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.
TAKING IT SLOW
Ohio State is set to host a handful of prospects on official visits this weekend, with the most notable being Georgia four-star center Harry Miller and Texas four-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Just don’t expect that list to ever hit double digits, as head coach Urban Meyer has repeatedly said the Buckeyes will be more selective in their approach, only allowing those close to a decision to visit campus in an official capacity.
He reiterated that point during the Big Ten Spring Teleconference on Wednesday afternoon.
“We don’t want to have people visit that aren’t going to decide until next December or next January,” Meyer said. “That’s too long to hold someone, so we’re being very selective. It’s going to be interesting though. This is all new for everybody.”
Once the Buckeyes wrap up spring practice with the annual scrimmage on Saturday, Meyer acknowledged they can put a little more time and effort into lining up official visits for prospects who hope to make a decision this summer. After all, rising seniors are still allowed to take official visits through the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June — which is June 24th this year.
“We’ll have more time to really concentrate on that after the spring game,” Meyer said. “But it’s going to be interesting, and I think timing’s going to be of essence. That means that, if you’re going to make an early decision, we’ll consider an early visit.”
With that said, Houston St. Pius X four-star wide receiver Jalen “Boobie” Curry has told Eleven Warriors he will no longer be in attendance this weekend. He plans to return for an official visit this fall before making a decision closer to the Early Signing Period.
The same can be said for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas four-star safety Jordan Battle, whose father told Rivals’ Marc Givler they also won’t make the trip to Columbus. He’s not particularly close to a decision, either, though sources have indicated he might have made the call this weekend had the staff pushed for a commitment.
Though the Spring Game visitor list is not what we’ve come to expect from Ohio State, I don’t think it’s cause for concern. The staff is simply being judicious in who it invites to campus, and it’s smart for them to be able to focus all of their attention on Miller and Wilson — or those on an unofficial visit who could make a decision sooner rather than later, like Mentor four-star defensive end Noah Potter or New Jersey four-star athlete “Rocket” Ronnie Hickman.
Otherwise, you’ll have prospects from all corners of the country taking an official visit with no decision in sight, only for them to forget the entire experience by the time one rolls around. And with only 56 official visits allowed per school each cycle, it’s wise to hold onto them until later in the process anyway.
DEAL OR NO DEAL
Along those same lines, Greenwood, South Carolina, Emerald three-star tight end Luke Deal told Eleven Warriors he’ll make his first trip to Ohio State for an official visit the weekend of April 20.
"[I'm looking forward to] getting a feel for the atmosphere and spending time with the players and coaches," Deal said.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Deal is considered the 19th-best tight end and No. 492 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, though he caught just six passes for 139 yards and four touchdowns for the Vikings last season. He’s been deemed one of the best blocking tight ends in the country by his coach and various scouting services, though, and holds more than a dozen offers from program such as Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, North Carolina State and USC.
Deal has mostly been in contact with offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, but Meyer was the one who extended an offer over the phone in early March.
"It's one of the top programs in the nation. It means so much to me to receive an offer. I'm really interested in the Buckeyes,” Deal said at the time. "[I think] my physicality up front and my ability to go out and be a threat in the passing game [stands out to them]."
Deal, who already took an official visit to Raleigh earlier this month, will visit Ann Arbor this weekend, South Bend April 16-18 and Auburn April 27-29. He then plans to make a decision on May 25.
DARE I MENTION DARREN SPROLES?
As we’ve detailed at length over the last few weeks, Ohio State has welcomed dozens of prospects to campus to watch spring practice. Among them, Frankfort, Kentucky, Western Hills three-star running back Wandale Robinson, who was at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Friday.
Had an amazing time at Ohio State today! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/mFOeOb3BH0
— Wandale Robinson (@robinson__era) April 6, 2018
“The visit was great,” Robinson told Eleven Warriors. “The atmosphere of practice was much more different than anywhere else I’ve been.”
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Robinson is considered the eighth-best all-purpose back and No. 732 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he’s rushed for 4,822 yards and 67 touchdowns in his three-year varsity career with the Wolverines. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest.
Robinson — whose father played collegiately at Western Kentucky — spent time with Meyer and running backs coach Tony Alford.
“They need someone who could come in and help them in the return game,” Robinson said, noting the staff also feels he could flourish on offense in the H-Back role. He hopes to return to campus for an official visit this fall, and in the meantime, just wants to get to know the staff better.
“[Meyer] told me he and I just have to develop a relationship since he doesn’t know me very well and he didn’t want to just throw me an offer and it not mean something,” Robinson said. “It would mean a lot [if he did offer], especially with coach Meyer being my favorite coach as I was growing up.”
DIFFERING OPINIONS
Shortly before Clayton Northmont three-star defensive end Gabe Newburg committed to Michigan — his dream school — he told Eleven Warriors the opportunity to be coached by Meyer and defensive line coach Larry Johnson was intriguing.
He went into a visit earlier this month with an open mind, hoping that the staff would offer him a scholarship. And if they did, the Buckeyes would be right in the thick of his recruitment. Meyer asked him to be patient with the process, though, and Newburg pledged his services to the Wolverines shortly thereafter.
“[Meyer] said he was very close on an offer with me. He kept talking about how much he liked me, even though I’m a Michigan fan. We’d talk and then he’d look at his assistants and say, ‘I like this kid.’ He said that a few times,” Newburg said. “For me, when I find that right place and feel in my heart it’s the right decision, I’m gonna commit. I’m not waiting on anyone.”
Newburg’s teammate — three-star linebacker Jestin Jacobs — is in a similar spot, and the two made the trek to campus together.
“It was a good visit,” Jacobs told Eleven Warriors. “I loved the atmosphere and coaches.”
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Jacobs is considered the 34th-best outside linebacker and No. 512 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 74 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, six pass break ups, four sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception to lead the Thunderbolts to the state playoffs last season. He holds nearly two dozen offers from programs such as Cincinnati, Duke, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Purdue, but he’s repeatedly said Ohio State is his dream school.
Jacobs — who attended a one-day camp last summer — sat down with Meyer and linebackers coach Bill Davis. They once again preached patience, with the hope that he’ll come back and earn an offer with a strong performance in June. Jacobs hasn’t yet decided if he’ll attend another camp, but like most in-state prospects who grew up dreaming of playing for the Buckeyes, he’s at least taking it into consideration.
“I have a lot of offers and school have recognized how I could help their programs,” Jacobs said, “[but] I would consider it because it would be a dream offer.”
