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.
OFF LIMITS
The college football recruiting dead period began at 12:01 this morning, meaning coaches cannot make face-to-face contact with a recruit or his parents, watch him compete in another sport or visit his high school until Jan. 12, 2017.
This certainly makes it tough for coaches to evaluate prospects — though they can still write or call recruits — but the NCAA calendar includes these periods to “promote the well-being of prospective student-athletes and ensure competitive equity.”
The NCAA limits the number of visits and restricts certain forms of communication at various points throughout the year, but the dead period is the most restrictive time of all.
Coaches will have one last chance to meet with prospects when the contact period reopens next month, but the dead period comes at a great time for Ohio State.
It not only prevents uncommitted targets set to enroll early — such as five-star cornerback Jeffrey Okudah — from visiting other schools, but also allows the staff to focus on preparing for the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Clemson later this month.
ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMOR?
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, wide receivers coach Zach Smith and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs braved a storm that dropped nearly a foot of snow in parts of metro Detroit on Sunday night to see five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones before the dead period went into effect.
Peoples-Jones took an official visit to Michigan over the weekend, so the trip ensured the staff was the last to meet with the 6-foot-2, 193-pounder before he announces his college decision on Thursday evening.
The Wolverines have long been considered the favorite to land the Cass Tech product, but reports have surfaced in the last 24 hours suggesting it's a two-horse race between Florida State and Ohio State.
So much of recruiting is a smokescreen, though, and I find it hard to believe the team most often connected to Peoples-Jones is no longer in the running.
Ohio State rolled out the red carpet for Peoples-Jones during his official visit in October, and the staff certainly wouldn't have made the trip last night if it didn't feel like it weren't in a good spot. But, I repeat, anything other than Michigan would be a big surprise.
ADDING TO THE TROPHY CASE
Peoples-Jones did at little bit of everything to help Cass Tech to the state title this season, hauling in 40 receptions for 873 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had three kick returns for a touchdown, a passing touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown, which earned him Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Michigan.
He wasn't only Ohio State recruit to win the award in his respective state, either. Commits Tate Martell (Nevada) and Shaun Wade (Florida) and targets Cam Akers (Mississippi) and Zamir White (North Carolina) also took home the honor, which recognizes athletic excellence, standards in academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
It's a great honor being named The Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year for the second time in my high school career! Thanks for the support! pic.twitter.com/3p2qRTk5dv
— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) December 12, 2016
Martell threw for 2,363 yards and 41 touchdowns and rushed for 1,256 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading Las Vegas Bishop Gorman to its eighth-consecutive state title and third-straight mythical national championship.
Wade, who reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State this afternoon, picked off a Jacksonville area-leading seven passes and scored seven touchdowns on offense to lead Trinity Christian to its fourth-straight state title.
Trinity Christian's Shaun Wade named the Gatorade Florida Football Player of the Year.
— Justin Barney (@JustinBarneyTU) December 12, 2016
Akers, like Martell, is in the running for U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year Award. He capped his state championship-winning senior season at Clinton with 3,128 passing yards, 2,105 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.
White, the lone junior of the bunch, rushed for 1,774 yards and 26 touchdowns to help Scotland County to the state semifinals.
Toledo Central Catholic running back Michael Warren, a Toledo commit, was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio, meanwhile.
