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.
WILL BUCKEYES BE BURNED BY BURNS?
When he committed to Ohio State just hours after finishing his official visit, it seemed that the Buckeyes and Rodjay Burns were going to be a match made in heaven. The three-star athlete, slotted to play in the secondary with Ohio State, mentioned immediately following his choice that he'd still listen to Louisville if they came calling, and the Cardinals certainly did that, doubling their efforts on the homegrown star and spending time with him last week on multiple occasions.
As the weekend concluded, some rumbling from down south began to suggest that maybe the work done by the Cardinals had paid off and that Burns may now be leaning towards flipping back to Louisville on Wednesday. Familiarity, being at home near his family (he's one of 14 kids) and the pressures of being the local star may be too much for Burns to handle.
“I’m just going to wait, and everyone is going to see on signing day,” Burns said.
In the meantime, Burns said it’s hard to decide.
“It weighs on me every day,” he said.
At this point, I'm leaning toward Burns being out of the Buckeyes' recruiting class and signing with Louisville, where he'd been committed since March.
KING NOW DECIDING ON SIGNING DAY
Initially reported to be deciding Monday, it appears Mendocino College's Jamar King, a three-star junior-college prospect from Detroit, will now announce his college choice on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder will choose between Ohio State, Alabama and Central Florida. He's made official visits to all three schools and at this point it looks like the Crimson Tide will be his choice.
Ohio State, with three defensive linemen committed–and two already enrolled–is still hoping to add another defensive tackle option and King seems to be the final remaining prospect.
TREVON GRIMES STILL FEELING OHIO STATE
The top wide receiver prospect in the 2017 recruiting class, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) star Trevon Grimes, made a key visit to Florida this past weekend.
Shout out to #GatorNation ! Cant wait to visit again ! #Swamp17 pic.twitter.com/NTl5oIvmbr
— GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) January 30, 2016
Grimes, 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, has not made any bones about the fact that Ohio State is his favorite school and the leader in his recruitment. Even after the trip to Gainesville, the five-star isn't hiding from that assertion.
Five-star WR @TrevonGrimes7 says #UF is now his No. 2 school after visiting #Gators Junior Day. Ohio State still leads for him.
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) January 30, 2016
The Indiana native has not been back to Columbus for a visit to Ohio State since the summer of 2014, but the Buckeyes still leading out of the trip to Florida should underscore exactly how large a lead Urban Meyer and Zach Smith have built.
Sources have told 11W that Grimes may be on campus with the Buckeyes this month if he heads home for a visit to Indianapolis as he's expected to do.
PRIDGEON THOUGHTS
You should, because it was mentioned last night, be aware that right now it's down to two schools for four-star junior college offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon.
Ohio State, where Pridgeon visited this past weekend, and Baylor, where he visited in June, are the final schools and it seems that a decision could be made Monday night after discussing his options with his family.
Ed Warinner has made the 6-foot-8, 320-pounder a priority in recent weeks, and Ohio State impressed Pridgeon during his official visit with their attention to academic support.
Right now, I have Pridgeon, the country's 4th-ranked JUCO prospect, as in for the Buckeyes.
