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.
ELITE WIDE RECEIVER REAFFIRMS DECISION DATE
Four-star wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey on Monday announced that he will make his verbal commitment through Bleacher Report on Aug. 22. Most believe that Ohio State and Nebraska are the two main contenders for the Corona, California, native's services, though Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee and USC were also included in Lindsey's most recent Top 10.
T H E D A Y .
— Tyjon A. Lindsey (@tyjonlindsey) August 1, 2016
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, & USC. pic.twitter.com/eDzViedLdQ
Lindsey — a former high school teammate of Ohio State commit Tate Martell at Las Vegas, Nevada's, Bishop Gorman High School — was on campus in July for Friday Night Lights.
“Everything was perfect; it went great,” he said. “I had a great time here with possibly my future coaches and learned a lot from them. It was a great opportunity to get better.”
Martell isn't the only elite recruit in the class to be connected to Lindsey, either, as five-star wide receive target Trevon Grimes is rumored to be part of a package deal. Grimes, of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is expected to announce his decision just two days later on Aug. 24.
Where will I end up... Commitment date at the end of video Thank you to everyone who has supported me ! pic.twitter.com/ADby7B12Ds
— GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) June 14, 2016
“If [Ohio State] can get the guys that they're looking for and they're targeting, the class can explode,” Lindsey added. “It can be the No. 1 class and even though it already is, it can be unreachable. That's going to be crazy.”
WHOSE BBQ IS BETTER THAN OURS?
Though Shaun Wade has been committed to Ohio State since January 2015, reports surfaced earlier this month that the five-star cornerback has been looking to take a visit to Michigan. The Jacksonville, Florida, product was scheduled to attend the Wolverines' “BBQ at the Big House” event on Aug. 6, but can no longer make it.
“We have practice and I have no transportation,” Wade told Maize n Brew.
Wade will, however, make an official visit to Ann Arbor on Oct. 1 when Michigan hosts Wisconsin.
2017 Ohio State commit Shaun Wade has told @MaizenBrew that he will visit Michigan on October 1st.
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 2, 2016
The second-ranked corner and No. 18 overall player in the 2017 class according to 247Sports, Wade has more than 30 offers from the nation's top programs. He said previously that he'd like to make a final decision in November and enroll at his school of choice this winter.
BELL STRIKES 7
Ohio State once again made the cut for Bridgeton, New Jersey, safety Markquese Bell, who took to Twitter on Monday night to announce his Top 7 schools and official visit dates. Clemson, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers and Temple were also listed, though the Scarlet Knights have been considered Bell's favorite for quite some time.
Top 7 my official visits are at the end of the video pic.twitter.com/9AWfWxTyb0
— I C E (@MarkqueseB) August 2, 2016
The 6-foot-3, 194-pound athlete is being recruited as a safety, though the Buckeyes remain in the race for the top-ranked player at that position, Jeffrey Okudah.
According to the video, Bell will be in Columbus when the Buckeyes play host to Michigan on Nov. 26. The Wolverines, meanwhile, have two chances to make an impression on Bell, as he'll visit Ann Arbor when Michigan takes on Penn State.
The four-star athlete plans to make his college decision on Dec. 1. That doesn't bode well for the Buckeyes, who will obviously wait and see what happens with Okudah.
HOOSIERS SNEAK INSIDE INTERSTATE 270
One downside of recruiting nationally is that sometimes a homegrown talent could slip out from beneath Ohio State's nose. Over the weekend, Columbus St. Francis De Sales defensive tackle Derrius Mullins did just that, committing to Indiana over offers from Kentucky, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
#HoosierArmy17 pic.twitter.com/fUHzRtkoNF
— Derrius Mullins (@derrius71) July 30, 2016
“[Indiana] just felt like home,” the three-star prospect told 247Sports. “Coach [Kevin] Wilson treats everybody with respect. The coaching staff looks after you, and coach [Tom] Allen has a lot of energy and I can't wait to work with them.”
Mullins is considered the No. 29 overall recruit in the state, and had been trying to earn an offer from Ohio State.
“That would be a dream,” he told Eleven Warriors after he attended the Buckeyes' summer camp last summer. However, nothing ever came of that visit.
Though unlikely, 6-foot-5, 315-pound Mullins could find himself with a scholarship offer late in the process if Ohio State is unable to land another defensive tackle prospect.
The Buckeyes currently have pledges at that position from Bishop Gorman's Haskell Garrett and Winton Woods' (Cincinnati) Jerron Cage, and continue to target four-star Jay Tufele of South Jordan, Utah, to fill out the 2017 class.
ADDING THAT FIFTH STAR
Three Ohio State targets were among the five players from the Class of 2018 to earn five-star rankings from 247Sports Composite today: safety Jaiden Woodbey of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, offensive tackle Richard Gouraige of Cambridge Christian in Tampla, Florida; and running back Jaelen Gill of Westerville South. Each is now ranked among the top 26 players overall.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Woodbey has considered Ohio State his leader since the Buckeyes offered him in mid-June. He has an impressive list of scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC. Woodbey plans on making his first trip to Columbus later this month when St. John Bosco takes part in the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff Game in Cincinnati on Aug. 27.
Gouraige, a more recent Ohio State offer, is considered the fifth-best prospect in the Sunshine State. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder has also earned offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. He has yet to take a visit.
The Buckeyes are the heavy favorites to land the 6-foot-1, 182-pound Gill. The all-purpose running back has more than 20 offers, as well, including Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
