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.
HAIL TO THE VICTORS
On Tuesday morning, Detroit, Michigan Cass Tech four-star safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell announced his commitment to Michigan. While the decision was certainly not a surprise, the time was; Kelly-Powell had previously said he would not announce until the end of the Technicians' season.
— Jaylen Kelly-Powell (@JKellypowell) November 15, 2016
The 6-foot, 180-pounder is considered the fourth-best player in the state and the No. 21 safety in the Class of 2017. He picked the Wolverines over more than 40 offers, including finalists Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
Kelly-Powell was last on campus for Friday Night Lights in July, after which he said he thoroughly enjoyed his trip.
“My visit to Ohio State is always great. I love being there,” he told Eleven Warriors. “The staff is always great. My alumni brothers [running back Mike Weber, safety Damon Webb and defensive tackle Josh Alabi] are there.”
He also spoke highly of defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, though the Buckeyes were seemingly always on the outside looking in on Kelly-Powell's recruitment.
“I learn so much about the game and life from [coaches]. Good or bad,” he said. “The hardest part of the process is knowing that I can only play for one of them.”
DOUBLE TEAM
Since extending an offer in mid-September, Ohio State has maintained constant contact with Yoakum, Texas, four-star wideout Joshua Moore. In fact, he had just gotten off the phone with wide receivers coach Zach Smith when we caught up on Monday night.
“We had a great conversation,” Moore told Eleven Warriors. “[He's a] great coach. Coach Smith is awesome. Every time we talk, I feel like I've known him my whole life.
“I even talk with coach [Urban] Meyer on a daily basis,” he continued. “He texts me before my game every Friday and checks in with me through my high school coach every now and then, so it's great.”
Ohio State is just one of the more than 40 offers the 6-foot-1, 168-pounder holds from programs such as Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
“It means a lot to me,” Moore said. “Especially coming from a team that's successful at every aspect of the game.”
The Buckeyes have also offered Moore's fraternal twin, Jordan, a four-star safety.
“We talk about [playing together],” Moore said. “We just want to make the best decision for us, and if it happens to be at the same school, then that would be crazy.”
Considered the 11th-best receiver and the No. 77 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, Moore hopes to narrow down his list of schools in January.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?
Because most prognosticators believed Ohio State would get a commitment from four-star safety Bubba Bolden following his official visit for the Nov. 5 game against Nebraska, it somewhat feels as if the trip by four-star linebacker Anthony Hines III slipped under the radar.
Plano, Texas, four-star linebacker Anthony Hines III (@TheAntHines_Era) on official visit to Ohio State: pic.twitter.com/6TDi096s8x
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) November 5, 2016
Hines, the second-ranked inside linebacker and the No. 88 prospect overall in the Class of 2017, doesn't do many interviews despite being arguably the most coveted prospect in the country. Scout.com caught up with him following his visit, however.
“Really, the biggest selling point was that the game day environment was unreal,” Hines said. “Just being in that stadium — I took a few videos, and just looking back at those, I showed some of my classmates — it is just an unreal scene. You would think it is a national holiday. There were so many people, and while the band is playing, it is just so loud in there.”
Hines, who holds more than 90 scholarship offers, also took official visits to Florida, Penn State, Texas A&M and UCLA this fall. This marked his first trip to Columbus since a three-day camp in June.
“A cool thing about Ohio State was that was the first that I got to talk with coach Meyer. That was a really cool thing,” Hines said. “To have the whole family there and have him recruit us all, it was a different perspective. It was definitely a good experience.”
The Aggies are considered the favorite to land Hines when he announces his commitment later this month, but he's not giving anything away just yet.
“Right now, probably, it is a deadlocked race,” Hines said. “I would say that it's pretty even.”
ROAD GADER
If you're not yet convinced Fairfield's Jackson Carman is the best offensive lineman in the country for the Class of 2018, the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder released his junior highlight tape on Tuesday morning.
Junior Highlights have dropped https://t.co/pSL7AC4Q9p #hudl
— Jackson Carman (@Jackthejiant) November 15, 2016
The top-rated player in the state, Carman holds more than 30 scholarship offers from top programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC and Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes are presumed to be his favorite, but Carman told Eleven Warriors he's in no hurry to narrow down his list of schools and hopes to simply enjoy the recruiting process.
Whatever school he lands with is going to have one heck of a tackle-eligible receiver, too...
