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.
EICHENBERG WANTED TO ENROLL EARLY, WILL BE UNABLE TO
Ohio's second-ranked offensive lineman in 2016, Cleveland St. Ignatius' Liam Eichenberg, remains uncommitted and with a top two schools of Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Wildcats' 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle was hoping he'd have a chance to enroll early at whatever school he selects, but unfortunately it doesn't appear that he'll have that opportunity.
"They said no, I can't enroll early," Eichenberg told Eleven Warriors. "There's no way to do it because it requires a certain number of credits and I won't have that completed."
Eichenberg will instead focus on completing his junior year and making the most of his summer. Foremost among his summer plans? Earning an invitation to The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon.
"I signed up for the The Opening regionals," he added. "It's in Columbus in May."
WEBER DIARY SPEAKS ABOUT DISAPPOINTING FRIENDS, FAMILY
The celebration surrounding Mike Weber's signing day decision to become a Buckeye was subdued initially, thanks to a room full of Michigan fans, friends and family who wished he'd stay home. It was destroyed entirely the next day as the media onslaught following Stan Drayton's departure to the NFL took over the story and turned him into the poster boy for a crusade against recruiting's often ethically-challenged tactics. For his part, Weber has remained relatively quiet, but today a USA Today diary written by Weber shed some light on the difficulties he faced.
I learned that the coaches and recruiters may as well be salesmen that tell you what you want to hear, after all they are selling dreams. The toughest part is realizing the real from fake. Born and raised in Detroit, I was heavily influenced to go to the University of Michigan. When I made the decision to sign with the Ohio Buckeyes, overnight everywhere I went; I felt like I disappointed a lot of people.
One area that is often overlooked when it comes to leaving home? The strength required to willingly disappoint people you love, and who loves you. Weber said he's only looking forward at this point, not back.
...everything happens for a reason and I will always represent where I’m from in a positive way and never forget where I came from.
I don’t take away from anything I have learned thus far. I have accomplished a lot of goals that I set for myself, however, I still have a long list to finish. No looking ahead for the future and no looking back; one day at a time.
FARRELL UPDATES RECRUITMENT
When Ohio State received a commitment from Cincinnati Moeller tight end Jake Hausmann in late January, many questioned how his decision would impact Perry, Ohio's Luke Farrell.
"Not really at all," Farrell said when asked how Hausmann's commitment would affect his thoughts on Ohio State. "They didn't have a tight end in 2015."
Almost immediately after Hausmann's commitment, Urban Meyer was roaming the halls of Perry, signaling that the Buckeyes certainly held their interest in adding Farrell to their 2016 haul. With a 247Sports Crystal Ball that still reads 100-percent for the Buckeyes, Farrell was on campus last week taking another look at the school, focusing primarily on the academic side of things.
"I was at Ohio State on President's Day," he said. "I went there to check out the physical therapy program and general academic stuff."
The only other school listed as "warm" on Farrell's 247 profile is the University of Michigan, where Farrell visited last summer. While the Wolverines are continuing to recruit him, he said he's made no plans to return to Ann Arbor and has not seen new head coach Jim Harbaugh yet.
"Harbaugh hasn't been around yet," Farrell said. "Coach (Michael) Zordich was here though. "If I visit (Michigan) again it won't be until after school's over."
Farrell does have two schools in mind for spring visits, but right now he's worrying about basketball. He and his teammates at Perry are 17-3 and hold the third seed in their district, with state tournament play starting next week.
"I plan on visiting Penn State and Boston College over spring break," he added. "I'll probably make a decision before my senior year starts."
BUCKEYES STILL LIKE MIKE
While Liam Eichenberg is the offensive tackle that most talk about with regards to the 2016 class, Ohio State is still very high on Plymouth, Michigan's Michael Jordan. While Michigan is the favorite to land the country's 18th-ranked tackle, the work done by the Buckeyes — led by Kerry Coombs and Ed Warinner – to stay involved and near the top of his list has been impressive.
"He's one of my favorite offensive lineman in this class," a source close to the Buckeyes said. "He's so aggressive and gets off the ball real well. He's going to be a really good college player. He's right at the top of our list and has been for a while."
Jordan is 6-foot-6, 285 pounds and the third-ranked player in Michigan.
2017 RUNNING BACK HAS A BIG DAY
When today started, 2017 Cox High School (Virginia Beach, Virginia) Khalan Laborn was a 5-foot-10, 180-pound all-purpose running back with no scholarship offers. By 7:00 p.m. Laborn had offers from the past two national champions – Ohio State and Florida State – as well as Virginia Tech, Virginia, Arizona State and Charlotte. Looking at his highlights, it's easy to see why the Buckeyes threw their hat in the ring.
It's early in the process, but the Buckeyes' recent success in Virginia could make them a real threat in this race.
TENNESSEE LATEST TO OFFER MID-OHIO 2018 STANDOUT
From the "one to watch" category: Tennessee has offered 2018 Westerville South star Jaelen Gill. Gill was a freshman All-American this past season and is a player very likely to earn a Buckeye offer, with my bet being that offer happens this upcoming summer.
When the Buckeyes offer Gill, I think it's a matter of when, not if he accepts that scholarship.
