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.
UPDATING THE SITUATION WITH TREVON GRIMES
Ohio State visited five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes Monday, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound mega-talent at Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Over the last few months, there has been a bit of an uneasy feeling around Grimes from an Ohio State perspective. He's not been to campus in almost two years and has made multiple trips to Florida, who he's publicly admitted is running a close second to the Buckeyes on his list of favorites.
According to sources, the visit was a success with Grimes, but perhaps more importantly is that the line of communication with his mother also appears to have been opened up, an absolute must for the Buckeyes if they wish to land the five-star Florida prospect.
We've said it a few times, but with Grimes and the Buckeyes, the challenge is getting him back on campus this summer to really drive home the "relationship" aspect of this particular recruitment. He knows Ohio State, he loves Ohio State, he knows what Ohio State can do for him and his career – none of that is in question. But to land a big-time recruit you have to win the player and the parents.
The Buckeyes are once again feeling like things are "positive" regarding their chances with Grimes. To be clear, things were never "bad" between the two parties, but this week's visit may go a long way towards getting any unanswered questions resolved.
STAYING AT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS FOR A 2018 WIDE RECEIVER
While the Scarlet and Gray were in their South Florida home at St. Thomas, they took the time to extend a new offer to another Raiders' star.
Elijah Moore, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound wide receiver ranked as the country's 97th-ranked 2018 prospect added offers from Ohio State and Alabama in a one-hour stretch on Monday night.
Blessed to say I got an offer from the university of Ohio state #gobucks #blessed #YouGoWeGo @CoachHarriott pic.twitter.com/gVhAMAunWd
— Elijah moore (@e_moore03) May 2, 2016
Moore has 18 offers and appears to be on his way to becoming the next big thing from one of the country's most impressive high school football programs. A different kind of receiver than his teammate Grimes, Moore's game is slot-based and relies on his sub-4.5 speed.
The Buckeyes are well-known at St. Thomas and it'd not be a surprise to see them become a key player in Moore's recruitment. The 2018 star transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas in January from Western High School.
NO SLEEPING ON BROOKLYN?
In 2014, Ohio State went to Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and signed Curtis Samuel.
In 2016, Ohio State went to Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and signed Jahsen Wint.
In 2018, Ohio State is hoping to go to Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and sign four-star Matthew Jones, a two-way lineman for the Dutchmen. He was offered Tuesday by the Buckeyes, according to Ray Lizzi, an assistant coach at Erasmus. With offers from Alabama, Clemson and others, Jones – the country's 21st-ranked prospect in his class – getting an Ohio State offer was a no-brainer. He could play either side of the ball in college and at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, though sources have indicated the Buckeyes see him on offense. Right now it's his athleticism that sets him apart from his peers.
"In terms of his football ability," Lizzi said. "He's a man amongst boys and he has yet to meet his equal in strength and speed for his size at this level. The sky is the limit for Matt."
Off the field, his assistant coach says there's nothing to worry about, either.
"Matt is a super humble young man," Lizzi said. "He comes from a strict household and that is conveyed in his respect for others. He is a genuinely nice person and these offers couldn't come to a better young man."
Jones said the relationships he has with Samuel and Wint have him excited about the Buckeyes' offer.
"It's a great opportunity to have an offer from Ohio State," Jones told 11W. "It really means a lot to me to see that I have the chance to play side-by-side playing with Jahsen and Curtis. They are two people that I look up to since my first day at Erasmus. Jahsen and I talk everyday about football. He tells me all the time 'grind in everything I do and it will become easy.'"
Jones was at Ohio State for Friday Night Lights last summer and says he'll get back to Ohio in the coming months.
"I'll definitely be back in the summer."
SETTING THE EXPECTATION FOR WHAT COULD BE A SLOW BUCKEYE SUMMER
I wanted to take a moment to talk to you, our beloved readers, about something that may be a bit hard for you to hear. I know how much recruiting fuels the off-season and how the rush of camp commitments and surprise pledges and decommitments help bridge the gap between spring ball and August.
I know.
But this summer may be a bit different, you know? We've talked so many times about the numbers crunch and how the Buckeyes, who have the country's top-ranked 2017 class, are going to slow down as they try and figure out exactly how many spots that'll come open.
This summer may be a slow one. This summer may be a lot of talk about a lot of guys with a little bit of action. One of the great things for the Ohio State coaching staff about filling up so much of their class so early is that they can really narrow their focus for the remaining spots, but that's not always great for you, the faithful recruitnik.
Rest assured, at some point, there will be good news flowing. Some top-ranked players will commit to Ohio State, some will not. It's not likely to be like the summer of 2015, where a recruiting class that had three players committed in May went crazy during a two-month stretch and added almost a dozen guys.
This weekend, camp season for us here at Eleven Warriors officially begins. Get ready for some new names, especially a steady stream of 2018 and 2019 prospects, but don't be disheartened with what will appear to be a lack of movement in an already tight 2017 group.
