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.
VISITING IN STYLES
Not so long ago, Lorenzo Styles was setting the world on fire in the Shoe. Before becoming an NFL linebacker, Styles played for three seasons at Ohio State under John Cooper in the mid-1990s. He was drafted in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Styles' NFL career ended in 2000 but not before he helped the St. Louis Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV. While his playing days are over, Styles' legacy still lives on through his son Lorenzo Styles Jr., who's currently a sophomore wide receiver at Pickerington Central.
Styles Jr. will be in attendance this Saturday as the Buckeyes host Indiana. He'll have his first up close and personal look at the program his father excelled in.
"It’s right around the corner [from Pickerington Central] so I have seen the university, but I’m really excited to get an up close view of the football program," Styles Jr. told Eleven Warriors. "Right now, it’s still early on in the recruiting process so I want to get a feel for a lot of schools and find my best fit."
Non conference few clips pic.twitter.com/Z88l4ygfcQ
— gozozogo (@LorenzoStyles3) September 24, 2018
Styles Jr. is certainly becoming one of the most coveted prospects in the 2021 recruiting class. He currently has offers from Notre Dame, Boston College and Vanderbilt but make no mistake about it, many more will be coming his way.
While the Buckeyes haven't offered yet, Styles Jr. says he's been in frequent contact with coaches Tim Hinton, Brian Hartline, Alex Grinch and Urban Meyer. They probably see what everybody else sees in Styles Jr. – an uber-talented young prospect with an incredibly bright future.
Pickerington Central is currently 6-0 for the first time since 2014 and Styles Jr. is a main factor as to why. Just last week, in the Tigers' 27-14 win over Gahanna Lincoln, the speedy 6-foot-1, 170-pound sophomore scored on a 10-yard touchdown reception and set up the team's third touchdown with a 55-yard punt return.
Notre Dame is currently believed to have an early lead in Styles Jr.'s recruitment. But as he said himself, it's still very early, meaning two things: his eventual destination is far from certain and he'll continue to get even better than he already is as times goes on.
"As an athlete, I feel like it’s an ongoing process to develop on the field and off the field," he said. "Whether I’m working on speed, running better routes, in the weight room, increasing my football IQ or watching film to prepare for games ... I’ll never know too much and will always look for opportunities to get better."
Last season, Pickerington Central won the Ohio Division I State Championship. Styles Jr. sees no reason why a repeat isn't possible ... and he'll do anything to help his team do so.
"Whatever coach needs me to do, I will do. I feel I can run and catch the ball well, as well as be a good defender," Styles Jr. said. ""If we keep executing the game plan coach has given, I feel a repeat is definitely possible."
ROLE CALL
Styles Jr. will be far from the only top-level talent to grace the Buckeyes with their presence this weekend. Multiple other recruits are expected to visit, including four-star Western Hills (Ky.) all-purpose back Wandale Robinson. It will be Robinson's second visit within the last month – he attended Ohio State's 52-3 win over Rutgers on Sept. 8.
I will be taking my last official visit to Ohio State next weekend! #GoBucks @OSUCoachMeyer @brianhartline @markpantoni
— Wandale Robinson (@robinson__era) September 25, 2018
Robinson has also taken official visits to Nebraska, Michigan and Alabama, but the fact that he chose to come back to Columbus has to be a good sign.
Also expected to be in attendance is Ohio State commit Steele Chambers (Roswell, Ga.), four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and four-star wide receiver Josh Downs (North Gwinnett, Ga.).
(Lorenzo Styles Jr. photo via 247Sports)
