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.
PUTTING ALL THE EGGS IN ONE BASKET
Houston St. Pius X four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell arrived on campus this morning for his highly anticipated official visit. He’s joined by his parents, Chris and Julie.
The 6-foot-6, 222-pound Gunnell — considered the third-best pro-style quarterback and No. 96 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 — is without a doubt Ohio State’s top target at the position, and it should go without saying the staff will push extremely hard for his commitment this weekend.
Head coach Urban Meyer has discussed at length the lack of depth in this year’s quarterback class, and the options at the position have dwindled during the spring as those with offers like North Carolina four-star Sam Howell (Florida State), Texas four-star Grant Tisdale (Ole Miss), Iowa four-star Max Duggan (TCU) and Maryland three-star Jalon Jones (Florida) have pledged their services elsewhere.
If all goes well this weekend, Ohio State will have either locked down one of the nation’s top quarterbacks — or, at the very least, be the leader in the clubhouse as Gunnell heads toward a possible May announcement.
Sources close to Gunnell have indicated to Eleven Warriors he would like to make an announcement during the Panthers’ Spring Game next month. But with nothing set in stone, a decision could honestly come at any time.
Keep in mind, Gunnell cancelled a scheduled trip to Oklahoma State for the Cowboys’ Spring Game this weekend in order to take his official visit to Columbus. Oregon was once a trendy pick, as well, but the Ducks appear to be on the verge of landing a commitment from former Northwestern three-star pledge Cale Millen.
Sources suggest LSU might actually be the biggest threat to the Buckeyes’ chances following a pair of trips to Baton Rouge since January. The Tigers hope to get him back on campus for an official visit later this spring, but obviously a lot of that depends on what happens this weekend.
I believe Meyer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day will do everything in their power this weekend to cement Ohio State’s standing as Gunnell’s top school. And, quite honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he commits before heading home on Sunday.
However, if the Buckeyes strike out with Gunnell, landing another elite quarterback will be extremely difficult. The only other uncommitted signal caller with an offer is California four-star Jayden Daniels, but he’s never been to campus and is considered a USC lean.
The staff could certainly circle back to one of the aforementioned quarterbacks, but of course they may feel jaded since they weren’t Ohio State’s top priority from the beginning. Day has also been in contact with three-star prospects like Kettering Archbishop Alter’s Connor Bazelak and Florida’s Brian Maurer and Hayden Wolff. They're all good quarterbacks in their own right, but settling for one would certainly be a disappointment.
So, again, to say that this weekend is important for Ohio State is a vast understatement. These next two days could very well change the entire trajectory of Ohio State’s Dynasty ’19 recruiting class.
SEE YOU IN THE PLAYOFF
As expected, Malvern, Pennsylvania, Prep three-star linebacker Keith Maguire Jr. committed to Clemson this afternoon over finalists Alabama, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
100% committed! #allin pic.twitter.com/GuNbTMUMbV
— Keith Maguire Jr. (@Keith_Mag) April 27, 2018
“I've had a really good relationship with the coaches — coach [Brent Venables] and coach [Dabo] Swinney,’ Maguire told The State. “They've been really good with recruiting me and making me feel welcome there. They made sure that I knew that they really wanted me. I love the school, the facilities, the stadium. The school is great. I like the players. It was a really nice spot for me.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Maguire is considered the 34th-best outside linebacker and No. 524 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 170 tackles, three interceptions and five sacks and earned first-team all-conference honors for the Friars last season.
As I mentioned in last night’s edition of The Hurry Up, the Buckeyes were really just a footnote in Maguire’s recruitment. Though he enjoyed his first and only trip to campus last month, but the Buckeyes never really made a significant push for his pledge because they’re more interested in a number of other linebackers.
That includes Virginia five-star linebacker Brandon Smith, Lexington four-star Cade Stover, Florida four-star Rian Davis, Tennessee four-star Kane Patterson and Florida three-star Marcus Tillman Jr., all of which have been on campus this spring — one of which may soon announce his college intentions in favor of Ohio State.
GATEWAY TO COLUMBUS
Ohio State continues to hand out offers during the Spring Evaluation Period, with the latest from wide receivers coach Zach Smith going to St. Louis De Smet Jesuit four-star wideout Jordan Johnson on Thursday evening.
Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio state University!!! pic.twitter.com/7rIFkC4iQe
— Jordan Johnson (@jjohnsonj1) April 26, 2018
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Johnson is considered the 17th-best wide receiver and No. 90 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, as he hauled in 26 receptions for 650 yards and nine touchdowns for the Spartans last season. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes have made quite an impression on prospects in the Show Me State recently, landing four-star wide receivers Kamryn Babb and Cameron Brown out of Christian Brothers College last cycle (though the latter will be switching to defensive back when he arrives on campus in June).
The staff hoped to keep such a presence in the area, which is why they’ll participate in a satellite camp at Lindenwood University — about a half hour outside of St. Louis — in June. Those with offers expected to attend include Trinity Catholic’s Shammond Cooper, Teriyon “Mookie” Cooper and Marcus Washington; Cardinal Ritter’s Jameson Williams; and Parkway North’s Jalani Williams.
