The Hurry Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio State football recruiting trail, keeping tabs on the latest from commits and targets from around the country.
JET FUEL
According to his contract, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer can use a private jet for up to 50 hours per year for recruiting purposes. Meyer used about 2 hours of that allotment on Friday, traveling from Columbus to Cleveland to Toledo to Cincinnati all before 3 p.m.
Just touched down in The Land! Home of the WORLD CHAMPION @cavs & AL Central leading @indians!! God's country! pic.twitter.com/vbQFvLCu5f
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) September 23, 2016
The first stop on the docket was Cleveland Heights, home of four-star wideout Jaylen Harris. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder included Ohio State along with Alabama, Michigan State, Penn State and Tennessee in his Top 5 last month, but many wonder if the Buckeyes have enough room for him with five-stars Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey already in the fold.
Harris seems a bit unsure of the recruiting process as a whole — notably avoiding any talk of official visits — so Meyer is surely using this opportunity to express Ohio State's interest and ability to work him into the class, never mind the scholarship numbers.
Landed in Northwest Ohio, home of Buckeye Greats Orlando Pace & Jack Mewhort... O-H!
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) September 23, 2016
Things were a bit trickier for the head coach for the rest of the day, as his focused shifted to the Class of 2018. Because the NCAA doesn't allow contact with a recruit before July 1 following the completion of his/her junior year of high school — contact defined as any face-to-face encounter between a recruit and his/her family that exceeds an exchange of a greeting — Meyer was not able to speak with Toledo St. John's Jesuit four-star linebacker Dallas Gant.
He instead spent time with St. John's Jesuit coach Doug Pearson, and likely exchanged pleasantries with Gant as a passerby in the hallway.
#GoTitans pic.twitter.com/CenGfWqmCD
— SJJ Athletics (@SJJTitanSports) September 23, 2016
Five minutes down Airport Highway, Meyer checked on Springfield three-star running back Bryant Koback. The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder has been committed to Kentucky since January, but the Buckeyes continue to keep a dialogue with him nonetheless.
I'm told Urban Meyer also made a stop at Springfield HS today while in NW Ohio. The Buckeyes are keeping an eye on UK commit Bryant Koback.
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) September 23, 2016
I don't blame them, either, considering he rushed for 373 yards and six touchdowns in Friday night's 48-17 blowout win over Perrysburg. And that's not a typo.
When he arrived in Cincinnati just a few hours later, Meyer caught up with defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs at Archbishop Moeller. The duo wanted to get to know more about 2018 four-star defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins, but — as previously noted — could only speak with his coaches.
Made it to the Queen City, home of some of the best high school football in the NATION! O-H! pic.twitter.com/WDyUgjHXFr
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) September 23, 2016
Meyer will return home this evening and maybe take the night off to watch his son, Nate, and Bishop Watterson play host to Cleveland Benedictine.
BACKUP PLAN?
We've previously mentioned the speculation surrounding Ohio State's recruitment of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pioneer linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who committed to the Buckeyes back in March.
If five-star Baron Browning and/or four-star Anthony Hines pick the Scarlet and Gray on Nov. 29, will Ohio State still have room for Simmons? If so, will he be asked to grayshirt?
It's difficult to speculate. But seeing as Simmons is the only linebacker commit in the Class of 2017 and Ohio State is clearly looking to add at least one more in this cycle, the question that should be asked is what happens if/when both Browning and Hines choose to play their college ball elsewhere?
That's when Suwanee, Georgia, Grayson four-star Breon Dixon comes into play. A source close to Landof10's Jeremy Birmingham said Ohio State has been in contact with the one-time Georgia pledge.
“I was told that Urban Meyer hit [Dixon] up about an hour after he decommitted,” the source said. “He said he'll officially visit there.”
The 6-foot, 218-pounder was expected to take an official visit to Michigan tomorrow, but announced on Twitter recently that he has to reschedule. The only trip the 11th-best linebacker in the Class of 2017 has set up so far is to TCU next weekend, but he plans on also seeing Cal, LSU and USC.
Ohio State has not yet offered Dixon, but the fact that he will take an official visit over more than 20 other offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma and Tennessee says a great deal about his interest in the program.
GOONS AND SAVAGES
That said, Ohio State is also heavily recruiting a pair of Alabama linebacker commits in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida's, VanDarius Cowan and Dodge City, Kansas, Community College's Gary Johnson.
Both maintain constant contact with defensive coordinator Luke Fickell and plan to take an official visit to Columbus in the coming months.
Cowan wasn't always as high on Ohio State as he is now. The fourth-best linebacker in the Class of 2017 once cut reporters off when asked to compare the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide.
“I'm not even worried about Ohio State, so don't even ask me any questions about Ohio State,” he said before saying — in essence — that the Buckeyes' class was overrated. But he quickly changed his mind after conversations with defensive end commit Chase Young.
Johnson, who is originially from Birmingham, will have three years to play two seasons following his sophomore campaign with the junior college Dodge City Conquerors.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder holds more than 20 offers from schools like Arizona State, LSU, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss — all of which he's also considering for official visits.
Both are expected to make a final decision before the turn of the year.
CATTLE DRIVER
Justin, Texas, offensive lineman Darrell Simpson told Eleven Warriors last month that he usually calls Meyer, co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck and offensive line coach Greg Studrawa once a week and texts them almost every day.
“I [want to] get comfortable with them so when we do go up there, we can hang and just talk,” he said. “They just have a good vibe going, and they show they care about their team just like a family.”
Simpson has yet to make it to campus for a game — he'll take an unofficial visit for the Michigan game on Nov. 26 — but finally got to see the team in action last weekend when they played at Oklahoma.
“I thought it was a pretty good game,” he told 247Sports ($). “Ohio State played hard. Their offense was good and they executed. Oklahoma had a little going, but Ohio State just got to work. I thought the game would be a little closer. I like how [Ohio State] was moving the ball.”
The 6-foot-7, 330-pound Simpson is considered the fifth-best offensive tackle and the No. 46 player overall in the Class of 2018. He has 16 scholarship offers from schools such as Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas A&M and Utah.
