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.
WHAT
Nike's The Opening is the country's premier recruiting camp/combine/spectacle and this weekend it returns to Columbus where a host of the region's top players will meet to try and earn an invitation to Nike's campus this July.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 7 at Westerville North High School, a departure from the last two years: it had been held on Ohio State's campus previously.
The positional camp begins at noon, but Nike SPARQ testing will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 11:55 a.m. Training for the Elite 11 begins at 10:30 a.m.
Let's take a look at the key names that are expected to be in attendance.
OHIO STATE COMMITS EXPECTED
As you'd expect, future Buckeyes will be all over the field at Westerville North this weekend. Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class is still the nation's best and seven of their 13 pledges will be competing in Columbus.
Quarterback Danny Clark, running back Todd SIbley, offensive linemen Josh Myers and Jake Moretti, defensive tackle Jerron Cage and athletes Brendon White and Antjuan Simmons will be in attendance.
QUARTERBACK HEADLINERS
As usual, there will be a talented group of gunslingers in Columbus hoping to punch their ticket to the Elite 11 finals in July.
Along with Danny Clark, Penn State commitment Sean Clifford, who hails from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, is one of the favorites to take home the invitation. The Ohio pair are the top 2017 quarterbacks in attendance, but the two that I'm interested in seeing the most come from the 2018 and 2019 classes.
The country's top-ranked 2018, Pennsylvania's Phil Jurkovec and one of the most-offered 2019 quarterbacks, Southfield, Michigan's Sam Johnson III are going to be watched by a lot of people.
RUNNING BACK HEADLINERS
Outside of Sibley, the running back position Saturday morning is deep, but young. The top two players on my personal list to watch are both 2018 prospects, Westerville South's Jaelen Gill and Indianapolis Cathedral's Markese Stepp. Gill of course has a Buckeye offer, but Stepp does not, despite scholarships on the table from Notre Dame, Michigan State and others.
In the 2017 class, Michigan State commitment Weston Bridges, Cincinnati La Salle's Jarell White and Pickerington Central's Morgan Ellison – who could be one of the region's biggest sleepers – will be closely monitored.
WIDE RECEIVER HEADLINERS
As usual at these camps, one of the biggest and most exciting groups to watch will be the wide receivers.
Brendon White is registered as a wide receiver, so we'll look for him at that position Saturday, but outside of White there are a number of extremely talented players that will be on hand.
The country's top-ranked wide receiver, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland's Jaylen Harris, Springfield's Danny Davis and 2018 star L'Christian "Blue" Smith will all be present. Michigan State pledge Hunter Rison, Kentucky commit Tyrell Aijan and Michigan prospect KJ Hamler, who was one of my personal favorites from last summer's camp sessions at Ohio State, will also be in attendance.
Cincinnati Moeller tight end Matt Dotson is the top 2017 tight end expected, but I'll also be keeping an eye on Drew Rosi from Olentangy Liberty and 2018 Michigan verbal Leonard Taylor, who is registered as a tight end.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN HEADLINERS
While the pair of Buckeye commitments lead the way, there are a handful of big-time prospects with big offers and Power Five commitments already to their name.
Lafayette, Kentucky's Jedrick Wills – the country's eighth-ranked offensive tackle – will look to become the third Bluegrass State offensive lineman in the last two years (Drake Jackson, Landon Young last year) to get invited to The Opening. He holds an Ohio State offer. Clemson commitment Matt Bockhorst, one the best interior linemen in the country, will make his way up from Cincinnati for the event, so will Stow, Ohio – and Penn State commitment – Michael Miranda.
Garaway's Joel Honigford has emerged as one of the top linemen in the midwest over the last few months and it will be great to see him going head-to-head with top-ranked competition.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN HEADLINERS
The defensive line group has some interesting names expected to appear, but none that I'm more interested to see up-close than Columbus' Derrius Mullins. He's had a big spring so far and it will good to see what he can do against highly-regarded offensive linemen.
St. Louis' Trevor Trout, a four-star 2018 prospect, is in Columbus Friday seeing Ohio State before the camp Saturday. We're also very curious to see Cincinnati Moeller 2018 standout Aeneas Hawkins, who has an offer from Florida State, Florida and others already. Huber Heights (Wayne) defensive end Alex Reigelsperger is another top-ranked Ohio junior-to-be that I'm looking forward to seeing in one-on-one situations.
LINEBACKER HEADLINDERS
Antjuan Simmons will most likely be lining up at linebacker, so he's the key guy we'll be paying attention to, but there are others who are worth watching.
Michigan commitment Josh Ross and Lawrence Central (Indianapolis) 2018 linebacker Cameron McGrone are two guys I'll be keeping an eye on. McGrone has only one offer – from Syracuse – but he's a really talented young athlete that may turn some heads.
DEFENSIVE BACK HEADLINERS
The top group of this weekend's event is the defensive backs and it's certainly a group that will draw a lot of attention.
Grayson (Lawrenceville, Georgia) four-star Jamyest Williams will look to make his second-straight trip to The Opening. He has a Buckeye offer and had multiple planned trips to visit Ohio State fall through last season. Lamont Wade, Amir Riep, Jaylen Kelly-Powell, Ambry Thomas – and Tennessee prospects Maliek Gray and Jacoby Stevens – all have Ohio State offers.
Pickerington Central 2018 athlete Xavier Henderson, a Top 200 player in his class, will also be on hand.
These are just some of the names that appear on the initial registration list for this weekend's event and can't predict who may show up as a walk-up attendee.
It's always a great event and myself, Tim Shoemaker and Eric Seger will be in attendance to try and bring you the best possible coverage.
