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.
FLORIDA SUNSHINE
When St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 2019 safety Jordan Battle committed to Ohio State this past summer, the Buckeyes had their eyes on one of his teammates as well.
St. Thomas Aquinas' Derek Wingo, a 2020 four-star linebacker, visited Columbus in June for Ohio State's annual Friday Night Lights recruiting extravaganza. He then told Eleven Warriors that Ohio State was his "dream school before, but now being up there and seeing what it’s like in the atmosphere and the work they put in, it makes it even better."
Very few things have changed Wingo's opinion on the Buckeyes since that visit.
"I'll definitely be back," Wingo said. "I loved everything about it. It's been a dream school. I've been in contact with the coaches every other day, coach [Keenan] Bailey, coach [Taver] Johnson and coach [Bill] Davis. Coach Davis is a great coach, a lot of NFL experience. But the coach that's had the biggest impact on me is coach Bailey."
Wingo, who has offers from Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma and Penn State, among others, was in Happy Valley last weekend to watch the Buckeyes' 27-26 win. According to 247Sports, the visit moved the Nittany Lions way up on his list.
Wingo talked with 247Sports' Bill Greene about the impact Penn State coach James Franklin had on him and the whiteout environment he experienced:
"I now see him a lot higher than a lot of the coaches I've met, and that's because of his character," Wingo said of Franklin. "He's very competitive and loves to win, and that is what I'm about. Hearing his press conference after the game where he said they've gotten comfortable being great reminded me of my head coach so much."
"I know the game was a tough loss for Penn State, but the atmosphere was like nothing I've ever seen before. They have set the bar very high now for any other school, and my dad feels the same way. I don't really have a top school, but this could end up being the school I go to."
Wingo also said he hopes to makes visits to Oklahoma and Clemson in the near future.
"Recruiting is going pretty good, I've got to see some pretty good places," he said. "On the field, I could probably do a better job at making sure everyone’s focused around me. My team's doing well. 4-1 right now, big expectations. Obviously, going to [the state championship] and losing no more games is a goal."
Currently, crystal ball predictions show a 100 percent lead towards Ohio State for Wingo. But that could certainly change at a moment's notice.
SCOUTING MCGREGOR
Wednesday morning, 2020 three-star Port Huron (Mich.) defensive end Braiden McGregor received an offer from Ohio State. Thursday, he talked with Eleven Warriors about where he's at in his decision process.
"My recruiting process has been crazy. I never thought this would happen to me so sometimes, it still feels like a dream to be offered by some of the best schools in the nation," McGregor said. "I hope to get out and see the schools that have offered me and schools that have been in contact with me."
Very thankful to receive a offer from The Ohio State University! Thank you to the coaching staff cant wait to come visit! #GOBucks #B1G pic.twitter.com/HIstSDxRiq
— Braiden McGregor (@BraidenMcgregor) October 3, 2018
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound end has been in Columbus twice for camps and once for a visit. He also says that, even though he hasn't been in constant contact, he plans on visiting again soon.
"I think what stands out to me is their attention to detail and the coaches," McGregor said of Ohio State. "I haven’t really been in contact with the coaching staff but the past few weeks I have a little more. I’ve mostly talked with coach Taver Johnson. I think all the coaches have made an impact on me. During the camp I did a one-on-one session with coach Johnson and [current defensive end commit] Noah Potter. I thought that stood out to me because I wasn’t offered then and for him to take time to work with me, it was a great experience."
McGregor currently has offers from Michigan and Notre Dame, who are considered to be the leaders in his recruitment. But first things first, McGregor has business to take care of in Michigan before he can ever play a down at the next level.
"I think a big thing is grades and staying on top of things in the class room. I think just staying in the weight room and working on my footwork will help me," he said. "We’re hoping to make it back to the playoffs and making it deep this year."
BUCKEYES OFFER BRASWELL
With an offer already extended to Maryland's top-ranked player Bryan Bresee, Ohio State is officially after the state's No. 2 prospect as well.
Wednesday, the Buckeyes offered St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) defensive end Chris Braswell, who is considered the nation's top weak-side defensive end. Braswell is a 6-foot-3, 211-pound five-star talent, ranked as the 19th-best prospect in the 2020 class.
Blessed to receive a offer from The Ohio State University #GOBucks #B1G @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/2IGwshQUOd
— Chris Braswell (@Chrisbras410) October 4, 2018
Currently, Alabama seems to be the leader to land Braswell. He also has offers from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, etc. Like many other recruits, Braswell was at Penn State last weekend.
