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.
Over the last few days I've made a few 247Sports "crystal ball" predictions that have turned some heads and I figured today is a good day to try and explain as much as I'm able about those three predictions. Before I get into the specifics of each choice I wanted to clarify a few things.
First and foremost, the crystal ball – while fun and a pretty good indicator of where a player is leaning most of the time – means very little to me as far as my "percentages" go. I don't think about it regularly, I don't spend hours debating any changes I make, etc. I think it's a great tool and a fun thing to do but most of the time if I'm paying attention to it at all, it's in order to signify "I'm hearing this" and sometimes information I hear might be different than the norm. Sometimes that pays off – like Johnnie Dixon or Matt Burrell – and sometimes it puts me on an island where I'm waiting to see if something comes to fruition, like Zach Sandwisch.
Bottom line: it's fun, but it's not really a be-all, end-all. Don't read too much into what I do there. I crystal balled Drew Richmond to Memphis last year, remember?
BRENDAN FERNS CRYSTAL BALL
Of the three predictions in question, the decision to flip Brendan Ferns from Ohio State – where I had him pegged for over a year – to West Virginia, is the one I feel least confident in. There are a number of people I talk to regarding Ferns and there's a few things that are regularly discussed. First of all, Brendan is very close with Ohio State's Chris Ash and Luke Fickell; the two Buckeye coaches have done a great job recruiting Ohio's top linebacker for a while now. Secondly, the Ferns are very close as a family and now that Michael – a transfer from Michigan – is at West Virginia, it makes West Virginia, and their petroleum engineering program, even more appealing to Brendan and the family than it already was.
Ferns has been getting very close to Zach Sandwisch over the last few months, the Toledo linebacker who committed to West Virginia yesterday. One of the driving factors for Sandwisch was the chance to play early for the Mountaineers and I know that Ohio State's depth at linebacker is something Ferns has to consider as well. The two of them, combined with the elder Ferns, would be a formidable trio in Morgantown.
People I trust that are very good at this whole recruiting thing disagree vehemently with me on Ferns and I certainly respect their thoughts on the matter. Ferns is hoping to get back to Ohio State for a visit sometime soon, but it doesn't appear that it will be for the Buckeyes' spring game barring some schedule changes because of ACT testing.
How confident am I that Ferns ends up at West Virginia instead of Ohio State? On a scale of 1-10? I'll give it a 4. I think the Buckeyes can win this one, but right now, I think things are happening that gives the 'Eers some momentum.
JUSTIN LAYNE CRYSTAL BALL
Last night I flipped Justin Layne to Michigan State from Ohio State, a move that isn't quite as surprising as some are making it out to be. Yes, Layne is from Ohio but right now I think it's pretty clear that the Buckeyes are more interested in Austin Mack and probably Donnie Corley, Jr. ahead of Layne. Is it that perception that is pushing him towards another school, namely Michigan State?
Maybe. When you're the best wide receiver in Ohio, and a top 100 player nationally, you might feel that Ohio State should be beating your door down and I get the impression that's just not the case for the Buckeyes and Layne. There was a moment in late January when Layne's pending Buckeye commitment was hinted on this site and others and something happened and held that off, and whether that is on Justin, the Buckeyes, his parents or coaches, etc. doesn't really matter.
Michigan State offered Layne before Ohio State did, they've made him a priority for a while now and he's got a big visit scheduled there next weekend. The best case scenario for the Buckeyes to land Layne right now is for him to just slow down his process and wait into the summer, but something in my gut says he's going to commit sooner than that and right now Michigan State is in the better position.
BRUCE JUDSON CRYSTAL BALL
Late last week, I went against the grain and predicted that Bruce Judson, the 2017 Buckeye commitment from Cocoa, Florida, would eventually end up signing with the Florida Gators instead of the Buckeyes. The prediction on Judson came on the heels of a Gainesville visit that he made with his 2016 teammate and Florida commitment Chauncey Gardner, but the timing of the prediction has basically nothing to do with the visit.
The facts are that no matter how much Judson loves Ohio State, and he has for a while, the odds are definitely not in the Buckeyes' favor when it comes to holding on to a commitment, from a kid from Florida, for over two years. There's far too many variables that impact any recruitment over that span of time and you can multiply the oddities exponentially when it involves a kid from The Sunshine State.
I know what Judson says – he insists he stays with the Buckeyes come hell or high-water – but I just don't think that happens as things shake out over the next few months and years.
I hope I'm wrong, because the story of a kid from Florida who committed to Ohio State for two-plus years and stayed with the Buckeyes through all the external and internal pressures he'll no doubt feel would be epic. Of course, the same can be said for Shaun Wade, a fellow Floridian and his Buckeye commitment. All we know right now is that the Buckeyes are the team to beat, and there's a long way to go.
BRYAN HAPPY TO HEAR FROM BUCKEYES
Let's stay in Florida and stay in 2017 and talk a bit more about Kyshaun Bryan, a teammate at American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale) of 2015 Buckeye signee Torrance Gibson. Bryan is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back and was offered by Ohio State last night.
"Coach (Tony) Alford offered me," Bryan told 11W. "That was the first time I've talked to him since he's been at Ohio State. It was great talking with him."
Alford, of course, was the former running backs' coach at Notre Dame and he was previously recruiting the Patriots' sophomore.
"Offers like Ohio State and Florida State are a dream come true," Bryan said. "I'm definitely going to keep my eye on the Buckeyes and try to get up there soon for a visit. I'm excited to get to build a relationship with Coach Alford. He's a great man and I can learn a lot from talking with him."
It's still early in the process for Bryan, and there's a few big schools he's not yet heard from but hopes to soon.
"I'm hoping to hear from Georgia, Alabama, and Notre Dame," Bryan said. "I'm doing well, but I'm focusing on getting better day-by-day and hearing from these schools shows that the work is paying off."
