Welcome to The Hurry Up, which runs Sunday through Thursday, serving as your last stop for recruiting news and notes nightly. We'll recap the day as it happened and preview the days ahead while keeping our ear to the ground on the Ohio State recruiting scene.
STUMP BACK ON THE TABLE...AND IT'S GOOD NEWS
Ohio State 2015 wide receiver commitment Alex Stump has not had an easy few months. After injuring his foot in mid-September, the 6-foot-3 four-star from Lakewood St. Edward's missed the majority of his senior season recovering from foot surgery. Today, Stump went back on the operating table and back under the knife as this screw was removed from his now fully-healed foot.
The screw that was removed from Alex Stump's foot this morning.
The procedure today could have been more bad news for Stump if his injured ligament was determined to have not healed correctly, but he said everything went as well as it could have.
"Everything went perfect," Stump told Eleven Warriors. "Everything is fully healed and once the bone fills back in from the screw I can get back at it."
Sounds like gross — but good — news for this future Buckeye.
WIDE RECEIVER STILL A LEGITIMATE OPTION FOR 2015?
Today, former Buckeye wide receiver target Van Jefferson, who committed to Georgia in August, re-opened his recruitment, according to well-connected sources in the south. Jefferson, one of the country's top-ranked wide receivers in 2015 was once favored the Buckeyes but it does not appear that Ohio State will be involved in his decision making process in the near future. Oklahoma and Ole Miss appear to be the front-runners for the 6-foot-2 Jefferson, the son of Tennessee Titans wide receiver's coach Shawn Jefferson.
As currently constructed, Ohio State's 2015 recruiting class has exactly one true wide receiver in it, the aforementioned Alex Stump. With 24 commitments, the Buckeyes do not have much room left for wrangling in 2015, but if the right wide receiver expressed some late interest, there may be some reciprocal interest. One of the receivers who would garner that level of interest is Little Rock's K.J. Hill, who was visited by Ohio State's Zach Smith today.
Hill re-opened his commitment over the weekend following an official visit to Alabama and immediately planned an official to see Ohio State for this coming weekend. The nation's 17th-ranked wide out in 2015, Hill is a player the Buckeyes hope to swing their direction this coming weekend. Right now it's still too soon to see the 6-foot, 188-pounder in the "Elite '15", but the Buckeyes are very interested.
JERSEY BOYS GETTING MORE LOVE
If you needed any more evidence that Ohio State's 2016 quarterback search begins with Bergen Catholic's Jarrett Guarantano, consider that the Buckeyes have now been to see him twice since last Thursday, including a visit today. Guarantano, who is likely to make a college choice soon after signing day, is scheduled to visit Rutgers this week and the Scarlet Knights are working diligently to keep the legacy at home.
As for the Buckeyes, they ought to consider heading on over to airbnb.com and try to locate a comfortable domicile in New Jersey that they can call their own. With last week's visit to see Guarantano, Kareem Walker, Rashan Gary and others — as well as a two day trip today and tomorrow — there's no doubt Ohio State is prioritizing the Garden State for 2016. Walker, the Wayne, New Jersey, product will see the Buckeyes again tomorrow, and it may not be the only time this week.
Ohio State junior day
— AlightyReem (@_KareemWalker) January 20, 2015
According to his coach, the weekend's plans are not yet final, but it appears that the 2016 verbal is hopeful he'll be in Columbus this weekend. While the commitment of Walker has helped give Ohio State a bit of a head start in next year's cycle, the pursuit of one key player might've gotten a touch more difficult. Coaching changes at the high school level impact recruiting as they do at the college level.
Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge, a legend in New Jersey, will be taking a job somewhere (Rutgers?) and the Paladins didn't take long to find a new head coach. The alma mater of Michigan cornerback Jabrill Peppers and the home of Rashan Gary, Paramus has hired Blake Costanzo, a former NFL player with the Chicago Bears and the then-Jim Harbaugh led San Francisco 49ers. Intrigue level: raised.
ARNETTE OR ORR?
Ohio State's 2015 secondary class is done, right? Probably, but not definitely. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) cornerback Damon Arnette is still scheduled to visit Columbus on January 30th and although he's most likely leaning towards Michigan at the moment, the Buckeyes are still involved. Beyond the South Carolina commit, Chattanooga, Tennessee's Kareem Orr, once committed to Louisville, could still be a name to watch. Offered by the Buckeyes last weekend, Orr is leaning towards Arizona State according to those close to him, but he is scheduled to make a visit to Columbus as well.
While it's unlikely that the Buckeyes would add another defensive back to the mix in 2015, the late interest in Arnette and Orr speaks to Ohio State's diligence in recruiting. In case of emergency, break glass, right? That's what we're seeing here. If spots open up, for whatever reason, expect Urban Meyer and his staff to have a plan in place.
