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 extends three new offers
Damari Alston
Recruiting, quite literally, never stops.
At 2:43 p.m. on Tuesday, reports surfaced that the Big Ten had canceled the fall season for all sports. About 40 minutes later, at 3:22 p.m., Damari Alston announced he had been extended an Ohio State offer.
WOW...
— DA (@DamariAlston) August 11, 2020
THE Ohio State University Offered.. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/84bIFD9VEh
Even during a pandemic, and even in the midst of a chaotic cancellation of his team's football season, Tony Alford took the time to show Alston – a three-star running back from Woodward (Ga.) Academy in Atlanta – that the Buckeyes wanted him. That showed Alston, ranked the No. 35 running back and No. 28 prospect in Georgia's 2022 class by 247Sports, that Alford and Ohio State have some serious interest in him.
“It does (feel) very impactful, and it showed me he really wants me,” Alston told Eleven Warriors. “I asked him about (the cancellation). This was before they made the actual announcement. He basically told me it was two choices to either push it back or cancel the whole thing. We had a really long talk about it.”
After that talk, Alford dished out the offer to the 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back at around noon.
“We've been in contact for a while,” Alston said. “Coach Alford loves me as a person and the way I run the ball and ability to do it all – blocking and catching. OSU is one of the biggest programs ever, which means and shows a lot. Coach Alford and the staff have put many backs in the league, and the athletics program has always been top-tier.”
So that's what Alston likes about Ohio State, but what does Ohio State like about Alston?
“(Alford) likes my lean and ability to be powerful and break tackles. Also my elusiveness and ability to make someone miss,” Alston said.
Thus far, Alston holds 40 offers despite being a three-star prospect, and that list of offers is highlighted by Michigan, North Carolina, USC, Florida, Georgia Tech and Ohio State – the schools Alston says are standing out the most right now and recruiting him the hardest. He has also been offered by Alabama, Oregon, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Kiyaunta Goodwin
On Thursday, the Buckeyes dished out an offer to Kiyaunta Goodwin, the No. 71 offensive tackle and No. 10 prospect in Indiana's 2022 class, per 247Sports.
Blessed to recieve an offer from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY home of my childhood idol @OrlandoPace_HOF @CoachStudOL @Aspirationsgym @SWiltfong247 @JoshHelmholdt @RivalsDave pic.twitter.com/NujmXtguus
— Kiyaunta Goodwin (@K_Goodwin2022) August 13, 2020
Goodwin – who has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and USC – stands at 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds. He's a monstrous presence, but the physical transformation he has undergone has been impressive, writes 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong:
Standing in at 6-foot-8, 315-pounds, Goodwin on the hoof is as good looking a prospect as you’ll find nationally regardless of position or graduation year. And it wasn’t always that way.
Now Goodwin has always been big. Too big! When 247Sports first saw him as a 13-year old in the eighth grade he tipped the scales at 425-pounds, but over three years later he has put in the work to become a specimen. Along the way he’s now running a 4.9 40-yard dash with a 4.56 shuttle while throwing up 225-pounds on the bench press 29 times and 405 pounds three times, working out at the Aspirations Facility in Louisville where the likes of Rondale Moore and Wandale Robinson have been developed.
“He’s the best kid I ever had,” Aspirations founder Chris Vaughn said. “He’s the most talented kid and that includes Rondale, Wandale and everybody else.
Aliou Bah
On Friday, the Buckeyes added their third new offer of the week by extending one to 2022 offensive tackle Aliou Bah out of Memphis' Whitehaven High School, the same school that produced Ohio State's Cormontae Hamilton. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Bah – who is not yet ranked by the composite rankings or the 247Sports rankings – holds 20 offers.
WOW.....#BeyondBlessed To Receive An Offer From THE Ohio State University#GoBuckeyes #Big10 #AG2G pic.twitter.com/1H3WbKzukK
— LouiV (@louivaton0) August 14, 2020
That list includes Florida State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC, but Friday's offer from Ohio State is the one that's floored him the most.
“Coach (Greg) Studrawa and Coach (Ryan) Day (offered me),” Bah told Eleven Warriors. “That was a big-time offer. When I had got it, I sat back and was just like wow. It was jaw dropping.
“I had got in contact with Coach (Tim) Hinton back in April. Him and my head coach are really close so they been recruiting me since April.”
When asked how Ohio State stands out above the other programs, Bah didn't hold back his excitement.
“Ohio State is huge,” Bah said. “The program speaks for itself. They compete and win at the highest stages. They develop and (improve their) players. For any recruit, this school would most definitely stand out to them!”
Studrawa and the Buckeyes are interested in Bah for his agility he shows at 325 pounds, and it was enough for them to get the wheels spinning faster in his recruitment.
“They like how I can move for my size, and I have lost weight since then so I can move even better now. They like how I finish my blocks,” Bah said. “(Studrawa) told me he had about four or five O-linemen (that he's offered in the 2022 class) that were going to be first-round picks.”
Like Alston, the fact that Ohio State reached out with an offer despite the hectic times of dealing with a canceled season went a long way.
“It means that they are still working hard to get the best for their programs through the tough times for them,” said Bah, who added that “honestly their biggest pitch is their culture and tradition.”
Herman, Yurcich land five-star QB
Five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers out of Southlake Carroll (Texas) High School is the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 class and is a supreme talent who we touched on last month as one of Ohio State's top targets in the class – and one Ryan Day and the Buckeyes had a good shot at landing.
On Friday, however, Ewers committed to Texas, staying home and choosing to get developed by former Buckeye assistant coaches Tom Herman and Mike Yurcich.
COMMITTED!! #texanbornandraised Edit: @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/6NLFYueD5D
— Quinn Ewers (@QuinnEwers) August 14, 2020
Bixby headed home
On Thursday, Minnesota landed a great kid who has a very bright future, as the No. 8 Ohioan in the 2022 class, Trey Bixby, chose to head back to his home state by committing to the Golden Gophers.
First, Happy Birthday to my Mom! Im not here today without you! ya
— Trey Bixby (@TreyBixby_91) August 13, 2020
Second, thank you to every single school that showed interest in me or gave me an opportunity at a college education and to play at the next level.
With that said... #RTB #SkiUMah #GoGophers #HYP22 pic.twitter.com/sN4wPqfinP
Ohio State had shown interest in the defensive end out of Cleveland's St. Edward High School, but the Buckeye coaches told Bixby they would need to see more film from him during his junior season in order to extend an offer.
