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.
Buckeye Bash 2.0 coming together?
Ohio State’s 2021 class took center stage two weeks ago with the Buckeye Bash, and the 2022 class stole the spotlight the ensuing week with some potentially massive commitments coming within the next month – or perhaps the next two weeks.
Another item transpiring among the 2022 Buckeye commits and targets is their own version of what Jack Sawyer and Co. put together, as C.J. Hicks told us on Friday that they are working on putting together a Buckeye Bash 2.0 (that’s not what Hicks called it, but that’s what we’re calling it) for the 2022 cycle, with their eyes set on January as a target month to get guys to Columbus.
Keep your eyes peeled for that as we probably are not done with commit-led recruiting weekends from Ohio State’s class.
Goodwin loves Buckeyes' culture
We are going to have plenty more on the recruitment of potential five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin this week and in the coming weeks and months, as the 6-foot-8, 305-pounder is going to eventually find himself ranked in the top 50 if he continues to hone his craft, and he is one of Ohio State's top targets (perhaps the top target?) in the 2022 cycle.
Goodwin is one of the players who Hicks and Co. will certainly attempt to get to any sort of Buckeye Bash 2.0. When I visited with Goodwin two weeks ago, he showed me an Instagram message from Hicks who – as is his personal brand as Ohio State's top peer recruiter in the 2022 class – had already reached out to Goodwin to start communication with him as the Buckeyes look to land him.
“He’s doing his job,” Goodwin said with a smile. “He's doing what he's gotta do.”
So are the Buckeyes. Goodwin loved talking about Greg Studrawa and his relationship with the Ohio State offensive line coach, saying that they're playing the line of communication with him perfectly: “hard enough to the point where it’s not overwhelming. They got it perfect, right on the line.”
Ohio State's program as a whole continues to be the main selling point, though, for Goodwin.
“πThey’re a good program,” Goodwin said. “The culture, it definitely seems like a place I would wanna end up at one day. It’s a great city, the atmosphere is great, and the coaches are wonderful. They’re some of the best coaches. They’re hard workers, and this could end up being the year they win a national championship.”
Bradley decommits, says no communication with Ohio State
Quince Orchard (Md.) four-star 2021 defensive tackle Marcus Bradley decommitted from Maryland on Monday afternoon, reopening his recruitment with a bevy of schools blowing up his phone in the hours later.
Wheres Home?
— Marcus D. Bradley (@GboMarc) November 2, 2020
Recruitment Open! #MoneY pic.twitter.com/zSByKcEjEy
Bradley told 247Sports’ Brian Dohn that Virginia Tech is the school coming after him the most, in addition to Penn State, Texas A&M, Northwestern and a few other programs.
Not on that list? Ohio State.
Bradley had some serious interest in the Buckeyes over the past year, and especially when he released his top schools list in April – a list that featured Ohio State, LSU, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC.
However, Bradley told Eleven Warriors on Monday that Ohio State has not reached out to him following his decommitment and that there had not been communication between he and the staff during the time he was committed to Maryland.
Bradley was high on the Buckeyes previously, telling us in the spring, ““My mom likes (Larry Johnson). That was the biggest thing. My dad already knew about him and had already met him so he likes him, too. He’s passionate about what he talks about. Everything that he preaches, he’s passionate about it and takes it serious. He’s straight up with me about everything – as far as him wanting me there and things like that.
“The brotherhood at Ohio State is one thing he speaks passionately about and making his guys better, he talks about that a lot – developing his players to the best they can be.”
We will find out if Ohio State wants to jump back in his recruitment, but as of right now it appears the Buckeyes will not be looking to get back in on Bradley, the nation’s No. 175 overall player and No. 12 defensive tackle in the 2021 class. They already have a 3-tech in Mike Hall, a nose tackle in Tyleik Williams and are still in strong pursuit of five-star defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau who has the versatility to play at defensive tackle.
Christman doubles down on Under Armour game commitment
As we’ve noted before, with the All-American Bowl canceled this January, that leaves the Under Armour All-America Game as the only all-star showcase for recruits to play in this winter before either enrolling early at their schools, hitting the gyms for winter workouts or playing another sport.
As of now, Ohio State has two commits in its 2021 class firmly set to participate in Florida’s Under Armour game, as Ben Christman doubled down on his commitment to the showcase this weekend.
“I’m proud to represent my school, my community, and my state as a part of the UA All-American family,” Christman said in a tweet.
Leave your legacy... Im proud to represent my school, my community, and my state as a part of the UA All-American family!! #WEWILL #GoMinutemen pic.twitter.com/6Eyazj7IOH
— Ben hristman (@BenChristman70) November 1, 2020
Christman will join five-star running back TreVeyon Henderson, who committed to the Under Armour game shortly after the All-American Bowl was canceled. Five-star defensive end Jack Sawyer has also said he may wind up choosing to participate in the Under Armour game as well, though he hasn’t decided for certain yet.
