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.
One of the chief concerns about Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class is the lack of a pure pass rusher who projects to be a force in getting around the edge.
Jacolbe Cowan, Darrion Henry-Young and Ty Hamilton are each talented, multi-dimensional defensive line signees who bring versatility and some explosiveness on the outside. All three, though, still seem to be more likely to make the most impact by kicking inside at tackle.
In the 2021 cycle, however, there will be no such worries. The Buckeyes already have Jack Sawyer committed, bringing a five-star presence to strongside defensive end, and Sawyer may not end up being the lone pass rusher to join the scarlet and gray in his class.
Five-star prospect Tunmise Adeleye put the Buckeyes on his top six list of finalists on Tuesday, putting up against Ohio State, Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma and Florida.
A lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep
— (@TunmiseAdeleye) December 24, 2019
Final 6... #TMC
Edit: @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/TuMDyQsjUc
Adeleye is the nation’s No. 3-ranked SDE, No. 26-rated prospect overall and a top five player in Texas.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Katy High School star is explosive off the edge but could still provide some versatility – there’s that Ohio State recruiting buzzword again – in his ability to use a powerful core and strong hands to shed blockers and disrupt the opponent’s run game. Adeleye’s strengths at the next level will still probably lie in his pass rushing, but his presence in Columbus would give the coaching staff yet another dangerous weapon to move along the defensive line.
When Eleven Warriors spoke with Adeleye in October, he was incredibly upbeat about Ohio State’s program and its recruitment of him.
"I would say my interest level in Ohio State is heavy – most likely the highest it's been all-time," Adeleye said in October. "Gameday atmosphere in Columbus, in conjunction with an experienced defensive staff that can elevate my game to an elite level, and a school of high academic (standing) are what are standing out about Ohio State."
Apparently, that enthusiasm has not wavered as his relationships with Larry Johnson, Ryan Day and the rest of the staff continue to develop.
Johnson and the Buckeyes continue ramping up their recruitment at defensive end, as Sawyer, Adeleye, Landon Jackson and Korey Foreman are all prospects in the fold. Sawyer is already committed, Adeleye and Foreman have the Buckeyes as a finalist, and Jackson’s interest in the Buckeyes has soared over the past several weeks.
As for Adeleye, he was supposed to visit the Shoe for the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State on Nov. 23, but he ended up having to cancel that trip.
thank you to all the coaches that have been recruiting me and all the organizations that have believed in me.. heres my TOP10.. (other schools can still contact) #17thBirthday pic.twitter.com/se95KMjOFL
— Korey Foreman (@koreyforeman54) November 8, 2019
He announced on Twitter that his commitment was coming on Jan. 8, but he has since taken that off his bio. It’s expected his commitment will now come later, perhaps in the spring or summer. That was his stance back in October.
"Timetable is fluid,” Adeleye said at the time. “I’m still trying to get to as many visits and places as I can before I make a decision, but the (Ohio State) staff is doing really well as of right now.”
Dobbins, Williams comparisons
When watching Miyan Williams’ film, the first thing that pops out is his aggressive, violent running style, as he can often bulldoze through contact to gain extra yards.
Williams’ running style seems more comparable to Carlos Hyde or Mike Weber, but there have even been a few comparisons thrown out to J.K. Dobbins.
When told of those comparisons on Tuesday, Dobbins was slightly taken aback – mainly because he’s not too familiar with Williams and hasn’t seen him play that often.
“Really?” Dobbins said of the comparisons. “Well, I haven’t really been keeping up with that stuff because I’m in season. Hopefully he can uphold the tradition of Ohio State running backs. Hopefully he does a good job of doing that.”
Top OSU safety target picks Wisconsin
During this season, we first talked about four-star safety Hunter Wohler in October and again in November.
Wohler is a hard-hitting, aggressive prospect with a penchant for flying to the ball and would have fit perfectly into the Buckeyes’ defensive system.
But, alas, Wohler is headed to Wisconsin to play for Jim Leonhard and the Badgers’ defensive backs, as he committed to Wisconsin on Monday night.
#OnWisconsin @CoachKhalif @jimleonhard pic.twitter.com/diJgUpSppb
— Hunter Wohler (@HunterWohler) December 24, 2019
Wisconsin and Ohio State were seen as the top two programs for Wohler, as his relationships with Leonhard and Mattison were among two of the best he’s formed during the recruiting process. But Wohler will be staying home, and Ohio State will be extending its focus elsewhere to fulfill its 2021 safety spot.
Derrick Davis Jr. is one of the top prospects on the Buckeyes’ board at the position, as is Jaylen Johnson, though he is seen as more of a bullet prospect rather than someone who could command the main safety spot in Ohio State’s one-high defense.
Gee visits Jerry
Four-star 2020 receiver signee Gee Scott Jr. has made waves for the unique relationship he has with Jerry, a homeless man living in Washington who is a die-hard Buckeyes fan.
On Tuesday, Scott went to visit Jerry, bringing with him a Christmas present for Jerry to enjoy.
This holiday season, I hope we may all find the strength and courage to uplift those around us...
— Gee Scott Jr. (@geescottjr) December 24, 2019
and as to always, #SpreadLove pic.twitter.com/Whfce0r4qr
Day raved about Scott during last week's Early Signing Period press conference, and the story about Scott and Jerry is one of the reasons why.
"Gee Scott is one of those guys that every time you talk about Gee Scott, everybody has unbelievable things to say about him," Day said. "Why? Because he's not only a great player, but he's a great person.
"He's special. ... He's got a huge heart. Some of the stuff he's done you guys have seen, but we saw that early on, and what he's done to help put this class together just through text messages, group texts, talking to those guys, meeting different guys at camps when he's here on campus, and again, comes from a great family, and I can't say enough about who he is, but also as a player. You talk about a dominant physical player when you watch his film, it just jumps off the screen. Super excited he's a Buckeye."
