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.
AS THE RECRUITING WORLD TURNS
Just one week after Ohio State four-star quarterback commit Emory Jones told Eleven Warriors he was not going to visit Alabama, SEC Country's Chris Kirschner is reporting Jones is among the dozens of expected visitors for Saturday's game against Tennessee.
Add one more expected official visitor this weekend: Ohio State DT commit Antwuan Jackson. Buckeyes QB commit Emory Jones also expected in.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 19, 2017
For what it's worth, Jones was “expected” in Tuscaloosa last weekend, too. But the threat of any potential visit immediately catches everyone's attention. If he does make the trip, there's no doubt it could be a defining moment in Jones' recruitment.
I wouldn't put too much stock into Jackson's visit, either, as he was pretty much destined to end up at Ohio State from the time he announced his transfer from Auburn.
This would mark Jones' fourth visit to Tuscaloosa, meanwhile — and second time seeing the Crimson Tide play in person this season, as he was also on the sidelines for their season-opener against Florida State in Atlanta.
That said, Ohio State quarterbacks coach Ryan Day was in Georgia on Friday to meet with Jones coaches, and potentially watch him play this evening. Knowing how everyone at Heard County feels about the Buckeyes' chances of holding on to Jones, I anticipate Day leaves feeling pretty good, as well.
Now we wait to see if Jones actually shows up at Alabama tomorrow, or if the speculation surrounding his recruitment continues to be just that.
NOT GIVING UP JUST YET
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been recruiting all over the country this week, but was back in the Buckeye State on Friday morning to to check on Cleveland Heights four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith, one of the Buckeyes' top remaining targets.
Proud to be back in The Land!!! O-H! pic.twitter.com/bWBfysW6SO
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) October 20, 2017
“It went well,” Cleveland Heights head coach Mac Stephens told Eleven Warriors. “We talked about Tyreke for about 30 minutes and [did some] catching up regarding Jaylen Harris.”
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Smith has been among the staff's top targets for much of the 2018 recruiting cycle, but things have been trending toward Penn State in recent weeks. He'll actually be back in Happy Valley this weekend for an unofficial visit, so Meyer made sure to make his presence known.
“He shouldn't let him go without a fight because he's the top defensive end in the country, in my opinion,” Stephens said.
As I mentioned in yesterday's mailbag, Smith's recruitment has never been the slam dunk most have painted it to be. Everyone just assumed he'd end up at Ohio State because of proximity, though he's originally from California.
Nevertheless, Stephens feels the Buckeyes are right in the thick of things.
“I will be curious to see Tyreke's indication after he takes his official visit and spends time really soaking up the Buckeye culture,” he said.
Smith will be at next weekend's game against the Nittany Lions, of course, marking what seems like his umpteenth trip to campus in the last year. It'll be about that time we'll get a real sense of Ohio State's chances or if all signs will continue to point to Penn State.
A PIPELINE IN THE MAKING?
Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, meanwhile, was in St. Louis on Thursday. He checked on top wide receiver target Kamryn Babb at Christian Brothers College before making the short trip to Trinity Catholic, at which time he extended an offer to running back Teriyon “Mookie” Cooper.
Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/1wpWQzilFL
— Mookie Cooper (@moooksterr1) October 20, 2017
“It's big,” Cooper told Eleven Warriors. “It means a lot to know that such a great college, like Ohio State, has interest in my abilities and thinks I can help them.”
The 5-foot-9, 178-pound Cooper is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but is well on his way to being among the top-rated prospects in the Class of 2020. He's racked up nearly 700 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns for the Titans this season, and holds offers from Illinois, Kansas State, Missouri, Syracuse and Texas as a result.
The Buckeyes have made quite an impression on prospects at Trinity Catholic in the last year or so, having offered several of Cooper's teammates, including four-star wide receiver Marcus Washington, four-star athlete Isaiah Williams and four-star linebacker Shammond Cooper. And before you ask, the Coopers are not realated, though Mookie said they joke with people that they're cousins.
