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.
Kendall Milton Announces Commitment Date
Five-star running back Kendall Milton will make his commitment decision Monday, 247Sports reported and he confirmed via Twitter on Friday. Like Clark Phillips and Bryan Bresee, Milton will commit on CBSSports HQ at cbssports.com at 8 p.m. ET.
— Kendall Milton (@therealkmilt) July 26, 2019
He will be deciding between Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Ohio State, but it seems like Ohio State isn’t necessarily on solid ground in terms of his recruitment, especially as talks about Arizona five-star running back Bijan Robinson’s intentions of committing to Ohio State continue to increase. They will not end up at the same program.
In a snap, it’s been about two months since Milton arrived in Columbus for his official visit, and since that first official visit on his slate of four, the momentum has seemingly slowed for the Buckeyes. But it’s never seemed more promising for Ohio State to land Bijan Robinson, though, which in terms of ratings, is a lateral move at the position, despite the running backs’ differing styles.
Grant Toutant, Several Others Arrive in Columbus for Unofficial Visits
Ohio State offensive tackle commit Grant Toutant notified Eleven Warriors and then announced on Twitter that he will be visiting Columbus this weekend. He set off for his trip with his parents, his brother and his two sisters Friday. His siblings have never been to Ohio State.
Headed Home -H! #GoBucks #BuckeyeNation
— Grant Toutant (@toutant_grant) July 26, 2019
“I’ll be with Coach (Greg Studrawa) and the guys most of the time, and my family is going to tour campus, the facility and meet everyone,” Toutant said Thursday night.
Toutant has already taken his official visit, the weekend before he announced his flip from Penn State to Ohio State on June 9. This will be an unofficial visit and another opportunity for Toutant to continue to grow his relationship with the Buckeyes.
Toutant isn’t the only visitor this weekend. Being the first weekend after the dead period ended Wednesday, this weekend will feature big visits to top programs across the country, particularly for the 2020 cycle. Since Ohio State already has the majority of its 2020 targets committed, there likely aren’t any notable 2020 visitors. Defensive end Tyler Baron was supposed to make a visit this month but that’s not happening anymore because of obligations to his football team in Tennessee. He will probably be back for an official visit in the fall.
Wide receiver commit Mookie Cooper will also be making a visit to Columbus this weekend. These are the other visitors to note as the weekend arrives.
Greg Penn
Greg Penn is not a name that’s unfamiliar to Ohio State fans. He is one of the most sought-after recruits in the 2021 class for the Buckeye staff. The No. 3 inside linebacker in the country and an eventual top-100 recruit, Penn is one of the several DMV prospects that Ohio State is pushing hard for. He already has offers from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, LSU and others, so a good visit this weekend is crucial to the impression Ohio State makes on him going into a busy fall season.
Noah Josey
Three-star offensive guard Noah Josey and his two teammates from Brentwood Academy in Tennessee have made their way to Columbus for unofficial visits this weekend, and Josey has already received his Buckeye offer. He’s probably the most coveted of the three prospects and holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Auburn and others. Rated as the No. 14 guard in the country and the No. 329 overall recruit in the country, his rating will likely rise after the 2021 cycle’s new ratings update.
John Howse
John Howse confirmed to Eleven Warriors that he and his teammates would be in Columbus this weekend, and of the three teammates, he’s the most under the radar. The only offer he has at this point is one from Kentucky, which they all have received. He is also classified as an athlete but primarily plays cornerback. He’s extremely physical, but he frequently plays far off the line. If and once that changes and he shows how he can play in press coverage, he should get more attention nationally.
Damon Owens
Damon Owens plays mostly as an outside linebacker for Brentwood Academy, but he is classified as an athlete because of the potential to play safety in college. That will depend on how his body develops from his junior year on, but as of now, his tape shows that he will likely play outside linebacker for a Power Five program. He has offers from Tennessee, Penn State, Louisville, Missouri and Kentucky.
Reid Carrico to Visit Clemson
Ohio No. 8 2021 prospect Reid Carrico will be making a visit to Clemson this weekend, 247Sports reported. Carrico is one of several top-10 Ohio recruits that Ohio State is approaching and feels comfortable with at this point in the cycle.
But Clemson, as expected, is proving to be one of the toughest competitors with Ohio State in the 2021 class. While Clemson hasn’t landed a commitment from the class yet, the Tigers are heavily involved with top prospects that Ohio State is interested in, including the top-two for each Beaux Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr.
It also appears Clemson is also attempting to move in closer on Carrico, who has seen his offers continue to come in but now also continue to grow in prestige. His Clemson offer arrived in early-June, as well as offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. He traveled to Austin for a visit to Texas in mid-June.
Carrico made an unofficial visit to Ohio State on June 15 and is still very close to the Buckeyes.
