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.
Kamren Kinchens is Very Close to the Buckeyes
In the spring, when Miami 2021 safety Kamren Kinchens received his Ohio State offer, he would talk to secondary coach Jeff Hafley on the phone around three times per week.
“He’s been telling me what he likes about me and how he would use in the defense,” Kinchens told Eleven Warriors. “Also trying to get me up there for a game and basically helping get everything right in school so I can leave early and come up there in January.”
Kinchens plays in a free safety role for Northwestern High School in Miami, and with his ball skills, he is one of the most dangerous ball hawks in the 2021 class. His physicality doesn’t exactly match a high school free safety that works primarily out in coverage, though, and that's something he takes pride in.
He recorded 76 tackles, four interceptions, 12 pass deflections and seven tackles for loss. Most free safeties don’t see tackles numbers that high, but Kinchens is all over the field after the snap.
He actually likes to compare himself to former Ohio State safety and current Indianapolis Colt Malik Hooker for his ability to make plays in the running defense as well as be dangerous in the passing defense. That makes sense because Kinchens grew up watching Ohio State and Oregon.
“One thing about me is I don't get homesick, and I plan to go out of state if I have too,” Kinchens said. “And Ohio State is my dream school – them and Oregon.”
That’s unusual to hear from a Miami recruit, as most Florida schools have the top in-state – particularly the top Miami prospects – on lock.
Now, Kinchens has offers from his two “dream schools,” but he said as of now, LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Miami are showing him the most interest.
Hunter Washington Receives Ohio State Offer After Dead Period
The first day after the dead period, Texas defensive back Hunter Washington announced via Twitter that he has received an offer from Ohio State. This is one of the least surprising offers that are soon to come in the next few weeks or so, after the staff evaluated prospects before Wednesday.
WOW!!! After a great conversation with @CoachJeffHafley I am EXTREMELY blessed to receive a scholarship offer from the prestigious school
— Hunter Washington (@Hunter_DB7) July 25, 2019
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY pic.twitter.com/vYKzgOlg0m
Washington was one of the prospects Ohio State invited to the Buckeye Bash & Barbecue on June 21. That was the first time the Katy standout had been to Columbus.
“We got the time to play and get to know each other and then I did a small workout with Coach Hafley and learned most of the stuff he taught me,” Washington told Eleven Warriors that day. “I ate and also talked with the defensive coordinator (Greg Mattison), and before I left, I talked to the head coach (Ryan Day).”
While at Big Ten Media Days, I asked Northwestern linebacker Paddy Fisher, who is also from Katy and graduated from the same high school as Washington, about what he knows about the current recruiting landscape in Katy, and he recognized Washington and follows his path from afar.
Tunmise Adeleye, a 2021 four-star defensive end out of Tompkins High School and who was also in Columbus for the Buckeye Bash & Barbecue, said Washington will likely be the highest-rated prospect to come out of Katy High School in 2021.
In fact, before Washington tweeted his offer, Adeleye had a message for Washington.
@Hunter_DB7 before you post it I want you to peep how the out of states showing you love before the instate schools dont forget that.
— QBA Tunmise (@tunmiseadeleye) July 25, 2019
Washington and Adeleye are both being recruited hard by Texas A&M, who has a good grip on the Katy area. Washington camped at Texas A&M during the summer, but at this point, Washington isn’t leaning any direction.
Clark Phillips Releases Season Preview
Ohio State cornerback commit Clark Phillips released a season preview video on his own YouTube channel this week, looking forward to his final year at La Habra High School in California.
What will surely be a productive season for Phillips, he will likely be thrown away from again, as teams did in 2018. As a sophomore in 2017, Phillips intercepted seven passes and deflected 15. In 2018, he intercepted just two and deflected 10.
To get his talent in the most productive positions, La Habra began to use him on offense, and Phillips caught 54 passes for 1,210 yards and 19 touchdowns. Anywhere he is on the field, he will make plays, which is evident in this tape.
La Habra’s first game is on Aug. 22 against Upland.
Julian Fleming, Aaron Armitage Dunk All Over Twitter
New Jersey 2021 defensive end Aaron Armitage posted a video from his Twitter account of him alley-ooping a ball to himself off a backboard. He’s 6-foot-4, 240 pounds. Ohio State has reached out – offering him in May – and is developing a relationship with him.
Right after leg day @MikeCoyle12 @SaylorBlairFB @gbowman26 pic.twitter.com/gSeDVMLtSE
— Aaron Armitage (@armitage_aaron) July 25, 2019
He told Eleven Warriors on Thursday that he is working on his windmill dunk, so we are eagerly waiting on that video.
Armitage isn’t the only Ohio State target to dunk in the last week. Wide receiver commit Julian Fleming showed off his 40-inch vertical with a 360 dunk last week.
First love! pic.twitter.com/olLbyyEtoo
— JF4 (@julian_040) July 20, 2019