Unlike his teammates who attended Friday Night Lights this summer, Cooper has never been to Columbus. He hopes to make the trip sooner rather than later, however.
“I am itching to make a trip,” Cooper said.
IMPRESSING FROM AFAR
Though he's never been to campus, Flower Mound, Texas, Marcus four-star linebacker Marcel Brooks included Ohio State in his Top 6 on Thursday night alongside Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State and TCU.
NO ORDER. TOP6 pic.twitter.com/rER4haI8Ar
— Fr Sipr 5 (@MarcelBrooks_5) October 19, 2017
“I like Ohio State because me and head coach Urban Meyer have a great relationship, and I love linebackers coach Bill Davis,” Brooks told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Brooks is considered the fourth-best outside linebacker and No. 42 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He reportedly compares his game to that of Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor, who is widely considered the hardest hitting player in the National Football League.
The Horned Frogs are considered the favorites at this stage in his recruitment. However, it's worth noting Brooks called Penn State his “dream school” upon announcing his offer from the Nittany Lions back in May.
ON THE DOCKET
It’s hard to believe there are only a few more weeks left in the high school football season. Here in Ohio, it’s already Week 9.
A full list of games:
| name | pos | high school | opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMORY JONES | QB | FRANKLIN (GA) HEARD COUNTY | JORDAN (GA) |
| JAELEN GILL | RB | WESTERVILLE (OH) SOUTH | @ WESTERVILLE CENTRAL (OH) |
| BRIAN SNEAD | RB | SEFFNER (FL) ARMWOOD | @ BRANDON (FL) |
| MASTER TEAGUE | RB | MURFREESBORO (TN) BLACKMAN | @ STEWARTS CREEK (TN) |
| JEREMY RUCKERT | TE | LINDENHURST (NY) | @ SACHEM NORTH (NY) |
| L'CHRISTIAN "BLUE" SMITH | WR | HUBER HEIGHTS (OH) WAYNE | SPRINGFIELD (OH) |
| MATTHEW JONES | OG | BROOKLYN (NY) ERASMUS HALL | @ TOTTENVILLE (NY) |
| MAX WRAY | OT | FRANKLIN (TN) | @ SPRING HILL (TN) |
| BRENTON COX | DE | STOCKBRIDGE (GA) | @ HAMPTON (GA) |
| ANTWUAN JACKSON | DT | BRENHAM (TX) BLINN COLLEGE | OPEN |
| TARON VINCENT | DT | BRADENTON (FL) IMG ACADEMY | @ EAST (UT) |
| TERADJA MITCHELL | ILB | VIRGINIA BEACH (VA) BISHOP SULLIVAN | ROYAL IMPERIAL COLLEGIATE (ON) |
| K'VAUGHAN POPE | ILB | DINWIDDIE (VA) | PETERSBURG (VA) |
| DALLAS GANT | OLB | TOLEDO (OH) ST. JOHN'S JESUIT | @ LIMA SENIOR (OH) |
| SEVYN BANKS | CB | ORLANDO (FL) JONES | EUSTIS (FL) |
| MARCUS HOOKER | CB | NEW CASTLE (PA) | @ RINGGOLD (PA) |
| JOSH PROCTOR | S | OWASSO (OK) | @ NORTH NORMAN (OK) |
| JAIDEN WOODBEY | S | BELLFLOWER (CA) ST. JOHN BOSCO | SANTA MARGARITA (CA) |
| name | pos | high school | opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOUG NESTER | OT | HUNTINGTON (WV) SPRING VALLEY | @ CAPITAL (WV) |
I'm taking advantage of Ohio State's open week, so I'll be Virginia Beach this evening to watch and take photos of Mitchell. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
And, as always, stay tuned to Eleven Warriors on Sunday morning for the Supreme '18 Tracker, which will recap the weekend's events.
