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.
Kourt Williams Likes the Bullet Position
Ohio State is recruiting for its new bullet position, and among many safety options, such as Arizona safety Lathan Ransom, New Jersey safety Jordan Morant and Michigan safety Makari Paige, is California outside linebacker Kourt Williams.
“Some schools are recruiting me as a linebacker, and some schools are recruiting me as a safety,” Williams said. “But when Ohio State said they had a position that was both, it really isolated them and had me really considering Ohio State.”
Among the schools showing interest in Williams, the linebacker said UCLA is recruiting him as a linebacker, Penn State and Oregon are recruiting him as a safety and Texas A&M also sees him as a safety-linebacker hybrid.
While Williams said he has no issue with stepping into the box to play physically, he feels more comfortable in a safety position, where he can see most of the field and read the offense.
“I think my football IQ is my strength,” Williams said. “I’m a film junkie. That’s what I do in my free time. My play recognition, my instincts, my aggression. I want to be an instant leader on the defense.”
Williams was in Columbus for a visit during Student Appreciation Day on March 23. He was able to talk with secondary coach Jeff Hafley and head coach Ryan Day, and he said he talks with Hafley two, three and four times per week about when he will commit – sometime in the fall, he said – and when he will make his official visit to Ohio State.
Today was an absolute success!! After a great unofficial visit I can honestly say that Ohio State in one of a kind! Im excited and truly blessed to say that Ive been offered an official scholarship to THE Ohio State University #GOBUCKEYES pic.twitter.com/ojrxollqRF
— Kourt Williams II (@kourt22williams) March 23, 2019
At this point, Williams said he is very interested in Ohio State and wants to make it back to Ohio to take an official visit.
“I really like their academics and the networking they have for their players after football,” Williams. Said. “They compete for a national championship every year, and I think they could really utilize my skillset to maximize my potential.”
Williams is also the No. 1 special ops performer in The Opening 2019 National Tour. He measured in at 6-foot-1, 216 pounds and ran his 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds. He also jumped 39 inches in the vertical jump and recorded a shuttle time of 4.09 seconds.
Florida defensive back Lejond Cavazos is third in special ops, coming in at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and recording a 4.40 40-yard dash, a 44.4-inch vertical and a 4.16 shuttle.
Luke Lachey Makes Another Visit
With just a few tight ends left with an offer and enough interest in Ohio State to be potential commitments for the 2020 class, the Buckeyes are in need of more options at the position.
Three-star California tight end Mark Redman appears to lead the pack as far as Ohio State interest goes, while Massachusetts three-star tight end Cam Large continues to makes visits and four-star Canadien tight end Theo Johnson just received his offer.
But Columbus tight end Luke Lachey, son of former Ohio State great Jim Lachey, has been mentioned several times within the time frame of his recruitment. He was on campus for his fifth visit to Ohio State earlier this week.
“It’s very humbling because I know this place is so special to him and my family, so being able to be in contact with them is really awesome,” Lachey said. “The visit was good. I got to have a lot of one-on-one time with Coach (Kevin) Wilson, just talking football and tight ends.”
Ohio State likes Lachey’s athleticism and the way he’s able to make a difference in the passing game. He caught 34 passes for 619 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2018 for Grandview Heights.
But what Wilson and the Buckeyes want to see more out of Lachey is the ability to block.
“They want to see how I do when I’m in a three-point stance,” Lachey said about what he needs to do to get an Ohio State offer. “And they would like to see me at a camp.”
Other schools that have already offered Lachey and are continuing to pursue him are Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa State, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Cincinnati.
