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.
GUARANTANO AT OHIO STATE TODAY
The moment Ohio State has been waiting for – Jarrett Guarantano returning to campus – is finally here.
Road Trip to Columbus
— Jarrett Guarantano (@Guarantano18) April 6, 2015
In the event that you've been living under a rock, Guarantano is the quarterback to rule them all, the one quarterback Urban Meyer and Ohio State have been waiting on to make a college choice. He's the guy who fits their system – both athletically and personally – the best and was hand-selected by Meyer and former quarterbacks coach Tom Herman as a potential heir apparent in the Buckeyes' high-powered offense.
Guarantano will make his decision April 15, and this will be Ohio State's final chance to remind him why it was his favorite for the majority of his recruitment. In the last two months, it's been Rutgers and Tennessee who've dominated the majority of the conversation but Urban Meyer, Tim Beck and Ed Warinner have not yielded in their efforts.
Expect Guarantano in Columbus through Tuesday – he should observe tomorrow morning's practice – and for him to say little publicly about the visit. Right now is decision time for the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder and his family, and there's no doubt they are looking for privacy and perspective. Can the Buckeyes provide reassurance that despite depth chart concerns they provide the best situation for the country's sixth-ranked quarterback?
BOSA CHECKS IN ON BUCKEYES, HANGS WITH MR. COOPER
In the changing landscape of recruiting, there are few players with a name bigger than Nick Bosa, and few players less likely to talk about recruiting than...Nick Bosa. This past weekend Bosa was in Columbus with his father, preparing to spend the Easter weekend with Ohio State junior Joey Bosa. Nick took in Saturday morning's Buckeye practice.
Nick is expected to be at Ohio State's spring game in two weeks as well, but this visit – a bit more under-the-radar – is equally important. For a player of Bosa's national stature, even with his obvious connections to the Buckeyes, relationships are going to be key. One observer said that Bosa spent a good portion of practice talking with Ohio State commitment Jonathon Cooper, who could line up opposite the country's 11th-ranked 2016 prospect.
Auburn, Florida, Florida State and a few other SEC schools are still working hard to pry Bosa from the Buckeyes, but it'd be a surprise to see him anywhere other than Columbus for college at this point.
WALKER TAKES IN RUTGERS PRACTICE
Again, everything in 2016 is different when it comes to recruiting. Yes, Kareem Walker – the country's top-ranked running back prospect in 2016 and a Buckeye commitment – has been clear that he isn't really looking to keep his recruitment "open." He's a Buckeye, and he's looking forward to being one, but regardless of that, he's a 17-year-old kid who has to explore all potential avenues available to him. That's why today he visited Rutgers, an hour's drive from his house.
Bottom line for Ohio State fans? Expect Walker to see other places, but rest assured he chose Ohio State as early as he did for a reason. In fact, he let me know today a bit of good news for the Buckeyes as well: he intends to enroll next January.
"My coach just had to check a few things with the NCAA, like the rules on that, but I should be fine to enroll in college early," Walker told Eleven Warriors. "Right now I'm just waiting on the NCAA to get back to me about it."
CLAY IMPRESSES, IS IMPRESSED
Earlier today we had an update with Georgia four-star defensive back Chad Clay, who visited Ohio State this past weekend. I got to chat a little bit with a source at Ohio State who said Clay was as impressive as he was impressed.
"He's a really great kid from a great family," the source said. "He's exactly what you want a big cover corner to look like in person."
LYKE SEES WHAT BUCKEYES CAN BRING TO TABLE
Clay wasn't the only potential safety prospect on campus this weekend, Ohio State also spent some time with Kenney Lyke, a three-star safety from Palatine, Illinois.
"It was a great visit," Lyke said. "I loved everything. The campus, the coaches, the dorms are really nice, but you can't forget about that stadium."
Lyke said he got to spend a little time with Ohio State's Urban Meyer before he left on Saturday.
"Urban Meyer was a great person," Lyke said. "He was very down to earth. I actually thought he was going to be shorter (laughs). His record speaks for itself."
The country's 38th-ranked safety, Lyke – 6-foot-2 and 183-pounds – has offers from Michigan State, Baylor, Illinois, Penn State, Pittsburgh and others, but is waiting to see if Ohio State comes through and pulls the trigger on one.
"Coach (Chris) Ash is going to come over in a few weeks," Lyke said. "He wants to see me run. The last forty I ran was a 4.52 about a month ago."
KELLY-POWELL PLANS RETURN FOR SPRING GAME
Detroit Cass Tech 2017 defensive back Jaylen Kelly-Powell visited Ohio State last weekend and we finally had a chance to catch up about his trip to Columbus.
"It was a very good trip," Kelly-Powell, a 6-foot-tall, 185-pound defensive back said. "I am headed back for the spring game on April 18 with my father and probably my cousin and uncle."
What stood out about the most recent trip for Kelly-Powell, who aspires to be a lawyer? The education available at Ohio State.
"The school as a whole was great," he said of the visit. "They have a top five law program, that is what stood out the most. We took a tour of the campus and spent the whole day there."
Of course, the football was important too.
"The atmosphere around the program was great," Kelly-Powell continued. "It was very intense. The strength and conditioning coach and Coach Coombs are very intense and upfront, and I love that and I really love Coach Meyer's focus on graduating his players."
Kelly-Powell grew up a Michigan fan, but he didn't make it to Michigan's spring game because he had told the staff at Eastern Michigan – who offered him Saturday – that he was going to visit them first.
"Michigan called me on Friday night and asked me to visit (Friday night)," he said. "I had made prior arrangements with EMU and I've been to Michigan a few times in he past few weeks."
