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.
STEALING FROM THE SOONERS?
Tulsa, Oklahoma, Union four-star wide receiver C.J. Moore included Ohio State in his Top 6 on Tuesday night alongside Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Oregon.
Top 6 pic.twitter.com/JgLFA6TEPP
— CJ Moore (@daddydimes35) March 8, 2017
"[The Buckeyes] are a family," Moore told Eleven Warriors. "They can play, nothing is given and they show lots of love."
The 6-foot-5, 175-pound Moore is considered the 17th-best wideout and No. 92 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He made his first trip to Columbus for Junior Day in late January, but said he's looking forward to an official visit this fall so he can see the game Day atmosphere and the Skull Session.
"I've never done it, and Ohio State's fan base is crazy," Moore said.
Though he's the third-best player in Oklahoma, the Sooners yet haven't offered Moore. If and when they do, it's hard to imagine a scenario where he doesn't seriously consider it. But, that said, Moore isn't going to pick a school based solely on proximity.
"I fly free, so not really," he said when asked if distance will play a role in his decision. "My dad works for the airport."
Well, that'll certainly make it easy for his parents to watch him every Saturday if he ends up in Columbus.
PIPELINE CONTINUES TO FLOW
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas four-star cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. will narrow his list of nearly 40 scholarship offers to five this evening.
Top 5 coming tonight
— Asante Samuel (@godschild3_) March 8, 2017
Though he's never been to campus, I expect Ohio State to make the cut for the 5-foot-10, 166-pound Samuel. He's close with former teammates Nick Bosa and Trevon Grimes, and that certainly gives the Buckeyes a fighting chance in his recruitment.
Samuel, the son of the former NFL All-Pro defensive back of the same name, is considered the 14th-best corner and No. 108 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He's recorded 44 tackles, 19 pass break ups and seven interceptions in his career to help the Raiders to three-consecutive state titles.
CHAMPIONS OF LIFE
In the months leading up to his college decision, most — including myself — believed Bellflower, California, St. John Bosco five-star safety Jaiden Woodbey was going to end up at USC. I mean, his dad played there.
That all changed, though, once Woodbey visited Ohio State for the first time on Junior Day in late January. He quickly fell in love with the program and ahead coach Urban Meyer's vision for his future.
Ohio State commit @JaidenWoodbey6 fearless on the field, humble off it (by @WillieGRamirez) https://t.co/jgWTo0bZ1m @boscofootball
— USA TODAY HSS (@USATODAYhss) March 8, 2017
"[He's] the best coach in college football, and I know when I get there, I'm going to better myself as a man, outside of football," Woodbey told USA TODAY Sports. "I'm looking at it outside the football aspect to be a better man once I graduate."
While so many coaches just want to talk football, Meyer and Co. took a different approach.
"They called me asking me how my day was, how was school, how was my family. Sometimes we wouldn’t even talk about football, and I think that’s what got me the most," Woodbey said. "You can tell when people are just recruiting you just to recruit you. But I feel like they genuinely care about their players, so that’s another thing that got them over the hump."
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Woodbey has already taken on a leadership role in Ohio State's Supreme '18 recruiting class, and he's undoubtedly sharing that same message with every prospect he speaks with.
WAR EAGLE
Though he took an unofficial visit to Ohio State last month, Stone Mountain, Georgia, Stephenson four-star offensive guard Jalil Irvin committed to Auburn on Wednesday afternoon.
Truly blessed to say I am committed to Auburn University WDE pic.twitter.com/y9Ly9InTKC
— Jalil Irvin. (@only1_lil) March 8, 2017
"The connection something serious," Irvin told Eleven Wariors. "I love coach [Gus] Malzahn and [offensive line coach Herb] Hand. Great people and school."
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Irvin is considered the 18th-best offensive guard and No. 311 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. A one-time Michigan commit, he reopened his recruitment last August due to a lack of communication with the staff.
The Buckeyes did not offer Irvin while he was in Columbus, but had hoped to build a relationship with him nonetheless.
