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.
SOME CLARITY AT TIGHT END?
Memphis Whitehaven three-star tight end Cormontae Hamilton told Eleven Warriors he plans to take an official visit to Ohio State this fall.
“I will be setting one for one of their games,” Hamilton said.
It will mark the third time on campus for the 6-foot-1, 256-pound Hamilton, who attended the Spring Game in April and then returned via Greyhound and earned an offer during Friday Night Lights last month. He doesn’t have a date set in mind just yet, but the Tigers have an open week on their schedule in mid-October that would allow him to see the Buckeyes in action against Minnesota.
Hamilton talks almost every day with either head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson or running backs coach/area recruiter Tony Alford.
“[They tell me] they would love for me to be a Buckeye and just ask how my mom and I are,” Hamilton said.
All that said, Hamilton and West Virginia three-star Brenton Strange are both at the top of Ohio State’s priority chart at the tight end position. They’re quite different prospects, as Strange is four inches taller and 50 pounds lighter and plays receiver at the high school level. Hamilton is more of a blocking tight end, and some within the program believe he’d be a better complimentary piece to five-star freshman Jeremy Ruckert.
Neither appears set to make a decision until late in the process, but placed a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes this afternoon for Hamilton — and made Penn State my pick for Strange, since the program will likely offer him a scholarship during his unofficial visit this weekend. Expect others to follow suit.
LINEBACKER U
Ohio State four-star linebacker commits Kane Patterson and Cade Stover were named to the Butkus Award watch list on Monday afternoon. Former Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan won the award in 2014 and freshmen Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughan Pope were finalist last fall.
No. 1 on the @Tennessean #DandyDozen this season: Kane Patterson of CPA.https://t.co/G6Sc9rJ0D6 pic.twitter.com/1CgA2Bz8yy
— Tom Kreager (@Kreager) July 22, 2018
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Patterson, who committed to the Buckeyes earlier this month, was also named the top player in the Volunteer State by The Tennesseean. It marks the second-consecutive year in which an Ohio State commit took home the No. 1 spot in the newspaper’s Dandy Dozen, a collection of the 12 best high school football players in the Nashville area.
Patterson recorded 64 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception and a blocked field goal to lead the Lions to the state semifinals last fall. He also rushed for 1,003 yards and 23 touchdowns, but a torn ACL ended his season. He’s fully healed from the injury and already participating in practices ahead of his senior year.
"It's been a process," Patterson said. "It's been a grind and has taken lots of patience. I was in the prime of the football season and then something like that happens. It's just been a grind getting back. I just want to get back now. I have lots of confidence in it going into the season."
BACK ATOP THE STANDINGS
Louisville Trinity four-star defensive end Stephen Herron Jr. flipped his pledge from Michigan to Stanford on Monday afternoon, which thrust Ohio State into the top spot in the 247Sports Big Ten recruiting rankings and Top 5 nationally.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. #CardClass19 #FearTheTree pic.twitter.com/XqW0EBV3FK
— Stephen Jr. (@stephenherron_) July 23, 2018
The Wolverines entered the week one spot ahead of the Buckeyes and with 19 total commitments compared to just 14, but dropped to ninth nationally with Herron’s decision. Ohio State now trails only Alabama (20), Texas A&M (22), Oklahoma (16) and LSU (18) in the composite team rankings, as well.
The Buckeyes obviously have a chance to rise in the standings sooner rather than later, with St. Louis four-star wide receiver Marcus Washington (Aug. 7) and Texas three-star cornerback Peyton Powell (Aug. 13) set to announce their college decisions in the next few weeks. Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison is also expected to choose among Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State by Aug. 14, though he’s previously indicated he’ll hold off if he’s not 100 percent sold on a school — and sources have told Eleven Warriors he’s likely to delay until late in the process.
Herron’s decision is an interesting development on the Harrison front, given he’d been Michigan’s most-active recruiter. In fact, the two spent a considerable amount of time together at The Opening Finals in Dallas earlier this month.
Furthermore, Herron is considered the fifth-best weak-side defensive end and No. 86 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, and was the second-highest ranked pledge in Michigan’s class behind Georgia five-star defensive end Chris Hinton.
