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.
LAMONT WADE FEELINGS
It's been a weird few months for the Buckeyes and their pursuit of Clairton, Pennsylvania's Lamont Wade, a four-star cornerback that has been near the top of their list for over a year now.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder has continued beating the path between Clairton and Columbus, joining the Buckeyes for a practice in early April. He's been to Ohio State many times over the last year as you know, but it's hard to ignore the fact that he's been to Penn State three times in the last six weeks.
I think, with Wade right now – and this is just my opinion – that the concerns about Ohio State's class size and the uncertainty about whether or not the Buckeyes would have an open spot for early-enrollment come January have really put a wrench into things. I think that for much of the last year, Wade and his support system have preferred Ohio State and that right now they're very seriously considering, for the first time in a while, that they may have to pick another school.
Without definitive answers on class size, it's hard for Ohio State to know exactly what to say in this situation. The truth is that right now a large number of their commitments want to enroll early and it's impossible to know how many can, so it's harder yet to know exactly how many guys they're still chasing would be able to.
LEONARD TAYLOR STAYING IN TOUCH WITH OHIO STATE
When 2018 defensive lineman Leonard Taylor committed to Michigan on April 1st, it was kind of a surprise. After all, Taylor is the nephew of a former Ohio State captain, who is from Ohio, who has a Buckeye offer two years before he can sign a letter of intent — that's not the situation Ohio State loses historically and certainly not the kind they lose right now, when the program is at the peak of college football.
The questions about what happens "next" with Taylor started immediately, and while it was not a huge surprise that he showed up for the Buckeyes' spring game two weeks later, it was a bit unexpected that he donned all Ohio State gear two weeks after committing to Michigan.
Since the visit to Ohio State in mid-April, Taylor has laid relatively low but there's been, according to sources on both sides, a couple of phone calls between the two parties and it seems that the Buckeyes are going to keep themselves in the mix here, even if they're playing from the trail position.
I can't say why Taylor decided to commit to Michigan, because for a Top 20 player in the 2018 class to commit anywhere this early doesn't make a lot of sense, but there is going to continue to be communication and visits taking place here.
There's a long way to go until signing day 2018...a long way.
JOSHUA KAINDOH COMMITS TOMORROW, WILL NOT BE THE BUCKEYES
Five-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, a teammate of Ohio State commitments Isaiah Pryor and Marcus Williamson, will make his college decision tomorrow.
5-star DE Josh Kaindoh (@_jkaindoh) will announce his commitment via Twitter tomorrow https://t.co/GgBtaDM1VG pic.twitter.com/RQPp7Kmoy9
— Adam Friedman (@RivalsFriedman) April 29, 2016
Ohio State's presence in Kaindoh's recruitment to this point has been sort of hit-or-miss, but in the last few months, it seems most of the talk about the Buckeyes has been just that: talk. Kaindoh has not visited Ohio State this year, though he made stops at Maryland, Penn State and Notre Dame last month, but still included the Buckeyes in his top four just ten days ago.
Thank you to every school that has offered me with an opportunity to attend their University, but here is my Top 4. pic.twitter.com/uWdsj7CsYH
— Joshua Kaindoh (@_jkaindoh) April 21, 2016
That list may be a bit of the old-fashioned misdirection. I've talked to a number of different people about what's likely to happen tomorrow and it seems that Maryland is going to be the choice...tomorrow.
That said, I would not be surprised at all if Kaindoh does make a visit to Ohio State this year, as well as to the other schools still on his list. A commitment tomorrow is happening because, well, I don't know, but he's going to make a verbal pledge and it's expected his recruitment will still continue through the fall.
#crootin
NEW OFFER TO COLORADO ATHLETE
Ohio State continues to offer new athletes from all over the country. Last night, they extended an opportunity to Denver's Adrian Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Mullen High School.
Extremely Blessed and honored to have received My 7th offer from Ohio State #BuckeyeNation pic.twitter.com/grCaQxUMgA
— Adrian Jackson (@AdrianJackson29) April 28, 2016
Jackson is listed as the country's 13th-ranked outside linebacker in the 2018 class although his film shows that he's versatile enough to play in the secondary if needed.
The offer from Ohio State is the sixth for Jackson. The Buckeyes join Utah, Nebraska, Colorado, Colorado State and Missouri in the early pursuit of Colorado's top-ranked player.
