Khurtiss Perry announced Thursday on Twitter he’ll be narrowing his school list to five on Oct. 15.
Dropping My Top 5 October, 15 2021
— Khurtiss Perry (@KhurtissPerry) September 30, 2021
Save The Date!!#ShaadYear#LLPerk@BenThomasPreps @247recruiting @Rivals @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/1Z1mGCnDfW
The last time the four-star 2022 defensive lineman put out a top school list, it consisted of 10 institutions: Michigan, UCF, Texas, Oregon, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Ohio State, Auburn and Miami. Ohio State is expected to be included when the 6-foot-2, 265-pound three-technique defensive lineman narrows his list to five.
Perry, an Alabama resident, is considered the 65th-best prospect and the 11th-best defensive lineman nationally, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He told 247Sports this week Ohio State is “at the top of his list” and he will take an official visit to Columbus this fall. He visited Columbus earlier this summer when the dead period ended.
A planned official visit to OSU is big news in the development of the recruitment of Perry, considering in-state Alabama is heavily recruiting him. OSU has not landed a commitment from a defensive lineman in the class of 2022 yet. Primary targets besides Perry include Kenyatta Jackson, Shemar Stewart, Enai White, Omari Abor, Marvin Jones Jr., Caden Curry, Hero Kanu, Chris McClellan and Christen Miller.
Jones to visit OSU
Speaking of defensive linemen, four-star defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. told 247Sports he plans to take an official visit to Ohio State on Oct. 30 when the Buckeyes host Penn State. He took an official visit to Oklahoma earlier this fall and also has visits planned at Alabama, Florida State, Clemson and Texas A&M.
Jones Jr. is ranked as the 39th-best prospect and the seventh-best defensive lineman in the 2022 class. He is likely to announce a college decision sometime in December.
York hoping for an OSU offer
Taurean York has been a fan of Ohio State ever since he can remember. Elementary school, to be exact.
That may seem a little odd considering the 2023 linebacker resides in Temple, Texas, but York insists he’s an Ohio State fan nevertheless. So when Ohio State recruiting camps opened up in June, York and his mother insisted on making the trek to Columbus.
While he initially came to town only for the experience, York impressed OSU linebackers coach Al Washington after participating in drills.
“After the camp, we talked, he was like ‘You’re a savvy football player, I can tell that you love the game of football. The way you use your hands to shock the running backs and tight ends in one-on-ones,’ he didn’t see a lot of that,” York said.
In the following days, Washington called York’s high school coach and told him he loved York as a player, but defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and Ryan Day typically gravitate toward linebackers that are at least 6-foot-1. As a linebacker, York is admittedly undersized at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds. All you have to do to is pull up OSU’s roster to see the shortest linebacker on OSU currently is Jalen Pace at 6-foot. To this point, York only has one Division I offer from Texas Southern.
Nevertheless, York insists he can compete at the highest level.
“At that camp I know I proved that I belong there and I can compete,” York said.
Looking at pure on-field results, York is no slouch. He’s started at linebacker for multiple years at Temple High School, a sizable school in the Texas circuit with an enrollment of about 2,197 students.
Washington, who York has kept in touch with since that camp, told York he wanted to see his film against Austin Westlake, one of the top high school teams in America. While Temple High School lost that game in blowout fashion, York recorded 11 tackles, forced a fumble, recorded a sack and broke up a pass.
In his first three games of his junior season, York racked up 39 tackles (five for loss), forced three fumbles, recovered three, recorded two sacks and had one pass break up. His best single-game performance came against Magnolia West, in which he recorded 20 tackles (four for loss), recovered two fumbles and had a strip sack.
He’s also tossing running backs to the ground like they’re rag dolls.
@TaureanYork5x 4th down...I got 5 on it pic.twitter.com/1APbawfCjW
— Clemente Torres (@Clement06172521) September 25, 2021
Since the season has started, York has occasionally posted about Ohio State on social media, just to keep reminding the Buckeyes he’s interested.
Mom said she can get used to this @CoachWash56 @CoachRickyBrown pic.twitter.com/mItyCTrkvu
— Taurean A. York (@TaureanYork5x) September 15, 2021
If he keeps performing at this level, he’s going to get a scholarship from someone.
