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.
THE HOT STOVE
Ohio State may never again replicate the success it had in Texas in this year's recruiting cycle, when it landed three of the state's top six players. But that doesn't mean the staff will put any less effort into pursuing prospects like Houston Lamar five-star cornerback Anthony Cook, who made his first trip to campus for Saturday's Spring Game.
"He had a great visit to Columbus," Lamar defensive backs coach Theadis Reagins told Eleven Warriors. "He mentioned how he felt Ohio State was on an entirely different level from most schools [he's] visited and how the environment awed him."
The 6-foot-1, 168-pound Cook is considered the second-best cornerback and No. 9 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He has more than 35 scholarship offers from some of the best programs in the country and has already visited schools such as Baylor, Clemson, Texas and Texas A&M.
This was Cook's first trip to campus since the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship last June. He is good friends with Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, and it should go without saying the staff would love to land the top-rated cornerback from the Lone Star State for the second-consecutive year.
"He will be releasing [his] Top 10 this week, and the Buckeyes will be included," Reagins said.
YOUR DAILY BRENTON COX UPDATE
Earlier this week, Stockbridge, Georgia, four-star defensive end Brenton Cox announced he would make his college decision on Sunday. However, it looks as if Georgia and Ohio State will have to wait a bit longer to find out his destination.
The commitment has been pushed back a few days to make sure the right choice is being made , so it won't be this Sunday
— Jagg (@Brenton_cox) April 19, 2017
The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Cox, considered the third-best strong-side defensive end and No. 56 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, was on campus with his mother for last weekend's Spring Game. It marked his third visit in the past six months.
And while those close to the program feel confident about the Buckeyes' chances, his looming visit to Athens for G-Day has brought a bit of uneasiness — and understandably so.
Georgia will have the final visit before his decision either way, so taking a few days after to mull things over is the smart move. Cox won't make an emotional decision that way.
The question that remains, though, is whether or not Ohio State can maintain momentum through the weekend. My esteemed colleague, Andrew Ellis, will have more on Cox's looming decision tomorrow.
NEXT GEORGIA OFFER?
Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day have been quite active on the recruiting trail since taking over at their respective positions in January, and one target they've really taken a liking to is Cumming, Georgia, West Forsyth three-star tight end Ben Bresnahan.
They hadn't yet had a chance to meet in person thanks to the restrictive recruiting calender, so the assistants invited Bresnahan to campus for the Spring Game last weekend.
Great visit at The Ohio State University!! Thanks coaches for an amazing visit! @OSUCoachMeyer @OSUCoachKDub @etwill21 @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/3wkdJaU0uC
— Ben Bresnahan (@benbresnahan) April 14, 2017
“[It was] really good,” Bresnahan told Eleven Warriors. “I got to see how I fit at Ohio State.”
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Bresnahan is considered the No. 998 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Colorado State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Tennessee, UCF and Vanderbilt, but what makes him particularly intriguing is the fact that he plays for the same 7-versus-7 team as four-star dual-threat quarterback commit Emory Jones.
“We kind of already have the relationship and connection on the field,” Bresnahan said, noting how excited he was to hear Wilson's plans for the tight end position at Ohio State.
The assistants are scheduled to watch Bresnahan practice this spring, which could certainly lead landing an offer in the near future.
“They love my film,” he said. “They just want to see me in person.”
JUST NEEDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE
Following his visit for the annual Spring Game, Ohio State offered a preferred walk-on spot to Mount Orab Western Brown wide receiver Wyatt Fischer.
Blessed to have received my first offer from THE Ohio State University!@EronHodges pic.twitter.com/OL7Uo0Hztd
— Wyatt Fischer (@WyattFischer_) April 18, 2017
"[It] completely blew my mind that one of the best programs offered me something before the others," Fischer told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-2, 196-pound Fischer caught the attention of the staff during Nike a Football's The Opening Chicago Regional earlier this month, where he finished with the seventh-highest SPARQ rating of any prospect at the event. Shortly thereafter, he was invited to the game by assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges.
"I really like the atmosphere up there," Fischer said. "It's amazing. The facilities are unreal."
Of course a scholarship offer is the goal for any high school athlete, but the opportunity to play for the Buckeyes would be very difficult for Fischer to pass up. But after recording 1,301 receiving yards — good for third in the state — and 14 touchdowns as a junior, more may be in store.
"Ohio State has always been my dream school for football and that would be a very hard decision," he said. "Hopefully by going to some camps and my senior year, I can impress the coaches a little more."
