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.
As Ohio State searches for its third cornerback in the 2022 class, the Buckeyes are on the outside looking in for a trio of high-level players (Domani Jackson, Will Johnson, Denver Harris) and have a good line on another trio of underrated prospects at the position (Toriano Pride, Ryan Turner, Austin Jordan).
On Wednesday, we broke down Pride’s recruitment and some of the ways the Buckeyes have a solid foot in the door there in a recruitment likely coming down to Ohio State vs. Clemson.
Today, we focus on another player in that same ilk in Ryan Turner, who the Buckeyes and Tigers are also battling for in a recruitment that could be resolved over the next few weeks.
Ryan Turner
The 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida is a player that both Ohio State and Clemson probably wishes would have stayed off the radar a bit more.
The Tigers offered Turner in January, and the Buckeyes followed suit a couple weeks later. Matt Barnes, when watching Turner’s film, said to himself (and then to Turner) that “there’s no way this kid is a three-star.”
He was right.
Turner’s recruitment has blown up on the national stage and so has his ranking, as he’s shot up into four-star territory and is likely to wind up as a top-150 player by the time he ends his senior season.
Turner told Eleven Warriors last week that Ohio State and Clemson are the two schools that will be getting his first two visits once the dead period is lifted, and he said that those two programs and Boston College are the only ones who have really talked extensively about setting up a visit once they are allowed.
Turner also told us that he is looking to make a commitment sooner rather than later. He wants to make a commitment sometime in March or April.
That’s a lightning-quick pace for the young defensive back, but he is hoping he can lock his name into a class very soon.
Of course, when we look at how the Buckeyes recruit, that may be easier said than done if he wants to commit to Ohio State. Based on the program’s track record, the defensive coaching staff will likely want to meet Turner in person first before deciding on him. That’s what makes me hesitant to believe that Turner would stick to that plan of committing (at least to the Buckeyes) before the dead period is lifted in May as he would probably want to keep his options open and see what is on the table.
I know that the Buckeyes’ staff really does love Turner and what he brings to the table, so it could be a rare instance in which they take him without needing to meet him in person.
That feeling is reciprocated by Turner, of course, who is more about relationships than anything else when it comes to the recruiting process. He already has a strong relationship with Ryan Day (and Dabo Swinney), but he is still building upon it with Day.
“That’s very impactful because the school I go to, I wanna know the head coach really well,” Turner said. “I wanna know the head guy, and I want him to know me. I don’t wanna go there and the head coach doesn’t know me or is like ‘Who’s this?’ or call me by number like, ‘Hey, 28 we need you.’ You know what I’m saying?
“I feel like you should be way closer to your position coach than your head coach, but you should also know your head coach. The player and the head coach should still have a great relationship.”
While a commitment could come in the next few weeks, the first announcement is likely going to be a narrowed list for Turner as he either looks to make self-guided visits or waits out the dead period.
That trimmed list would probably feature Ohio State, Clemson, Boston College, Oregon, Florida, Penn State and Miami and maybe one or two others.
Buckeyes making good impression on star 2023 RB
Ohio State landed a pair of stud running backs in the 2021 class, is in a good position with a trio of stars in the 2022 class, and Tony Alford has also done a good early job in the 2023 cycle.
Richard Young, the nation's No. 1-ranked running back and No. 18 overall player in the cycle, told 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong that Ohio State is one of three schools that have caught his eye the most very early on in his recruiting process.
“Alabama and Ohio State, and Oklahoma is start to getting in also,” Young told 247Sports this week.
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Regarding the Buckeyes: “Same thing they’re RBU and their running backs are crazy and even Coach Tony (Alford) he is a good dude and he wants me to be a first round pick and make sure I’m in the best position.”
On Twitter on Wednesday night, Young tweeted about an "amazing" virtual visit he had with the Sooners as they will be a player for the state of Florida's No. 5 prospect in the class.
Header photo: Ryan Turner – Gary Urrutia/247Sports
