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.
OHIO STATE OFFER TO CASEY THOMPSON
It's been a busy week on the 2018 quarterback front.
Top target Phil Jurkovec committed to Notre Dame on Monday and the Buckeyes were in Oklahoma Tuesday to see Moore's Casey Thompson. They didn't wait long to extend him a scholarship offer.
Excited to announce that I've been given an offer from The Ohio State University Thank you God.. #G2G pic.twitter.com/VSSnrNnTBa
— Casey Thompson (@LilThurm) May 18, 2016
Tim Beck was on-hand to see Thompson throw and according to the country's fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback the visit helped concrete his standing with Ohio State.
"(Beck) thinks I fit perfectly and they're still high on me," Thompson told 11W. "He said he didn't see much flaw today. I've had an offer basically for awhile now, we just cleared it up and confirmed it on the phone cause I was unsure."
While Beck has been handling the recruitment thus far, Thompson said he's also been in regular communication with Urban Meyer.
"I talk to (Urban Meyer) every week," he said. "He's very 'what you see is what you get' and he's real and down to earth. Great guy and a hands-on coach. He's more involved in practices and meetings than people may realize."
As mentioned in last night's Hurry Up, before the offer, Thompson is absolutely in the top group for the Buckeyes right now in 2018, but he's an Oklahoma legacy (his dad, Charles, and his brother, Kendal, played there). Though the Sooners haven't offered yet, they'll be hard to beat if and when they do.
SHAUN WADE NOT ABLE TO VISIT THIS WEEKEND?
This weekend had been shaping up as a major one for the Buckeyes 2017 recruiting class and while a pair of Texas five-stars are still expected on campus, five-star Ohio State commitment Shaun Wade will likely not be.
His father clued in Eleven Warriors' readers Wednesday afternoon.
Wade's visit was expected with his mother and it's been a major priority for Ohio State to get the Jacksonville star on campus with his family. As you can see, the conversations and relationship between the two sides haven't slowed down and Wade remains the top priority at defensive back along with Jeffrey Okudah.
The country's 13th-ranked prospect in the 2017 class has been committed to the Buckeyes since Jan. 12, 2015.
MICHAEL THOMPSON JR. ADDS BUCKEYE OFFER
Ohio State has offered one of the country's faster-rising 2018 defensive line prospects.
Blessed to announce I have received my 10th offer from Ohio State university!!!! pic.twitter.com/ELv8iRayDT
— Michael Thompson Jr (@mthompson201) May 17, 2016
Michael Thompson Jr. was among the top-5 defensive linemen at this past weekend in Chicago at The Opening's regional camp and picked up a Buckeye offer on Tuesday. Ohio State joins Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri and others in the pursuit of the country's 43rd-ranked 2018 prospect.
A St. Louis native, Thompson Jr. checks in at 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds for Parkway North High School.
HUDSON DECOMMITS FROM KENTUCKY
Two weeks ago Toledo Central Catholic defensive end James Hudson received his biggest scholarship offer to date, from Alabama. Last week he took a visit to Ohio State, where he let the Buckeyes know that he intended to camp with them this summer in the hopes of earning a scholarship offer from Urban Meyer's program. This coming weekend he'll visit Michigan and the Wolverines may help push the Buckeyes decision if they were to offer this week.
So, with all that happening, it's not a surprise that the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Hudson decided to reopen his recruitment and officially decommit from Kentucky.
— James Hudson III (@__BallisLife2) May 18, 2016
The country's 11th-ranked defensive end had been committed to the Wildcats since last July. Kentucky's Vince Marrow, who has been extremely active in recruiting Northwest Ohio, will continue to keep Big Blue Nation in the mix.
As of Wednesday, I'd assume the Alabama offer is more of a camp invitation/offer than a committable one, but things could escalate very quickly and soon for Hudson if he goes to Ohio State's camp and shows out the way he's capable of. He's one of the best big athletes in Ohio and as is potentially an Adolphus Washington-type of interior defensive lineman. The Buckeyes are on the prowl for another versatile defensive lineman as their recent out-of-state offers have shown and Hudson could position himself to be that guy in early June.
