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.
MARKELL JOHNSON MAKES ONE BIG DECISION
When the Buckeyes signed two additional players to their 2016 basketball class two weeks ago (wing Andre Wesson and guard C.J. Jackson), it appeared there would be no more movement in that class.
With Monday's news that Cleveland East Technical's Markell Johnson will reclassify to the 2016 class after all, that may be changing.
I Will Officially Be Attending College This Fall !!!
— Markell Johnson (@kells_2017) May 2, 2016
Johnson had been back and forth with this possibility for a few months and the last update we'd received was that it was less likely to happen than previously thought. It seems that has changed. This past weekend, Johnson was in Fort Wayne at the Spiece Run N Slam event and talked to Scout.com analyst Brian Snow after the event.
From Scout.com:
About the Buckeyes, Johnson said, “I mean I don’t even know with Ohio State. They talk to me a lot, so that is good, but I don’t know a lot since they just took a couple of guys in the backcourt.”
As it stands, the Buckeyes have two open scholarships remaining to use in the 2016 or 2017 class and as they're likely fading in their chase of 2017 five-star Gary Trent Jr., it would make sense to make a serious push for Johnson. Adding a project like CJ Jackson to only two returning guards (JaQuan Lyle and Kam Williams) means next year's roster is still short of impact guards and Johnson would be an ideal fit for Ohio State.
Rumors have swirled for months that the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder prefers the Buckeyes but that his mother may prefer Virginia Tech. With a tighter window to make a decision than he had before, it will be interesting to see if Johnson really re-opens his recruitment or if he narrows down to the schools he's seen already.
OHIO STATE COACHES IN FLORIDA AND TEXAS, NEVADA AMONG OTHERS LATER THIS WEEK
It's the start of another week and the Ohio State football coaches are back on the road evaluating for 2017 and beyond.
Buckeyes' assistant Tim Beck will be in Las Vegas this week and he'll get a chance to observe 2018 quarterback Dorian Robinson-Thompson and to touch base with 2017 commitment Haskell Garrett and a number of players with an Ohio State offer, including five-star quarterback Tate Martell and 2018 linebacker Palaie Gaoteote.
Zach Smith is in Florida, as evidenced by his hip-hop inspired tweet from this morning.
I keep it 100 like I'm running a fever... If I was you, I wouldn't like me either #ViewsFromSouthFlorida
— Zach Smith #Zone6 (@CoachZachSmith) May 2, 2016
Ohio State's wide receiver coach landed in South Florida last night and will check out Fort Lauderdale powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas where he'll get a chance for some face time with five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes.
Related: Good story about St. Thomas Aquinas from Ari Wasserman at Cleveland.com today.
Smith was not the only assistant in Florida today, Mr. Hashtag Kerry Coombs was also getting some sunshine down south.
Planting the flag all over South Florida today! #tonsoftalentpracticingdownheretoday #lookingforthe12membersofthedraftclassof2021! #GoBucks
— Kerry Coombs (@OsuCoachCoombs) May 2, 2016
Ed Warinner is in Texas checking out a pair of Lone Star State tight ends. He was in to see 2018 tight end Malcolm Epps, an Alabama commitment, and offered him a scholarship.
Warinner also stopped to see Mustapha Muhammed, another 2018 tight end who hails from Missouri City.
SCHEME OR SCHOOL, WHAT IS THE FIT AND WHO'S TO BLAME IF IT DOESN'T PAN OUT?
Sunday night I mentioned how former Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis did his former school a little dirty by taking a little shot at the Tigers for not properly developing him as a wide receiver.
Louis chose Auburn on the heels of Cam Newton – and a run-heavy spread offense based around Newton – a decision he made twice. He originally committed to the Tigers in May of 2011 before flipping to Florida State, a program that features its wide receivers, and flipped back to Auburn a week before signing day.
Had Louis chosen a program that was more suited to his athletic talents and had a better reputation for developing wide receivers, certainly he'd not have been making the comments he'd made, right? That's hard to say, though it certainly brings up an interesting thing that recruits have to consider these days. It's not necessarily about playing in an NFL-style offense or defense, but about making sure the program you choose will feature the position you play or at least has a reputation for developing players across the board.
From SBNation.com National Recruiting Analyst Bud Elliott:
The leading receiver in Gus Malzahn's six Auburn offenses has averaged just 47 catches, many of them bubble screens and play-action bombs. Receivers are blocking on most plays.
Contrast that with Baylor, which also receives criticism for its lack of route diversity or concepts that translate to the NFL. The Browns took Baylor receiver Corey Coleman in the first round.
While the criticism is valid, the Bears showcase their receivers a lot more, throwing an average of 454 times per year to Auburn's 313 during Malzahn's six seasons. Though neither offense is particularly NFL-like, Baylor receivers are getting a much greater volume to display their hands, route running, releases, etc.
When Terrelle Pryor selected Ohio State in 2008, a primary reason was that Pryor had seen what Jim Tressel and Joe Daniels had done with Troy Smith, helping him develop into a true dual-threat quarterback, and Pryor believed that was his best path to the NFL. Unfortunately for Pryor, when Daniels was forced to retire because of health issues, the path to that development was derailed and Tressel failed to find a suitable replacement. Pryor ended up plateauing as a passer in his sophomore season and had to adjust his position to wide receiver to have a shot in the NFL.
There are two distinct trains of thought in play here, and it's really up to individuals to research thoroughly what kind of coach they're going to play for. Are you heading to a program that molds and adjusts its style to a player's skill set or a program that only recruits players that fit their system?
If it's the latter, you can't really complain if you end up less NFL-ready than you'd imagined you would have elsewhere.
ESKRIDGE PUTS BUCKEYES IN TOP 10
Ohio State will continue to be in play for one of the country's top-ranked 2018 wide receivers. Jermaine Eskridge, a four-star wide from Tampa's Jefferson High School, released a new top-10 Monday and the Buckeyes are included.
Top 10 schools pic.twitter.com/RpDJTEWFP0
— EJ2 (@Iam_Jermaine4) May 2, 2016
Eskridge, who lists 33 early offers, has all the experience of a wily recruiting veteran: he has already got a decommitment on his record. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder committed to Kentucky last July, re-opening his recruitment in November.
Greg Schiano has been taking time to get to know Eskridge and right now the plans for his summer include a trip to Columbus to camp with the Buckeyes. It's never easy to travel from Florida to Ohio so keep an eye on whether or not that comes to fruition. If it does, and Zach Smith and Urban Meyer get to see Eskridge up close, he could be a name to watch at wide receiver in 2018.
