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.
WILL THERE BE A GAME TO WATCH?
Provided the Spring Game is not cancelled or rescheduled, Ohio State will welcome Griffin, Georgia, Spalding four-star wide receiver Zion Puckett to campus on Saturday. He’ll be joined on the trip by his mother.
“I’m mainly looking forward to having a good time and bonding with players and coaches,” Puckett told Eleven Warriors. “[I also want to] see the school and academic area.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Puckett is considered the 36th-best wide receiver and No. 210 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he hauled in 36 receptions for 660 yards and five touchdowns for the Jaguars last season. He holds two dozen offers from programs such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Stanford, Texas A&M and UCF.
The Buckeyes offered Puckett a scholarship back in early February, and he’s maintained contact with head coach Urban Meyer, wide receivers coach Zach Smith, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Alex Grinch in the months since.
“It’s mind-blowing to be able to get recruited by some of the best coaches in the country and maybe get a chance to play there some day,” he said.
Puckett plans to narrow his list of offers down to a Top 10 during the late summer or early fall and then decide on a school at the end of his senior year. That said, Ohio State can certainly put itself in the running for an official visit with a strong first impression this weekend.
ANI, ARE YOU OKAY?
When my colleague Andrew Ellis and I made our way-too-early predictions for Ohio State’s 2019 recruiting class, I mentioned Nashville Davison Academy four-star Ani Izuchukwu as one of three defensive ends who I expected the staff to take this cycle.
The Buckeyes offered the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Izuchukwu last April, and he built a strong relationship with running backs coach/area recruiter Tony Alford and defensive line coach Larry Johnson in the meantime. A visit for Friday Night Lights last summer and return trip for the win over Maryland in the fall had Ohio State squarely in his Top 3 alongside Alabama and South Carolina — with most believing his recruitment to be a two-horse race between the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide.
Neither program pushed for his commitment, which allowed Mississippi State and new head coach Joe Moorhead to make a move. And on Wednesday evening, Izuchukwu pledged his services to the Bulldogs. It’s their fourth commitment in the last eight days.
Yall click on this link https://t.co/VkPOa2nBaY 2 watch me make my decision. I told coach Moorhead that king is home and he said, welcome home king am fully committed to Mississippi State University #HailState @HailStateFB @HailStateFB @msstate @HailState @HailStateMBK pic.twitter.com/faXqwoTv0X
— King Ani: Alpha Male (@izuchukwuani12) April 12, 2018
"I just really love the coaches and the players there, and I feel I fit in there," Izuchukwu told 247Sports. "I think they are great people to be around. I know people come and go but I believe their program is good for me. The head coach, Coach Moorhead, is great and I got to see how he talks to his players and the way his coaches talk to their players. That really stands out to me."
Ohio State is only expected to take two defensive ends this cycle, with Olentangy Orange five-star Zach Harrison and Mentor four-star Noah Potter at the top of the priority chart. Izuchukwu plans to enroll in college early, so he wasn’t going to wait around to see if the Buckeyes had room for him in the class.
JEREMY RUCKERT AND MICHAEL MAYER ON OPPOSITE SIDES :SCREAMS:
Earlier this week, Ohio State hosted and subsequently offered a scholarship to Park Hills, Kentucky, Covington Catholic four-star tight end Michael Mayer.
Very excited and grateful to say I have received an offer from THE Ohio State University!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/RrKxOdwIV3
— Michael Mayer (@MMayer1001) April 9, 2018
“I had an awesome visit,” Mayer told Eleven Warriors. “I got to spend good time with the coaches.”
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Mayer is considered the fifth-best tight end and No. 225 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, as he hauled in 14 receptions for 235 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Colonels to the state championship last fall. He now holds a dozen offers from programs such as Alabama, Cincinnati, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.
This marked Mayer’s first time in Columbus in a recruiting capacity, so he watched practice and got a tour of the campus facilities and student-athlete dorm rooms and apartments. He also — as mentioned — got a considerable amount of one-on-one time with Meyer and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson.
“They both preached to not get a big head,” Mayer said. “Always stay focused an just grind it out. Coach Wilson especially preaches just to stay a great young man and do the right thing.”
The Fighting Irish are a trendy pick for any prospect who attends a Catholic school, while the Crimson Tide have the family connection since Mayer’s sister went to school in Tuscaloosa. But the Buckeyes aren’t certain to get a tight end this cycle and Mayer — who plans to return to campus sometime this summer — will be their top option next year, which is why I placed my 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the program this afternoon.
PENN STATE'S SATELLITE CAMPUS
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, three-star linebacker Andre’ White Jr. will also make the trip to Columbus on Saturday.
“I’ll be up for the Spring Game this weekend,” White told Eleven Warriors. “[I’m] looking forward to it.”
The 6-foot-3, 217-pound White is considered the 58th-best outside linebacker and No. 826 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 87 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, three sacks and one interception to help the Cougars to the state championship game last fall. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Boston College, Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, USC and West Virginia.
Most prognosticators have pegged White to follow in the footsteps of his former teammate, five-star defensive end Micah Parsons, to State College. But Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson is doing his best to keep White from ending up with the Nittany Lions. The two talk frequently, and I anticipate Ohio State will extend an offer this weekend.
