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.
Mattison offers Schrauth
As a kid, Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's wife, Ann, lived on a farm in the same area as Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.
As it turns out, years later, that experience actually provided a small helping hand in Mattison being able to carve out a relationship with one of the nation's top sophomore linemen, St. Mary's Springs (Wisc.) High School's Billy Schrauth, a four-star player whom Mattison and the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to on Tuesday afternoon.
Blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University!! pic.twitter.com/23sckjru18
— Billy Schrauth (@SchrauthBilly) April 14, 2020
“Coach Mattison’s wife grew up on a farm about 25 minutes from where I live so he really could connect with me,” Schrauth told Eleven Warriors. “I also live on a farm so we just kind of talked about how things are in Wisconsin for a while. Then he said he likes the way I play and that he wanted to offer me a scholarship.”
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Schrauth is ranked as the No. 143rd overall player in the country and is the No. 5-ranked sophomore in the state of Wisconsin. He is listed as the No. 5 defensive tackle in the country, but that position listing is almost certainly going to change to offensive line – most likely offensive guard – as Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin each view him as a slob.
“I would say I always knew that O-line was in my future, but it came apparent when I got my first offer to play offensive line,” Schrauth said.
The way he plays – at least the way he describes it – is about as perfect as a description as a lineman can offer up.
“They like the style of my play,” Schrauth said. “They know what they get with me, and that’s a hard-nosed football player who’s going to get off the ball every snap to get that first step and block to the whistle. Not much to it other than a lot of intensity. I’m just going to try and run through the guy’s face and that’s it, and I think that’s why they like me.”
That would certainly be a good reason to like an offensive lineman. That's something that Mattison has known about since his days as a Michigan defensive line coach.
“I actually went to a camp (on Michigan's campus) and met him like three years ago, and we got a picture and stuff so I’ve known him for a few years,” Schrauth said. “I was going there to see my uncle and aunt so I figured I’d play a little ball too if I was there. He remembered everything, even talking to my uncle. (That) meant a lot!”
That early start to the relationship-building process was another small help in Ohio State getting a foot in the door for Schrauth, and the relationships between the two sides is getting stronger by the week.
“I’m just going to try and run through the guy’s face and that’s it, and I think that’s why they like me.”– Ohio State Offensive Line Target Billy Schrauth
“Coach Mattison offered me. Both Coach Mattison and Coach (Greg Studrawa) I have talked to,” Schrauth said. “I’m looking forward to building an even stronger relationship with them now that will be talking every week. (Mattison) detailed a lot about the culture they have at Ohio State. They don’t accept being average, and that’s a huge thing for me.”
As for how his Ohio State recruitment could take its next big step, that obviously looks to be on hold for a while with the recruiting dead period still in affect indefinitely.
“I mean it’s a little difficult, but I’m not the only one there is a lot of recruits out there going through the same thing. I guess the only thing right now is I just can’t talk with them in person or go on a visit,” Schrauth said. “I definitely plan to visit OSU when the shutdown is over. It’s hard to set anything up right now because of all that’s going on so we haven’t really decided on anything yet.”
Whenever he is able to visit, Schrauth will certainly be visiting with Mattison at some point during that time. Perhaps he will even be introduced to Mattison's wife, whom the coach spoke about briefly with Eleven Warriors back at December's Fiesta Bowl media day when talking about moving around from different coaching jobs.
“You know one of the big things is having a great family. Your wife is so critical in this business that she’s gotta be with you all the way,” Mattison said. “If she’s not, she’s gotta be involved, it’s not gonna work out and I’ve been very fortunate that way.”
Offer for sophomore tight end...
Schrauth was not the only sophomore standout to be offered by Ohio State on Tuesday.
Seffner Christian (Fla.) Academy tight end Tony Livingston, ranked as the fifth-best athlete and 53rd-best overall player in the 2022 class, announced his Buckeyes offer as well.
Blessed to receive an offer from Ohio State University @MarshallMcDuf14 @BigCountyPreps1 @CFRecruitingHQ @teamlillard7on7 @flyguyhuey5 @DemetricDWarren @OhioStateFTBL @OSUCoachKDub @CoachTonyAlford pic.twitter.com/JCivbAXaFn
— Tony Livingston (@Tonylivingston_) April 14, 2020
Livingston, the sixth-ranked Florida sophomore, has a list of 21 offers, including from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and USC.
A big-bodied 6-foot-6, 225-pounder, Livingston is also a potential defensive end prospect down the road.
...and cornerback
On Wednesday, one of the best sophomores in the country – who has one of the best football names in the country – also announced an Ohio State offer.
North Shore (Texas) High School's Denver Harris, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback from Houston, announced that assistant secondary coach Matt Barnes and the Buckeyes came calling for what is already Harris' 30th offer just two seasons into his high school career.
#AGTG YESSIRSKIII!!! Beyond blessed to EARN an offer from The Ohio State University @CoachMattBarnes #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/IL18hHArCQ
— Denver Harris (@DenvoBandz) April 16, 2020
Harris is the No. 5-ranked cornerback and No. 26-ranked overall player in the 2022 class, and he is rated as the state of Texas' fifth-best sophomore.
Harris has offers from Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
Billy Schrauth photo courtesy of 247Sports.
