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.
MORE ON DAELIN HAYES' VISIT
Sunday night I had a chance to talk Ann Arbor Skyline linebacker Daelin Hayes about his visit to Columbus, the first trip he's made to Ohio State, and by his own admission the visit was excellent.
Hayes' visit was highlighted, he said, by the chance to hang out with some guys he's known for a while, including Buckeyes' commitment Austin Mack and a group of current Ohio State players from Detroit, including Mike Weber.
"I've known Austin for a while now," Hayes told 11W. "We actually were teammates at The Opening and won the 7-on-7 national championship there. It was huge to have him around and to talk to, but it was really great to have the guys from Detroit there. Mike (Weber) used to come to my house, I know all those guys real well. On Friday night, we hung out and then I spent most of my time with Justin Hilliard and Jerome Baker."
Spending time the future of the Ohio State linebacker group helped Hayes see where he could fit in with the program. He said that his discussions with Urban Meyer have him thinking about what a commitment to the Buckeyes could bring.
"I wouldn't be going there to redshirt," Hayes said. "Nothing is promised of course, but they want me to come in and make an impact. They're recruiting me as a Sam, to play similar to what Darron Lee does."
Darron Lee's shoes are quickly becoming large and will be difficult to fill, but the country's eighth-ranked linebacker is confident in what he brings to the table.
"I think what separates me from the pack," Hayes said. "Is the mental side of the game. There's a lot of guys blessed with physical skills like I have been, but I understand schematically what offenses are trying to do. If I continue to work hard in the weight room, keeping getting stronger I can make an impact. Everyone at that level is big and fast, otherwise they wouldn't be there."
WAYNE DAVIS TALKS COMMITMENT
Ohio State commitment Wayne Davis, a four-star cornerback from Norfolk, Virginia, doesn't talk much, choosing instead to let his game do that for him. This past weekend, Scout.com writer Michael Clark headed to Lake Taylor High School and caught up with the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder face-to-face.
Davis made his official visit to Ohio State in October and has not taken visits to any other schools and does not intend to. He is the country's 31st-ranked cornerback.
OKUDAH SAYS VISIT IS STILL ON
When it comes to making an unofficial visit from Texas to Ohio in late November, saying you're going to and actually following through with the trip are often two very different things. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, 2017 five-star safety Jeffery Okudah, who told 11W in September that he planned on returning to Columbus on Nov. 21, it appears that nothing has changed on his end. He will be at Ohio State for their big game against Michigan State.
From Scout.com:
Okudah, the country's top-ranked safety and 10th-ranked overall prospect in the 2017 class, named Ohio State as his favorite last month, and it seems that this visit could go a long way towards cementing their place at the top of his list.
Baylor is currently the 247Sports.com crystal ball leader, but a second, on-his-own-dime trip to Columbus in five months isn't easy to overlook.
COOPER'S ARMY ALL-AMERICAN PRESENTATION DATE SET
If you're in Columbus on Friday, Nov. 20, you're invited to stop by Gahanna Lincoln High School at 3:15 p.m. that afternoon for Jonathon Cooper's US Army All-American jersey presentation.
#Buckeyes 2016 commitment Jonathon Coopers @ArmyAllAmerican presentation will be at Gahanna Lincoln on 11/20, 3:15pm.
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) November 9, 2015
"The Army said the more the merrier," Cooper's mother, Jessica Moorman told 11W. "It'd be great to pack the place for him."
Cooper, who is recovering from a knee injury that kept him from playing in the final game of his senior season for the Golden Lions, will be joined by fellow future Buckeyes Austin Mack, Michael Jordan, Drue Chrisman, and Demario McCall in San Antonio.
HAWKINS HIGHLIGHTS SHOW OFF VERSATILITY
Last week we saw the Scout.com spotlight of Maple Heights' Kierre Hawkins, Ohio State's third commitment in the current recruiting cycle. Hawkins, 6-foot-4 and 225-pounds, could play any number of positions at Ohio State before his career is all said and done, as his senior highlights will show you.
I expect Hawkins to begin his career getting a crack at tight end, but his ceiling, and where he ends up, is going to be up to him.
