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.
Kendall Milton is in Columbus
Five-star running back Kendall Milton is kicking off a long slate of unofficial April visits with a trip to Columbus. The California running back announced his arrival via Twitter on Thursday morning. He is expected to be in town through Friday.
— Kendall Milton (@_KendallMilton) April 4, 2019
Milton also has visits planned to LSU on the 15th, Alabama on the 17th and Georgia on the 20th.
The No. 15 overall 2020 prospect is a three-down type of running back that can carry the ball between the tackles, outrun a defense and make a difference in the passing game. He has a lot of interest in Oklahoma and was impressed during his unofficial there.
While Oklahoma is expected to be an official visit for Milton later this summer, these unofficial visits will likely determine which other schools he will visit officially.
Ohio State Likes Carrico at Linebacker
Ironton, Ohio, athlete Reid Carrico, a rising 2021 prospect from a small area of Southern Ohio, made his list of visits before the spring began, and now he is nearly finished with the trips. His latest brought him to Columbus for a visit to Ohio State on Wednesday, where he was blown away by what the Buckeyes have to offer.
“It’s crazy,” Carrico said. “The facilities there are top of the line. It was bigger than I ever imagined.”
Beginning in late-March and ending in mid-April, Carrico’s spring list included visits to Michigan State, Iowa State, Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin, where he is visiting April 14. He’s also visited Louisville and Kentucky. Carrico said Ohio State was “much larger” than the other programs he’s visited, and he was impressed with the coaching staff.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound running back-linebacker met with Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington, co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and head coach Ryan Day, and he said he enjoyed his interactions with all of them.
While he can play running back and linebacker and is the heart of the Ironton football team on both sides of the ball with tape that flashes in both spots, Ohio State likes him at linebacker.
Great 1st Visit to THE Ohio State #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/7BTADp81Cc
— Reid Carrico (@CarricoReid) April 3, 2019
Carrico doesn’t have an Ohio State offer yet, even after leaving Columbus, but with a good summer appearance, he was told he can earn an offer. He already has offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Ohio, Toledo and Marshall, where he’s already visited a couple of times.
“They think I’m capable of playing at that level and I believe I can too,” Carrico said. “I feel like I was meant to play at a Power Five program, and I’m more than willing to put the work in to be great wherever I land.”
Zak Zinter Provides Valuable Versatility
Four-star offensive tackle Zak Zinter is yet another tackle that Ohio State has looked at for his size. He’s not quite as large as three-star commit Trey Leroux, who stands at 6-foot-8, 320 pounds, but his 6-foot-6, 300-pound frame isn’t anything to scoff at with the versatility he brings to the table.
That versatility is what has the Ohio State staff so interested in the Massachusetts No. 3 prospect. That’s the vibe he got from talking with Ryan Day and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.
“Both coaches made it clear that I would be a great fit for their team and would love to have me commit,” Zinter said. “They also really liked that I’ve played center, tackle and guard and that I can be versatile anywhere on the line for them.”
Zinter’s relationship with Day dates back to when Zinter first began talking with Ohio State last fall. Zinter said they had been pulling a lot of his film and watching entire games throughout the first half of his season in 2018 when Day called him to let him know he should give former head coach Urban Meyer a call. Meyer offered Zinter on that call.
The Buckeyes offered him as a tackle – he’s the No. 23 tackle in the 2020 class – and that’s where he could potentially play if he was to commit to Ohio State. Until then, Zinter is evaluating which place is the right fit for him.
Awesome visit @OhioStateFB! Thank you @CoachRyanDay, @CoachStudOL, @CoachMattBarnes, @markpantoni, @WestonZernechel and the rest of the coaching staff for showing me and my family what THE Ohio State football is all about! Go Bucks! @Coach_Willey_FB @MissionAE @JulesHindman pic.twitter.com/zFcGbXvGkk
— Zak Zinter (@zak_zinter) March 28, 2019
He’s been making several visits in the spring, including March trips to Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, and Michigan.
“I was very impressed with what Ohio state has to offer,” Zinter said. “I’m not sure if I’ll make it back this spring. Possibly the summer. I’m just trying to see where I feel the perfect for me is. So many amazing opportunities. This is not easy.”
