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.
DONE DEAL?
Las Vegas, Nevada, Bishop Gorman four-star safety Bubba Bolden made his highly anticipated official visit to Ohio State this weekend. And though he did not publicly commit as many people — including myself — expected, it's safe to say the Buckeyes will be tough to beat down the stretch.
1st Official is a wrap but will be hard for any school to top. OSU is amazing and the 62-3 W didn't hurt either. pic.twitter.com/5QwEbjJny9
— Breezy Bolden (@urcalibreeze) November 7, 2016
Bolden's mother, Breezy, told Eleven Warriors on Saturday night her son loves everything about Ohio State. But it's not entirely surprising they traveled back to Las Vegas today without making an announcement, as the one-time USC commit has repeatedly said he doesn't want to rush the recruiting process again.
In all honesty, taking a step back to assess the situation is wise for Bolden. It allows him to make sure Ohio State is the right fit for him, regardless of how much his teammates Tate Martell and Tyjon Lindsey continue to lobby for him to join them in Columbus.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is considered the ninth-best safety and the No. 79 prospect in the country. He holds more than 20 offers from programs such as Arizona State, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA, but this will ultimately come down to Ohio State and USC, as he's scheduled his only other official visit to Los Angeles for mid-January.
THANK YOU SU
— BUBBA BOLDEN (@BubbBolden) November 7, 2016
HOME SWEET HOME
Wearing a U.S. Army All-American hoodie, Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman stood alongside Ohio State commits Chase Young and Josh Myers prior to Saturday's game. It was his second unofficial trip to campus this season, but vibe was much different than his last visit for the noon kickoff against Rutgers.
Fairfield offensive tackle Jackson Carman (@Jackthejiant), the top player in the state for 2018, was on the sidelines prior to the game: pic.twitter.com/dJ2xNEZKkE
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) November 6, 2016
“It was great,” Carman told Eleven Warriors after the 62-3 dismantling of Nebraska. “Great atmosphere, and it was cool that my whole staff [from Fairfield] was there.”
The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder is considered the top-rated player in the state of Ohio and the third-best offensive tackle in the class of 2018, so it's no surprise a pair of five-star commits remained close to him through the evening.
Carman currently holds more than 30 scholarships offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC and Wisconsin, but Ohio State is presumed to be his favorite.
Carman said he's in no hurry to narrow down his list of schools — though it should be noted Alabama and Ohio State are among his Top 5 — and hopes to simply enjoy the recruiting process. As for what will ultimately influence his decision, which isn't expected to come until the All-American game in January 2018?
“Probably where I feel most at home,” he said.
ON THE MEND
The second-best junior in the state, Westerville South five-star running back Jaelen Gill, was also on the sidelines with his parents on Saturday.
“We knew the atmosphere would be electric, but never saw that score coming,” Gill's father, Rod, told Eleven Warriors. “My prediction was 41-17.”
The 6-foot-1, 182-pounder was walking around Ohio Stadium with a boot on his foot as he continues to recover from a fractured fibula he sustained in early September.
“He's coming along nicely. Walking with a boot, but no boot at home,” Rod Gill said. “He's currently doing rehabilitation. Will be good to go for camp season and baseball.”
Gill, who accounted for more than 1,700 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, is considered he second-best all-purpose back and the No. 25 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds nearly two dozen offers from programs such as Arizona State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and Virginia Tech.
While Westerville South struggled to a 1-9 record this season without him, the injury has made it possible for Gill to travel more and see some of the schools he's interested in. He recently visited Michigan State and Notre Dame and plans to return to Ohio State for the regular season finale against Michigan.
Gill is expected to make a decision on his future prior to the start of his senior season.
KEROBOCOP
Depending on how the next few months unfold, it's possible Cincinnati Winton Woods defensive tackle Jerron Cage will not be the only Warrior play at Ohio State next season. Now that's not saying his teammate, Andrew Kerobo, will get a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes, but he does have a legitimate shot at a preferred walk-on spot.
“There's no doubt in my mind that if I were to be a preferred walk-on that I'd be on scholarship by the end of the semester,” Kerobo told Eleven Warriors following his unofficial visit for Saturday's game.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder is considered a three-star prospect and the fifth-best defensive end in Ohio by Scout.com. He currently holds offers from Bowling Green and Kent State.
“When I got my first two offers, they were a day apart,” Kerobo said. “I thought I'd have an offer from most of the Mid-American Conference, but that didn't happen. I'm staying positive though.”
If an offer or a walk-on spot presents itself at Cincinnati, Ohio State or Toledo, Kerobo said he would jump at the opportunity.
“They would get a highly versatile defensive lineman who can stop the run as a three-technique and pass rush in the five-technique,” he said.
