The Drought is Over
Caleb Downs scores Ohio State’s first punt return touchdown since 2014.
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.
Maason Smith Hoping for Ohio State Offer
Louisiana 2021 defensive tackle Maason Smith said there is a “good chance” that he will end up playing collegiately at the SEC level. He grew up rooting for Alabama in LSU territory. But he isn’t completely sold on the SEC, he said, and one of the programs that has caught his eye outside of that conference is Ohio State.
“I feel like the SEC is where the big dogs play, and I like to consider myself a big dog,” Smith said. “But I’m also looking at schools like Oregon, Ohio State, Virginia, Florida State and Texas.”
Smith said his defensive backs coach at Terrebonne High School in Houma, Louisiana, played at Cincinnati and has relationships with people close to the Ohio State program. That connection is what helped breed Smith’s Ohio State offer and what has helped him keep his eye out for the Buckeyes.
Smith said he wants to go to a school that can help him get to the NFL level and play for a coach that has coached at the NFL level. While Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison have coached at the NFL level, defensive line coach Larry Johnson has not, though Johnson has coached seven players to be NFL First Round draft picks.
At The Opening Regionals in New Orleans in mid-March, Mason won defensive MVP honors, and at Terrebonne as a sophomore, he recorded 52 tackles – a high mark for a defensive tackle – with 12 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Maason Smith (@maassoonn_) doing work pic.twitter.com/LvPaOMcqQj
— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) March 16, 2019
“The teams that play in my area aren’t the highest level,” Smith said. “So I’m hoping to learn more about offenses and how to play at the highest level. Most coaches like how I move off the ball and I’m aggressive, but sometimes when you get tired, you don’t use your hands. Working on that motor is something I could get better at.”
Smith plans to visit Georgia on the weekend of March 22-24, and then he’s heading to Texas A&M the next weekend. In April, he plans to visit Florida with his father, who is a Florida football fan, and he will also make his way to Virginia. He said he hopes to visit Ohio State at some point and also receive an offer from the Buckeyes.
There also will not likely be an early commitment from Smith, as the high school sophomore said he doesn’t plan to commit until he signs.
DeaMonte Trayanum Begins Busy Visits Week
Four-star Akron athlete DeaMonte Trayanum has begun a busy week of visits for Ohio State. Trayanum hit campus Tuesday in Columbus, where he hasn’t paid a visit in some time. The No. 210 overall prospect in the 2020 class has made three unofficial visits to Ohio State since receiving his offer in January 2018. He then visited in March, April and July, but hasn’t made a recorded visit since, until Tuesday.
— DeaMonte Trayanum (@Chipperrz_) March 19, 2019
Trayanum is the first of more than a dozen recruits making their ways to Columbus – most of them arriving this weekend for Student Appreciation Day at Ohio State spring practice on Saturday, March 23.
Seriously...More Visits
Another couple of recruits announced that they will be in town for Saturday’s big day of visits.
Elliot Donald, a 2021 defensive tackle and nephew of Los Angeles Rams two-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald, announced that he will be visiting Ohio State this weekend. Donald received an Ohio State in late January and recorded 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in eight games as a sophomore at Central Catholic in Pittsburgh.
High school freshman 2022 quarterback Jeffrey Beverly will also be at Ohio State this weekend for the big recruiting weekend. The Columbus-native does not yet have an offer but has interest from other schools like Michigan, Kentucky, Akron and Cincinnati.
There will be a cumulative post on Eleven Warriors on Wednesday morning that puts together all of the prospects visiting March 22-24.
Marvin Harrison on Campus
Former Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin tweeted a photo of himself with NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. in Columbus. That is significant because Harrison Sr.’s son, 2021 No. 3 wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., has a strong relationship with Ohio State.
Growing up in Indianapolis I watched this mans every move, wanted to be just like him when I played. I still got his fathead on my wall in Indy. Told him thanks for inspiring me to be the best. Never flashy, just always do your job. #OGMarvin pic.twitter.com/gRKB7ruJHZ
— Terry McLaurin (@TheTerry_25) March 19, 2019
Harrison Jr. is in contact with Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and the Buckeye staff more than any other staff that’s offered him. Of those staffs, Penn State, Michigan, Florida, Baylor and other schools are included. With his father visiting Ohio State for the Pro Day week, that relationship becomes less abstract and more evident.
