The Hurry Up: Ohio State Moves On From Dayton Dunbar Running Back Tavion Thomas While New Jersey Athlete Ronnie Hickman Recaps Weekend Visit

By Andrew Lind on February 4, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Ronnie Hickman
Ronnie Hickman
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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.

RECRUITING REMAINS FLUID

Over the last month, we've talked about a number of prospects who seemed like a shoo-in for Ohio State and then — for one reason or another — quickly trend away: New Jersey four-star defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Texas three-star athlete Maurice Washington III and Cincinnati Winton Woods four-star linebacker Christopher Oats, just to name a few.

You can now add Dayton Dunbar three-star running back Tavion Thomas to that list.

Following a one-on-one visit with Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and subsequent decommitment from Oklahoma, it was widely assumed Thomas was going to end up with the Buckeyes. He was expected to take an official visit this weekend, and — let's be honest — that doesn't happen this late in the process without that being the plan.

However, after further deliberation throughout the week, sources told Eleven Warriors Ohio State asked Thomas not to come to Columbus following his basketball game on Saturday night. Taking into consideration his academic issues and the fact the Buckeyes signed three running backs last month, the staff decided it was best to walk away from the situation altogether.

Make no mistake, Thomas wanted to play at Ohio State, but his grades were a big reason the staff passed on him the first time around and why he didn't fax his letter of intent to the Sooners during the Early Signing Period. A year at junior college or prep school was an option, but the Buckeyes — already over the scholarship limit — were ultimately forced to decide whether or not they wanted to accept a commitment from a prospect who might not qualify.

All that said, Thomas still included Ohio State in his Top 4 on Sunday afternoon alongside Cincinnati, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Given the information I stated above and the fact that he's never been to Knoxville, it's clear he won't end up with the Buckeyes, Sooners or Volunteers.

That leaves the Bearcats, who received an official visit from Thomas two weekends ago. So long as he's in good academic standing, it'll be a big pick up for head coach Luke Fickell, who has put together a very strong recruiting class in his first full recruiting cycle.

ANOTHER VISIT SHOULD DO IT

Though the staff spent a considerable among of time this weekend hoping to put the finishing touches on the current recruiting class, Ohio State also hosted a number of top underclassmen including Wayne, New Jersey, DePaul Catholic four-star athlete “Rocket” Ronnie Hickman.

“The visit went great,” Hickman told Eleven Warriors. “I really got to see everything I needed to see. All my questions were answered.”

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Hickman is considered the 11th-best athlete and No. 107 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he hauled in 44 receptions for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns to help the Spartans to the state championship last fall. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Penn State.

This marked Hickman's fifth time on campus, his most recent trip for the Buckeyes' 39-38 win over Penn State in late October. He spent a considerable amount of time with Meyer, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and defensive assistant Alex Grinch, who he met for the first time.

“I got to see how [Grinch] coaches the game and who he really is,” Hickman said. “I think he's a great guy and a great coach.”

Ohio State is considered the favorite in Hickman's recruitment — and I placed my 247Sports Crystal Ball predicition in favor of the Buckeyes shortly after the staff offered him a scholarship last April — but he's not ready to make a decision on his future just yet, though he did admit he's getting closer.

“[The biggest factors will be] how comfortable I feel at the school and he opportunities the school has to offer on the field and off,” Hickman said.”

ROOTING FOR THIS KID

Ohio State also welcomed a pair of very talented juniors from Chesapeake, Virginia, to campus for an unofficial visit this weekend in Oscar Smith four-star cornerback Cam'Ron Kelly and wide receiver Kenny Etheridge.

“It was phenomenal,” Etheridge told Eleven Warriors. “[I enjoyed] learning about how their program works and all the behind the scenes things the public doesn't see was just amazing.”

The 5-foot-8, 155-pound Etheridge is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites, but has garned considerable interest from programs like East Carolina, James Madision, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech and William & Mary after helping the Tigers to the state championship last season. Playing alongside an elite talent like Kelly and for one of the commonwealth's best programs led to this weekend's visit.

“He is like a brother,” Etheridge said. “It's opened a lot of doors. It's so amazing how God can work in many ways.”

While on campus, the two spent time with Meyer, defensive assistant Alex Grinch and recruiting coordinator Justin Perez.

“[They're] supposed to watch my film this week,” Etheridge said, noting how his small stature has been a bit of a disadvantage in his recruitment. “But that's not going to define my future. I promise you.”

ANOTHER ONE *DJ KHALED VOICE*

St. Ignatius offensive lineman Jack Jamieson became the latest in-state prospects to accept a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State, as he announced his commitment to the program on Saturday evening.

“The thing that made it so appealing to me was the [program's] sustained success at the highest level of competition,” Jamieson told Eleven Warriors. “A lot of that is due to coach Meyer, which was also a big part of my decision. The success that he has had in Columbus on the field and helping the players off is very admirable.”

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Jamieson — who chose this opportunity with the Buckeyes over a scholarship offer from Ohio Dominican — is a two-time captain for the defending state finalist Wildcats.

“I think that they want guys with the winning mentality,” Jamieson said. “Coming from Ignatius and the program we have here, they know that they will get a guy who will work and wants to win.”

Jamieson becomes the 13th senior to accept a walk-on offer from Ohio State this recruiting cycle. 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; Lyndhurst Brush cornerback Lloyd McFarquhar; and Arizona wide receiver Luke Donovan on campus this summer.

A BRIEF NOTE

This evening, I switched my 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction from Ohio State to Penn State for Maryland four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.

Despite an opportunity for early playing time and the opportunities that come along with the Buckeyes' Real Life Wednesday program, sources close to Walker indicated to Eleven Warriors his — and his family's — relationship with head coach James Franklin gives the Nittany Lions the advantage in his recruitment.

There was a lot of confidence on Ohio State's side following his official visit two weekends ago, and Meyer's in-home visit with Walker last Wednesday went well. But it was always an uphill battle for the Buckeyes, and now Tampa five-star Nicholas Petit-Frere — who I'm told remains on his official visit as of this writing — is their last chance to address the glaring need at offensive tackle this cycle.

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