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.
INEVITABLE BOOM?
Mount Holly, New Jersey, Rancocas Valley Regional four-star athlete Iverson Clement listed Ohio State in his Top 6 on Friday night alongside Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers and Tennessee.
Top 6 schools that me and family and coaches will be focusing on and will try to attend there Junioir day still open but for now this is my6 pic.twitter.com/8SzfzfGF1f
— Iverson Clement (@Swaggy__ai) December 25, 2016
The 6-foot, 190-pound Clement is considered the eighth-best prospect in the state and the No. 21 athlete overall in the Class of 2018. He rushed for 1,430 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Red Devils this season.
A long-time Ohio State fan, Clement earned a scholarship from the Buckeyes in November. He was on campus for the game against Michigan, which he called “a dream come true.”
TOUGH SLEDDING AHEAD
Ohio State also made the cut for Missouri City, Texas, Fort Bend Marshall four-star offensive guard Barton Clement. He listed the Buckeyes in his Top 5 on Christmas Eve alongside Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
S/o to @Sports_UpdateIG for the edit on my top schools pic.twitter.com/WBOnOvalRz
— Barton Clement (@King_Barton101) December 24, 2016
The 6-foot-2, 304-pound Clement is considered the sixth-best offensive guard and the No. 127 prospect overall in the Class of 2018.
He has not been on campus since Ohio State offered in August, but has unofficially visited A&M — the Crystal Ball favorite — numerous times in the past year.
BIG TEN BATTLE
Expect Ohio State to make the cut for Lindenhurst, New York, four-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert when he narrows down his Top 14 to five later this week.
I will be releasing my Top 5 on December 31st...
— Jeremy Ruckert (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) December 24, 2016
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Ruckert is considered the third-best tight end in the Class of 2018 and the Buckeyes' top priority at the position. He was on campus for Friday Night Lights over the summer and again for the season finale against Michigan.
“I had an amazing time,” Ruckert told Eleven Warriors after the game.
Ruckert holds nearly 30 scholarship offers, but Michigan and Penn State will likely be the most viable threat to Ohio State.
A BLUE CHRISTMAS
Huber Heights Wayne four-star wide receiver L'Christian “Blue” Smith is also set to announce his top schools in the coming days, except his will have a twist.
List coming soon #top10 #top10 pic.twitter.com/swINShZSjC
— BLUE SMITH (@bluesmith_) December 25, 2016
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound Smith is not only considered the third-best wide receiver in the Class of 2018, but is also a highly sought-after prospect on the hardwood.
He holds double-digit offers from football programs such as Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee, as well as basketball offers from powerhouses like Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio State, Syracuse, Texas and UCLA.
“Right now, [I'm] still 50/50,” Smith told Eleven Warriors in reference to which spot he'd like to play in college. “Going to make a decision in late January.”
Smith made two trips to Ohio State this season, but doesn't expect to make a final decision until after he visits several other schools.
