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.
PLENTY OF CONFIDENCE
Earlier this week, Ohio State landed a commitment from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Blackman three-star running back Master Teague III. And though he wrote a letter for us that day detailing why he chose the Buckeyes, he admitted there was much more he could say.
“It was great getting to know the coaches and them getting to know me,” Teague told Eleven Warriors. “My parents were a part of this, as well. They had access to the coaches. I spoke mostly to coach [Tony] Alford and coach [Urban] Meyer. I would talk to both of them at least once a week and we would text daily.
“There are other things there that stand out in relations to my faith, as well,” he continued. “Things like 'Athletes in Action' that I can choose to interact with. Coach Meyer really stresses having responsible and healthy behaviors, attitudes and character development, and that is in line with my faith.”
Teague earned his offer from Ohio State during a one-day camp on Friday, so it confused a lot of people when he announced on Twitter Saturday evening that his decision, using a video shot three weeks prior, would be revealed the next day.
“My parents and I went out to eat the week of my birthday and talked and decided that Ohio State was our choice,” he said. “We had two endings. I was confident that I could go perform, and I was hopeful that coach Meyer would want to offer me. I am thankful that he did.”
The 13th commitment in Ohio State's Supreme '18 recruiting class, Teague is now happy to have the process behind him. He plans to visit Columbus as much as possible in hopes of building on his relationship with the staff.
“I will look to find a church up there, as well,” Teague said. “Also, I will focus on my senior year and give my all in school, FCA and for my teammates.”
QUICK REACTION
Ohio State held its second one-day camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this afternoon, and several highly-rated targets were in attendance, including:
- 2018 Ohio State four-star running back commit Jaelen Gill
- 2018 Virginia four-star linebacker K'Vaughan Pope
- 2018 Chardon three-star linebacker Chase Kline*
- 2018 Virginia three-star tight end James Mitchell
- 2018 Dublin Jerome linebacker Cade Kacherski*
- 2019 Lexington four-star linebacker Cade Stover
- 2019 Kentucky four-star offensive tackle Bryan Hudson
- 2019 West Virginia four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester
- 2019 Cincinnati Anderson offensive guard Zeke Correll
- 2019 Columbus St. Francis De Sales four-star defensive tackle Rodas Johnson*
- 2019 Reynoldsburg linebacker Dezman Cooper*
- 2019 Reynoldsburg athlete Mershawn Rice*
- 2019 Pennsylvania linebacker Kyi Wright*
- 2020 St. Clairsville offensive guard Ja'von Lyons*
- 2020 Dublin Coffman athlete Michael Drennan II*
*Haven't been offered yet
There were a few surprises, too, as IMG Academy four-star cornerback Houston Griffith made the trip up from Florida. He spent a majority of the day attached at the hip of defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, which is a good sign for the Buckeyes given the way things have been trending in recent months. Griffith was clearly out to prove to the staff that he should be their top target at the position, and it showed during one-on-one drills.
On the offensive side of the ball, Griffith was actually beaten once by Rice, who is staking his claim as the top playmaker in the state for 2019. His combination of size and speed with be a hot commodity on the recruiting trail in the next cycle.
Most of the media in attendance was glued to the linebacker duo of Pope and Stover, though, as each entered the day firmly on commitment watch. My sources expect it to happen sooner rather than later for Pope, but Dinwiddie isn't out of school for the summer until next week, and a decision could come once his grades are finalized.
Pope, the sixth-best inside linebacker in the Class of 2018, and Stover, the fourth-best outside linebacker in the Class of 2019, shined in one-on-one drills. They were easily the most athletic linebackers at the camp Tuesday, and they seemed to enjoy playing alongside one another, giving each other high fives after each successful repetition.
Correll and Nester, meanwhile, stood out along the offensive line. They both have quick feet and the lower-core strength needed to succeed at the next level. Both hold offers from Ohio State, and are just hoping to build their relationship with the staff in the coming months, but it's clear they'll be among the Buckeyes' top priorities for 2019.
Stay tuned for more on Tuesday's camp, which includes interviews with Correll, Griffith, Lyons, Mitchell, Nester and Pope.
STANDS ABOVE THE CROWD
On Friday, Ohio State offered a scholarship to three prospects, including the aforementioned Teague. On Tuesday, though, Huntington, West Virginia, four-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright was the only prospect to walk away with an offer from the Buckeyes.
Blessed and honored to receive an offer from The Ohio State University #buckeye #gobucks pic.twitter.com/vBJ5mKzxRh
— Darnell Wright (@darnell_5232) June 13, 2017
“[I'm] very blessed,” Wright told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Wright is considered the third-best offensive tackle and No. 45 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Florida, Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Wright spent most of his time on Tuesday with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.
“He is an intense guy who is a great coach,” Wright said. “[He] liked what he saw today.”
This marked the first trip to campus for Wright, who hopes to make a return trip for a game this fall.
A THORN IN THE ELEPHANT'S FOOT
The Buckeyes also extended a scholarship offer to Memphis, Tennessee, Southwind four-star defensive end Jordan Davis, who was not at the camp on Tuesday afternoon.
Bless to announce that I have receive my 16offer from "Ohio State University " pic.twitter.com/Fs4kb2RkUH
— Jordan Davis (@jlpdavis99) June 13, 2017
The 6-foot-5, 238-pound Davis is considered the 12th-best weakside defensive end and No. 222 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he recorded 37 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles for the Jaguars last season. He committed to Alabama in December over offers from Kentucky, Memphis and Ole Miss, but schools such as Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee have offered in the months since.
