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.
CALLING CORLEY?
Earlier Wednesday, Sean Scherer, a recruiting analyst for the Michigan State 247Sports.com site, made a very interesting crystal ball prediction, one that we've been hinting at could be coming.
Scherer has moved his prediction for Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. wide receiver Donnie Corley from Michigan State to Ohio State. The country's 19th-ranked wide receiver is still heavily predicted for the Spartans, but there's now no doubt that the momentum is swinging in the Buckeyes' favor.
"I've been hearing that for a couple of weeks from different sources," the father of one Detroit-area four-star told Eleven Warriors. "I'm not sure how true it is, but it's what I've heard."
We've tried to slowly but surely increase the optimism surrounding Corley's recruitment since he made the decision to take an official to Ohio State instead of Notre Dame, and it's been with good reason. Ohio State sources felt that when the Corleys left campus that they'd done "enough" to show how the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder would fit into their offense, the program and the school to land his commitment, and that optimism hasn't waned.
If Corley makes a decision anytime soon, say the Army All-American Game, I think that decision goes in the Buckeyes' favor. If he's unable to enroll early and a decision stretches back into late January or signing day, things get a bit murkier. Corley was all-Buckeye in January of 2015, all Spartan in the summer. Now? It's a toss-up.
NOTRE DAME'S SUCCESS IN OHIO IS MORE THAN INCIDENTAL
We've gone over the success Notre Dame has had in Ohio the last few years a few times, noting that Brian Kelly has made an impact in the Buckeye state where no others have. The Irish have strongholds all over Ohio–usually at faith-based high schools–and the Buckeyes, for all their successes on the field lately, haven't been able to really break through that.
From Cleveland.com writer Ari Wasserman:
"These parents are spending good money to send their kids to St. Xavier High School (and schools like it) for a faith-based education," Cincinnati St. Xavier head football coach Steve Specht told cleveland.com. "You don't think Mom and Dad have an input on the blue chip scholarship guy and Notre Dame comes calling? You don't think they're going to have some input in that decision?"
Ohio State landed five-star linebacker Justin Hilliard from Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School in 2015, but overall the lure of the Irish remains strong. Each player Notre Dame has landed from Ohio since 2013 has come from a traditionally Catholic school.
(Tommy) Kraemer (2016); four-star offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg of St. Ignatius (2016); four-star cornerback Shawn Crawford of St. Edward; four-star defensive tackle Elijah Taylor of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller; quarterback DeShone Kizer of Toledo Central Catholic (2014); offensive guard Jimmy Byrne of St. Ignatius (2014); and quarterback Malik Zaire of Dayton (Ohio) Archbishop Alter (2013).
If the Buckeyes do stave off the calling from South Bend, the've got the right man in charge with Urban Meyer. His own Catholic faith is very important to him and Notre Dame is very important to him. He knows the strengths and the appeal of the Golden Dome more than most, so it's not surprising to see the Buckeyes' focus in the last few years turn from football-related opportunities to "Real-Life Wednesdays" and the growing academic reputation of Ohio State.
The entire article on Cleveland.com is worth checking out so give it a read.
HASKINS IN FLORIDA
Guess what time it is? It's time for a Dwayne Haskins update! Yeah!
Haskins, the four-star Maryland commitment and Ohio State's top quarterback target, is in Florida this week, spending time in the Sunshine State before next weekend's Under-Armour All-American game. How do we know? The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder spent some time working out with Florida commitments and targets in Cocoa, including former Ohio State 2017 verbal Bruce Judson.
Got Sum Great Field Work In With bro from the DMV @dh_simba7 @sk_7nation @ArmourZach @javonspencer pic.twitter.com/1xtdYxtg89
— Bruce Judson Jr (@4way_lilbruce) December 23, 2015
Haskins, it's rumored, has family in Florida, which would explain why he's down there so early. Obviously, being a recruiting dead period, he's unable to meet with Florida's coaches, but hanging out with players heading to the school for basically a week and a half straight is a pretty good consolation for the Gators.
The country's sixth-ranked pro-style quarterback continues to communicate regularly with Ohio State commitments, so it's not Florida alone that's getting help from their current and future stars.
Don't be shocked if Haskins announces that a decision about his future will come at the Under Armour game.
NO THE HURRY UP TOMORROW
With Christmas upon us, I'll be heading north to visit my family and with that, there will be no Christmas Eve edition of The Hurry Up.
See you all Friday, and Merry Christmas.
