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.
UP FRONT AND PERSONAL
With center Harry Miller (Buford, Ga.), guard Doug Nester (Huntington, W. Va.) and tackle Ryan Jacoby (Mentor, Ohio) in its Dynasty '19 recruiting class, Ohio State has is off to a great start, but the Buckeyes certainly have holes to fill.
And if either J.D. Duplain or Nick Broeker – two offensive linemen who have already committed to other schools – can fill those needs, then the Buckeyes will most certainly do their best to bring both to Columbus.
Duplain, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound three-star guard out of Strongsville, Ohio, committed to Michigan State on Aug. 1. However, the in-state prospect received an offer from Ohio State Monday evening, tweeting "Excited to receive and offer from The Ohio State University."
Excited to receive an offer from The Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/KZoycA7krk
— Jd Duplain (@jd_duplain) October 2, 2018
Upon his commitment, Duplain told Bill Greene of 247Sports, "The best thing about Michigan State is the coaching staff, and they are a veteran staff. They really know how to win and they develop their players well. They see me as an offensive lineman, but that I could play defense also.”
From Spartan Avenue:
When you watch his highlight reel, the first thing that sticks out is his aggressiveness. His main goal is to get that pancake, leaving the defender on his back wondering what just hit him. He has a strong first step which packs plenty of explosiveness. He stays low, so when he makes contact with defenders, they’re usually sent flying back.
He was the 16th commit in Michigan State's 2019 class. Some, however, think he could flip sooner rather than later and potentially become the 16th member of Ohio State's 2019 haul.
Time will tell.
Like Duplain, Broeker also has a current commitment, coming on June 14 to Ole Miss. He's a 6-foot-6, 283-pound tackle out of Sacred Heart Griffin (Springfield, Ill.) that's considered the 14th ranked prospect at any position in his state.
Broeker also received his offer from the Buckeyes on Monday evening, tweeting "Thrilled to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University."
Thrilled to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University! #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/hP1ksyjpBa
— Nick Broeker (@NickBro3ker) October 2, 2018
Back in June, Broeker told the State Journal-Register that he "fell in love" with Ole Miss' campus during his second unofficial visit to the school. That week, he sat down with his parents and made his decision.
“It was a nice family environment, they really enjoy the coaches and they enjoy coming in to work every day," he told the SJ-R. "That’s really reassuring.”
Before the commitment, Michigan State held 40 percent of crystal ball predictions. Ohio State's offer seems to be received well by Broeker but may not have an immediate impact like it could for Duplain. But it's recruiting, where stranger things have certainly happened.
If you checked out our updated recruiting board earlier today, then you'd know that there are still a few priorities remaining for the 2019 class. Obviously securing a commitment from Zach Harrison is at the forefront, but addressing the need at offensive line remains a glaring need. Both Duplain and Broeker could help out in that regard; especially the latter since offensive tackle is the greatest need up front.
RECRUITS REACT
Would you like to relive this past Saturday's 27-26 win over Penn State? OK ... better question ... would you like to relive the final quarter of that victory in Happy Valley?
Your answer was probably yes, to the second question at least, and we've got you covered.
As the Buckeyes completed their comeback win, multiple recruits chimed in on Twitter to share their thoughts. We start off with five-star 2019 receiver Garrett Wilson, who's widely considered as the crown jewel of Ohio State's '19 class. He kept it short and simple.
BUCKEYES! Nuff said
— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) September 30, 2018
Wilson's classmate Cormontae Hamilton, a 2019 tight end, also saw the Buckeyes go 5-0. But according to him, this is just the beginning ...
They Just Getting Started #GoBucks
— Cormontae Hamilton (@Cbvndzzz) September 30, 2018
2020 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) safety Lejond Cavazos also got in on the action and gave Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young a tip of the cap.
Cavazos tweeted out, "That's what we do" after the win and quoted a tweet from Young saying, "You did yo thang big brudda."
You did yo thang big brudda... https://t.co/oaMacjKUXJ
— Lejond Cavazos (@lejondaryy) September 30, 2018
Chaparral (Az.) quarterback and 2020 commit Jack Miller voiced his pleasure with the win in a tough environment and, like Wilson, kept it short and to the point.
Best In America!! #GoBucks
— Jack Miller (@jackjamesmiller) September 30, 2018
For Ohio State, the current state of the program seems pristine and the future is as bright as ever.
