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.
HAUSMANN HONORED
Ohio State 2016 commitment Jake Hausmann got some good news that he wasn't expecting. He was added to the US Army All-American team.
From USATodayHSS.com:
Hausmann, an Ohio State commit, is ranked as the No. 3 tight end in the nation and No. 6 player overall in Ohio by the 247Sports Composite rankings. He had a strong senior year, taking advantage of new formations that were more tight end-friendly in the Moeller offense.
“He’s a very athletic tight end,” Moeller coach John Rodenberg told Gannett partner Cincinnati.com. “He really answered.”
Hausmann said he was surprised by the opportunity.
"It's awesome," Hausmann told Eleven Warriors. "My coach had told me he was trying to get me in, but I wasn't expecting it."
On Saturday, Hausmann traveled north to Ohio State to check out his future team. On Tuesday, Eleven Warriors had a feature story on his growth as a leader for his high school team in 2015.
CORLEY STILL THINKING ABOUT A VISIT?
Although he didn't get a chance to visit Ohio State this past weekend, there still seems to be – at the least – interest in getting back to Columbus before a decision is made for Donnie Corley.
Corley, the country's 20th-ranked wide receiver in the 2016 class, has not been on campus with the Buckeyes since Friday Night Lights in July, despite maintaining regular communication with Kerry Coombs and Mark Pantoni. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Corley and his Martin Luther King (Detroit) teammates are hoping to win a state championship Friday afternoon, and a visit to see Michigan Saturday is expected. This season, Corley has made visits to Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan State and Michigan among others.
Early in 2015, Corley was close to committing to Ohio State, but it's been the Spartans who've remained the perceived leader since the summer. The four-star receiver has attempted to make multiple returns to Columbus and each time it's fallen through, and with a Dec. 8 decision date scheduled, he's running out of time to get back to Ohio. His father Donny says that the return to see the Buckeyes will happen.
"One hundred percent, we have to," Corley said when asked about the need for a trip south. "We just have to get it together. All these Saturday afternoon games have been rough."
2017 OHIO LINEMAN GETTING NOTICED
The Buckeyes have two 2017 offensive lineman committed (Josh Myers, Jake Moretti) and this past weekend they hosted both of them, but they're still looking around the state for the next potential superstar.
Sugarcreek (Garaway High School), Ohio resident Joel Honigford could definitely be one of those names to pay attention to down the line. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder made his third trip to Ohio State this season last weekend – he also visited for the Northern Illinois and Penn State games – and continues to catch the attention of the Buckeyes' coaching staff.
"(The visit) went well besides the loss and that it was cold and raining," Honigford told 11W. "A great atmosphere and always good to see a relentless battle."
Honigford has offers from Duke, Northwestern, Illinois and Miami (Ohio) and is being recruited by Ohio State's Ed Warinner. He says that right now, the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator and offensive line coach is telling him to focus on his game and developing his body rather than worrying about a potential offer.
"He just tells me all the time to put on good weight," Honigford said of his talks with Warinner. "To work on my strength and retain my quickness, so that's what I've been doing and will continue to do. A big problem I've had was my weight. This past summer I was at 230 and obviously I've been lifting a lot and got myself to right around 265. I've been told before that they'd rather put weight on someone rather than cut the weight off of the big guys."
For now, the Buckeyes are focusing on what the Ohio lineman, who also plays basketball and baseball at Garaway, does well.
"My ability to move and my footwork," he said when asked what is capturing the attention of college coaching staffs. "I play nasty and finish blocks well. Obviously I need more strength, but I use my hands well too."
Honigford, like most Ohio kids, grew up rooting for the Buckeyes. He doesn't shy away from that but he also says he's capable of compartmentalizing; he separates his fandom apart from his needs as a recruit.
"I'd love to play for Ohio state," Honigford said about a potential offer from the Buckeyes. "Who wouldn't? I'm just really looking to play at the highest level I can no matter where or who it is. My main focus right now is to just get to the next level at a school that will push me to be my best. No matter where I have to go."
