The Hurry Up: Top-Rated Missouri Defensive End Trims List While Ohio State Extends Several New Offers

By Andrew Lind on May 24, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Daniel Carson
Daniel Carson
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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.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROSPECTS IN THIS CLASS

Independence, Missouri, William Chrisman three-star defensive end Daniel Carson included Ohio State in his Top 11 on Tuesday evening alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Iowa State, Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and TCU.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Carson is considered the 19th-best strong-side defensive end and No. 504 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.

Carson was on campus for an unofficial visit back in late March, and his relationship with defensive line coach Larry Johnson has blossomed in the months since.

“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.”

It's widely assumed he'll end up with the in-state Tigers, but the Buckeyes are certainly in need of bodies along the defensive line with Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes set to graduate and Sam Hubbard eligible to enter the NFL Draft next spring.

Ohio State already holds commitments from five-star tackle Taron Vincent and four-star end Brenton Cox and hopes to bring on at least three more linemen this cycle. Five-star end Micah Parsons, four-star end Tyreke Smith and four-star tackle Aeneas Hawkins are all among the staff's top priorities at this point in time, too, but Carson is absolutely a name to pay attention to in the coming months.

WAITING IT OUT

Xenia three-star wide receiver Meechi Harris, meanwhile, did not include Ohio State in his Top 9 on Tuesday night and instead listed Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, Syracuse, Toledo and West Virginia. But then again, why would he, seeing as the Buckeyes haven't offered him a scholarship?

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Harris is considered the 91st-best receiver and No. 528 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, though he was named second-team all-state after he hauled in 41 passes for 663 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Buccaneers last season.

Harris has been on campus three times in the last few months, most recently for the annual Spring Game in April. He's gotten to know the staff quite well as a result, but it seems as if they're waiting to see how he performs at camp and/or Friday Night Lights this summer before extending an offer.

Ohio State remains among the favorites to land four-star wide receivers Kamryn Babb and L'Christian “Blue” Smith, so there's also no need to rush the process with Harris. My esteemed colleague, Andrew Ellis, and I both believe he'll commit to the Buckeyes as soon when an offer comes his way, which would ultimately render the above-mentioned list moot.

MIGHT AS WELL OFFER THE WHOLE TEAM

Ohio State defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs was in South Florida on Tuesday to watch Fort Lauderdale American Heritage cornerbacks Patrick Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell compete in an intrasquad scrimmage, but ended up offering two of their teammates — four-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield and three-star defensive tackle Nesta Silvera — by night's end.

The 6-foot-2, 221-pound Chatfield is considered the 14th-best weakside defensive end and No. 288 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he recorded an absurd 24.5 sacks to lead the Patriots to the state championship last season. He holds nearly 30 offers from programs such as LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

The 6-foot-2, 308-pound Silvera, meanwhile, is considered the No. 29 defensive tackle and No. 341 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he finished his junior season with 75 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He committed to Miami in February after a string of unofficial visits, citing the program's location — just 45 minutes from his home — as a big reason for his pledge.

IN THE EARLY STAGES 

Coombs also stopped by Fort Lauderdale's Dillard High on Monday afternoon, at which time he offered a scholarship to defensive end Braylen Ingraham.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Ingraham is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites but is on his way to being on of the most sought-after prospects in the Class of 2019. He now holds 12 offers from programs such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Michigan after posting a stellar workout at Nike Football's The Opening Miami Regional back in February.

WORKED WELL IN THE PAST

Ohio State went to Hinesville, Georgia, Liberty County and landed five-star linebacker Raekwon McMillan back in 2014 and then made significant strides with five-star safety Richard LeCounte III before he picked the in-state Bulldogs last year. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Buckeyes have gone back to the well and offered a scholarship to three-star defensive tackle Tramel Walthour.

The 6-foot-4, 277-pound Walthour is considered the No. 67 defensive tackle and No. 895 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he racked up 65 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss and three sacks for the Panthers last season. He currently holds 13 offers but is starting to see his recruitment take off with Auburn, Arkansas and Georgia also offering within the last week.

The Bulldogs, of course, instantly became the favorite, but the Buckeyes are hoping their relationship with Liberty County's staff will be enough to get him to a camp this summer. His ranking is bound to skyrocket in the next few months, and being able to evaluate him in person and show him around campus could certainly make things interesting.

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