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.
Miller hopes to visit again before April 4 decision
On Thursday afternoon, the Buckeyes extended an offer to 2022 defensive tackle Christen Miller out of Cedar Grove (Georgia) High School.
It didn’t take long for Miller to be strongly impacted by Larry Johnson and Co. having come calling, as the No. 10 defensive tackle and top-160 overall prospect added Ohio State to his top schools list less than five hours later. That list features Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech and Indiana in addition to the Buckeyes.
All I Gotta say Is ApRil 4@swiffedits #Bo22Moves#Theswamp#4the404#LEO pic.twitter.com/GHPTKxSZ3h
— Christen Miller (@Trenchking2) January 31, 2021
Ohio State Has Been added To My Top Schools #Top5#GoBuckeyes @R2X_Rushmen1
— Christen Miller (@Trenchking2) February 5, 2021
With defensive tackle being one of Ohio State’s top-three priorities in the 2022 cycle, the Buckeyes entering the race for the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder certainly shakes things up. Miller had been set on making a college decision on April 4 with Georgia being the favorite. With the Buckeyes in the mix, however, that decision may not be as locked down anymore.
Miller visited Ohio State in October for the Buckeyes’ season opener against Nebraska. He took that visit with his teammate Joshua White (more on him in a moment) and had a good time, saying that he hopes to make a return trip once things open back up this spring.
Again, if he’s wanting to take another visit to Columbus with an April decision looming, it’s likely Ohio State will be a big factor down the stretch here for Miller, who comes from the same high school as current Buckeye defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson.
White’s top six
Speaking of visits, another trip that’s in the planning stages is for Miller’s teammate, White, to get back to Columbus once again.
“I plan on taking a visit,” White told Eleven Warriors this week. “I was supposed to have went up right before the virus broke out, but I went to the game when they played Nebraska.
“(We just went to) the city. You know, recruits couldn’t come around because of the virus. We just watched the game, learned the scheme you know?”
AGTG... @ChadSimmons_ @RecruitGeorgia @247Sports pic.twitter.com/SjYolPR312
— joshua white (@bigJdub19) February 7, 2021
The Buckeyes’ defensive scheme is one of the major reasons that the 2022 strongside defensive end – a 6-foot-4, 240-pounder who does not currently have a composite rating or ranking – put Ohio State in a top-six list over the weekend.
“OSU is in my top six because the love for the school and how they produce their defensive front,” White said. “They make them the best in the game, and that’s what I’m trying to be. And the relationship with coaches (is why they made the list). OSU’s staff is great. They are real coaches and work together as one and they are just great.
“The scheme, you just have to play aggressive and smart and disciplined, and I’m good at that. I would fit good with the way I play aggressive and smart just to help my team all around.”
White recently transferred from Stephenson High School in DeKalb, Georgia, and he says that the relationship building between him and the Buckeyes’ coaching staff has “been on and off” while he dealt with the transfer.
That hasn’t changed his view of Ohio State’s program, though, and the Buckeyes will be right in the mix with Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Arkansas and Mississippi State as he weighs his options.
“I plan on committing in the summer,” White said, noting that he hopes to get up to Columbus again sometime soon.
White says Ohio State views him as a defensive end and not as an outside linebacker.
McCullough's father heading back to college
Ohio State outside linebacker/athlete commit Dasan McCullough has had a great setup in Kansas, as he's been able to go up against Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and other Kansas City Chiefs players, in addition to being mentored by Tyrann Mathieu.
However, it appears that the days of playing 7-on-7 against them could be over.
Dasan's father Deland McCullough is heading back to the college ranks to become Indiana's associate head coach/running backs coach. McCullough spent the past three seasons as the Chiefs' running backs coach.
Welcome back, @coachdmc! #IUFB pic.twitter.com/dnzVGnBVLt
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) February 8, 2021
We don't expect Dasan McCullough's commitment to Ohio State to be impacted by his father taking the Indiana job. He has been one of the leaders of the Buckeyes' 2022 class in terms of peer recruiting, but he will likely be having family discussions about the best spot for him and his college future.
More OSU crystal balls
We have already made it crystal clear how we think of Buckeye target Kyion Grayes and that Ohio State stands at the top of that recruitment. The Chandler (Arizona) four-star receiver is making a visit to Columbus at the end of this month, and we expect it to lead to good news for the Buckeyes' 2022 class.
Ohio State is already the crystal ball leader for Grayes, and the Buckeyes picked up another crystal ball prediction for Grayes this week.
They also picked up a crystal ball prediction for a 2022 prospect in IMG (Florida) Academy three-star offensive lineman Aliou Bah. The Buckeyes stand on solid ground in that recruitment, and we feel good about Bah eventually picking Ohio State as well as it stands today.
Header photo: Christen Miller/247Sports
