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.
BRESEE RETURNING TO CAMPUS
When No. 4 Ohio State welcomes Tulane to Ohio Stadium this weekend, the Buckeyes will have the nation's top-rated recruit in the class of 2020 in attendance. Bryan Bresee, out of Damascus, Maryland, tweeted Monday that he'd be in Columbus to make an unofficial visit.
Bresee, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound five-star defensive end, is already drawing comparisons to the Bosas. He's being recruited by Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson and has offers on the table from the Buckeyes, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn, etc.
Ohio State this weekend! #OH
— Bryan Bresee (@bryan_bresee) September 17, 2018
Damascus was 14-0 in 2017 and won Maryland's Class 2A state championship by a 31-7 final. Crystal ball predictions say Ohio State has a 62 percent chance at landing Bresee, followed by Penn State at 25 percent and Maryland at 12 percent.
While the Buckeyes and Bresee's relationship appears to still be warm, the defensive end has also scheduled unofficial visits to Penn State on Sept. 29 — when the Nittany Lions host Ohio State — and Georgia on Nov. 10. It's still early, but this one seems likely to come down to the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, and Bulldogs. James Franklin and Kirby Smart have been surging of late, so getting the five-star back on campus is big news.
As with any player at the position – and especially one in the DMV – Johnson's efforts always give the Buckeyes a shot.
COMMITS BASKING IN TCU WIN
If you weren't sure of Saturday's final score, Garrett Wilson is here to give you a reminder.
The Buckeyes' top-rated 2019 commit from Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas reiterated Ohio State's win after the game. Wilson is currently the No. 2 ranked wide receiver in the nation, according to the composite rankings, trailing only Jadon Haselwood; a Bulldog pledge out of Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia.
Just in case yall were unsure. 40-28
— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) September 16, 2018
Wilson's good friend Elijah Higgins, a four-star receiver out of Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, is also an Ohio State target. He was in Austin Saturday for Texas' 37-14 win over USC. Florida and Stanford appear to be the favorites, but we'll see how Brian Hartline moves forward with receiver recruiting.
Speaking of Ohio State's win over TCU, Dallas Jesuit running back EJ Smith was at Jerry World to see the victory in person. The Buckeyes have made an offer to Smith but many believe that he'll follow his father Emmitt's footsteps and become a Florida Gator.
Ohio State target Peyton Powell, a four-star athlete from Permian, Texas, was also in attendance. The Buckeyes have been fading fast for the cornerback target and it's still looking like the Sooners are in the best spot. He was set to decide last month but the Oklahoma offer – and potentially the turmoil in Columbus – caused him to delay the decision.
While Smith and Powell were on hand on hand, several other Ohio State commits reacted to the 40-28 comeback win, including St. Xavier's Paris Johnson Jr. and IMG Academy's Lejond Cavazos; both in the class of 2020.
Johnson Jr. kept it simple, saying "O-H" while Cavazos noted the return of Urban Meyer.
O-H #GoBucks
— Paris Johnson Jr. (@ParisJohnsonJr) September 16, 2018
3-0.... And Urban is back...
— Lejond Cavazos (@lejondaryy) September 16, 2018
Ohio State's 2020 class is off to a fast start with five commitments in the fold including a pair of tackles and four-star quarterback pledge Jack Miller.
TRACKING THE PREP SCENE
In a 42-21 win over Bowie (Texas), the aforementioned Garrett Wilson played his way into school record books. With an early touchdown, Wilson became the school's all-time receiving touchdowns leader at No. 45. He then scored his 46th on an 87-yard reception and recorded a pass touchdown ... all in the first half.
In a 52-0 win over Stranahan (Fla.), St. Thomas-Aquinas (Fla.) safety Jordan Battle made two tackles. Battle's Raiders are now 4-0 and have allowed a total of six points. Battle is one to watch moving forward, but Meyer's return should ease any concerns that have come up over the last six weeks.
Four-star safety Ronnie Hickman and DePaul Catholic (N.J.) suffered their first setback this past Friday in a 24-17 loss to in-state power St. Joseph. In the loss, Hickman had six tackles including one for a loss. He also caught two passes for 108 yards and a score.
Running back Sampson James, a four-star commit from Avon High School (In.), ran wild in a 48-0 win Friday. James took nine carries for 130 yards and two trips to the house. He's now racked up 726 yards on 105 rushes this season alongside seven touchdowns.
Avon vs Franklin Central Highlights 2018: https://t.co/uDwzOe5N9M via @YouTube
— Avon QB Club (@AvonQBClub) September 15, 2018
Staying in the backfield, Blessed Trinity (Ga.) four-star running back Steele Chambers now has 420 yards rushing on 53 carries and 11 touchdowns. His Titans had last week off and will resume play this Friday, hosting West Hall High School.
Looking ahead to 2020, St. Xavier's Paris Johnson Jr., the Buckeyes' top-rated recruit in the 2020 class, suffered a 20-14 overtime loss to Cathedral High School (In.) out of Indianapolis. The five-star offensive tackle's Bombers will try and bounce back Friday against Archbishop Moeller.
Teammates Jack Miller and Darvon Hubbard saw their Chaparral (Az.) squad fall 45-37 to in-state rival Saguaro. Miller, the No. 4 passer for the 2020 class, completed 20-of-37 pass attempts for 363 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Hubbard, a four-star running back, had nine carries for 115 yards and a score.
For full coverage of how Ohio State's '19 and '20 recruiting classes fared during this weekend's prep action, be sure to check out Eleven Warriors' prep tracker Sunday morning.
(Garrett Wilson photo provided by @usatodayhss/Twitter)
