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.
PICKING UP THE PIECES
Whenever Ohio State drops a game, the first question I’m asked is, “How does this loss affect recruiting?” But every time, my answer remains the same.
It doesn’t.
A single loss won’t influence a prospect’s decision, nor will it make any commits reconsider their pledge. Even with such an embarrassing performance on national television.
If Michigan State wins in Columbus next weekend and losses start to become a habit, then head coach Urban Meyer will have to answer questions about the direction of his program. The future of linebackers coach Bill Davis — who is bound to face a lot of criticism after his unit’s performance this weekend — will be a topic of discussion in recruiting circles, too.
While it will not have an impact on the current cycle, with three very talented linebackers firmly committed, it’s an issue that needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. Otherwise, top prospects will almost assuredly hear something along the lines of, “You won’t be developed as a player at Ohio State.” And for a program that prides itself on its long tradition of great linebacker play, that cannot happen.
NOT ALL WAS LOST YESTERDAY
Ohio State five-star defensive end Brenton Cox and four-star quarterback commit Emory Jones were on the list of expected visitors for Alabama’s 24-10 win over LSU on Saturday night, but sources close to both told Eleven Warriors neither made it to Tuscaloosa.
As I mentioned in Friday’s edition of The Hurry Up, Cox has been included on the list and skipped a number of times this season. His pledge remains strong, and he’s set to take his official visit for one of the Buckeyes’ two remaining home games.
The same cannot be said for Jones, however.
With Ohio State handing out an offer to Kentucky four-star quarterback commit Jarren Williams last week because of the uncertainty surrounding Jones’ pledge, some believed he may decommit or flip to Alabama if he attended the game this weekend.
The Buckeyes aren’t out of the woods yet, but maybe the situation isn’t as doom and gloom as four trips to Tuscaloosa would suggest? I still believe he’ll end up with the Crimson Tide, but his decision to stay home as a good sign for Ohio State for the time being.
The staff is surely working on getting Jones back to Columbus again in the coming weeks. Will it be enough? We’ll continue to monitor the situation every day.
OF COURSE THEY’RE INCLUDED
Just a few days after he announced he would make his college decision on Dec. 20, Pennsylvania five-star defensive end Micah Parsons named the final five schools vying for his pledge. To nobody’s surprise, Ohio State made the cut alongside Georgia, Nebraska, Penn State and Oklahoma.
Where will @Micah_parsons23 play college football? Find out 12/20/17 https://t.co/rWBWPbq51p @thebullp_n @SportsByBLinder @Rivals pic.twitter.com/EkEiSJC4DZ
— Big Star (@BigStarRawSport) November 4, 2017
What’s interesting, though, is the Buckeyes are no longer pursuing Parsons. From last Wednesday:
Half a dozen visits over the course of a year, a strong bond with several commits and all the talent in the world wasn’t enough for the staff to overlook maturity concerns and relationships off the field, and Ohio State has gone its separate way. The last straw, it seemed, was when Parsons publicly advocated for a change at the quarterback position following the Buckeyes’ 31-16 loss to Oklahoma in September.
There has been very little communication between him and Ohio State in the months since.
The Nittany Lions now find themselves in the driver’s seat for Parson’s pledge, but I wouldn’t count out the Sooners. He was absolutely blown away by his official visit last weekend, and those around him believe a school far from home may ease some of the aforementioned maturity concerns, undoubtedly influenced by his inner circle.
The Buckeyes surely wouldn’t mind that, either, seeing as they’d avoid playing against Parsons every year.
