The Hurry Up: Proposal Would Allow Instant Transfers Following Coaching Change While Lyndhurst Brush Cornerback Lloyd McFarquhar Adds to Ohio State's Walk-On Program

By Andrew Lind on January 30, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Lloyd McFarquhar
Lloyd McFarquhar
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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.

COLLEGE FREE AGENCY

As reported by CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd on Tuesday, a proposal that would allow student-athletes to transfer schools without restriction if their coach is fired or leaves for another job — or in the event of a postseason ban — is gaining popularity. The only stipulation attached is the players would not be allowed to follow their coach to his new job.

It's important to remember this proposal, authored by faculty members at Baylor and Iowa State, is merely that. The Division I Transfer Working Group is expected to pass new legislation this June to change the current rules in some capacity, but this proposal is reportedly receiving the most support.

“Basically, we're saying kids can go anywhere they want,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said. “For the first time ever in college athletics, the student-athlete is empowered.”

On one hand, that's absolutely true. In a business where we see college coaches leave for another higher-paying job all the time, it's only fair for players to be able to do the same in such a situation. After all, the reality of the situation is that most elite recruits sign on to play for the head coach, not because they grew up rooting for the program or because the university offers their specific major.

If this rule were in place right now, you could bet your bottom dollar coaches from every program in the country — including Ohio State — would have been at Florida State the day after Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M to recruit players like former five-star running back Cam Akers or defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. The Buckeyes were, after all, in the running for their services the first time around.

Why not, in the same way the Buckeyes landed a signature last month from JUCO transfer Antwuan Jackson Jr., rely upon those already established relationships to add to your team? These players have already seen the field, so they're more likely to contribute right away than an incoming recruit, too.

Fro the more than 20 programs to either fire their coach or saw him leave for another job, I've identified several players I believe fit that bill. They include Nebraska wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey, Tennessee offensive tackle, Texas A&M linebacker Anthony Hines and UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes.

On the other hand, the proposal will create a meat market for college coaches, as entire rosters will be made available to be picked apart by the nation's best programs. It'll strengthen premier programs with coaching stability like Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma, while setting those above-mentioned programs back several years if they don't address their coaching changes quickly enough — and that's only going to mean more mistakes and an even wilder coaching carousel than the one we saw this offseason.

Furthermore, how much leverage would a head coach with a job offer from another school have over his current employer, knowing they'd likely have to replace an entire coaching staff and watch their best players essentially become free agents? Athletic directors, boosters and fans of struggling programs would surely be forced show more patience, while Group of 5 programs like UCF might be forced to pony up some extra cash to keep their coach and sustain their program's current success.

“There's holes in it. There will always be,” Pollard said, “but it's the best thing I've seen out there so far. It's a lot better than where we are heading."

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Ohio State assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges has been on a roll recently, as he's landed commitments from three preferred walk-on prospects in the last four days. On Monday night, it was Lyndhurst Brush defensive back Lloyd McFarquhar who announced his decision to become a Buckeye.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound McFarquhar almost immediately accepted the offer when Hodges called a little under two weeks ago, but wanted to first make sure he visited campus in a recruiting capacity and received a strong financial aid package before making a final decision. He also held a scholarship offer from Division II Notre Dame College of Ohio.

“It was great. When I got there, I knew that was a place I can call home,” McFarquhar told Eleven Warriors. “I'm proud to call myself a Buckeye.”

McFarquhar — who finished his senior season with the Arcs with 17 tackles, 12 pass break ups and four interceptions to be named a Western Reserve Conference scholar athlete — becomes the 12th player to accept a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State.

He'll join Dublin Jerome athlete Robert Cope and linebacker Cade Kacherski; Big Walnut linebacker Abe Myers; Piqua linebacker Ben Schmiesing; Berlin Center Western Reserve linebacker Jack Cappabianca; Mason defensive tackle Zaid Hamdan; Bedford wide receiver Davion Johnson; Worthington Kilbourne long snapper Roen McCullough; Massillon Washington wide receiver Austin Kutscher; Cincinnati Summit Country Day School wide receiver Xavier Johnson; and Arizona wide receiver Luke Donovan on campus this summer.

