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.
Berrong Admires History of Ohio State Football
When asked what it means to have an offer from Ohio State, the first thing that Georgia tight end Cane Berrong points to is the program's eight National Championships and seven Heisman Trophy winners. He knows the importance of the school's history. That's why when he got an offer from Notre Dame, he was also ecstatic.
"I'm really wide open," Berrong said to Eleven Warriors on Tuesday night. "(Notre Dame is) just a historic program, and it's exciting to have interest from them. Same as Ohio State."
Berrong also points to three things when considering a college football program — tradition, an academic path toward becoming a strength coach and how the coaching staff uses its tight ends.
Ohio State offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson, who extended the offer to Berrong on Tuesday, told the 2021 pass-catcher that the Buckeyes plan to utilize more 12 personnel in the future to work their tight ends into the passing game more often. That's what the current-sophomore tight end wanted to hear.
The Hart County product said he runs a 4.50 laser 40-yard dash and that Wilson told him he likes that Berrong is a "true" tight end with good speed, hands and body control.
He hopes to visit Ohio State soon and already plans to visit Florida in March and Penn State during his spring break. Berrong has already taken visits to Wisconsin, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, and he said he hopes to go see Notre Dame soon as well.
Sampah To Visit Chapel Hill
Virginia five-star inside linebacker Antoine Sampah announced that he will be taking a visit to North Carolina this weekend, via his Twitter account. The Tar Heels were the first program to offer the linebacker during his recruiting process, but now it appears North Carolina has fallen out of consideration with offers from Clemson, Alabama and Florida State coming into the fold.
Ohio State is also in the mix, with linebacker being one of the positions the Buckeyes could use some additional talent at. Sampah, the No. 19 overall recruit in the 2020 class and the No. 1 Virginia recruit, has been a target of emphasis for Ohio State in the Class of 2020, but Sampah is really pursuing Clemson, Alabama, Florida State, Penn State, LSU and Oklahoma.
The love from the UNC fan base has always been real @TarHeelFootball @HeelIllustrated Ill never forget the first school that extended an offer to me See yall this weekend #TarHeels pic.twitter.com/s0m6KzkxwE
— Antoine Sampah (@_antoinesampah) February 20, 2019
If the Buckeyes can't sway Sampah away from the South, it won't be a failure at the position. Ohio State is closer to five-star Washington D.C. outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman, who is the No. 12 recruit in the class.
2020 and 2021 Targets Receive Major Offers
Five-star Florida wideout Marcus Rosemy received an offer form LSU on Tuesday, while Notre Dame extended an offer to a top 2021 target, Ohio defensive end Najee Story.
Rosemy competed at The Opening in Miami last weekend and also dropped 21 spots in Rivals' new top-100 Tuesday. His 6-foot-2, 187-pound frame and the speed and hands to accompany the size still make him the No. 5 receiver in the nation. The offer is just another suitor Ohio State needs to fend off to land one of Julian Fleming, Johnny Wilson, Rakim Jarrett, Jordan Johnson or Rosemy.
Story received an offer from Ohio State in January and then visited the Buckeyes. Michigan extended an offer to the strong-side defensive end as well, and the two programs remain at the top of the in-state prospects list, but Notre Dame might find its way there soon as well.
