The Hurry Up: Four-Star Receiver Target Among Long List of Penn State Visitors, Ohio State Shows Interest In Indianapolis Corner and Bucks Catch Eye of Dayton Wideout

By Andrew Lind on October 20, 2016 at 7:15 pm
Donald "D.J." Johnson
Donald "D.J." Johnson
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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.

LAUNDRY LIST OF PROSPECTS

Cleveland Heights four-star wide receiver Jaylen Harris announced on Twitter Thursday afternoon that he'll take his first official visit of the season to Penn State for this weekend's White Out game against Ohio State.

Harris included both schools along with Alabama, Michigan State and Tennessee in his Top 5 schools in early August.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Harris is considered the fifth-best player in the state of Ohio and the No. 27 wide receiver in the Class of 2017. He recently visited Ohio State in an unofficial capacity but plans to take an official visit before the season is over.

Penn State is expected to host more than 75 recruits this weekend, including the following Ohio State targets:

ONLY A FEW HOME DATES LEFT

Indianapolis, Indiana, North Central three-star cornerback Donald “D.J.” Johnson has set up an unofficial visit to Ohio State.

“I'll be there Oct. 29 versus Northwestern,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors. “I'm very excited. I can't wait. I'm a big fan of Ohio State football.”

The 6-foot-1, 160-pounder is considered the fifth-best prospect in the state and the No. 49 overall cornerback in the Class of 2018. He currently holds an offer from Bowling Green, but programs such as Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State have all shown interest in recent weeks.

“[Defensive backs] coach Kerry Coombs reached out to me and told me that he had been hearing good things about me. The conversation went on from there,” Johnson said. “He seems like a great coach and I'm hoping to build a relationship with him.”

Johnson, who has recorded 29 total tackles and two interceptions for the Panthers this season, said it would take a lot of hard work, dedication and focus to get an offer from Ohio State.

“[It] would mean the world to me,” he said. “I live for the game and I'm always working and trying to improve my craft. If I received an offer from Ohio State, that would be one of the happiest days of my life, and I know my mom would be very proud of me.”

ROLLER DERBY

Ohio State has yet to extend an offer to Dayton Dunbar's Joseph “JoJo” Scates, but the four-star wide receiver said on Twitter earlier this week that the Buckeyes have his attention.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Scates is considered the ninth-best prospect in the state and the No. 29 overall wideout for the Class of 2018. He currently holds nine offers from programs such as Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Vanderbilt, though the Hoosiers were the only ones to make the aforementioned list.

Scates took an unofficial visit to Ohio State for the season opener against Bowling Green. He then watched Louisville demolish Florida State, 63-20, just two weeks later, so it's no surprise to see the Cardinals atop his list.

BONE CRUSHER

One of the best recruiting analysts in the business, 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong, recently down with Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman on the day he committed to play in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

In the article, which I suggest you take the time to read in its entirety, the pair discuss Carman's interests — he plays five musical instruments and enjoys graphic design — among other topics.

But one thing that stands out in particular.

“It's fun just crushing people,” Carman said.

The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder dominates opponents in a way his coach has never seen before.

“I've been a head coach 20 years now — been coaching for 23 — and I've not had a young man that has a switch like he has when he steps on the field,” Fairfield head coach Jason Krause said. “His goal on every play is to physically dominate the guy across from him. That's how he plays. I have not had a kid that plays with the veracity he plays with on every play.”

Ohio State offered Carman, considered the top-rated player in the state and the third-best offensive tackle in the Class of 2018, last November. And from that point on, he says no school has recruited him harder.

“My relationship with the coaches, coach [Urban] Meyer and coach [Greg] Stud[rawa], it's been great talking to them almost every day,” Carman said. “I'm really close with them, and they feel like family. College football is a lot like a business, and sometimes coaches act like business owners. Ohio State coaches do not. They make me feel like family.”

Carman holds more than 30 scholarship offers from the top programs in the country including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, USC and Wisconsin. As we mentioned in yesterday's edition of The Hurry Up, he camped with Ohio State this summer and was in attendance for the Buckeyes' win over Rutgers earlier this month.

Carman, in no rush to make a decision on his future, will take an unofficial visit to see the Crimson Tide this weekend.

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