The Hurry-Up: Austin Novosad Delaying His Decision Until He Feels Comfortable, Jelani Thurman Having Trouble Deciding Between Two Schools

By Garrick Hodge on July 12, 2022 at 5:30 pm
Austin Novosad
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Last week, four-star Texas quarterback Austin Novosad told Eleven Warriors he was nearing a decision on his future. He planned on announcing by the end of the week his intentions to honor his commitment to Baylor or flip to Ohio State or Texas A&M. 

Now, Novosad is slowing things down and taking more time to re-evaluate his situation. 

“The timeframe just keeps getting pushed back just because I don’t think there’s any rush,” Novosad told Eleven Warriors Tuesday. “I wanted to get it done, but we talked about it and I just wasn’t sure. When you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t want to pull the trigger and regret something. So it’s just best to wait until you’re sure, so that’s kind of where we’re at. We’re getting no pressure from the schools, so I think we can wait until we’re ready.” 

Novosad didn’t specify any specific decision timeline but said he does not want to drag it out until the fall. 

“I think it will be over before our first game,” Novosad said. “It might go on while we have a scrimmage or two, but early August or around there is about the latest I see it going.” 

So why are things being delayed again? There’s too many factors for him and his family to consider among his three options, and they don’t want to pull the trigger until they’re confident.

“I think that all these head coaches are different,” Novosad said. “You have some offensive-minded, some defensive-minded. They’re all so different, each school being in different conferences. There’s also different locations, they all have pros and cons, it’s just about weighing them out and finding the best fit is what it’s coming down to.”

While some in the recruiting industry are discounting Ohio State’s chances of successfully flipping Novosad, the Buckeyes continue to be increasingly aggressive in recruiting Novosad with a combined effort from quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis and Ryan Day.

Ohio State will have two talented quarterbacks in Kyle McCord and Devin Brown on the roster in 2023 and top-ranked 2024 recruit Dylan Raiola in the future. But bringing in a legitimate quarterback is still a priority for the Buckeyes in the current class, and they’re letting Novosad know that. Especially since Day’s preference is to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, and with C.J. Stroud’s expected departure for the NFL Draft, OSU would only have two for next season. 

“I probably talk four times a week with coach Dennis and once every week with coach Day,” Novosad said. “They just tell me how much they want me and tell me where I can fit in there. It’s the same thing as other schools and they’re trying to prove why they’re the best fit for me. My relationship with coach Dennis gets better each week for sure.” 

Novosad had a late entry into his recruitment on Monday evening after receiving an offer from Notre Dame. But at this point, it will be an uphill battle for the Fighting Irish to land Novosad over Baylor, Ohio State or Texas A&M. 

“I think they know that they’re a little late,” Novosad said. “But I think there’s a good chance we can build a good relationship. They’re gonna try and recruit as fast as they can, but I think it’s something to look at just because they’re a good school too. I don’t know the Notre Dame staff too well, but there’s a good chance they can recruit well in the next week or so and we can see where it goes from there.”  

Thurman “torn” between two schools

Earlier this week, four-star 2023 Georgia tight end Jelani Thurman announced he’d be committing at noon Sunday after taking official visits to Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and Michigan State. 

On Tuesday, Thurman told On3’s Chad Simmons he is “torn” between two schools, though he did not mention the two he’s torn between. 

“I thought getting offers would be the toughest part of my recruitment, but it is really making this decision,” Thurman told On3. “I am really torn between two schools right now. These schools are similar and I see myself doing well at both of them. They offer a lot of the same things, but there are some differences too. It is up to me to figure out which one is the best for me. I am not there yet, but I will be ready in the coming days.”

Reading between the lines, it’s pretty obvious the two schools Thurman is considering are Ohio State and Michigan State. His recruitment has been kept very well under wraps to this point, without a single 247Sports Crystal Ball projection cast five days before his decision becomes public. 

OSU commits have been heavily recruiting Thurman to join their class on social media, with Brandon Inniss, Carnell Tate, Luke Montgomery and Ty Lockwood all reaching out. Should Thurman commit to OSU, he’d be the second and final tight end in OSU’s current class alongside Lockwood. 

Aguirre commits to Miami

As expected, four-star 2023 linebacker Raul Aguirre did not choose Ohio State on Tuesday. The Georgia prospect committed to Miami, picking the Hurricanes over Alabama, who finished second in Aguirre’s recruitment. 

With another linebacker target off the board, the Buckeyes will focus on a remaining trio of linebacker targets that includes Tackett Curtis, Troy Bowles and Arvell Reese. Bowles is scheduled to commit Saturday, though Georgia is the favorite to land him. Curtis is targeting a decision near the end of the month, while Reese has said his decision is likely to come in November or December. 

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