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.
ALL THAT'S AMISS AT OLE MISS
So, today Ole Miss released their response to the NCAA's recent notice of allegations. 13 of the 28 NCAA issues involve the football program and the smoke got much thicker thanks to Laremy Tunsil's social media drama the night of the NFL Draft.
Hugh Freeze's football program has its share of issues according to the 52-page report. 11 of the NCAA's allegations occurred during Freeze's tenure and a whopping eight of them checked in as "level one" allegations, which are the most serious.
That of course flies in the face of a boastful challenge Freeze issued in February of 2013.
RT @CoachHughFreeze: If you have facts about a violation, email compliance@olemiss.edu. If not, please don't slander the young men
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 1, 2013
That tweet came just days before the Rebels were preparing to sign a recruiting class that included three five-star prospects, including Illinois five-star wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. The rumors about impropriety were loud back in 2013, and with good reason. Despite their best efforts to contain it, the truth about how Ole Miss, a notoriously mediocre football program, was able to seemingly overnight become a national contender has come to the light.
The money in college football, especially for a winning program, is something that many people can't ignore and Ole Miss shows that they're certainly not an exception. To win in today's landscape, you've got to recruit the best players and in many cases, lose your soul to do it. The last two days, with the goings on at Baylor included, have shown exactly how far college coaches that are generally regarded as good men, will allow themselves to sink in order to gain a spot at the big boy's table.
A funny thing happens though, when you start getting good enough that people notice what you do on the field: people began to notice how you got there and what you do off of it. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
I don't know if Freeze will lose his job – though I doubt he will – but he should.
NEW 2018 OFFENSIVE LINE OPTIONS SHOWING UP
In recent weeks, Ohio State has cranked up their pursuit of 2018 targets, including a number of the nation's best offensive linemen in that class.
Texas' Darrell Simpson and St. Louis' Michael Thompson each picked up an offer last week and this week the Buckeyes extended an offer to Cypress, Texas Colten Blanton.
#AGTG Blessed to have received an offer from THE Ohio State University! #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/FfEDLXZO3G
— Colten Blanton (@cole_blanton) May 25, 2016
Blanton is a 6-foot-6, 271-pounder at Cypress Ranch High School and has offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and others among his 15. He was offered by Ohio State's Greg Studrawa on Wednesday afternoon.
Who's the next offensive lineman likely to add a Buckeye offer? Smart money may be the country's second-ranked 2018 player, Oklahoma's Brey Walker.
Walker is a 6-foot-7, 299-pounder who is already pledged to Bob Stoops and the Sooners. He's a Southmoore High School teammate of Ohio State quarterback offer Casey Thompson, who is an Oklahoma legacy and picked up an offer from the Sooners last week.
KJ HENRY TALKS INTEREST WITH RIVALS
Clemmons, North Carolina defensive end KJ Henry has racked up a number of big-time offers in the last few weeks, including one from Ohio State.
Blessed to receive an offer from The hio State University #gobuckeyes @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/fQOyyBYZkH
— thekjhenry_ (@ywd_ballislife) May 10, 2016
Henry, the country's second-ranked defensive in the 2018 class, talked with Rivals.com about his offers and spent a little time discussing the success of Larry Johnson's defensive linemen and the Buckeyes' program in general.
Ohio State had success recruiting Tyquan Lewis from North Carolina in 2013. However, that was right on the edge of the the rapid-rise by Clemson – where half of Henry's current crystal ball predictions reside – and other schools in the Carolinas that will make it more difficult to land him.
NEW 2018 OFFER
Another new name is emerging for 2018.
Ok here we go BIG time Ohio State offer pic.twitter.com/fjBAK4GBV3
— THEBJFOSTER (@nofear_2) May 26, 2016
BJ Foster, an early five-star prospect in the 2018 class, is a running back and defensive back from Angleton, Texas. The offer from Ohio State is his 21st, and the country's 8th-ranked 2018 player is being recruited by the Buckeyes as an athlete who could line up at either safety or running back.
Foster was named first team all-district as a sophomore at both tailback and defensive back. On offense, he averaged 10 yards per carry and scored 16 touchdowns.