CATCHING UP

With nearly every position but offensive tackle addressed and only four or so prospects left on the board for this recruiting cycle, Ohio State's staff has spent a good portion of January evaluting future classes.

In fact, the assistants who aren't involved with five-star offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, four-star linebacker Christopher Oats, four-star defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste and three-star running back Tavion Thomas have seemingly been on the road every day this month and have handed out more than a dozen new offers since Friday.

That said, let's catch you all up.

ST. LOUIS PARKWAY NORTH FOUR-STAR SAFETY JALANI WILLIAMS

The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Williams is considered the 15th-best safety and No. 240 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 61 tackles and two interceptions for the Vikings this season and was a unanimous first-team all-state selection. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Arkansas, Louisville, Michigan Sate, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA and Wisconsin.

KINGSLAND, GEORGIA, CAMDEN COUNTY OFFENSIE TACKLE MICAH MORRIS

On Friday, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound Morris became only the second prospect from the Class of 2021 to pick up an offer from the Buckeyes, joining Houston offensive tackle Donovan Jackson. He also holds early offers from Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

AVON, CONNECTICUT, OLD FARMS FOUR-STAR ATHLETE MARQUIS WILSON

The 6-foot, 165-pound Wilson is considered the 43rd-best athlete and No. 456 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as scouting services are unclear if he should play wide receiver or defensive back at the next level. He was named first-team all-state at wideout as a junior at Windsor, then decided to delay his graduation one year and transferred to Old Farms, where he garnered the same honor at safety last season.

Wilson holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, UConn and Virginia Tech.

AUBURNDALE, FLORIDA, SENIOR DEFENSIVE END LLOYD SUMMERALL III

The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Summerall has the offers that would reflect a player who is among the top-rated prospects in the Class of 2019, but is somehow not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites. He recorded 34 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks for the Bloodhounds last season, and currently holds offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Nebrasaka, Tennessee and UCF.

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, PULASKI ACADEMY FOUR-STAR TIGHT END HUDSON HENRY

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Henry is considered the top-rated tight end and No. 34 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he hauled in 72 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Bruins last season. He holds 14 offers from programs such as Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford and Texas, but his father and two older brothers played for the Razorbacks.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, ISLANDS FOUR-STAR LINEBACKER KALEN DELOACH

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Deloach is considered the 15th-best outside linebacker and No. 188 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 156 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks and two interceptions for the Sharks and was named the region's defensive player of the year. He holds offers from Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.

WASHINGTON D.C. FOUR-STAR LINEBACKER MEKHAIL SHERMAN

The 6-foot-3, 234-pound Sherman is considered the fifth-best outside linebacker and No. 51 prospect overall in the Class of 2020. He holds double-digit offers from programs such as Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and Virginia.

HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND, DEMATHA CATHOLIC FOUR-STAR RUNNING BACK MARSHAWN LLOYD

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Lloyd is considered the top-rated running back and No. 9 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, despite the fact that he missed most of the season with a wrist injury that required surgery. He returned for two games late in the season and rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns for the Stags.

Lloyd holds double-digit offers from programs such as Boston College, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia Tech. 

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, THREE-STAR WIDE RECEIVER CRAIG YOUNG

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Young is considered the 84th-best receiver and No. 574 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he made 29 catches for 367 yards and four touchdowns for the Generals last season. He holds offers from Central Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Purdue, Toledo and Wisconsin.

ROXBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, PERSON THREE-STAR DEFENSIVE TACKLE JOSHUA HARRIS

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Harris is considered the 25th-best defensive tackle and No. 429 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds a dozen offers from programs such as Duke, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, PROVIDENCE LINEBACKER OSITA EKWONU

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Ekwonu is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but that will certainly change when scouting services shift their focus to the Class of 2019. He recorded 45 total tackles on defense and rushed for 341 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 carries in eight games this season, and holds offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte, Duke, North Carolina, Penn State, Syracuse and Wake Forest. 

I plan to have interviews with each throughout the week, so stay tuned for that.

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