The Hurry-Up: 11 Observations From Sunday's Under Armour Camp, Recruiting Dead Period Expected to End

By Zack Carpenter on April 12, 2021 at 6:30 pm
C.J. Hicks, Kaden Saunders, Dasan McCullough
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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.

Observations from UA Camp

Sunday's Under Armour Camp Series in Obetz featured a loaded field of five-stars and high-end four-stars.

Camps like these can serve multiple purposes, as guys use them as leaping pads to gather high-level offers, figure out what areas of their game need improvement in order to boost recruiting profiles and ranks, build bonds with future teammates or opponents, and – for our purposes here at Eleven Warriors – it can give us an idea of which players Ohio State has on its radar.

We captured some of the sights and sounds from the day's action that you can check out, and today I wanted to give a rundown of some of what I observed. Dan and I will have more to come with interviews and stories on the Buckeye commits, targets and hopefuls. Please feel free to leave a comment or question on things I don't hit on.

Future meets future

I've always been amazed at how the recruiting scene in football and the AAU scene in basketball has the ability to bring guys together and allow them to build lifelong relationships that start at the preps scene, carry into college careers and sustain themselves in the professional ranks.

There's clearly a lot of that going around with the group of Ohio State commits on the field Sunday and between the future Buckeyes and their future opponents. That's one of the aspects that I loved from the day is that:

For one, you get to see recruiting come to life a bit in the fact of seeing the potential matchups that could happen down the road in Big Ten games. Kaden Saunders, a borderline top-100 prospect and the No. 15 receiver in America, is going to see linebackers C.J. Hicks and Dasan McCullough down the road at The Shoe and Beaver Stadium.

The Penn State commit could very well find himself being guarded on a post or a go route by either Hicks or McCullough one day in the fourth quarter of a game that decides the winner of the Big Ten East. It's cool to think about as that trio hung out throughout the day. They are all tight knit and were pretty much inseparable throughout the day. Which, by the way, doesn't mean much of anything in regards to Saunders being a flip candidate to Ohio State for what it's worth. Just three friends having a good time.

And it's also amazed me how tight Ohio State's 2021 and 2022 commits have formed such strong friendships just through their well-documented group chats, FaceTime calls, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media. Just noteworthy to see how all of that coalesces into genuine bonds when they finally meet in person. That stuff matters, and it's a big reason why the 2021 class finished as one of the best in program history and why this 2022 Buckeyes class has a chance to finish even better.

We'll see those bonds form even stronger and branch out to areas all over the country as recruits converge at the Buckeye Bash 2.0 and during official/unofficial visits this summer once the dead period ends – which we will get to later.

Linebacker notes

Hicks was last year's breakout star at the Elite Underclassmen Camp, putting himself on the national radar, and that was the first major step in him finally getting his fifth star in the composite as the nation's No. 18 overall player and No. 2 OLB in the 2022 class – a huge, gratifying accomplishment that Hicks is taking in stride and an accomplishment that he spoke at length with Dan about on Sunday.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see much of Hicks perform. During the linebacker portion of workouts, I was interviewing Ohio State's offensive and defensive line targets after their drills and one-on-ones wrapped up. From what I saw, and from what I heard from others there, Hicks was the Hicks we've grown accustomed to. I think he's a lock to be a multi-year starter (likely beginning that path as a sophomore) and has potential as an All-Big Ten player and possibly even an All-American – either as a Sam linebacker or as a Bullet in Ohio State's scheme. He's still heading down that path as he builds his body up and hones his game.

McCullough was unable to participate, as we noted this week, while he's recovering from recent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his toe. It was my first time seeing him in person, though, and he is every bit of his listed 6-foot-5 height, and he may even be pushing 6-foot-6 as he was noticeably taller than the 6-foot-4 Hicks.

I had not seen Gabe Powers since the late summer/early fall, and you had to almost do a double take when you approached him on Sunday. He told us in February about the mass-building diet he was on and his training regimen and how he wants to get up to 240 pounds before kicking off his senior season at Marysville. He's clearly on his way to doing that.

Gabe Powers

Physical changes

Hicks, McCullough and Powers are all committed to the Under Armour All-America Game as are Saunders and Buckeye cornerback commit Jyaire Brown.

It was not certain whether or not Brown would show up to participate at the showcase. Brown lost his father this week, and it would have been obviously understandable for him to sit out. But Brown did show up, and despite that heavy weight on his shoulders he looked really good.

Like Powers, the physical changes Brown has made are obvious. He's visibly bigger and stronger, and that showed itself when he took on receivers in one-on-ones.

Jyaire Brown

When informed that they weren't allowing defensive backs to play press-man on the wideouts, Brown got frustrated at not being able to showcase his top attribute as a cornerback. A couple minutes later, when DBs were finally allowed to press up and be physical off the line, Brown eagerly hopped to the front of the line and hung with his man.

