This weekend's Under Armour All-America Game gave Ohio State fans a few things to watch out for, but the fun really begins this week as practices will be underway for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl; an event that will feature six current Buckeye commitments and a number of top targets.
- U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL
- SATURDAY, JAN. 9 @ 1 P.M.
- SAN ANTONIO, TX
- NBC
BUCKEYE COMMITS ABOUND
Ohio State — perhaps more so than any other school — has made its presence felt in San Antonio over the years. Players like Ted Ginn Jr, Chris Wells, Terrelle Pryor and Devier Posey all made an impact during the Jim Tressel regime. Last year's game featured several Buckeye commits as well, including Mike Weber, Torrance Gibson, Jerome Baker and more. The 2016 version is shaping up to be no different.
The offensive side of the ball will be especially littered with Ohio State commitments. Fort Wayne's Austin Mack (Bishop Luers) will look to haul in some passes for the East squad and we will wait to see exactly how Demario McCall will be utilized. While he's listed as a running back on the Army Bowl's website, the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder could be used as more of a pass-catcher as well. McCall battled injuries throughout his senior season and it's not yet known how much or even if he will play at all.
Demario McCall could be utilized as a running back or wide receiver this week.
Tight end commit Jake Hausmann will also be lining up for the East squad. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Cincinnati (Moeller) product committed to Ohio State over Notre Dame and Michigan in January of 2015. Offensive tackle Michael Jordan will help to man the trenches as he looks to pave the way for the East offense.
Five-star defensive end commit Jonathon Cooper has made his mark at every camp that he has been a part of, including Nike's The Opening back in July. He too will play for the East team as he looks to disrupt the West's passing game. The nation's top-ranked punter — Cincinnati's (La Salle) Drue Chrisman — will see action for the West squad.
Mack, Jordan and Cooper will all head to Columbus shortly after the festivities end as they will begin classes on Jan. 11 as early enrollees.
TOP RECEIVER TARGETS IN ACTION—COMMITMENT WATCH?
We've spent a lot of time discussing Binjimen Victor and Donnie Corley, the two wideouts that are currently sitting atop the Buckeyes' board, and both will be in San Antonio this week.
For Victor, things seem to be coming down to the Buckeyes, Gators and possibly the Hurricanes now that Mark Richt is at the helm. The four-star from Fort Lauderdale was originally planning to announce his decision last June, and if that had happened, the general consensus was that it would be in favor of the Gators. Alas, Victor elected to wait things out and would ultimately make an official visit to Ohio State for the October matchup with Penn State.
Victor and Mack would be quite the wide receiver haul for Urban Meyer and Zach Smith.
Since then, the Gators have added several wide receivers to their class and many have considered the Buckeyes the team to beat. The Mark Richt hiring at Miami has brought the Hurricanes back into the discussion, but they would probably need to secure an official visit to have much of a chance. The biggest thing the Buckeyes need to watch for will be the January official to Gainesville. Victor had been planning to announce during the game in San Antonio, but those plans have not been solidified, and it's looking like we may have to wait until National Signing Day.
Donnie Corley might make his commitment on Saturday and — if it does go down — the 6-foot-2.5, 182-pound wideout could then be enrolling at his school of choice on Jan. 11. There have been some question as to whether or not the four-star will be able to enroll early. We are still hearing no definitive decision has been made, but a recent article from The Detroit News makes it sound like those plans are all but finalized.
“I’m going to make my decision on Jan. 9 at the Army game, then enroll on the 11th,” Corley told The Detroit News on Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t have a top three. I’m still looking at Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee and Notre Dame.” Via
This one was trending toward the Spartans for a while, but a recent official visit to Columbus may have the Buckeyes currently sitting at the top of his list. If the early enrollment plans do fall through, that would give Michigan State a chance to regain some of the momentum it had for the better part of a year. For what it's worth, Ohio State, Michigan State and Tennessee all begin their spring semesters on Jan. 11. This will be one to pay attention to all week long.
FULLER FOCUS
Westwood, New Jersey's Jordan Fuller continues to be right at the top of the Buckeyes' defensive back wish list. The four-star athlete recently solidified two January official visits— Ohio State on the 15th and Michigan on the 22nd. Penn State, Rutgers, and UCLA are also trying to secure visits. Fuller has already officially visited Notre Dame.
The Buckeyes continue to look at Fuller as a versatile defensive back who can play safety or corner. Getting him back on campus is big news as he hasn't been to Columbus since last April. One concerning element to this recruitment is Fuller's official to Ann Arbor looks like it will correspond with visits from Rashan Gary and other Jersey prospects as Chris Partridge continues to make his presence felt.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
The Wolverines will also be well represented as their future quarterback Brandon Peters and offensive lineman Michael Onwenu will be suiting up for the West team, as will defensive tackle commit Jordan Elliott. Several of their top targets will also be in action, including wide receiver Dylan Crawford and defensive backs Lavert Hill and one-time Stanford commit David Long.
The Spartans will also have several commits in attendance, including a trio that Buckeye fans may be familiar with. Defensive end Josh King and safety Demtric Vance will be lining up for the West squad while wideout Cameron Chambers will play alongside Austin Mack on the East. Gopher linebacker commit Carter Coughlin was seriously considering Ohio State before the legacy pledged to Minnesota; he will line up for the East team.
Birm will be on-site in San Antonio this week from Tuesday through Saturday, so be sure to keep an eye on him for any breaking news. Eleven Warriors will also have updates throughout the week on the recruiting board and in the nightly Hurry-Ups.
