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.
FALLING OUT OF FAVOR?
After spending much of Wednesday in Texas with five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and defensive line coach Larry Johnson traveled to Utah to conduct an in-home visit with four-star defensive tackle Jay Tufele on Thursday evening.
It was an honor to have @OSUCoachMeyer and @R2X_Rushmen1 over to the house!! #GOBUCKS #greatness pic.twitter.com/K3sbfforn9
— Jay Tufele (@tufele123) January 27, 2017
This was the last chance for the staff to convince the 6-foot-3, 297-pound Tufele that Columbus is the place for him, though schools like BYU and Utah offer the chance to play much closer to home. Speaking of the Utes, Tufele will wrap up his recruitment with a 20-minute trip north to Salt Lake City for an official visit this weekend.
Unfortunately for Ohio State, USC has also made a late push in Tufele's recruitment. And if you're curious whether the Trojans have a shot, they offer something the other schools do not: The opportunity to play for a big-time program yet still be somewhat close to home. You can't tell me that's not appealing, no matter your thoughts on USC.
The Trojans also recently landed a commitment from Tufele's good friend, Marlon Tuipulotu. The pair visited Los Angeles together last weekend, and their relationship gives me the sense that Ohio State has fallen to third place at the wrong time.
NOT THE TEXAN YOU WANT, BUT MAY BE THE TEXAN YOU NEED
Having struck out with four-star wide receiver Oliver Martin, Ohio State is set to host Kemp, Texas, three-star Elijah Gardiner for an official visit this weekend. The 6-foot-5, 185-pounder has not announced his intentions publicly, but a source close to the program told Eleven Warriors he's already on campus.
Gardiner was scheduled to be at Texas this weekend, but changed his mind following a visit from Meyer and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson earlier this week. And though he's been committed to Missouri since November, Gardiner is likely to flip if offered by the Buckeyes in the coming days.
Though he's considered the 170th-best receiver and No. 1,200 prospect overall, Gardiner's size and speed could make him an intriguing late add to the class.
CONGRATS, JAYLEN
Ohio State four-star wide receiver commit Jaylen Harris was named the High School Athlete of the Year at the 17th Annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Thursday night.
And the #winner of this years High School Athlete of the Year #Award is @JHarris5_ from @GoHeightsTigers football team! pic.twitter.com/rTmf90GLBr
— Cleveland Sports (@CLESports) January 27, 2017
The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder from Cleveland Heights finished his senior season with 52 receptions for 820 yards and eight touchdowns. He committed to Ohio State on Jan. 13 over finalists Alabama, Michigan State, Penn State and Tennessee.
WHAT'S GAS MILEAGE LIKE UP THERE?
Aside from Tufele, Wilson and a few other prospects, Ohio State has shifted its focus to the Class of 2018.
The Buckeyes will host Junior Day on Saturday — we'll have a full rundown of those expected in attendance in the morning — and have been seemingly handing out offers left and right, the latest to West Palm Beach, Florida, four-star Gurvan Hall.
Truly Blessed and honored to receive a(n) offer from Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/S4uU7gsEsv
— Gurvan Hall (@gurvanhall6) January 26, 2017
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Hall is considered the 21st-best safety and the No. 267 prospect overall, having finished his junior season with 23 receptions for 457 yards and six touchdowns on offense while racking up 87 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five interceptions on defense. He holds nearly 30 offers from programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee and West Virginia.
And if you're still not convinced Hall will be one of the most sought-after prospects in his class, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban flew to Palm Beach in his personal helicopter to meet with his mother and grandmother this afternoon.
WHERE THE PLAYERS PLAY
Continuing to comb through the Peach State, Ohio State extended a scholarship offer on Friday afternoon to Stockbridge, Georgia, three-star athlete Marquez Ezzard.
Blessed to receive an offer from Ohio State #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SIeNJWlM4y
— Marquez Ezzard (@Solid_Quez) January 27, 2017
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Ezzard is considered the 59th-best athlete and the No. 598 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He primarily plays wide receiver for the Tigers, hauling in a team-high 129 catches for 2,279 yards and 29 touchdowns in two years at the varsity level, and holds more than 20 offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Tennesssee and Virginia Tech.
Ezzard is the teammate of four-star junior offensive tackle James Ohonba and four-star junior defensive end Brenton Cox, both of whom have offers from Ohio State.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVYN
Last but not least, the Buckeyes also offered a scholarship on Friday morning to Orlando, Florida, Jones cornerback Sevyn Banks.
Blessed to receive an offer from Ohio State university @Corey_Bender @orlandosentinel @HamiltonESPN @247Sports #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/GH83Pm29nf
— Sevyn Banks7 (@BanksNiko) January 27, 2017
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Banks missed his entire junior season after suffering a torn ACL, and therefore is not ranked by any major recruiting sites. But he still holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Auburn, Florida, Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, having recorded 28 tackles and one interception during a standout sophomore campaign.
Banks' older brother, Marcell Harris, is the starting safety at Florida, thus most assume he'll end up with the Gators, as well.