There are real rumblings that Brown's commitment is shaky, and most of that stems from him continuing to talk with other coaching staffs. Until he signs with a program, there's probably going to be those same rumblings that come up more than once while Ohio State simultaneously recruits other such as cornerbacks Toriano Pride and Ryan Turner. If Brown remains in the class, though, there should be plenty of reason for enthusiasm from Ohio State fans, especially if he continues to grow as a corner and build up his body.

Brown and Powers were not the only ones who have improved physically. Offensive line commit Tegra Tshabola came into the camp at 6-foot-5, 340 pounds but still looked slimmer and moved better than he did at last summer's Obetz camp. He'll be back down to around 325 for his senior season as he preps for his career in Columbus, where he could end up at guard.

Tegra Tshabola

Proctor built like a five-star

These next two items we're only going to briefly touch on since we will be diving into their recruitments later this week.

First up is one of the headliners of Sunday's field before he ever stepped foot inside Fortress Obetz.

Kadyn Proctor, Iowa's top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, looked every bit the part of his five-star rating. At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Proctor was a physical, athlete specimen who was impossible to miss and easy to point out. Ranked No. 10 overall and No. 2 at offensive tackle in the class, Proctor showed why he's one of the Buckeyes' highest priorities in the cycle and showed why Greg Studrawa and Co. need to go after him hard.

Proctor told me he was looking to take a trip over to Ohio State's campus after the camp and take a look around. That would be his first visit over there, and he's looking to visit again sometime in the near future. Proctor and teammate Xavier Nwankpa would be a hell of a package deal for the Buckeyes, and there are rumblings that that's exactly what they are as they head to the next level – though most of you know how I feel about the whole package deals deal.

Eyes on Okunlola brothers

Proctor certainly passed the eye test, but he had competition for who looked better with Massachusetts offensive tackle Samson Okunlola.

Book that name away because you are going to be hearing it a lot in the coming weeks and months. Ranked No. 78 overall, No. 7 at offensive tackle and No. 1 in his state, the 6-foot-5, 300-pounder out of Brockton has only 20 offers thus far (albeit a sheet highlighted by Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon) and told me he has not heard from the Buckeyes coaching staff yet.

Both of those things are going to change. Okunlola is a prospect Ohio State's staff is very much impressed with and one that it is going to pick up its recruitment of coming up. I believe he will get an offer soon.

Samson Okunlola
Samson Okunlola looked every bit the part of a national offensive line prospect on Sunday.

Okunlola was joined at the camp by his brother, three-star defensive end Samuel Okunlola, whom the Buckeyes have also shown interest in but maybe not quite as much. Okunlola, to me, looks more like an outside linebacker type or perhaps a hybrid despite his listing as a weakside defensive end. Players listed at WDE are often seen as OLBs so that's not all that shocking. He has offers from Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon and Texas, but I don't feel quite as strongly that Ohio State will offer here.

Vernon still needs to develop

Brenan Vernon is an early composite five-star prospect, Ohio's No. 1-ranked player and the No. 9 overall player in the country. I expect that No. 9 ranking to drop after Sunday's camp, and he might fall to No. 2 in Ohio behind the next guy we talk about.

Vernon is long, he plays hard and he's a hell of a competitor. He's just an incomplete prospect right now, and there's nothing wrong with that. After suffering two injuries across his first two high school seasons, all that stopping and starting has prevented him from getting much momentum and developing in the way that he would like.

He'll need to put on weight and add muscle. But, again, there's plenty of time left and he has the frame to do it, and even though he didn't quite live up to that five-star billing on Sunday, I'll be surprised if he doesn't once he gets a full summer in and gets more games under his belt in the fall. He has all the tools and the makeup to get there, but it will take a bit of patience.

Styles is a monster

Sonny Styles was the No. 1 player I wanted to see on Sunday, and I came away thinking the exact same thing I went into the day thinking – Sonny Styles is a monster.

It's not like it was confirmation bias or anything. He was the real deal. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder (who seems to tower over everyone and feels like he's going to push 6-foot-5) has as much length as any prospect you are going to see in America in the 2023 class, and his explosiveness, athleticism and ability to play in pass coverage was evident despite a couple slip-ups during one-on-one receiver/defensive back drills.

Sonny Styles
It was clear to see on Sunday why Sonny Styles is ranked as a five-star prospect..

Personally, I lean toward him becoming a safety or a bullet at the next level if he picks Ohio State. He says that the bullet is the position he's been recruited to play by the Buckeyes thus far, and his best relationships are with Al Washington, Kerry Coombs and Ryan Day.

