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.
LECOUNTE TALKS VISIT
Richard LeCounte probably has better relationships with the Ohio State football staff than any single recruit in America. The Buckeye coaching staff was the first to reach out to him Sept. 1, and they've been the most consistent presence in his recruitment since he burst onto the scene as a freshman. He's the "brother" of current Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan and is as close to the 2014 and 2015 Buckeye recruiting classes as anyone in those classes are.
This weekend, LeCounte made his latest trip to Ohio State, coming north with one of his high school coaches, and took in the sights and sounds of the Penn State game. You hate to say that things are "expected" on a visit, but the country's 43rd-ranked 2017 prospect pretty much knows what he'll get at Ohio State.
"Just the family atmosphere at Ohio State is great," LeCounte told Eleven Warriors. "I spent a lot of time with (Chris) Ash and the coaches and a lot of time with 'Kwon."
Over the summer, LeCounte almost committed to the Buckeyes at Friday Night Lights, and while he's backed off that stance since, the things that need to happen for Ohio State to reel him in haven't changed. LeCounte's parents have not yet been to Columbus, and that's a hugely important piece of the puzzle. His father, it's said, is a big Georgia supporter and the Bulldogs are the team to beat for Urban Meyer's staff.
Continuity and consistency for the Buckeyes, especially with Kerry Coombs and his relationship with LeCounte, is something Ohio State has in their favor. Another thing that has to happen is for the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder to begin developing close friendships with the Buckeyes' 2016 and 2017 classes, since those guys – not the 2014 and 2015 versions – are the people he's going to be lining up with for the most part.
Some speculation that LeCounte could commit this winter is out there, so if he and his parents make a trip to Columbus before then, that'd be something to watch.
SLADE AND GILL DISCUSSION
One player that was expected in Columbus this past weekend but did not make the trip was Ricky Slade from Woodbridge, Virginia. Slade, a 2018 running back who holds an offer from Ohio State, Florida, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and a number of others, suffered an injury on Friday night and it prevented him from traveling on Saturday.
"He hurt his calf on Friday night," John Harris, an assistant at CD Hylton told Eleven Warriors. "He called Larry Johnson and told him he'd not be coming and apologized for not making it."
A 2018 star with a Buckeye offer that did make it was Westerville South's Jaelen Gill. Gill, who has been playing running back and wildcat quarterback for the Wildcats, has been to Penn State and Michigan State in recent weeks, with a trip to Tennessee coming up in two weeks. Gill spent most of the visit with his teammate, 2017 Ohio State commitment Marcus Williamson and enjoyed the atmosphere.
Gill continues to play his recruitment close to the vest and claims no leader at the time, but obviously the Buckeyes are a team expected to be in the mix. Florida State, which Gill says could offer soon, is one of the many schools that will still try to get involved with his recruitment.
ANTWUAN JACKSON, THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME?
Since his visit to Ohio State in early September, Antwuan Jackson and the Buckeyes have maintained the status quo, which, for Ohio State fans, is a good thing.
My Top Schools Ohio State /Auburn Georgia Florida Alabama Clemson
— Antwuan Jackson (@Hercules__52) October 17, 2015
That's Jackson on Saturday, reiterating that the Buckeyes, along with Auburn, are the team at the top of his list. Georgia, the hometown school that has hosted Jackson twice in the last month, sits at third but all indicators point to this really being just an Ohio State and Auburn showdown.
Ohio State has not yet received an official visit from Jackson, who continues to say that they will, and it seems that's likely to happen on Nov. 21 for the Michigan State game. Could he commit to the Buckeyes then? Sure, he could, but it's unlikely. There's so many things that impact a recruitment but distance from home remains one of the biggest factors. If Jackson didn't live in the heart of SEC country, I think he'd be a Buckeye already, but that's not the case.
Here's the challenge for Ohio State: how do you compete in the recruitment against a team that could see Jackson as many as four more times before a decision gets made? Jackson is likely to see Auburn host Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama in the upcoming month and could still take an official visit after that, which is a lot of face time with a recruit who is being told anything and everything.
So, can the Buckeyes, in one visit, do enough to hold off Auburn who could get four? Urban Meyer's track record is pretty darn good, but that's a daunting task even for him.
SETTING UP BIG WEEKEND IN LATE NOVEMBER
The first big recruiting weekend of the 2015 season just happened, but the next big one is already beginning to take shape. Nov. 21, Ohio State will host Michigan State and, if the last few days are an indication, a number of very important recruits that can help shape the future of the Buckeyes' football program.
Aside from the usual suspects, the committed players like Jonathon Cooper who are on campus regularly, Nick Bosa and Tuf Borland will be on hand helping the Buckeyes recruiting efforts.
Here's a brief sampling of the big names you should expect on campus that weekend.
- 2016 Dexter Lawrence, a five-star defensive tackle from North Carolina.
- 2016 Donnie Corley, a four-star wide receiver from Michigan.
- 2016 Antwuan Jackson, a four-star defensive tackle from Georgia.
- 2016 Nigel Warrior, a four-star defensive back from Georgia.
- 2016 Brandon Burton, a four-star defensive back from California.
- 2016 Chauncey Gardner, a four-star defensive back from Florida.
- 2017 Darnay Holmes, a five-star defensive back from California.
There are certain to be many, many more names on this list as we draw closer to the game against the Spartans, but it's shaping up quite nicely already.
SAM BRUCE, JOEY BOSA AND MORE DISCUSS LIL BEAR
"He's built like a barbarian."
That's a pretty good endorsement from your head coach, but that's the way St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Roger Harriott describes Buckeye commitment Nick Bosa.
Check out this video from Sports Stars of Tomorrow:
