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.
HASKINS EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
To compete at Ohio State in Urban Meyer's football program, you've got to be a special player on the field, but more often than not, you've always got to prove that you're a special person off of it, as well.
This weekend, Dwayne Haskins will be honored as one of this year's recipients of the Watkins Award, given to athletes around the country who excelled not on the football field but in their communities.
“Just being acknowledged as a student-athlete was really important,” says Haskins, who also appreciated the community that has been created by past award winners. “I thought it was intriguing that they continue to mentor you. Sometimes you hear from (awards), then you don’t hear from them again.”
Joining Haskins as a recipient are three other 2016 signees, two of which are familiar to most Buckeye fans who follow recruiting.
Four new members will join the family this Saturday, with Messiah DeWeaver of Dayton, Ohio (Michigan State), Orangeburg, South Carolina Heathwood Hall Episcopal School’s Brandon Hill (Duke), and Brandon Burton from Northern California’s Serra High School (UCLA) joining Haskins. They’ll meet as strangers, but they’ll walk away forever tied through the legacy of the Watkins Award, no matter who takes home the hardware.
The award's website uses a combination of criteria to decide its honorees.
Finalists are chosen based on their unweighted grade point average, their personal statements, extracurricular activities, community service, and letters of recommendation. Each winner will be recognized in Washington, DC, receive an award, ring, and dinner in his hometown.
Haskins is being counted on to continue his growth as a person and a player when he arrives at Ohio State in June. Urban Meyer, speaking to the media on Tuesday, made a reference to the Maryland resident when asked to comment on the backup quarterback derby that will take place in Columbus over the next few months.
"The guy coming in," Meyer said of Haskins. "I’m counting on him to go battle for that spot."
RISON HAS BUCKEYES IN TOP 10
Ohio State has a number of wide receivers in their sites for 2017, including Ann Arbor (Skyline) star Hunter Rison. The country's 43rd-ranked wideout, a four-star prospect and the son of former Michigan State and Atlanta Falcon star Andre Rison, released a Top 10 list last night and included the Buckeyes.
Top schools pic.twitter.com/sPOW64Nfc1
— Hunter Rison (@hunterrison) March 10, 2016
Rison states the list isn't in order, but the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder–if his recent Twittering is to be believed–certainly appears to be favoring Oklahoma.
@hunterrison no particular order even though OU is first, your offer to OU is pinned, and OU edit is your cover photo. Come on a commit bro
— Michael Brock (@RecLeague88) March 10, 2016
A former Michigan State commitment, Rison was offered by the Buckeyes in mid-December. He was not visited Columbus yet and it's uncertain if there are any immediate plans to do so.
FUNDERBURK, HARGRAVE WIN NATIONAL PREP TITLE
One of the two members of Ohio State's 2016 basketball signing class, Derek Funderburk, is now a national champion.
A state title winner at Lakewood St. Edward in Ohio as a sophomore, Funderburk transferred to the Hargrave Military Academy, one of the country's most prestigious basketball institutions, for his final year of prep hoops. Last night, he helped deliver their first title since 2008. The Tigers finished the season 47-1, including a remarkable 30 game-winning streak to finish the year.
The country's 69th-ranked overall prospect and No. 10 ranked center in the 2016 class, Funderburk will join the Buckeyes this summer.
SPEAKING OF HOOPS
Talking about future Buckeye cagers, a 2017 commitment–center Kaleb Wesson–and his teammates at Westerville South rolled over Pickerington Central 78-66 in the Division Regional semifinals last night at Ohio Dominican. The game was a payback game for Wesson and Wildcats, who lost to the Tigers earlier this season while the 6-foot-8, 280-pounder watched with a sprained ankle.
Having their star center back–Wesson led South with 18 points–was a difference maker for the Wildcats, who improved to 23-4 on the year.
From Dispatch.com:
“There’s no doubt that having Kaleb back this time helped us because he’s a great basketball player,” South coach Ed Calo said. “But our success was more about our penetration and us stopping their penetration. We took them out of their game and played at a great tempo.”
Wesson continues to expand his game as he looks to lead the Wildcats to a state title.
SCOUT, 247 RANKINGS RECEIVE AN UPDATE, NEW FIVE-STARS EMERGE
As the national camp season is underway, it's not a huge surprise to see the national recruiting networks opening up their wed-editing software and making some adjustments to their rankings.
Both Scout.com and 247Sports.com have newly-minted five-star prospects.
For 247Sports, it's defensive end Jaelan Phillps, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from Redlands, California. Though is composite ranking still sits at No. 107, Phillips jumped all the way into the Top 10 for 247 and sits as their No. 9 ranked overall prospect. 247 has only 11 five-stars in their 2017 class so far, but Tyjon Lindsey is slowly creeping up the list and now checks in at No. 14 overall; he'll visit Ohio State in two weeks.
On Scout.com, a few names that Buckeye fans may know and might pay attention to are on the move.
Texas linebacker Baron Browning, a former Baylor commit, is now their top outside-linebacker and a five-star prospect. Florida State pledge, linebacker Vandarius Cowan also is bumped to five-star status is second only to Browning at outside linebacker. Fellow Floridian Stanford Samuels III is now the top-ranked cornerback in the country, moving head of players like Darnay Holmes, Lamont Wade and Shaun Wade. From Flanagan High School in Florida, Samuels former head coach, Devin Bush, Sr. now works at Michigan.
Another big mover in the Scout.com rankings is Cincinnati Colerain defensive back Amir Riep, who is now slotted behind only the aformentioned Lamont Wade as the Midwest's second-best cornerback.
