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.
STARS HIT CAMPUS AFTER NIKE CAMP
It was a busy weekend in Columbus with Nike's The Opening in town, and the Buckeyes were able to host a number of big-time players on Saturday afternoon following the conclusion of the camp. One of the "perks" that came from this year's camp not being at Ohio State is that the Buckeyes could host players immediately following, which they'd not been permitted to do the last few years.
The staff was ready for visitors and they saw some of their biggest remaining 2017 targets.
Danny Clark brought Georgia four-star cornerback Jamyest Williams, who dominated the competition at the camp, to campus and showed him around.
Showing my boy around the 614 @Jamy0602 pic.twitter.com/lWkiJdcLZk
— Prototype (@DClarkQB) May 7, 2016
For Williams, the visit was important because – even though it was very short – he's been trying to get to campus for almost a year and it gave Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs a chance to finally talk to him face-to-face, putting the program's best foot forward. Kerry Coombs is expected to visit Grayson High School this week and he'll look to continue working on that relationship.
Ohio State commitment Antjuan Simmons did his own recruiting work after the camp.
"We stopped there for like an hour after the camp," Simmons told 11W. "The whole Cass Tech group was there and a lot of other guys. I did some recruiting and spoke to the coaches."
"The whole" Cass Tech group includes another of the country's best players – five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones – and a four-star safety in Jaylen Kelly-Powell. Ohio State continues to work very hard with Peoples-Jones, trying to get a better understanding of exactly where they stand with the hard-to-read superstar.
Though he didn't visit after the camp, four-star cornerback Lamont Wade made it to town early enough on Friday to get to campus with his mother. The visit was primarily academic in nature, and according to Wade yesterday afternoon, it went well.
"It was a good visit," Wade told 11W. "It's always good to be there and they talked to my mom a lot. She liked it."
Wade was recently offered by Alabama, and he told me that he's going to try and get down to Tuscaloosa this summer before he'll likely start narrowing his list. Expect official visits and at this point, a post-season decision.
MYERS, MORETTI BUILDING RESUMES, IMPORTANT FRIENDSHIP
Two of the Buckeyes' top-ranked 2017 commitments took the opportunity to work together Saturday afternoon on their game and their budding friendship.
Top-100 offensive linemen Josh Myers and Jake Moretti were two of the best performers at the camp – despite not making it to The Opening (yet) – but the chance to just hang out and work alongside one another was important.
"After meeting (Jake)," Myers said. "We get along so well. He's awesome. It feels like we've known each other forever. It was a ton of fun."
Myers lined up at tackle most of the time I saw him Saturday, with Moretti at center, but as you watch the pair it's easy to see that positions could be switched up a bit come college. Myers plays tackle in high school but when you consider the run-heavy offensive Miamisburg runs, it could make some sense for him to move inside to guard when he gets on campus. Moretti is flexible and capable enough to play any of the five offensive line positions and he's gaining a lot of respect nationally.
#Buckeyes commit Jake Moretti in the discussion as the country's top OL https://t.co/e4dHARb4j1 pic.twitter.com/ylLrD0C6LV
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) May 7, 2016
It's very likely that both Moretti and Myers end up in Oregon in July, and it's an exciting opportunity that Myers says he's hoping for.
"That'd be awesome," he said of getting an invite to The Opening after the regional camps are complete. "I'd love to hang out with Jake again in Oregon."
The next wave of the Slobs are on their way Buckeye fans and these guys are really good.
DANNY CLARK TALKS ABOUT THE QUARTERBACK SITUATION
Ohio State's pursuit of a second quarterback for 2017 has been well documented in the last few months. Danny Clark has been committed since December of 2013 and – in his usual fashion – he's not backing down from the potential competition.
From BleacherReport.com:
"Coach Meyer said there is a possibility that could happen, but it doesn't really matter to me," he said. "I've been competing my whole life, and I'm not really worried about them bringing another quarterback in. I'm coming in to compete and dominate."
Clark, who was one of the top quarterbacks in attendance Saturday, says he's paying attention to the depth chart and can understand why a second quarterback may be necessary.
"Coach Meyer is a smart guy," he said. "Every big-time program needs to have at least four legit quarterbacks at one time. Just like Ohio State showed in 2014, that depth is so important."
With the recent injury to Stephen Collier and the chance that J.T. Barrett could consider departing for the NFL following his redshirt junior season, it's not unreasonable at all for the Buckeyes to take two quarterbacks in 2017.
TROUT SAYS HE'LL GET BACK TO OHIO STATE THIS SUMMER
Four-star 2018 defensive tackle Trevor Trout made two separate stops at Ohio State this weekend while he was in town for The Opening. The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder first checked out the Buckeyes on Friday afternoon when he got into town, heading back to campus after Saturday's competition finished.
"It was great," Trout said of the visit. "I loved the staff when I was up there and (Urban) Meyer seemed so down to earth. The facilities were great, but the tradition was what stuck out to me. Plus, the little details that Ohio State incorporates and how they do things."
Larry Johnson was not in town this weekend, but Meyer made it clear to Trout that he knew who he was.
"(Meyer) asked if I was interested in Ohio State and said I'm one of the guys they are watching," he said. "He said he expects to be back for the day camp in the summer."
Does Trout intend to come back?
"I'll definitely be back for the one day in the summer."
