likely scenario. Right now the Gators and Noles seem to be battling this one out. Things were trending towards Gainesville but the Jayvaughn Meyers decommit has made things tougher on Jim McElwain and the Gators. It seems likely that the half-brothers will end up at the same school.
Some other non-Buckeye commits/targets to watch—if you're into that sort of thing—include former commits Kareem Walker and Terrell Hall. Notre Dame commit and Cleveland resident Liam Eichenberg will be in attendance. Dredrick Snelson, a former teammate of Torrance Gibson and current Minnesota commit, will also be making the short trip to Orlando. The four-star wideout has been flirting with Maryland and some seem to think that a flip is imminent.
The Army All-American Bowl will certainly have a lot more Buckeye flavor to it, but the happenings in Orlando are worth paying attention to—especially as it pertains to the quarterback position.
Practices start on Tuesday and Eleven Warriors will have updates throughout the week.
