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.
Jager Burton Plans to Visit Columbus in November
Kentucky offensive guard Jager Burton is emerging as one of Ohio State’s top targets along the offensive line in the 2021 class, and the interest is mutual. He made his way to Columbus in June to get in some work with Greg Studrawa during a one-day camp and said it was one of his best camp performances of 2019.
Now he has a date set for a return trip to Ohio State.
“I might get on campus earlier but the one set up for now is the visit to the game against Penn State (Nov. 23),” Burton told Eleven Warriors.
After he received his offer in the spring and then attended the summer camp, Burton is still in regular contact with Ohio State. He calls the staff about once per week, until Sept. 1, when coaches can contact 2021 prospectus electronically.
While Burton said Ohio State is “one of (his) top schools,” he also wants to make more educated decisions regarding his recruitment after this football season is over and he has made more visits.
“I think this next recruiting part, going to games and seeing those atmospheres, will play a big part in me limiting down where I want to go,” Burton said.
Burton is teammates with Clemson offensive line commit Walker Parks, who will be on his way to play for the Tigers after the 2019 season. Burton said he already has a leadership role on the team, along with Parks, but once Parks leaves, he will need to take that role on at another level. That’s what he is using 2019 to prepare himself for.
But more than anything, Burton said he and his teammates want to win state after going undefeated during the regular season in 2018 and suffering an early-postseason exit.
The Nov. 23 weekend is shaping up to be a big recruiting weekend for Ohio State, as, in addition to Burton, cornerbacks Elias Ricks and Jaiden Francois are also planning to make crucial visits to Columbus that weekend.
Jack Miller Proves His Arm Strength After Injury
As scrimmages continue to take place nationwide at the high school level, Ohio State commits are shaking off the rust and getting in some competitive work before their seasons begin. Jack Miller is no exception.
While conversation around Miller about his drop in national ratings and his recovery from a back strain continues to swirl, Miller is prepared to show that he is healthy and that nothing about his abilities has changed. He talked to Eleven Warriors recently about how he is approaching this season.
The best way to do that, though, is to get on the field and let loose. That’s what he did on one particular play, filmed by his father during a scrimmage this week. Miller took a five-step drop out of the shotgun and fired a pass that amounted to 55 yards in the air, and it was compete for a score.
@jackjamesmiller DELIVERS! @ChapfootballAZ @OhioStateFB @rivalsmike @247Sports @TheQBAcademy @elev8academy Healthy! this is what you get!! First Pass 3 schools scrimmage. @Birm pic.twitter.com/1374LfY3gJ
— Jack Miller(thedad) (@cocoabeach_28) August 16, 2019
Yes, this is just a scrimmage, and yes, this wasn’t against a powerhouse program in Arizona. But this is what fans need to see from Miller to understand that he is healthy and that his ratings drop doesn’t equal a drop in his ability to play the position. Sure, he will be monitored as the weeks go by, but now that he has shown he can make big throws and is healthy, the sky's the limit for Miller in 2019.
Deontae Craig Commits to Iowa
Indiana defensive end Deontae Craig announced his commitment to Iowa on Friday via Twitter, choosing the Hawkeyes over Indiana. Craig had an Ohio State offer.
COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/zKC5rlp2Nu
— Deontae Craig (@CraigDeontae) August 16, 2019
Craig is certainly a three-tech type of defensive lineman, and Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson likes and is searching for guys that can fill a three-tech role. But Craig fell into the same group as a prospect like Ty Hamilton, rated as the No. 38 defensive end in the class. Hamilton, being the brother of current Buckeye defensive lineman Davon Hamilton, was already familiar with the program, and Johnson understands where Hamilton is coming from and potentially how he will work.
That’s not a knock on Craig. Greg Mattison was high on Craig and paid the Culver standout a few visits dating back to his time at Michigan, but Johnson and the staff would clearly go with the in-state option whose family is familiar with the program and who’s familiar with Johnson already.
With that being said, both Craig and Hamilton have incredible upside. Depending on how Iowa would like to use Craig, he could certainly be a three-star recruit that sees the field early and make a splash in the Big Ten West.
