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.
THAT LIST IS WAY TOO LONG, YOU NEED TO CUT IT
As expected, four-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert of Lindenhurst, New York, trimmed his list of more than two dozen scholarship offers to 13 on Thursday night. Ohio State joins Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee and Wisconsin in the race for the second-ranked player in the state of New York and No. 6 tight end in the Class of 2018.
#Top13These are just schools that offered me that I'll mainly be focusing on. I'm still open to any new interest. pic.twitter.com/KUGCzqs88V
— Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) August 11, 2016
The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, you may recall, made a trip to Friday Night Lights last month. Columbus was stop No . 7 of an eight-day voyage that included stops in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Tallahassee, Florida; Athens, Georgia; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ruckert expects to make another unofficial visit this fall when the Buckeyes host the Wolverines in late November.
SCARY MOMENT FOR BUCKEYE TARGET
Though he's committed to Georgia at the moment, Riceboro, Georgia, safety Richard LeCounte III remains high on Ohio State's priority list for the current recruiting cycle. He still intends to take multiple visits this fall, which includes a trip to Columbus.
The five-star recruit was taken off the field in an ambulance during a preseason scrimmage on Tuesday.
#Georgia commit Richard LeCounte (@LilEasy_35) scared many tonight when this happened. @scoutrecruiting pic.twitter.com/ZOURe7pWxH
— Chad Simmons (@ChadSimmons_) August 12, 2016
However, Liberty County assistant coach Ryan Glazer said LaCounte is fine and everything checked out when he went to the hospital.
“He's good,” he told Dawgs247. “I think he just got knocked out. No concussion, according to the doctor last night. He's at school today and is his normal self.”
Thanks Everyone, I'm ok ! Love y'all !
— Richard LeCounte III (@LilEasy_35) August 12, 2016
Ohio State is still in the race for five-star saftey Jeffrey Okudah of Grand Prairie, Texas, meaning its unlikely that LeCounte's visit this fall will serve as anything other than reassurance that he's making the right decision in the Bulldogs. He is considered by 247Sports Composite as the second-best player in the state of Georgia and the No. 26 player overall in the Class of 2017.
HIGH PRAISE FOR TREVON GRIMES
Ohio State is the odds-on favorite to land Fort Lauderdale, Florida, wide receiver Trevon Grimes when he announces his college choice later this month. If he were to choose the Buckeyes over Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Miami on Aug. 24, the Miami Herald said they'd be getting a pledge from the best wideout in St. Thomas Aquinas history.
The Raiders have churned out a number of talented receivers, including Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Leonard Hankerson and Phillip Dorsett of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. Six former Aquinas receivers player currently play college football, as well, but the newspaper said none are more highly touted than Grimes.
In fact, Aquinas has only had three other players ranked five-star recruits by Rivals dating to 2000: Ohio State freshman defensive end Nick Bosa, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and [Miami] Dolphins backup offensive tackle Sam Young.
- Manny Navaro of the Miami Herald
The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder is considered by 247Sports Composite as the third-best receiver in the Class of 2017. It would be a major shock if he ends up anywhere but Columbus.
“They're my leader. They've been my leader since I was a freshman,” Grimes said at Friday Night Lights. “I really feel loved here and I like it a lot.”
HOOK ANOTHER ONE?
Redshirt sophomore Malik Hooker is in line to be one of Ohio State's starting safeties this fall, but some think that his younger brother Marcus will be even better.
“The sky is the limit for Marcus. I tell him that all of the time,” his trainer, Terry Grossetti Jr., told Panther-Lair.com. “I think Marcus is just as good as good as Malik at that age, if not better. Marcus is a great football player and he's smart.”
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound corner from New Castle, Pennsylvania, holds offers from Bowling, Temple and Toledo, but has been in contact with Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt.
“One thing that may hurt his recruiting or getting starts is his 40-yard dash time,” Grossetti said.” But I'll tell you this, I'll put him up against anybody in a race. He might not run a great 40, but he has a different gear that he can get to whenever there's someone that's there.”
Hooker checked in at No. 163 overall in the inaugural Rivals250 for the Class of 2018, which was released earlier this week.
