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.
OSU still looks good for Egbuka, Tuimoloau
Brandon Huffman, the west coast insider at 247Sports, is the only reporter five-star Washington defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau speaks with, and Huffman is one of very few reporters five-star Washington receiver Emeka Egbuka speaks with.
This week, on the 247Sports Football Recruiting Podcast, Huffman discussed the recruitment of both top-10 players.
“J.T.'s decision isn't coming until February at the soonest,” Huffman said. “There's a slim possibility that it could come at the Polynesian Bowl, which is one of the big three all-star games still happening as of now that's still on schedule. I don't see him coming to a decision until the signing period in February, but I could also see this one going until early-to-mid-April. Maybe he waits until after the dead period opens up, if it does open up in mid-April, and he signs an intent-to-enroll instead of an NLI.”
Huffman said Ohio State, Alabama and Washington are still some of the favorites and that a top five could be coming sometime in the next couple months. When it comes to the Buckeyes, Larry Johnson and the development he provides for defensive ends is right at the top of the list for Tuimoloau's factors he's looking at in a program.
As for Egbuka, his recruitment remains status quo. Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington are his final three schools, but Huffman says until a visit is made to Oklahoma a decision is not likely to come.
“Ohio State's still in front on the Crystal Ball, which is where I think he should stay,” Huffman said. “He's visited Columbus twice, once for a game last fall in the 2019 season and also for an unofficial visit in the spring. ... The one thing that Oklahoma doesn't have going is he's never been to campus. The thing with Oklahoma is they've gotta get him on campus. He was supposed to go on an unofficial visit in April for the spring game.
“There's been some talk that he might be able to get out there in December for the game against Baylor. ... I think a lot of it rides on if he can visit Oklahoma. ... I don't think he comes to a decision without visiting Oklahoma, and if he does come to a decision without visiting, I don't think bodes well for Oklahoma.”
The Sooners are still a player, but the Buckeyes remain at the top, Huffman says.
“The Buckeyes have had kind of the pole position with him for a while now. This really could go one of three ways, but a lot of it depends on if he's able to visit Norman,” Huffman said.
Momentum builds for another commitment
Every day, it seems like there's news that Ohio State is about to bag another commitment.
Wednesday was no different, as momentum is apparently building for yet another pledge to come into either the 2021 or 2022 class as the two cycles continue to fight back and forth for who is going to land the better haul.
@jordanhancock_7 we might be having a BOOM in the 21 class pic.twitter.com/0SXPsSqLga
— Jaylen Johnson (@JaylenJohnson21) November 25, 2020
Bagged another boom hes a sleeper
— CJ Hicks (@imcjhicks) November 25, 2020
Jaylen Johnson (2021 commit) and C.J. Hicks (2022 commit) are good friends and will soon enough each be Buckeyes. But for now, it looks like they're going back and forth as peer recruiters.
Hicks is Captain Buckeye, after all, and Johnson told us a couple weeks ago that he's "the best recruiter in the state of Ohio.”
The guess here is that Egbuka might be the player Johnson is talking about and three-star Arizona receiver Kyion Grayes is who Hicks is talking about, but that's just guess work at this moment.
James releases top 11
Nick James, a four-star defensive tackle out of Florida's IMG Academy, was offered by Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes in May. On Wednesday, the top tier 2022 prospect – ranked No. 240 overall and No. 21 at DT – provided an update by releasing a list of his top-11 schools.
#AGTG pic.twitter.com/axBWM1VkQy
— Nick James (@Njames9999) November 25, 2020
Ohio State finds itself up against Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Michigan and Penn State, among others.
The Buckeyes are gunning for at least two defensive tackles in the 2022 cycle, and James has a high opinion of Johnson and his staff.
“I liked Coach Johnson’s honesty on things I can fix,” James told us shortly after his offer. “He likes my get off and hustle to the ball.”
Header photo: J.T. Tuimoloau – 247Sports
