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.
BRINGING CLARITY
Huber Heights Wayne four-star wide receiver L'Christian "Blue" Smith has voiced his displeasure with the notion he'd be best served to play tight end at the next level on numerous occasions. It's seemingly caused unnecessary strife between him and the Ohio State coaching staff and has allowed Kentucky to make significant strides in his recruitment as of late.
Naturally, head coach Urban Meyer hoped to put that narrative to rest by inviting Smith and his father to campus for a chat on Wednesday night.
Amazing time at Ohio State....#OH pic.twitter.com/GqzuAbixwv
— 9lue (@bluesmith_) May 11, 2017
“The visit went great,” Smith told Eleven Warriors.
Meyer and executive director for football relations Tim Hinton sat down for about an hour with the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Smith and explained everything from where they see him fit into the class to where he is on their list of priorities. Smith has been to campus numerous times over the past year, but this was unlike any visit he'd been on before.
“[Meyer] coached me a little, too,” he said. “Got really in-depth with this visit.”
Smith, the third-best prospect in the state, included the Buckeyes in his Top 10 last month alongside Alabama, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Penn State and Tennessee. He plans to make a decision on his future before his senior season and enroll early at his school of choice.
“[I'm looking for] just kind of that home feel,” Smith said. “I'm a momma's boy, so leaving my mom is going to be kind of hard. I just want to go somewhere where I know I'm being taken care of, I'm being protected and I'm pushed to my fullest potential.”
LOFTY GOALS
With Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes set to graduate and Sam Hubbard eligible to enter the NFL Draft next spring, addressing the potential departures along the defensive line is one of Ohio State's top priorities for the Class of 2018. The Buckeyes already hold commitments from five-star tackle Taron Vincent and four-star end Brenton Cox, and hope to bring on at least three more defensive linemen this cycle.
Among the potential options, Independence, Missouri, William Chrisman three-star defensive end Daniel Carson, who recently received a visit from defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
Great OTA this morning Bears. Nice to have @R2X_Rushmen1 from the Ohio State and @CoachWaltonMWSU from Mo West watching you. #BearUp pic.twitter.com/vpI1YptTmq
— Coach Matt Perry (@Matthew_D_Perry) May 11, 2017
“He's really a good guy, and I admire him,” Carson told Eleven Warriors. “He's a Christian guy and a great coach. I love that, and he has experience.”
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Carson is considered the 19th-best strongside defensive end and No. 505 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, having recorded 56 tackles, 13 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries last year to help lead the Bears to their first winning season since 1981. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas.
Carson was on campus for an unofficial visit back in late March, and his relationship with Johnson has continued to grow ever since. It's widely assumed he'll end up with the in-state Tigers, though the Buckeyes certainly have a shot thanks to their emphasis on both on- and off-the-field success.
“I want a family. I don't want to be on a roster of players,” Carson said. “I want to have fun, but have goals. I want to see the school where I can do anything and have all of my goals reached. I want to be different from other players, and I try doing that by giving in my community.”
His goals include being an academic and athletic all-American, racking up countless community service hours, being a leader and reaching the National Football League.
LOTS OF POTENTIAL
Another prospect with tremendous upside to keep an eye on is Blairstown, New Jersey, Blair Academy three-star defensive end Jayson Oweh. Defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was in his old stomping grounds to watch him practice on Wednesday.
“We talk every day,” Oweh told Eleven Warriors. “Sometimes he'll tell me about an internship program they had that day or just regular stuff like what I have planned that day.”
The conversation, he added, is rarely about football.
“[It] says a lot about their program.”
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Oweh is considered the 22nd-best strong-side defensive end and No. 607 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, though he's only played one year of organized football. He holds nearly two dozen offers from programs such as Boston College, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
Of course, Oweh and Schiano couldn't talk in person because of restrictive NCAA rules, but his coach relayed good news afterward.
“They told me that Schiano was very impressed by me when he visited and that they'll be having a meeting with coach Meyer and the coaching staff about recruiting [me],” Oweh said. “Hopefully, it'll be an offer.”
Basketball was Oweh's first love. And even though he's still learning the game of football, he recorded 42 tackles, seven sacks and five tackles for a loss last season.
“It's a blessing from God,” Oweh said. “I always knew that I was really athletic, but basketball wasn't the best way for me to utilize it. It just feels good to get recognition for what I've had in me for so long.”
If Ohio State eventually offers, Oweh would be at a loss for words.
“It'd be one of the best accomplishments I've had,” he said.
IT'S ON NOW
Ohio State had two decommitments in the Class of 2017 from Akron Archbishop Hoban in Danny Clark and Todd Sibley, but that won't stop the staff from going back to the powerhouse program in search of another top talent like four-star offensive tackle Nolan Rumler.
The Buckeyes offered him a scholarship on Thursday afternoon, making him only the fourth in-state sophomore with such distinction.
I am very excited to say that I have received an offer from The Ohio State University !!! pic.twitter.com/mJPUl84Pj8
— Nolan Rumler (@steamboat_70) May 11, 2017
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Rumler is considered the 15th-best offensive tackle and No. 121 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds 18 offers from programs such as Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia, Michigan and Pittsburgh, among others.
The Wolverines have long been considered the favorite for Rumler, as he's gotten to know the staff quite well since they offered way back in September 2015. If that holds, he'd become the first Top 10 prospect to spurn the home-state Buckeyes for their rivals since St. Clairsville four-star linebacker Michael Ferns in 2014.