The position Styles plays will be figured out in due time, but either at safety, linebacker or bullet, he's going to be a stud over the course of his final two seasons. Hicks was last year's breakout star, this year it was Styles.

With Washington leading the charge, by the way, you have to feel great about the Buckeyes' chances here as they pit themselves in a battle against Notre Dame for the future top-10 overall player.

Alford, Deland in the building

Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford and Indiana running backs coach Deland McCullough were on the field at the camp.

Although the recruiting dead period is still ongoing, because both coaches had sons participating at the showcase (2024 receiver Braydon Alford; Dasan McCullough and 2023 safety Daeh McCullough) they were allowed to be there.

Offer coming for Daeh?

Speaking of the younger McCullough, just like his older brother there is some question about what position he is best suited for when he gets to college – either linebacker or safety.

An offer may come down the line for McCullough, who showed well on Sunday, but it's more likely he stays home and joins his father at Indiana. The Hoosiers just landed a pair of Crystal Ball predictions for the No. 78 overall player. If Ohio State doesn't come calling with an offer, I think Indiana is a lock.

Notable absences

Aamil Wagner, Luke Montgomery and five-star 2023 linebacker Drayk Bowen were each absent from the event despite being included on the initial roster. Three of the players I was most excited to see (with Wagner and Montgomery being two of the prospects that the strong contingent of Ohio State media in attendance wanted to see).

Also, Powers is nursing a strained quad and was a limited participant on Sunday, while Saunders only took part in the gauntlet drill while dealing with an injury of his own. And, I mean, after he ran a 4.31 in the 40 at his last camp in February, why would he run the 40 again even if he was fully healthy?

Hopefuls, other names to watch

Springfield (Ohio)'s Anthony Brown (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) and Delian Bradley (6-foot, 185 pounds) are a couple guys we wanted to see heading into the camp, and they looked all-around solid. Brown won the receiver MVP award while Bradley showed well in one-on-ones.

Both are a bit on the smaller side, but Brown has the potential to grow and become a slot receiver with his quick first step and crisp route running. Bradley, meanwhile, told me Ohio State is looking at him as either a safety or slot cornerback, and the position the Buckeyes target him at (and a potential offer coming down the pike) largely rests on a private on-campus June workout Bradley says Matt Barnes, Coombs and Day are setting up for him.

Brown, meanwhile, is in the 2023 class so he has some more time to grow and be seen by Ohio State's staff.

Some other names of note include recent Buckeye offensive guard offer Josh Padilla, who took home offensive line Big Man Challenge MVP honors. Smart and savvy during in-game action, Padilla looked the part of a solid four-star, top-150 or top-100 level guy on Sunday. He would be an excellent start to the 2023 offensive line class if Montgomery doesn't beat him to it.

Lakota West cornerback Alex Afari, Eastlake North offensive lineman Ryan Baer and 2024 cornerback Kaleb Beasley are a few other names to monitor. Beasley, I would venture to guess, will be offered by the Buckeyes in a year or two. Baer recently landed some offers from the SEC and the Big Ten, and Afari, who injured his leg on his first one-on-one rep and sat out the rest of the competition, are other candidates for increased interest from the Buckeyes.

Dead period near demise

As mentioned above, the recruiting dead period is on the verge of finally being eradicated, and visits are expected to open up in some capacity starting June 1.

CBS Sports reported that the NCAA Division I Council is expected to vote on an end to the period in a meeting this week:

The NCAA Council this week is expected to set an end date of June 1 for the long-standing recruiting dead period multiple sources told CBS Sports. The dead period was imposed in March 2020 after COVID-19 shut down college sports. It was extended eight times over the past year as the global pandemic raged, the last time in February.

...

"Everything I'm hearing, we're headed toward June 1," a source close to the NCAA Council said.

...

"No matter what, it's visits and camps and clinics [being allowed on June 1]," a NCAA Council source said.

Goodwin decision time

Kiyaunta Goodwin, a borderline five-star offensive tackle and Ohio State's top target in the 2022 class, has had his decision date locked in for this coming Saturday. Now, he has locked in a 6 p.m. ET time for his commitment, 247Sports reported.

The Buckeyes are going to have their shot at a flip down the road, but Kentucky is the name that will be called on Saturday unless something major happens in the next five days.

Booker list coming

One final quick note tonight – Ohio State priority offensive tackle Tyler Booker, the No. 41 overall prospect and No. 5 offensive tackle in the 2022 class, is set to release his top five schools at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

I assume Ohio State will be on there along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and my best guess for the last one is Penn State. A Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) transfer who now plays at IMG (Florida) Academy, Booker has not set up an official visit to Columbus yet but is likely to this summer.

Header photo: C.J. Hicks, Kaden Saunders, Dasan McCullough

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