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.
A MATTER OF TIME
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Blackman four-star wide receiver Trey Knox was among the several blue-chip prospects at Ohio State's one-day camp on Saturday. And though he didn't commit to the Buckeyes as some anticipate he may, Knox enjoyed his time nonetheless.
"It was just another great experience," Knox told Eleven Warriors. "Coach [Zach] Smith watching me run routes and just reaching me is just a peek of what will happen if I go there."
Wide receivers coach Zach Smith can't stop praising Knox's route-running: pic.twitter.com/Eocg0rUgu3
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) June 17, 2017
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Knox is considered the 21st-best receiver and No. 137 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he hauled in 54 receptions for 669 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Blaze last season. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech, but this seems like a done deal for Ohio State.
"It's just like a big family and everyone loves everyone there," Knox said.
Knox plans to return to campus for the game against Oklahoma in early September, at which time I anticipate he'll pledge his services to the Buckeyes. If he does, he'd join his teammate and three-star running back commit Master Teague III in Columbus.
MOUNTAINEERS LOOK TO END LOSING STREAK
Ohio State welcomed Huntington, West Virginia, Spring Valley four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester to campus for the one-day camp on Tuesday. And less than a week later, he included the Buckeyes in his Top 5 alongside Alabama, Florida, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Top 5 pic.twitter.com/DmHrikePUS
— Doug Nester (@Freshie74) June 19, 2017
The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Nester is considered the fifth-best offensive tackle and No. 48 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he was named first-team all-state after helping the Timberwolves rack up 4,997 rushing yards on their way to the state title game last season. Tuesday's camp visit marked his third trip to Columbus this spring, and he got some valuable time with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.
"It was a really great experience getting to work with coach Stud and working with all of the coaches," Nester told the media gathered just outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. "[He likes my] quick feet, being strong and being able to move well."
Nester mentioned the possibility of committing sometime in the next month without narrowing his list down first, but apparently he's not ready to make that call just yet. While most prospects enjoy the recruiting process, that doesn't seem to be the case for Nester, who was pretty reserved when eight or so reporters — including myself — shoved their camera phones in his face.
“It’s alright,” he said. “It’s not the best thing, but it’s kind of hard sometimes with all the traveling and everything. But I’ll make it work.”
Adding a player of Nester's caliber would be a great start to Ohio State's 2019 recruiting class. And with starting left tackle Jamarco Jones graduating and left tackle Isaiah Prince eligible to enter the NFL Draft next spring, the position is one that will continue to be of great need for the Buckeyes. The home-state Mountaineers seem to be the biggest threat at this point in time, though.
PENN STATE'S TO LOSE
Philadelphia Imhotep Charter four-star safety Isheem Young included Ohio State in his Top 6 of Friday night alongside Alabama, Clemson, Maryland, Penn State and West Virginia.
July 18th i will be commiting to one of these schools..eyondlessed!!
— 3k (@Isheemyoung) June 17, 2017
S T A Y T U N E D pic.twitter.com/BY8qixlfce
The 5-foot-10, 201-pound Young is considered the 12th-best safety and No. 118 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he recorded 32 tackles and three interceptions to lead the Panthers to the state title game last season. He will make his college decision on July 18.
Ohio State offered Young in early September, but he has not made the trip to campus since. Defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs stopped by his high school during the spring, too, but given the Buckeyes already hold commitments from four-star safeties Josh Proctor and Jaiden Woodbey, the chances he ends up in Columbus are slim to none.
Penn State, meanwhile, is the favorite in Young's recruitment. He's been to Happy Valley three times this spring, but nowhere else.
BACK TO THE JUCO WELL
Ohio State has added a junior college prospect in two-consecutive classes, so it should come as no surprise that Brooklyn, New York, ASA College four-star offensive tackle Badara Traore would included the Buckeyes in his Top 7 on Monday afternoon alongside Auburn, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Oregon.
Top 7 #Blessed pic.twitter.com/whHeqhYwvb
— Badara Traore (@BadaraTraore72) June 19, 2017
Though he missed all of last season with a knee injury, the 6-foot-8, 315-pound Traore is considered the second-best offensive tackle and eighth-ranked junior college prospect in the Class of 2018. He was one of the top-rated players in Massachusetts coming out of high school, but was unable to qualify academically and signed with Nassau Community College instead — Ohio State offensive tackle Malcolm Pridgeon played for the Lions, too.
Traore transferred to ASA College this offseason. He's never been to Columbus, but will graduate in December and have three years to play two seasons at his college of choice.
WAITING HIS TURN
Very little times goes by between trips to campus for Springfield defensive tackle Isaiah Gibson, who has attended three games, spring practice and the spring game in the last seven months alone. He was at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Saturday's one-day camp, too, hoping to land an elusive offer from Ohio State.
"At this point, I’m just going with the flow," Gibson told reporters gathered outside of the facility. "I'm going to camps and doing what I have to get done."
The 6-foot-2, 263-pound Gibson is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but holds offers from Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Purdue, Rutgers and Toledo. He spent most of the camp with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, and even got some individualized attention.
"He told me I’m still a baby because I’m only going to be a junior," Gibson said. "He said he liked my feet. He said he wanted me to come back for Friday Night Lights. He’s a great coach. Everything is full speed. We worked on a lot of hand stuff. It’s different in how you grab somebody and move them out of the way.
“It tells me I’m doing something right," he continued. "The coaches were working with me to help me get better.”
Gibson hopes that a strong showing at Ohio State's premier recruiting event will be enough to finally earn an offer from the Buckeyes.
"It would boost my confidence even more," he said. "I still have two years of high school left. To be talking to coach Johnson like this and to be able to come up here and do this, it’s amazing. Some people don’t get the chance to talk to him. He just told me to work on my craft."
HIDDEN IN OHIO STATE'S BACK YARD
Reynoldsburg linebacker Dezman Cooper also attended Tuesday's camp. And though he was seemingly overshadowed by names such as K'Vaughan Pope and Cade Stover, held his own in one-on-one drills that afternoon.
"I had a great time at the camp," Cooper told Eleven Warriors. "I got to learn a lot from coach [Bill] Davis. It's great because he is someone who coached in the NFL, so getting that chance is awesome. He said that I did good and he thinks that I improved from the beginning on the camp."
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Cooper is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but he has the size and athleticism to be one of the top-rated outside linebackers in the Class of 2019. He recorded 26 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one interception and one sack in only seven games with the Raiders last season, and landed an offer from Miami (Ohio) during an unofficial visit this spring.
"All I have to do is work as hard as I can," Cooper said. "I am starting to get messages from other Big Ten schools: Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State."
Cooper attended a camp in East Lansing this weekend, as well. And if Ohio State doesn't offer, I can certainly see him becoming a pain in the neck for the Buckeyes while lined up at linebacker for the Spartans in a few years.
