The first of two acclaimed high school all-star events will take place today in sunny Florida. The roster features three Buckeye commits – one of whom won't be playing due to injury – and other targets for the Class of 2017. There are a number of storylines that Ohio State fans may want to be on the lookout for.
- UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME
- SUNDAY, JANUARY 1ST @ 1:00PM ET
- ORLANDO, FL
- ESPN
- FULL ROSTER
IMG Academy Standouts Manning the Secondary
The Buckeyes' defensive back haul is on pace to be one of the best units we've ever seen in a single recruiting class, and a pair of IMG Academy stars will be on hand in Orlando.
Marcus Williamson transferred to the Bradenton, Florida football factory for his senior year after attending Westerville's South High School. The nation's No. 16 cornerback was offered by the Buckeyes in October of 2014 and made his pledge the following April. Williamson is a bit different than several of the other defensive backs the Buckeyes will be bringing in. He's a true cornerback and it's unlikely that a move to safety will be in the cards.
There's been a bit of uncertainty surrounding who exactly will enroll early for the Buckeyes, but Williamson is already back home in Columbus and is set to begin classes in January.
“After I left IMG, I went home and hit the weights hard,” Williamson said. “I was at IMG for two semesters. You want to get into that college weight program and play spring ball and learn to compete at that level. It’s a tradeoff. If you go early, you’re missing on your senior prom and that last bit of high school.” Via
Lawrenceville, Georgia's Isaiah Pryor took a similar path to IMG, announcing last January that he too would be making the move. The nation's No. 5 safety committed to Ohio State in July of 2015, turning down offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, and others.
At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Pryor is a player who has been mentioned as a candidate to possibly move to linebacker. Interestingly enough, he has played a little linebacker this week during Under Armour practices, but right now safety looks to be the more likely landing spot.
Targets Set to Announce
The number of remaining targets is dwindling as signing day approaches, and two more are set to come off the board on Sunday. Roswell, Georgia safety Xavier McKinney was offered in late August and made a trip to Columbus for the Michigan game. The one-time Bama commit is down to the Crimson Tide, Buckeyes, and Clemson Tigers. At this point, it would be a pretty big surprise if he ended up anywhere other than Clemson.
Markquese Bell has been an interesting one to follow over the past few months. The four-star athlete received a Buckeye offer in June but wasn't really mentioned as a serious possibility until somewhat recently. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder was also in town for the Michigan game, and his recruitment has taken several twists and turns of late.
Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Michigan were all rumored to have led at one point or another, but now Maryland looks to be the likely destination. Bell is player who could end up at safety or linebacker, and the Buckeyes may have made a serious push had they not added Baron Browning and Pete Werner in December.
He is down to the Buckeye and Terrapins, but right now it appears that Bell is a take for just one of his two finalists.
Wilson Watch Continues
Ohio State is still looking to add a third defensive tackle to the class, and Marvin Wilson and Jay Tufele continue to be the top targets. Tufele will play next weekend in San Antonio at the Army All-American Bowl while Wilson – the country's No. 3 overall prospect – will be the highest rated player in Orlando today.
We've said it before, but LSU's decision to retain Ed Orgeron is going to make the Bayou Bengals very tough to beat for the nation's top defensive tackle. Wilson's best relationship is with LSU's new head coach and he's yet to even take his official visit to Baton Rouge. However, Ohio State made some huge progress with Wilson when he was in town in late November. Larry Johnson continues to lead the charge and the Buckeyes are absolutely in this one.
The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder recently released his top five, but Ohio State and LSU are likely in his top two. Buckeye fans hope that Johnson, along with fellow Texans Baron Browning and Jeffrey Okudah, can help them pull off what would likely be one of the biggest recruiting victories Urban Meyer has ever had.
Wilson will announce his decision on national signing day.
Grimes on the Mend
One of Ohio State's six five-star commitments is expected to be a part of the Orlando festivities, though he will not take part in any game action. Fort Lauderdale's Trevon Grimes tore his ACL in early October and is still rehabbing his left knee.
Last year, another St. Thomas Aquinas five-star was forced to sit out of the Under Armour Game after suffering a torn ACL of his own. Nick Bosa was injured in late October, underwent surgery, and has since bounced back to record five sacks in his true freshman season. Grimes underwent successful knee surgery on Oct. 18 and will look to make an impact in 2017.
On Friday, the five-star wideout released a short video showing off some of the rehab he's been going through.
Even at my lowest point I didnt break... Now im back and better Just tryna be Great #GodsPlan #GoBuckeyes @tyjonlindsey pic.twitter.com/3LdSUv3bOx
— GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) December 30, 2016
Grimes joins Tyjon Lindsey as the two wide receiver commits for the 2017 class. The Buckeyes are hoping to add a third in Cleveland's Jaylen Harris.
Elsewhere Around the Big Ten
If you'd like to familiarize yourself with some players the Buckeyes will be squaring off against in the years to come, then there are some other names to be on the lookout for as well.
Penn State's three most highly-touted commitments will all be on hand in Orlando. Cincinnati (St. Xavier) quarterback Sean Clifford, cornerback Lamont Wade, and Pittsburgh guard C.J. Thorpe will look to represent the fighting Franklins. Ohio State was at the forefront of Lamont Wade's recruitment early on in the process, but the Clairton, Pennsylvania star committed to Penn State on Dec. 17.
The Wolverines have four commitments taking part in the Under Armour game, though the Gators are hoping to flip four-star offensive tackle Kai-Leon Herbert. The Fort Lauderdale tackle has been committed to Michigan since July, but he's scheduled to take an official visit to Gainesville the weekend before national signing day.
Four-star safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell committed to Michigan in November. The Detroit Cass Tech product held offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, Stanford, and others.
Michigan has five defensive ends committed, and a pair of them will be suiting up in Orlando. Four-star Virginian Luiji Vilain and three-star Kwity Paye – the top-ranked player in Rhode Island – will both represent Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines on Sunday.
