Observations From Ohio State's Final One-Day Camp of the Summer

Ohio State hosted its final one-day camp of the summer on Saturday afternoon… and boy, was it hot.

Temperatures reached the lower 90s with a heat index approaching 100 degrees, but that only added to the intensity of one-on-one battles throughout the day — most notably when the offensive and defensive linemen came together for the "Final Five" challenge right before lunch.

North Carolina three-star Terrell Dawkins (2019) and Cincinnati Princeton four-star defensive end Darrion Henry (2020) seemingly won rep after rep, backing up why they’re among (or will be among) the most sought-after prospects in their respective classes. Erasmus Hall’s Jahzion Harris (2021) was also in attendance, but was limited to individual drills as he nurses a shoulder injury.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Dawkins actually arrived on Friday afternoon and attended the Buckeyes’ job fair that evening alongside defensive line coach Larry Johnson. He’s certainly needs to add weight in college, but his get-off as a pass rusher and hand technique were both very impressive.

Henry, meanwhile, looks every bit the part of an elite college defensive lineman at 6-foot-6 and 260-pounds despite the fact that he’s only going into his junior year of high school. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops physically over the few years and if he’ll slide inside as a result, but there’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be a must-get prospect for Ohio State at either position.

Harris, last but not least, is still raw from a playing-time standpoint, but has frame — 6-foot-4 and a lean-but-ripped 198 pounds — to pack on the muscle over the next three-plus years. He is from the same high school as former Ohio State H-Back Curtis Samuel and current Buckeyes Jahsen Wint and Matthew Jones, so there’s no doubt the program has an early lead in his recruitment following an offer this spring.

Henry’s teammate and classmate, four-star linebacker Jaheim Thomas, is also someone who I think develops into one of the top-rated prospects in the state over the next two years. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder displayed his athleticism in individual drills and blanketed running backs in one-on-one drills. Thomas is only 15 years old and wears a size 15 shoe, so I’d wager he’s only going to continue to grow. If that happens, he might also find his hand in the dirt at the next level.

Another linebacker who had an impressive showing was Reynoldsburg three-star Dezman Cooper. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he has the size and frame of a prototypical outside linebacker. He’s an introverted kid who doesn’t get too high after a big play or too low after a missed assignment, but rather just picks himself back up and goes even harder the next rep — which I personally respect a ton. 

Cooper is the nephew of former Ohio State linebacker Joe Cooper, and an offer from the Buckeyes is something he covets above all else. It appears the program is in wait-and-see mode as they chase higher-rated out-of-state linebackers, though.

Cooper and Thomas were often matched up against Arizona four-star running back Darvon Hubbard in one-on-one drills. The Akron native showed excellent burst and open-field ability as a runner, but struggled a bit catching the ball downfield. Hubbard — who is currently the teammate of four-star quarterback target Jack Miller III — spent valuable time learning from running backs coach Tony Alford, I anticipate Ohio State will offer him a scholarship when he returns for Friday Night Lights next week.

Detroit Martin Luther King three-star running back Peny Boone was without a doubt the most physically imposing running back, standing a muscular 6-foot-2 and 210-pounds. He made linebackers look silly in one-on-one drills with his ability to cut on a dime and displayed excellent hands when he was asked to catch the ball out of the backfield. Only a rising junior, I get the sense that Boone’s recruitment is really going to take off in the next few months.

The biggest storyline of the day, no doubt, was Fairfield three-star tight end Erick All Jr.'s quest to land an offer from Ohio State. It didn’t happen, mostly because the staff wants to see him add weight and hold onto it over the next few months. He’s a very lean 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson would prefer him to add about 15-20 pounds to that.

All is a great receiver with strong hands, but I’m not entirely certain he has the frame to hold the weight to block elite college linebackers and defensive ends. That said, All is not close to making a decision on his future, which means he has plenty of time to dedicate himself to the weight room and prove any doubters wrong.