The Hurry Up: Five-Star Cornerback Sets Announcement Date While Ohio State Offers St. Louis Wide Receiver

WHOOPSIDASIES

"I know those feels."

Comforting words from my esteemed colleague D.J. Byrnes, who once scheduled his daily Skull Session and then fell asleep while writing and published a blank article as a result. 

It apparently happens to even the best of us, so I don't feel too bad for forgetting to schedule last night's edition of The Hurry Up while traveling to Indiana for the game. But you should have seen me freak out halfway through the first quarter when I realized it hadn't published. Fun times. 

Anyway, if you're seeing this now, I actually remembered to schedule it on the way home.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (ALMOST)

Houston Lamar five-star cornerback Anthony Cook told Eleven Warriors at The Opening Finals this summer he planned to make his college decision before Halloween. Now it's official, as he told 247Sports' E.J. Holland he'll choose among LSU, Ohio State and Texas on Oct. 30.

The 6-foot-1, 168-pound Cook is considered the second-best cornerback and No. 14 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He visited Columbus for the first time with his family for the Spring Game in mid-April, and couldn't stop gushing when asked what stood out about the Buckeyes.

"Three defensive backs in the first round. That's enough for me,” Cook said. "If you can put my position in the league, that's always attractive. I know if I go to Ohio State, I will be developed, I'll be challenged every day in practice because they have some of the best receivers and [the cornerbacks are] on a high pedestal, so scouts and stuff are looking at them."

Cook's recruitment seemingly marks the first true battle between Meyer and his former protégé Tom Herman — who has helped the Longhorns to a Top 2 recruiting class before coaching a game in Austin — but the Tigers also find themselves in a good place thanks to their history of sending defensive backs to the next level, too. 

"Whatever school I can come in and have a chance to play right away [is where I'll go],” Cook said. "Somewhere I can get developed and they have to put my position in the league. All of those schools have that, so it will be tough. I'll just pray and hopefully I'll make the right decision."

Cook may attend Ohio State's game against Oklahoma next week, but the timing of his announcement may make it better for an official visit to take place two days earlier when the Buckeyes host Penn State. That could potentially give the staff the last chance to sway his decision.

Cook, who is without a doubt Ohio State's top priority at the position, plans to graduate in December and enroll early.

BACK AGAIN

When Ohio State hosts Oklahoma in eight days, it may be the biggest recruiting weekend of the season. One of the dozens of prospects who have told Eleven Warriors they'll be in attendance is Minneapolis Edina Senior four-star offensive tackle Quinn Carroll.

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Carroll is considered the eighth-best offensive tackle and No. 78 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He landed an offer from the Buckeyes during his first and only trip to Columbus for Junior Day in late January.  

"I had a great time in Columbus and had an amazing time meeting all the coaches and staff," Carroll said. "Their program is top notch and my views have definitely changed. I didn't know much about the program beforehand, but now I feel way more informed. I now understand why this program has been so unbelievably successful.”

Carroll, whose father Jay played for Minnesota and caught three touchdown passes in a win over Ohio State in 1981, holds nearly 30 scholarship offers from programs such as Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, UCLA and USC. The Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish are the perceived favorites at this point in his recruitment.

The Buckeyes, as you know, already hold a commitment from West Virginia four-star offensive tackle Doug Nester, but that certainly won't impact the staff's pursuit of Carroll. The position is always one of great need, and he's among the country's best.

BREAKAWAY SPEED

Friday, Sept. 1, marks the first time programs are allowed to contact recruits in the Class of 2019 directly. Before that, though, they had to reach out to their coaches who would then relay the news of an offer or their interest.

One such example is St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep three-star wide receiver Jameson Williams, whom the staff offered on Wednesday afternoon.

Blessed to receive a offer from The Ohio State University !! #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/GXzywyzbKk

— juiceman (@juicedupjameson) August 30, 2017

"It means a lot to me [because it's] a very big school taking a shot at giving me another chance to play football again after high school," Williams told Eleven Warriors.

The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Williams is considered the 52nd-best wide receiver and No. 361 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, but continues to see his stock rise after performances at the United Stars Showcase and Under Armour All-America Camp in Chicago this spring. He's picked up offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Syracuse and Wisconsin in the months since. 

Williams is a star on the track, too. He recently broke former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott's state record in the 300-meter hurdle with a time of 37.28 seconds.

Williams plans to attend a game this fall.

THE ARMWOOD ASSASSIN

Every Sunday morning, we'll keep you updated on how Ohio State's commitments did in their respective games that weekend. On the rare occasion the game gets cancelled or postponed, we'll make sure to let you know in the following days. 

Surely enough, four-star running back Brian Snead's senior season opened on Wednesday night, as Armwood's game against Tampa Bay Tech was postponed twice due to heavy rain and lightning. The game was delayed in the second quarter because of a power outage, too, but Snead shined nonetheless.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Snead rushed for more than 200 yards and scored twice on a pair of short runs in the second half to help the Hawks pull away for a 35-12 win. 

Armwood has this weekend off, of course, before returning to the field against Plant on Sept. 8.

TONIGHT'S SLATE

Tonight, Ohio State commits Jeremy Ruckert and Doug Nester start their senior and junior seasons, respectively. Sixteen of the Buckeyes' 18 pledges are in action, including:

Several games will be broadcast online this weekend, too, so make sure to following me on Twitter at @AndrewMLind for links as they come in.