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.
BE YOURSELF
La Grange, Texas, running J.K. Dobbins cut left on the first play from scrimmage of his senior season, made a defender miss and rumbled for a 12-yard gain. As he was tackled out of bounds, the chasing linebacker rolled over his ankle, which has caused him to miss the remainder of the year with a fractured fibula and severely sprained right ankle.
Dobbins, who rushed for 2,750 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, is considered the top all-purpose running back in the country. Rightfully so, as the Leopards struggled to a 3-5 record without him. They'll likely miss the playoffs unless they upset conference rival Caldwell on Friday.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Dobbins told The Austin, Texas, American-Statesman. “Maybe God was trying to prevent something even worse from happening to me.”
The 5-foot-10, 199-pounder had surgery shortly after the injury occurred, but reportedly hasn't ruled out playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January.
La Grange RB JK Dobbins could play in US Army All American Bowl in SA. https://t.co/NReCn5olWz @OhioStateFB @statesman #centexpreps pic.twitter.com/KKSws1cyvs
— Rick Cantu (@Rickyprep) November 1, 2016
He is set to enroll at Ohio State shortly thereafter, where the obvious comparisons to former running back Ezekiel Elliott will only continue.
Dobbins, who recently had his cast removed and will take his official visit this weekend, isn't coming to Columbus to follow in the footsteps of Ohio State's third all-time leading rusher, though.
“I'm going to do things that no one is expecting,” he said. “I'm going to be the first J.K. Dobbins.”
THIS IS HALLOWEEN
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Blackman four-star running back Master Teague III just finished trick-or-treating with his younger siblings when I caught up with him to discuss his trip to Ohio State over the weekend. So did he have a good time?
“I really enjoyed the visit,” Teague told Eleven Warriors. “I really enjoyed spending time with the team before the game and after. I thought it was cool to get to be a part of the pregame speech.”
He and I shared a laugh when I pointed out that I was asking about the Halloween festivities, but the heart of the matter remained.
Teague was joined on the visit by teammate Trey Knox, a four-star wide receiver who walked away from the game with an offer in hand.
“I'm really happy for him,” Teague said, noting the Buckeyes have shown significant interest in him, as well. “Coach [Urban] Meyer said he really liked my film. They said that they wanted to continue watching and recruiting me, and for me to keep in touch with them.”
Standing 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, Teague is considered the No. 10 prospect in the state and the 16th-best running back in the Class of 2018. He currently holds nine offers from programs such as Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Tennessee, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, but hopes Ohio State continues to make its presence known.
“I'm thankful for all of my offers, but I also know that Ohio State is one of the top programs in the country,” Teague said. “It would be a great offer.”
Teague rushed for 1,272 yards and 13 touchdowns in only seven games for the Blaze this season while making Honor Roll for the current nine weeks. He's undecided on what he would like to study in college but said, “I'm really interested in a career that can help people.”
BIG WEEKEND ON TAP
The visitor list for Saturday's primetime tilt with Nebraska continues to grow, as five-star linebacker target Anthony Hines and five-star wide receiver commit Trevon Grimes officially announced their intentions to attend on Twitter today.
#BuckeyeNation I Will Be Taking my Official Visit this weekend Cant wait to be In Columbus #GoBucks
— GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) November 1, 2016
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Grimes will be on crutches after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery for a torn ACL two weeks ago, but has reportedly already begun physical therapy. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas' nationally televised, triple-overtime loss to Las Vegas, Nevada, Bishop Gorman in late September.
This marks the second-straight year an Ohio State-bound player from Aquinas has torn his ACL, as defensive end Nick Bosa suffered the season-ending injury last November. Like Bosa was, Grimes expects to be fully recovered in time to participate in camp next fall.
And, if you're wondering, we'll have the most up-to-date list of prospects expected to attend the game on Friday afternoon.
STOCK RISING
Mentor offensive tackle Ryan Jacoby was also on campus Saturday, his second unofficial visit of the season; he also watched Ohio State's 48-3 win over Tulsa until the skies opened on those in attendance.
Great time at Ohio State today! @noah_potter10 pic.twitter.com/qYzInDUiKU
— Ryan Jacoby (@Ryan_Jacoby) October 29, 2016
“It was another amazing trip. I really like Ohio State, and it was a great game,” Jacoby told Eleven Warriors. “I spend most of the time talking with coach [Ed] Terwilliger. He talked about what to do in the offseason and encouraged me to visit other colleges, too.”
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but schools like Michigan State, Purdue and Rutgers have begun to show interest. Jacoby hopes to participate in as many camps as possible this summer as he continues to refine his game.
“I need to improve on playing lower and keeping my hips low,” Jacoby said. “Like they say, the low man always wins.”
