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.
MAKING THE CALL
In the case of St. John's College (Washington, DC) linebacker Mekhail Sherman and the Buckeyes, more good news continues to trickle in. The five-star 2020 prospect has called Ohio State his "dream school" he seems to have a growing bond with coach Urban Meyer.
Earlier this year, Sherman blew out his ACL. Thursday he went through surgery to get it repaired. The best piece of news was that surgery went successful. The cherry on top is the fact that Meyer reached out to Sherman afterwards, making sure he was OK.
Sherman made sure and made that known on the Twittersphere.
Fun Fact: @OSUCoachMeyer was one of the first people I called after my surgery #GoBucks
— Mekhail Sherman (@JuicedUpK9) October 18, 2018
The 6-foot-3, 234-pound linebacker is considered as the nation's second-ranked outside linebacker and the 13th overall prospect in the 2020 class. His last visit to Columbus came last summer, when he immediately made a connection with both Meyer and linebackers coach Billy Davis. Currently, crystal ball projections are all in Ohio State's favor.
A lot could change but Sherman and the Buckeyes seem to have something good going.
It's also important to note that Ohio State has offered two of Sherman's teammates in four-star receiver Rakim Jarrett and four-star defensive tackle Tre Williams. Crystal ball predictions for both of those recruits show a 100 percent lean towards the Buckeyes.
If Ohio State can indeed land all three St. John's players, it would have the No. 1, 2 and 5 ranked players in the 2020 class within the DC area.
GARRETT WILSON SPEAKS ON DECOMMITMENTS
It's easy to sit and criticize and athlete's actions when you're not the athlete. Why do you think I yell at my television so much while watching the Cincinnati Bengals? That's a joke ... but it's also not a lie, considering the fact the Bengals continue to bungle this past Sunday.
I digress.
Anyways, when a recruit decommits, it's almost always met with an instant surge of mixed reactions. Some yell, some whine, some praise and some are indifferent. But for 2019 Ohio State commit Garrett Wilson, he's OK with an athlete's decision to decommit from a school ... and let's face it, Wilson knows much more about the recruiting process than most.
"I’m always on a person's side who decides to decommit from a school," Wilson said. "Finding a better fit for your future is key, plus if the school thought another player was a better fit they would “decommit” from you."
Wilson raises a great point and it's an angle of thought that most never consider. Before the conspiracy theorists come to bat, there's not an Ohio State decommitment on the radar that I'm remotely aware of. But I did find Wilson's comments interesting. It gives you a glimpse into the mind of one of the nation's top 2019 prospects.
OHIO STATE TARGETS DAVID BELL, WANDALE ROBINSON UP FOR AWARD
Much like Lexington's Cade Stover, a 2019 Ohio State linebacker commit, Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) receiver David Bell and Western Hills (Ky.) athlete Wandale Robinson have both been nominated for a midseason POY award.
Stover was named as an All-USA Midseason Defensive Player of the Year candidate while Bell and Robinson have been named All-USA Midseason Offensive Player of the Year candidates.
Bell, a four-star 2019 receiver who will make his college decision on Jan. 5, 2019, has racked up 1,305 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns on 70 catches in eight games.
Robinson, a four-star 2019 athlete who is making his decision on Nov. 1, is responsible for 1,746 total yards and 31 touchdowns. For good measure, he's added 69 tackles and three interceptions on defense.
You can vote for Bell or Robinson here.
BUCKEYES OFFER AVANTAE WILLIAMS
In their 2020 recruiting class, the Buckeyes have just one defensive back commit in IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) safety Lejond Cavazos. Thursday, Ohio State continued to try and add to that group, offering four-star Deland (Fla.) safety Avantae Williams.
BLESSED TO BE OFFERED BY THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/7PdIUS6H3k
— Tae Williams (@SlowDownBoy7) October 18, 2018
Williams is a 6-foot, 170-pounder that has 20-plus offers on the table. Miami (FL) and Florida are said to be neck and neck in his recruitment but teams outside the Sunshine State are starting to gain traction. Penn State offered Williams on Wednesday, before Ohio State's offer came in less than 24 hours later.
