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.
CLARITY IS KEY
Five days away from announcing his college decision, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Trevon Grimes was reportedly asked by Luke Stampini of 247Sports whether he had informed his future coaches of his intentions.
“Yeah,” Grimes said. “They were excited. They were happy for me, just like any other coach would be. The only people that know are my coaches and my family, but everyone will know Aug. 24, so I'm looking forward to it.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to clear some things up, however.
INFORMED my Highschool coaches ... https://t.co/r4RNMdSt3J
— GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) August 19, 2016
It appears there was some misunderstanding — any line of questioning that doesn't clearly state which coaches, high school or college, could lead to this. Regardless, Grimes was straightforward in his assessment of Ohio State.
“I like to feel loved where I'm going because, at the end of the day, I'm going to be there for the next three to four years,” he said. “It's just the place I feel most comfortable at right now and I like the love they show me and the coaches are phenomenal. I definitely think that 's one of the reasons they've been my leader since freshman year.”
If that doesn't sound like someone set to pick the Buckeyes next Wednesday...
Grimes, who is down to a final six of Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State, will reveal his decision in a video produced by Bleacher Report.
“I'm not sure how I'm going to release the video, but [I'm] still working on that,” he said. “I'm still working on how I'm going to release the video. If I'm going to do it at school [or] if I'm going to do it with my family, I'm not quite sure.”
The third-best receiver in the Class of 2017 had 33 yards and a touchdown on three receptions in a 51-0 preseason win over Fort Lauderdale Dillard on Thursday night. Here's video of the score:
Jake Allen to Trevon Grimes. Aquinas is rolling. https://t.co/AaCKpo16jb pic.twitter.com/khUGwizuma
— Andrew Ivins (@Andrew_Ivins) August 19, 2016
Not sure the cornerback wants to guard Grimes again.
When you try to talk trash to @TrevonGrimes7. pic.twitter.com/segoYh6A70
— Sentinel HS Sports (@SSHighSchools) August 19, 2016
REBEL INVASION
Another five-star Ohio State target was in action on Thursday evening, as Cam Akers led second-ranked Clinton, Mississippi, past No. 3 South Panola in the season opener for both teams. Akers, who plays quarterback for the Arrows but will play running back in college, scored five total touchdowns, including four in the first half.
Behind Cam Akers' big night, Clinton tops South Panola https://t.co/oJcapezmcp
— The Clarion-Ledger (@clarionledger) August 19, 2016
According to the Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion-Ledger, Akers completed 14-of-22 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 180 yards and two scores on 17 carries. And not only did he have the hostile crowd to deal with, several Ole Miss players were on the sidelines to get a glimpse of their possible future teammate, including starting quarterback Chad Kelly.
#OleMiss QB Chad Kelly, DT Gross, LB Strong, Benito Jones, DL McDowell, DL Breeland Speaks come to support Cam Akers pic.twitter.com/YXoH7qfRnk
— Yancy Porter (@YancyPorter) August 19, 2016
The Rebels were among the top 10 schools Akers listed in May — along with Alabama, Auburn, California, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee — and it's clear they're doing everything they can to keep the top-rated prospect in the Magnolia State home.
2 of Cam Akers (@thereal_cam3) 5 TDs in tonight's @ArrowsAthletics win. More tonight on @WLBT after the Olympics pic.twitter.com/c2l0rcEw1F
— Jeff Barker (@JeffBarker_) August 19, 2016
KING OF THE SOUTH
Displaying the same calm and poise he showed at Friday Night Lights, Ohio State quarterback commit Emory Jones led Franklin, Georgia, Heard County to a fourth-quarter, come-from-behind win over South Atlanta in the season opener on Thursday evening.
Trailing 19-7, Jones directed two long scoring drives, the latter of which gave the Braves a 22-19 lead over the Hornets with only one minute remaining.
Got a chance to see #OhioState quarterback commit @eXjones6 tonight as @HeardCountyHigh took on South Atlanta: pic.twitter.com/EYi2e7I0C3
— High5Sports (@High5Sports) August 19, 2016
The 6-foot-2, 193-pounder had a 21-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the game, but never seemed to find his rhythm after enduring a 46-minute lightning delay in the first quarter. Nevertheless, Jones showed why he's the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2018 by extending the game-winning drive with his feet on several occasions.
WAYNE PIPELINE
I'm of the mindset that Ohio State should look at every athlete from Huber Heights Wayne simply because of the things Braxton Miller did for the program, but wide receiver L'Christian “Blue” Smith is more than worthy of being one of the Buckeyes' top targets for the Class of 2018.
Though, he might want to drop that nickname before he makes the first of two trips to Columbus he has scheduled for this season or head coach Urban Meyer might not let him into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder announced via Twitter on Thursday a list of 10 unofficial visits he aims to take this fall. If all goes as planned, Smith will take in Ohio State's season opener against Bowling Green and the season finale against Michigan.
These are the schools I will be visiting this season.... #blessed pic.twitter.com/zUC8jNsGqN
— B (@bluesmith_) August 19, 2016
The third-best prospect in the state of Ohio and No. 82 overall player in his recruiting cycle also plans to visit Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Tennessee along the way, all of which have offered.
A two-sport standout, Florida, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio State, Syracuse, Texas and UCLA have each offered Smith a basketball scholarship, as well.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Being the son of a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler, Asante Samuel Jr. has a lot to live up to. However, the 5-foot-10, 166-pound junior has made quite the name for himself at St. Thomas Aquinas, fielding offers from nearly 40 of the top programs from across the country.
Discussing frontrunners and the allure of Ohio State with four-star DB Asante Samuel Jr. https://t.co/BUaxrB7p9V pic.twitter.com/ruTCprS6UR
— Rob Cassidy (@Cassidy_Rob) August 19, 2016
“Right now, I would say it's Florida State, Ohio State, Auburn and South Carolina,” Samuel told Rivals.com following the Raiders' win on Thursday, a game in which he returned an interception for a touchdown. “That's how it is right now. It could change, but that's it.”
Samuel noted that his relationship with Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and the aforementioned Grimes makes him comfortable with the Buckeyes.
“It's nice that I could go up there and know some guys right away,” he said. “It helps [to know] them, for sure.”
The 16th-ranked cornerback and No. 25 overall prospect in the state of Florida, Samuel is considered a Miami lean by 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. He hopes to get to Columbus for a visit this fall, though, so a lot could change between now February 2018.
