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.
DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was an outspoken opponent of an early signing period, but has somewhat lightened his stance on the matter in the last week after the Collegiate Commissioners Association approved 72-hour window in mid-December.
His main issue rested with the proposed June or August signing periods — as he claimed it would force programs to significantly alter their recruiting schedule — but the December date seems to have accelerated things, as well.
I say that solely because the Buckeyes recently watched a practice and then offered a scholarship on Wednesday night to Scottsdale, Arizona, Chaparral freshman quarterback Jack Miller.
Just received my 6th offer from Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/Daowh5C9uf
— Jack Miller (@1_jackmiller) May 17, 2017
The 6-foot-3, 197-pound Miller is not yet ranked by major recruiting sites, but will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after prospects in the Class of 2020 after throwing for 3,653 yards and 53 touchdowns in his first year as a starter for Scottsdale Christian last season.
Miller, who transferred schools in January, already holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Louisiana Tech and Memphis.
Of course, the first thing that popped into everyone's mind when Miller announced the scholarship offer on Twitter was former Ohio State commit and current Kentucky quarterback Danny Clark. The similarities end at the word freshman, though, as Clark was an in-state prospect from Akron Archbishop Hoban and the staff knew he would commit on the spot as soon as he got an offer.
There's a long way to go in Miller's recruitment, and the staff is certainly in no hurry to add a freshman quarterback into the fold after seeing how Clark's play declined and his recruitment ultimately unfolded. The focus will instead be on signal callers from the Class of 2019, with Texas four-star Grant Tisdale leading the way.
SUNSHINE STATE OF MIND
Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, meanwhile, has been extremely busy in South Florida. On the same day he offered four prospects from Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas, Smith also extended a scholarship offer to Deerfield Beach four-star linebacker Ge'mon Eaford.
Blessed to receive my 31st offer from the Ohio st buckeyes . @RyanBartow @Corey_Bender @HamiltonESPN @AllAmericaGame @Rivals pic.twitter.com/KQNkLt1O1s
— FANTASTIC_G5 (@Gemon_J_Wilson) May 17, 2017
“I was happy as hell [to get the offer],” Eaford told Eleven Warriors. “I mean, it is Ohio State. It's a great school [and] they put guys into the league every year.”
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Eaford is considered the 16th-best outside linebacker and No. 209 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 60 tackles and 20 sacks to help the Bucks to the state semifinals last fall. He holds nearly three dozen offers from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee.
Eaford has never been to Columbus, but that will change next month when he goes on a college tour with stops at various ACC, Big Ten and SEC schools. He plans to make a decision on his future on his birthday next May.
SOLIDIFYING THE TRENCHES
Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa also got in on the action on Wednesday night, as he offered a scholarship to Metuchen, New Jersey, St. Joseph four-star offensive tackle John Olmstead.
I am honored to receive an offer from The Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/Zztq1DY0b5
— John Olmstead (@JOHNNYO_72) May 18, 2017
“It's amazing to receive an offer as a sophomore from a school that won eight national championships,” Olmstead told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Olmstead is considered the 31st-best offensive tackle and No. 248 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he locked down second-team all-region honors after helping the Falcons to the state championship game last season.
Olmstead, who talked with Studrawa for the first time on Wednesday night, hopes to make it to Columbus for a game this fall.
THE RUNDOWN
Ohio State has extended several additional offers in the last few days, and it's my intention to catch up with each new prospect soon. For the sake of remaining current, however, I've listed each one below:
- 2018 Houston, Texas, Heights four-star cornerback Jalen Green
- 2019 West Palm Beach, Florida, four-star cornerback Akeem Dent
- 2019 Apopka, Florida, Wekiva defensive tackle Tyler Davis
- 2019 Orlando, Florida, Jones safety Marcus Tillman Jr.
- 2020 Baker, Louisiana, wide receiver Jacobi Bellazin
- 2020 Lagrange, Georgia, Troup County wide receiver Kobe Hudson
- 2019 Troup County four-star linebacker King Mwikuta
- 2020 St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Marcus Rosemy
- 2020 St. Thomas Aquinas defensive tackle Marcus Dumervil
- 2020 Atlanta, Georgia, Woodward Academy athlete Arik Gilbert
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
It should go without saying Ohio State's offense woefully underperformed in the second half of last season, even though the Buckeyes made an appearance in their second College Football Playoff in three years. Someone who thinks he could make an instant impact in Columbus if given the chance is Cupertino, California, De Anza Junior College wide receiver Jonathan "J.J. Johnson.
“It's Ohio State. Everyone wants to play there,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors. “They put people in the NFL.”
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Johnson originally enrolled at Oregon in 2013 as a preferred walk-on but transferred after finding himself buried on the depth chart. He could enroll this summer and have two years of eligibility remaining.
“[They'd get] a person that's going to work and get better at the right things every single day,” Johnson said. “I think of myself as a sponge. I want to absorb all the information possible to reach my full potential. I'm the type of guy that wants to be coached up."
