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.
Top targets trim lists
Hudson Wolfe
At one point, it looked like tight end Hudson Wolfe, a four-star prospect from Hardin County (Tenn.) High School, was essentially an Alabama lock. But over the last several weeks, Ohio State has gained momentum and some serious favor with the top-10 tight end, who on Saturday trimmed his final list down to five with the Buckeyes up against Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
TOP 5 Edit: @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/5xGdghYH2W
— Hudson Wolfe (@HudsonWolfe80) March 28, 2020
Wolfe was one of the players the Buckeyes offered during their mid-September offer flurry, and he became their top target at tight end. He last visited Columbus for the Buckeyes' game against Michigan State in October. He had been planning an unofficial visit for March with an official visit to follow at some point in April or May.
Those visits will no longer because of the moratorium of on-campus recruiting, but a pair of visits from Kevin Wilson during the January contact period and a visit from Ryan Day during that time made a lasting impression on Wolfe.
“Coach Wilson has done an outstanding job recruiting him,” Hardin County head coach Matthew Smith told Eleven Warriors in February. “He has really done an outstanding job developing relationships with not only Hudson but his family, coaches, teachers and school administrators.”
Wolfe was expected to make a commitment at some point in the summer, but the recruiting visit suspensions may have altered that timeline.
With the momentum Ohio State is riding right now, things are looking good for the Buckeyes as they have positioned themselves well to land the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Wolfe, who brings physicality, sound blocking technique and a consistent pair of hands to the table.
“Ohio State is obviously one of the premier college football programs in the country and is high on his list,” Smith said. “He and his family have handled this process very well and will continue to evaluate these schools through the spring and early summer until they make a decision on which program is the best fit for him.”
Jantzen Dunn
Wolfe wasn't the only top Ohio State target to trim his list on Saturday.
Four-star defensive back Jantzen Dunn, of South Warren (Ky.) High School, included the Buckeyes in his list of top seven schools, which also includes Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Miami, where his father spent one season playing for the Hurricanes' basketball team.
Top 7...
— Jantzen Dunn (@JantzenDunn) March 28, 2020
Edit: @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/adBS8JzL3b
Dunn was a player that stood out to former assistant Jeff Hafley, but he did not get an offer from the Buckeyes until March.
Now, Dunn has become the likeliest candidate to join the Buckeyes' defensive backs room as a long cornerback who can cover ground and guard man-to-man against outside receivers. He's ranked as the 22nd-best athlete in the nation, but cornerback is his likeliest destination, though he has potential at safety as well.
Dunn is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior ranked as the third-best player in Kentucky, though he's currently ranked just outside the top 300. Both Dunn and Jager Burton are prime Ohio State targets from Kentucky, and if the Buckeyes land both (or just one), it would complete a rare dip into the Bluegrass State.
Former three-star cornerback Rodjay Burns of Louisville signed with the Buckeyes in 2016 before transferring back home to play for the Cardinals after one season. Ohio State missed out on running back Damien Harris to Alabama, and Wan'Dale Robinson chose Nebraska.
Shemar Turner
We haven't heard much from DeSoto (Texas) High School's four-star strongside defensive end Shemar Turner, but he provided an update to all of us by releasing a video featuring his top 11 final schools he's looking at.
Truly blessed #AGTG
— 32 (@TheShemarTurner) March 29, 2020
: @ScoopEditz pic.twitter.com/GkncIew9ob
In case you don't feel like watching the entire video, that list features Ohio State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Florida, Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia and Texas.
Turner is Texas' 32nd-ranked recruit, the No. 12-ranked strongside defensive end in America and a top-200 overall prospect nationally. Ohio State just offered Turner in January, and his offer sheet is nearing 40 total programs.
