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.
Florida RB in Columbus
Lawrance Toafili, the 2020 class’ No. 14 running back, announced that he is already in Columbus for his visit this weekend, and apparently he already had a photoshoot Thursday as well.
Its a blessing to be in hio #GoBucks @CoachTonyAlford @PP_BigRed pic.twitter.com/2q3MxMbXJc
— Lawrance Toafili (@LToafili_3) April 11, 2019
Toafili was a late addition to the list of visitors for the spring game Saturday, and while he is leaning heavily toward Florida State, a good visit could sway what is already above-average interest from the four-star running back.
Between his sophomore and junior seasons at Pinellas Park High school in Largo, Florida, Toafili carried the ball 275 times for 3,125 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also averaged 21.4 yards per catch on his nine receptions as a junior.
He’s a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, and Florida State sees that as well as Ohio State. The Seminoles have been all over him during his recruitment.
Bryan Bresee Sets Commitment Date
The No. 1 recruit in the 2020 class announced a commitment date of April 23 via Twitter on Friday.
Commitment day set April 23rd!
— Bryan Bresee (@bryan_bresee) April 12, 2019
Bryan Bresee has had his top-six in place since the end of November, but the more that time has gone by, the more it seems like Ohio State is all but eliminated from landing his commitment.
Nonetheless, if Bresee commits to Clemson, where he is expected to choose, it would be a huge addition to a class that is shaping up to be one of the best in the nation. Clemson already landed commitments from No. 1 safety R.J. Mickens and No. 3 cornerback Fred Davis this month and sits as the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class.
Troy Stellato is a Name to Note for Saturday's Visits
Troy Stellato, a 2021 wideout out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will be making his way to Ohio state for the spring game Saturday, and with him, along with most of the other recruits making their ways to Columbus, comes high expectations.
“I’m going to one of the best colleges in the whole country, so I’m really looking forward to what it has in store for me,” Stellato said about Ohio State. “I’m hoping to find out if Ohio State will be the school down the road for me to go to.”
Stellato is a 6-foot, 170-pound wideout that can play inside and outside of the numbers. His breakaway speed, route-running ability and field presence make him fit the mold of receiver that Ohio State has produced with in recent seasons.
The Florida wideout compiled 706 yards on 44 receptions and scored five times for Cardinal Gibbons as a sophomore in 2018. He’s been in contact with Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, as Hartline visited his school, and he has also been talking with offensive quality control coach Keenan Bailey.
“They really like my game, and they can see me playing for them one day,” Stellato said. “I think they like my strong hands and that I play very physically and long for my size. I feel there is no DB in the country that I can’t beat.”
In addition to his visit to Ohio State this weekend, Stellato said he hopes to visit Michigan and Notre Dame in the summer.
Liam Clifford Meets Day and Hartline
St. Xavier athlete Liam Clifford has had a big week. He was rated as the No. 12 2021 recruit in Ohio – No. 282 nationally – by 247Sports and made a visit to Ohio State on Friday. Clifford also said the Buckeye staff sees a path for him to receive an offer.
“Coach (Al) Washington talked with me about what he thinks they would want to see from me to get an offer, which is to see me move and run around in person, whether that be at a camp in the summer or at my high school,” Clifford said.
Clifford has developed a relationship with linebackers coach Al Washington since Washington was at Michigan and extended an offer to the Cincinnati wideout. Now Washington is at Ohio State and carried that relationship with him to Columbus.
Thank you @CoachWash56 and @brianhartline for a great visit to THE Ohio State University! #Gobucks pic.twitter.com/xF7jCVw34t
— Liam Clifford (@liamcliff7) April 5, 2019
But on Friday, Clifford was able to meet head coach Ryan Day and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, and he walked away impressed.
“I was extremely impressed by Coach Day and could definitely see myself playing under him one day,” Clifford said.
Clifford will likely see his ratings continue to rise as he plays more football at the receiver position, having just one season under his belt after moving over from quarterback. The Buckeyes are recruiting him as a wide receiver, which would add Clifford’s name into a large pool of top wide receiver targets in the country for both the 2020 and 2021 classes.
The St. Xavier sophomore will be at Penn State’s spring game this weekend and will not be attending the Under Armour All-America Camp Series in Cincinnati on Sunday.
