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.
Ohio State wrapped up nearly its entire 2020 recruiting class last week and could put a bow on the country’s fourth-ranked class with the signing of Cameron Martinez in February.
But with most of the commits now converted to signees and with it being a wait-and-see situation on Martinez, we can take a peek ahead to the Buckeyes’ 2021 recruiting class. Ohio State already has five commitments from juniors ranked in the top 100 nationally and another one who has momentum to reach that territory at some point in the offseason or as a senior (Reid Carrico).
With the decommitment of Texas’ lone 2021 receiver pledge, four-star Quaydarius Davis, in November, the Longhorns were supplanted by Ohio State for the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class. There are some high expectations for Ryan Day’s second class, with the Buckeyes having a strong line for a handful of the nation’s top-ranked offensive linemen, several of the country’s best defensive backs, a few explosive pass rushers and a pair of elite receiver prospects.
In 2020, all but four of the Buckeyes’ 26 commits (counting C.J. Stroud and Clark Phillips III) had committed to Day’s program before the season began. Jacolbe Cowan, Ryan Watts III, Miyan Williams and Stroud were those four, though Cowan had been a silent commit since the summer.
Those players already believed in the message Day and his staff were giving them, and then the Buckeyes rattled off 13 straight wins to reach the College Football Playoff. That success gave an even stronger boost for the coaching staff heading into the next cycle.
“I think it gives us unbelievable momentum,” Day said Wednesday. “Just talking about getting some of the best players in the country, but the best people. I think you’re going to find out as these guys come in, they’re some of the best people I’ve been around just in terms of the way that they handle their business on and off the field. Great students, captains, leadership, and again, loyalty. From the get-go on this thing, these guys have been loyal.
“A couple things that came through, whether it was the change in staff from Coach (Urban) Meyer to me and our staff and then also just not knowing throughout the summer what this year was going to look like, and there was a faith there and that means a lot to me, and then for the guys who lost Jeff (Hafley) right here a week before signing day.”
Those players staying loyal could have a trickle-down effect on the juniors Ohio State is going after, as the Buckeyes look to build another star-studded class.
Hafley’s departure has no bearing on No. 3 corner Dickerson
In that 2021 class, defensive back, and especially cornerback, was already a big need and will become an even stronger area of focus for Day and the new secondary coach when he arrives.
One of those top targets is 5-foot-11, 160-pound cornerback Avante Dickerson.
Dickerson is the No. 8-ranked corner in the country and the nation’s 79th-rated overall prospect. Dickerson is the top overall recruit in the state of Nebraska, and that’s where the rarity in his recruitment comes into play. The Buckeyes have never signed a player from Nebraska in the modern recruiting era (dating back to 1999).
The Ohio State #notcommitted pic.twitter.com/BVyLsLpktW
— Avante Dickerson (@_dickerson1) December 23, 2019
But Dickerson camped in Columbus in the summer on June 6, and after performing well, he left a strong impression. An offer from Hafley followed three days later.
Dickerson put the Buckeyes as a top-three finalist on Dec. 12, and despite Hafley departing for Boston College, Dickerson told Eleven Warriors it will have no bearing on his decision.
“We have a good relationship,” Dickerson said. “My reaction was I was happy for him. Doesn’t change the fact about how I feel about Ohio State.”
Dickerson says he has a tight relationship with quality control coach Matt Thurin, who may take over as his main recruiter for a while. Even with the Buckeyes out of town, Dickerson visited campus on Monday.
Buckeyes a top option for four-star Leigh
Dickerson is one of a handful of top-of-the-line defensive backs who the Buckeyes have high on their radar, and there are several offensive linemen in the same boat.
One of those players is 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior Tristan Leigh. Leigh is the No. 23-ranked offensive tackle in the nation, is nearing a top-150 overall ranking and is ranked No. 4 overall in Virginia.
The Robinson Secondary School (Va.) four-star offensive lineman has Day’s program high on his list. That was boosted by Leigh’s trip to Columbus for the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State, where he saw an electric game atmosphere and got a dose of what being a member of Ohio State’s football program could provide for him academically.
“Ohio State is up there for me, definitely,” Leigh told Eleven Warriors. “The trip made me see that their goal is to put you in position to be very successful, whether that is in the NFL or in the business world.”
