The Hurry Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio State football recruiting trail, keeping tabs on the latest from commits and targets from around the country.
NO. 2 FOR 2018?
Four-star athlete Jermaine Eskridge had planned on making his first trip to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights. Though it didn't come to fruition, the Buckeyes remain in good standing with the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder from Tampa, Florida, who was once committed to Kentucky.
“It's really down to three schools: Oregon, Alabama and Ohio State,” Eskridge told Bucknuts.com's Bill Kurelic ($).
The 22nd-ranked prospect in the state of Florida for the Class of 2018, Eskridge is projected to be a cornerback or wide receiver at the next level. Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Schiano has been a fan of taller cornerbacks since his days as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it's no surprise that he and running back coach Tony Alford are leading the charge in Eskridge's recruitment.
Eskridge also told Kurelic that he is hoping to make it to Columbus on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, and sources close to Eleven Warriors say that Eskridge plans on making his decision shortly thereafter.
#Zone6 #Shhh pic.twitter.com/4JZmuhWtiD
— EJ2 (@Iam_Jermaine4) July 25, 2016
It should be noted that Eskridge, who missed most of his sophomore season at Jefferson High School because of eligibility issues, has not visited Alabama or Oregon, either.
ALABAMA MOVING ON FROM WADE?
The battle for Shaun Wade is only going to intensify in the coming months, as the five-star cornerback said previously that he'd like to make a final decision in November and enroll at his school of choice this winter. The Jacksonville, Florida, product has been committed to Ohio State since last January, but cited Alabama and Notre Dame as fallback options if his pledge falls through.
The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, aren't waiting around to see if that happens. As first reported by 247Sports.com, top Junior College cornerback Jhavonte Dean verbally committed to Alabama on Sunday.
Dean, who played at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, by way of Homestead, Florida's, South Dade High School, chose the Crimson Tide over Florida, Miami, TCU and UCF.
“I felt like they really wanted me,” Dean said. “Coach [Nick] Saban said I'm a priority.”
Even with the addition of Dean - he's their first defensive back commit - expect Alabama to continue to try to flip Wade from his commitment. He seems to be 100 percent committed to Ohio State, though, and his interest in Alabama has served only as a way to confirm that he's making the right choice.
Wade is considered by 247Sports Composite as the No. 17 overall player and second-ranked cornerback in the Class of 2017. He has more than 30 offers from the nation's top programs.
CINCINNATI PROSPECT IMPRESSED BY FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Even though he's one of the top prospects in the state of Ohio, four-star Winton Woods (Cincinnati) linebacker Christopher Oats is in no hurry to make a decision on his future. He's taken only a handful of unofficial college visits, which includes bringing his mother to Friday Night Lights this past weekend.
“I enjoyed myself,” Oats told Bucknuts.com. “I liked being coached by [defensive coordinator] Luke Fickell one-on-one … I loved his coaching style.”
Oats has six scholarship offers from schools such as Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
Florida State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh have also shown interest in the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, but the Buckeyes maintain a lead in his recruitment.
“Ohio State is still No. 1,” Oats said. “Oklahoma is No. 2, and Michigan State [is] No. 3.”
The Buckeyes' Sept. 17 trip to Norman has even more more meaning, too, as Oats plans to be in attendance.
TOP TIGHT END TOURS THE COUNTRY
Lindenhurst, New York, tight end Jeremy Ruckert was among the most impressive athletes at Friday Night Lights. His workout is even more spectacular when you find out that Ohio State was his seventh college visit in seven days, a trip which spanned from Florida to Ann Arbor.
Balled at FNL #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/6lFFRSjseV
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) July 25, 2016
Even though all of the visits could have run together in his mind, as Landof10's Jeremy Birmingham pointed out, the Buckeyes were able make quite the impression on Ruckert.
“I've just built great relationships with the coaches and loved how they were by my side the whole way. They did a great job of showing me what Ohio State football is all about,” he said. “Everything from 'Real Life Wednesdays' to the intense work ethic of the strength staff; I was impressed.”
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Ruckert is considered a four-star prospect in 247Sports' composite rankings. He's the No. 111 overall prospect in the Class of 2018, and holds a long list of scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Penn State and Tennessee.
Ruckert visited Michigan on Saturday, as well, the final stop of his week-long tour.
Had a great visit today at ichigan!! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/mosWD3jy7f
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) July 23, 2016
“Michigan was pretty cool,” he said. “I wish I could've gone a different time, though. Their coaches were all on vacation. I just saw the campus and the facilities.”
Ruckert expects to return to Columbus for another unofficial visit when the Buckeyes host the Wolverines in November.
FINGER LICKIN' GOOD
Fairfield, Ohio, lineman Jackson Carman did not workout at Friday Night Lights, but he did spend some time chatting with some key pieces of the Ohio State staff.
“I was with [offensive line coach Greg] Stud[rawa] most of the day,” he told Bucknuts.com.
I noticed that Carman also met with head coach Urban Meyer and program assistant Stacy Elliott — father of former Buckeye running back Ezekiel Elliott — for about five minutes at the beginning of the event.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder is a very high priority for Ohio State as it looks to fill out the Class of 2018, and he has previously said more than once that the Buckeyes top his list of prospective schools.
“What they have to offer is simply better than the other schools I've visited,” Carman said.
That seemingly includes the barbecue:
Ohio State damn sure knows how to feed a monster pic.twitter.com/KlDTyNn6gg
— Jackson Carman (@Jackson_Carman) July 24, 2016
One hundred percent of 247 Crystal Ball predictions have the five-star prospect landing with the Buckeyes, though he hasn't provided a date at which he'll announce his college decision. The long list of scholarship offers for the top player in the state includes Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and USC, among others.
