The Hurry Up is your nightcap of Ohio State recruiting news, catching you up on the day’s events with an ear on the ground for what’s next.
YOUNGQUIST GETS BUCKEYE OFFER
In a somewhat interesting move, Ohio State offered 2016 Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.'s Bryce Youngquist, a four-star linebacker who is committed to Oklahoma.
Blessed to receive my 16th offer from thee Ohio State University!! pic.twitter.com/RgQsxd35JJ
— Bryce Youngquist (@49BryceFootball) September 15, 2015
The 6-foot-1, 215 pounder from Los Osos High School has Ohio roots – his mother is from Akron – and Eleven Warriors first mentioned him in March.
Youngquist has very impressive physical tools and reports a 4.37-40-yard dash. Even if that number is inaccurate – which it probably is – at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds if he's under 4.5 he's in rarefied air. Arizona State, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Colorado, Wisconsin and Washington State are among his early offers and the Buckeyes could absolutely become a player in his recruitment if they make a play.
Youngquist, the country's 12th-ranked outside linebacker, possesses the one thing Ohio State's coaches are looking for in a linebacker: speed. He visited Ohio State in the summer of 2014 but right now he's not talking like a kid who will consider an official visit to Columbus this fall.
"I gotta focus on my team and school at the moment," Youngquist told 11W. "(The offer) is a blessing, I'm staying with Oklahoma however. I have already made my decision."
The question is whether or not the Buckeyes attempts to get involved come too late. They dropped out of the Caleb Kelly sweepstakes, backed off of Aaron Hansford, Brendan Ferns and other linebackers, so the timing of this offer is interesting because there's been no concentrated push for another linebacker. What changed? A number of moving parts, as always.
The interest in a guy like Kelly may have a pipe dream from the start, as we said a number of times here. Aaron Hansford's ship may have sailed the moment his teammate Terrell Hall's decommitment transpired and because there's a real connection to Ohio, maybe Youngquist is a potential flip candidate despite being committed to a big-time program like Oklahoma.
WESSON GETS TEAM USA JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM INVITE
Ohio State 2017 basketball pledge Kaleb Wesson has had a pretty busy summer, traveling all over the country and showcasing his developing skills. Tuesday, the 6-foot-8, 280 pound center from Westerville South earned a big honor: he was invited to the US Junior National team tryouts in Colorado, which takes place in early October.
Buckeye commit continues his work with the USA basketball program https://t.co/NNlkJSvuay
— Mike Young (@MYoung11W971) September 15, 2015
The national team is led by Don Showalter.
From the press release:
"The 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp will again be led by Don Showalter (Iowa City H.S./Iowa City, Iowa), who has directed USA teams to seven gold medal finishes as head coach of the USA Basketball Junior National Team since 2009...
...The annual October Junior National Team minicamp is an important component in the success USA Basketball has been able to achieve and sustain at the U16-U18 international competitions,” said Showalter. “We have many of the top players for three different age groups attending the minicamp and not only will this help us get an early start in its preparations for next year’s competitions, but it also affords the players with an opportunity to work and improve their games."
BIG DETROIT CONTINGENT POSSIBLY VISITING OHIO STATE THIS WEEKEND
Ohio State has done a pretty good job recruiting in Detroit over the last couple of years, especially at Detroit Cass Tech, from which they've landed three prospects (Dame Webb, Mike Weber and Josh Alabi). One high school the Buckeyes have tried to infiltrate, but have as of yet been unsuccessful is in doing so, is the Motor City's Martin Luther King, Jr. This approaching weekend could be a big step towards remedying that problem, if not in the 2016 class than potentially in the future.
A host of Crusaders – potentially nine of them – are considering a trip to Columbus to watch the Buckeyes take on Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon.
The group is led by a pair 2016 stars, wide receiver Donnie Corley and Penn State cornerback commitment Lavert Hill, each of whom remain on Ohio State's short list of 2016 targets. Hill visited Ohio State in July for Friday Night Lights and, although he's committed to the Nittany Lions, seems to be trending towards Michigan State at the moment. Can a game day visit with the Buckeyes move them up in his mind?
We've talked about Corley ad nauseam so there's not much to expound on here; Ohio State likes him, and has continued to, but Michigan State still seems like the smart prediction.
Outside of that pair, the biggest visitor from MLK would be 2017 cornerback Ambry Thomas, who has an Ohio State offer as well. Thomas also made the visit to Columbus for Friday Night Lights.
As of now, this visit is planned and not finalized, according to Donny Corley, Sr., but it is looking like a beautiful weekend in Columbus for importing Detroit's finest.
