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.
BEST RUNNING BACK IN THE NATION, HANDS DOWN
Ohio State three-star running back commit Master Teague III rushed for 2,031 and 24 touchdowns on 240 carries in only 10 1/2 games to help Blackman, Tennessee, to the state quarterfinals last season.
If Friday's preseason scrimmages against Independence in the Williamson County Jamboree is any indication, he'll once again carry the workload for the Blaze this coming season.
“He's getting better [while] everyone else is staying the same,” Blackman defensive coordinator and strength coach Kit Hartsfield told Eleven Warriors.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Teague rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on only four carries to help the Blaze beat the Eagles, 28-14. His teammate and Ohio State four-star wide receiver target Trey Knox added four catches for 90 yards.
Friday night's event also involved Ohio State offensive tackle commit Max Wray, as Franklin beat Fairview, 7-0. The Blaze and Rebels actually met in the preseason opener in late July, which featured Teague's first run in the highlight above.
BOOM...ER SOONER
Just a few weeks after he included Ohio State in his Top 8 alongside Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and TCU, Justin, Texas, Northwest four-star offensive tackle Darrell Simpson committed to the Sooners on his birthday Saturday night.
#OUDNA pic.twitter.com/yIntPzJz2l
— Darrell Simpson (@king_simpson34) August 12, 2017
“I chose Oklahoma knowing that it’s always just a family atmosphere,” Simpson told Rivals. “Knowing the background of the school and about the education it has, you have people there to push you and support you. It’s like you have family there already.”
The 6-foot-7, 336-pound Simpson is considered the 13th-best offensive tackle and No. 170 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. His pledge gives Oklahoma a commitment from a pair of Top247 offensive tackles, as he'll join five-star Brey Walker in what is widely considered the best offensive line haul in the current recruiting cycle.
Simpson was on campus for Ohio State's double-overtime win over Michigan last November and also attended their blowout of the Sooners in Norman last September. But you could say the Buckeyes were nothing more than a throw-in among his final schools — neither site really made the other a priority throughout the process.
That said, Ohio State currently holds a commitment from the aforementioned Wray, the eighth-best player at the offensive tackle position. Pairing him with Fairfield five-star Jackson Carman or Florida four-star William Barnes would easily help the Buckeyes surpass the Sooners' haul along the line.
EARNING YOUR KEEP
On the same weekend Ohio State placed a pair current of walk-ons on scholarship, the staff extended a preferred walk-on offer to Mentor two-star quarterback Tadas Tatarunas.
Excited to receive an offer to be a preferred walk on from The Ohio State University! pic.twitter.com/Ce3KbDlo02
— Tadas Tatarunas (@tadas_tatarunas) August 12, 2017
“I'm pretty excited about the offer,” Tatarunas told Eleven Warriors. “I've always been a Buckeye fan and it's always been a dream to play in the 'Shoe [Ohio Stadium].”
The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Tatarunas is considered the 117th-best player in the state and No. 116 pro-style quarterback prospect in the Class of 2018, as he's thrown for 5,267 yards and 47 touchdowns as a two-year starter for the Cardinals. He was on campus for a practice during the spring and caught the staff's eye during a scrimmage against Massillon Jackson on Friday night.
“I guess [they're interesting] in my arm strength and size,” Tatarunas said. “My team plays one of the hardest schedules in the state, so they probably saw my stats against some of the best teams in the state.”
Tatarunas earned an offer from Robert Morris back in March, and said it'll be hard to pass up such an opportunity.
“Anything can happen [between] now and the end of my senior season, so I just want to enjoy my senior year and make my one dream come true of taking my team deep in the playoffs,” Tatarunas said. “It's definitely a huge honor for Ohio State to recognize me, though.”
HONEST ABE
Assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges also extended a preferred walk-on offer to Sunbury Big Walnut two-star linebacker Abe Myers.
Excited and blessed to receive a preferred walk on offer from The Ohio State University @EronHodges @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/MD5cnMXynl
— Abe Myers (@abemyers22) August 12, 2017
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Myers is considered the 90th-best player in the state and the No. 115 outside linebacker in Class of 2018, as he was named honorable mention all-county last season. He holds scholarship offers from Air Force, Holy Cross, Kent State, Notre Dame College and Ohio.
Myers attended Ohio State's one-day camp in June, at which time he posted a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and an 8-foot-6-inch broad jump. He recently finished fifth in discus at the Ohio state track meet.
