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.
Perry talks offer from Johnson
Defensive line recruiting in the 2022 class is an area we have already stressed the importance of in multiple Hurry-Ups, and that'll probably be a recurring theme in this space going forward.
Ohio State's defensive line depth or lack thereof, especially at defensive tackle and nose tackle, will need to be addressed, which is why guys like Tywone Malone and J.T. Tuimoloau are of huge importance in the 2021 class.
But whether the Buckeyes land both, one or none of those two top-55 players, attacking versatile defensive linemen who can play either end or kick inside to tackle will still be a major area of emphasis in the 2022 cycle. We're probably looking at four defensive linemen being the number to expect, with likely two defensive tackles the target, and thus far there have been 13 offers dished out by Larry Johnson and Co.
The latest offer to a defensive lineman was Alabama stud Khurtiss Perry, the No. 45-ranked overall player, No. 4-ranked strongside defensive end and No. 4-ranked Alabaman in the class out of Park Crossing High School.
Perry was pretty ecstatic about the offer, one he announced last week that puts his offer sheet at 22 schools – including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Be in control of your own destiny. Bet on yourself #44reason
— Khurtiss Perry (@KhurtissPerry) June 18, 2020
Im Truly Blessed To Receive An Offer From Ohio State University #GoBuckeyes#Ripshaad @ParkCrossingFB @ChadSimmons_ @Madhousefit @ALLGASTRNG @247recruiting pic.twitter.com/QQbim31OJt
Perry, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 250 pounds with an official wingspan of 75.5 inches, has spoken with Johnson and each side was impressed with the other, especially since Perry seems to fit the bill of being a versatile player in the trenches.
“It was very shocking to me,” Perry told Eleven Warriors of the offer. “He just told me I would love it here and I would love him being my coach. He says I’m a very great player. I fit Ohio state very well. He also told me he said I can play it all – end and the (3-technique), which I don’t mind playing.”
As with any other players heading into the summer before their junior seasons – perhaps the most important time period in any given player's recruitment – there is still a long way to go in Perry's recruitment, but the process has been going well thus far.
“I mean, I still work out hard, still putting work in while others sleeping,” Perry said. “Long as I got God by my side I know I’m good.”
Hicks, Pryor address recruitments
Last month, I said that there was a 1 percent chance, or lower, of an in-state recruit like C.J. Hicks or Mike Hall decommitting.
And despite Hicks announcing offers from Oregon and Clemson ever since his commitment to Ohio State on May 1, it looks like the “or lower” estimate is the better projection.
On Sunday, Hicks took to Twitter to publicly shut down his recruitment, as Al Washington, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are basically a lock to house Hicks when he begins his college career.
My recruitment is shut down forever a Buckeye
— Cj Hicks (@iiamcjhicks) June 21, 2020
Hicks joined Ohio State 2021 running back commit Evan Pryor in a recent public shutdown of their recruitments, as Pryor denounced unfounded rumors that he could flip to a school like Alabama.
Aint no flipping me.
— Evan Pryor (@evanpryor3) June 18, 2020
We have rings to winnnnn ! https://t.co/gDaz4kXea7
— Evan Pryor (@evanpryor3) June 22, 2020
Obviously, nothing is cemented until signing day, but with both Hicks and Pryor, it's looking like about a 99.9 percent chance they end up at Ohio State.
Cincinnati players on the rise
During the mid-2000s, Trammell Williams was one of the state of Ohio’s most successful running backs, starring for Kerry Coombs at Colerain High School, earning two straight All-Greater Miami Conference honors after rushing for more than 2,000 yards in his final two seasons.
Williams, who went on to play running back for the University of Cincinnati, spoke with Eleven Warriors last week about the physical transformation of Ohio State running back Miyan Williams. Trammell is Miyan’s trainer at the private gym Run By U in Mount Healthy, Ohio, and that gym is also run by Trammell’s little brother, Tyler, the offensive coordinator at Colerain and their father, Terrell, who was a major influence for Paris Johnson Jr. during the offensive tackle’s days at St. Xavier High School.
“Those guys who train here’s goal is to get on the field somehow and make an impact with their team. That’s all of their goals,” Trammell said. “They’re not in here putting in work to sit behind and watch. That’s not what we preach. We're sending them there to be able to go in there and take somebody’s spot, or at least share some reps and get on the field to make an impact. They’re not just working to be second place.
“All of the guys that’s going up there have intentions on playing somewhere and making a great impact on the team. None of them have the second-string mindset or redshirting this year. They’re all going in with intentions to play, and if they happen to get redshirted or whatever, that’s OK. But that’s not their goal. Everybody is trying to get on the field, just like everybody’s goal is at Ohio State.”
The three Williams train many athletes in the Cincinnati area at their gym, and Trammell took some time to highlight several talented players on the rise whom they either train, coach or are otherwise high on heading into the 2020 season.
These players are highly unlikely to end up with offers from Ohio State, but they are either committed to or have collected offers from Power 5, Group of 5 or MAC programs, and they are worthy of highlighting as players who could make up a move up the rankings this fall:
- Cincinnati commit Mao Glynn from Walnut Hills High School, ranked No. 642 overall, No. 31 OG, No. 26 in Ohio
- Uncommitted Bam Booker from Winton Woods, ranked No. 663 overall, No. 41 at OLB, No. 27 in Ohio
- Minnesota commit Tamarion Crumpley from Winton Woods, ranked No. 93 at cornerback, No. 43 in Ohio
- Miami (Ohio) commit Daylan Long from Winton Woods, ranked No. 78 at inside linebacker, No. 74 in Ohio
- Offensive lineman Damarion Stone from Winton Woods, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound rising junior
“That’s a guy to really look out for. He’s gonna have a great year this year,” said Trammell, who was hired as the new director of strength and conditioning at Winton Woods in January. “We get guys every day. (La Salle and Colerain’s) got some dudes, and (Winton Woods) do too. There’s a lot of talent on those three teams. There’s gonna be a lot of kids on those three teams that shock a lot of people.
“Coming into our program, you can see the talent coming in and where they’re gonna be. We’re excited to get back. It’s a family environment. We’re all excited to get back into it. I’m real happy to be back helping.”
Khurtiss Perry photo: Jake Crandall/Montgomery Advertiser
