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.
GET YOU A MAN WHO CAN DO BOTH
Ohio State’s search for a quarterback in the current cycle has been highly publicized, but head coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day have put a ton of emphasis this spring on next year’s class, as well.
They’re even getting creative in their search, too, as the Buckeyes offered a scholarship on Thursday evening to Minneapolis Minnehaha Academy Upper School three-star quarterback Jalen Suggs — who most in the recruiting world know as a highly sought-after five-star point guard.
Blessed beyond measures to receive a scholarship from THE Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/SQvQCvvDV9
— Jalen Suggs (@JalenSuggs2020) May 18, 2018
“This offer is huge. It means a whole lot,” Suggs told Eleven Warriors. “This is a program that was one of my favorites growing up as a kid, and dreaming of this day becoming a reality is truly a blessing. It’s an honor that coach [Urban] Meyer and coach [Ryan] Day like my game and believe in me so much that they’re willing to pay for my college education.”
The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Suggs is considered the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback and No. 251 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, as he threw for 1,195 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 307 yards and 10 more scores to lead the Wolfpack to the state playoffs last fall.
“They were very impressed [with what they saw on tape],” Suggs said. “The words coach Meyer used to describe me were shocking. He honestly left me speechless. He told me that my ability to make plays was outstanding. Along with my throws in the pocket, rolling out really caught his eye. [He said] that I’m one of a kind, a lot like J.T. Barrett. He was honest, let me know what it would be like, how things go and that Ohio State was the place to be if I wanted to be great. Ever since that call, I’ve felt like we have a special relationship and one I’m excited to see where it leads.”
Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Nebraska have also offered Suggs a chance to play football at the next level, but most believe his future is in basketball. He’s averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game in his three-year varsity career on the hardwood, and was a member of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship last summer.
Suggs also holds nearly a dozen basketball offers from schools like Arizona State, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Marquette, UCLA and Wake Forest, but is still unsure which route he’ll take in college. Maybe he’ll have the opportunity to play both sports.
“Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy them both the most I can and continue to grow and become better every day at each sport. I’ve done both all my life, and if the opportunity presents itself and it all works out, then playing both sports would be preferable,” he said, noting Ohio State basketball head coach Chris Holtmann has been in contact but has not yet offered him a scholarship on the hardwood. “I feel like that will change with this offer, though.”
Suggs — whose second cousin is Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs — is planning to visit campus for the first time next Tuesday and Wednesday, though he’s still ironing out the exact details.
LOOKS THE PART
Though Illinois is the overwhelming favorite to land Chicago Phillips Academy four-star tight end Jahleel Billingsley, Ohio State offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson paid him a visit on Thursday afternoon. It was another prospect who caught his eye, though.
After Wilson watched the Wildcats work out, he ended up offering a scholarship to one of Billingsley’s teammates, defensive tackle Dominic Bass.
Extremely blessed to say that I have received my 12th offer from The Ohio State University! #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/CsPlEzP5c7
— Dominic Bass (@dominic_bass) May 18, 2018
“It means a lot,” Bass told Eleven Warriors. “They are really a big-time program and I have honored to receive an offer from them.”
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound freshman is not ranked by any major recruiting outlets, but physically looks like grown man. He already holds nearly a dozen offers from programs such as Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss and West Virginia after he helped anchor a defense that allows just seven points per game and pitched five shutouts last season.
“I think he can see from my film that I am a very physical defensive lineman, and — at the workouts — he could see that I am able to move well,” Bass said.
The Buckeyes were one of Bass’ favorite teams growing up, and he’s looking forward to visiting campus for the first time sooner rather than later.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Though May has been rather quiet in terms of announcements for Ohio State targets, there will be an uptick in the month of June.
I will be committing June 8th at Oscar Smith High School ! (Time: TBD) pic.twitter.com/r5JHtIposo
— Cam'Ron Kelly (@CamRonJKelly) May 16, 2018
Chesapeake, Virginia, Oscar Smith four-star cornerback Cam’Ron Kelly will make his college decision on June 8. He’ll choose among a Top 8 of Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Virginia and Washington State.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Kelly has been to campus twice, most recently for an unofficial visit in early February. The Nittany Lions are considered the favorite in his recruitment, though, and that’s unlikely to change unless he takes an official visit to Columbus in the next two weeks.
6/16/18
— Hakeem Beamon (@hakeem_beamon) May 16, 2018
Another Virginian, Chesterfield Lloyd C. Bird four-star defensive end Hakeem Beamon, will make his college announcement on June 16. He’ll decide among more than a dozen offers from programs such as Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The 6-foot-4, 254-pound Beamon visited Columbus for the first and only time last month, after which he said the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide were his Top 2.
“[The Buckeyes] are there because of the strength of their program, the support system and opportunities coach Meyer offers,” he told Eleven Warriors. “The staff seems genuine. Coach Johnson is a legend [and] I know that he could develop me and help me to be my best.”
That said, it’s actually the home-state Hokies are the perceived favorite at this time. Ohio State may take just one more defensive end this cycle, and Beamon certainly falls behind Olentangy Orange five-star Zach Harrison on the staff’s list of priorities.
