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.
FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS
When Ohio State offered a scholarship to Alpharetta, Georgia, three-star cornerback Jaycee Horn in early March, he could hardly contain his excitement.
"I grew up watching Bradley Roby, and to see him play there and get to the top, it means a lot," he told Eleven Warriors.
Horn — the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn — was on campus several years ago with his good friend Connor Heyward, the younger brother of former Ohio State defensive tackle and Georgia native Cam Heyward, which is when he first took a liking to Roby.
"I liked the atmosphere and the fans were great," he said. "No doubt I'll be back this season."
Well, that trip will happen much sooner than expected, as Horn will be on campus for the Spring Game on April 15.
“I just want to talk with the coaches and explore the campus and the facilities,” he said.
The 6-foot, 174-pound Horn, meanwhile, is considered the 55th-best cornerback and No. 626 prospect overall. He included the Buckeyes in his Top 15 last month alongside Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
“I talk to coach [Kerry] Coombs and coach [Mark] Pantoni a lot,” Horn said. “Also, I talk to coach [Urban] Meyer on the phone about once a week."
TESTIMONY OVER THEORY
Ohio State hosted Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Blackman teammates Master Teague III and Trey Knox for an unofficial visit this past weekend. And while Teague, a three-star junior running back is still hoping to land an offer from the Buckeyes, Knox certainly has all makings of a go-to wide receiver.
Ohio State was lit as usual @markpantoni @CoachZachSmith @CoachTonyAlford @OSUCoachMeyer #Zone6 pic.twitter.com/JVeur7sGMK
— Trey Knox (@Fbu1Tk) April 1, 2017
“The atmosphere [stood out] again, and we really got to connect with coach Meyer,” Knox told Eleven Warriors. “Coach [Zach] Smith and I really connected, and he talked how he could develop me into a first round draft pick.”
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Knox is considered the 13th-best wideout and No. 82 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds offers from Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee, but said two really stand out.
“Ohio State is high on the list with Florida,” Knox said. “I love [the Gators'] coaching staff, and I know I can fit well in the offense, I will have an opportunity to play at an early year and there are Florida fans scattered everywhere in the country. [With the Buckeyes] the atmosphere and the coaching is elite, and [it offers] the chance to play in one of the best conferences in college football.”
Knox, who hauled in 54 receptions for 669 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Blaze last season, will most likely make it to the Oklahoma game this fall.
PLAN B
I briefly mentioned yesterday Ohio State's options for how to handle five-star dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones taking visits elsewhere despite being committed.
Obviously, the staff can trust Jones will the right choice when it's all said and done, or they can begin to have serious conversations with some of the other quarterbacks they've offered. They might not want to wait too much longer if it's the latter, as one of those signal callers has started to narrow things down.
TOP 5 pic.twitter.com/VSZ5crPvwE
— Moose (@mayden_5) April 4, 2017
That's Sachse, Texas, four-star Jalen Mayden, the 10th-ranked dual-threat quarterback and No. 215 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, whom the Buckeyes offered in February 2016. He last visited campus for Friday Night Lights in 2015, but the interest seemed to wain when the staff shifted its focus to Jones last summer.
Obviously, it's all hypothetical at this point, as Ohio State as Jones continues to say he's 100 percent committed. But if changes his mind, Mayden might become a real option. Unless it's too late, that is.
NEVER HAD A CHANCE
One of the top offensive linemen in the country came off the board on Wednesday morning, as Lakeland, Florida, four-star offensive guard Cleveland Reed committed to Miami.
@HamiltonESPN @CoachBahler pic.twitter.com/SlD5geR4rI
— D1 cleve (@55clevelandreed) April 5, 2017
“My mom loves Miami,” Reed told 247Sports. “It just feels like home. It felt like family when I was down there. I mean that was the main thing really. [Offensive line coach] Stacy Searels was real nice, and I love [head coach] Mark Richt. I just like the people there.”
Ohio State offered the 6-foot-3, 327-pounder a scholarship back in September, but no real interest materialized on Reed's end. His former teammate James Robinson's official visit in January probably didn't help, either.
Anyway, Reed's commitment solidifies Miami's hold atop the recruiting team rankings for now. He hasn't been shy about his affinity for Florida, though, so it'll be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can hold onto him.
