• Michael Chung ‏@MChungOZone St. Ignatius LB prospect Kyle Berger says he will visit Ohio State Jan 13 and attend the basketball game. Talks to Urban Meyer regularly.
• David Wilkinson ‏@David10TV Good to see #OhioState commit Evan Lisle (@richielisle) is a 1st Team USA Today HS All-American. Just sat down with him. Dude is a legit man
• Kyle Berger rated 90 by 247Sports
• Lawrence Marshall rated 90 by 247Sports
• Jabrill Peppers named USA Today 1st team All-American
• Andrew Brown named USA Today 1st team All-American
• Jan 13th Marcelys Jones is visiting Ohio State I'm assuming for the Michigan bball game. Marcelys Jones did not try to commit to OSU. Says OSU will not allow 2014 prospects to commit until NSD.

Rivals$--Blazevich speaks with Meyer
Rivals$--Blazevich talks Top 6, timeline '14 NC TE Jeb Blazevich

• Jeb is focused on Alabama, Ole Miss, tOSU, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Georgia. He was very impressed with his conversation Coach Meyer and says tOSU's staff is one of his favorites. Jeb wants to decide before next summer.

BN$--Meyer Meets With California OL '13 CA OL Cameron Hunt

• Cameron felt he connected with Coach Meyer but already has January booked with visits to Michigan, Oregon, and Cal. He is going to call Coach Warriner and try to figure out a date to visit.

247 - Buckeyes land 2013 preferred walk-on LB

• Jake Chestnut from Lakota East

Rivals--Muhammad carries Don Bosco lineage '13 NJ DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

• AQM will announce at the Army AA Game between Miami, Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Scout$--4-star DE Muhammad Breaks Down Final Five '13 NJ DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

• Adds Rutgers to his final group and says Coach Meyer visited recently. He also says he may announce at the Army Game but isn't sure. 

24/7 $ - Best Of The Midwest:2013 Final List

• The best of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Some names of note:

1. Cam at #6
2. Jalin at #9
3. Evan at #21

Clemson, USC visit Berrios

Junior WR Braxton Berrios of Raleigh has received visits from USC and Clemson in recent weeks. USC has been by his school several times. "I've talked to South Carolina a little more than Clemson," said Berrios. "Both schools are telling me basically the same thing. They see me as a slot receiver. (USC) Coach (Joe) Robinson is also telling me he likes me as a kick returner on special teams." Berrios joked with a "no comment" when asked of his favorites but did hint that USC and Clemson are strongly in the mix. Other schools that have been by to see him include North Carolina, Ohio State, East Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest. "I'm sure I'll go to some junior days but I haven't set any of them up yet," he said. "I'll probably go to South Carolina or Clemson...or both. I'm sure I'll make at least one of them." Berrios plans to make his decision early next fall. His offers include USC, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Minnesota.

Tyquan Lewis earns Prime Time spot on AP 1st team

TARBORO — Tarboro Vikings defensive end Tyquan Lewis has added another award to his collection. He was selected to the Associated Press All-State Defensive 1st team. Lewis received 15 out of a possible 17 votes, which was the most votes for a defensive player.

Lewis has been a driving force for the Vikings defense over the last four years. He was recently named the NCHSAA 2-A state championship Defensive Player of the Game.

Lewis led the Vikings for the second consecutive year with sacks and really turned up his game during the playoffs where he averaged at least two sacks per game in the playoffs.

Lewis' career took off during his sophomore season when he was an unknown, but quickly made a name for himself on the defensive side of the ball. He was a threat coming off of the end for opposing quarterbacks and couldn't be handled in the 2010 state championship game. He hit the quarterback on almost every other play.

Lewis committed to play football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Urban Meyer in September. He chose the Buckeyes over North Carolina and LSU.

Lewis decided to go play for the Buckeyes, because he connected well with the coaching staff there. Meyer was impressed with Lewis when he worked out for the Buckeye coaching staff. He said Lewis was one of the fastest players he had seen come off the edge and the others he had seen like that were top draft picks in the NFL.

Lewis played in the Shrine Bowl this past weekend. On the opening kickoff he forced a fumble and North Carolina scored off of the turnover.

Lewis began his senior campaign going to combines. The most prestigious was "The Opening" in Oregon that was hosted by Nike at their headquarters.

Lewis is listed as a four star athlete and has an impressive time in the 40-yard dash. His big 6-foot-4 230 pound frame has been a force on the gridiron.

When he goes to college to play for the Buckeyes, he will move from defensive end to linebacker.

Lewis is the second Viking to earn a spot on the All-State team the past two years. Last year Todd Gurley earned a spot on the team.

Also making the All-State team was four players from Matthews Butler, Receiver Uriah LeMay, linebackers Peter Kalambayi and Sean Wiggins, and defensive back Channing Stribling represented the Class 4-AA champions on the 28-player squad. It marked the second time in four seasons that Butler had four players on the AP team.

cont...

Sophomore Kicker Turning Heads

Massillon (OH) rolled up plenty of points in 2012, so much so that sophomore kicker Andrew David converted 56 extra points on the season. He also was a major threat as a field goal kicker and kickoff specialist, and is one of the top kicking prospects in Ohio.
Massillon's high powered offense primarily scored touchdowns this season, but when the Tigers stalled, they turned to sophomore kicker Andrew David for long field goal attempts.

David, 5-foot-9, 165-pounds, made a name for himself as a starter as a freshman, when he connected on 4 of 5 attempts over 40 yards, including a 46-yarder. As a sophomore, he hit on 7 field goals with the longest being 45 yards. His kickoffs regularly reach the end zone.

"My technique is good and I have a strong leg, but my confidence would be my greatest strength," David stated. "When I get into a game situation, I just trust that I have prepared correctly, and then it's just executing the kick."

"I'm working on adding strength in my legs, and I constantly work on flexibility," he added. "I work with Chris Nednick, out of Chicago, and he's a great instructor. He kicked at the college level, and is one of the best teachers out there."

Although only a sophomore, David is already attracting attention from college recruiters.

"I've spoken to Ohio State and I was invited down for the Purdue game this year," he explained. "I've also been up to Michigan a couple times. My coach tells me there are schools that want me to come and kick for them next summer, but I don't have my schedule set yet."

Trinity's wide receiver James Quick receives Paul Hornung Award (video)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Trinity High School wide receiver James Quick came out Wednesday to the Louisville Quarterback Club luncheon to receive the 20th annual Paul Hornung award.

Quick is trying to decide which college to attend.
 
He said he's leaning a towards Louisville over Ohio State and plans on making his final decision at the U.S. Army All-American Game, on Saturday, January 5th.

Billy Reed on Bob Beatty and James Quick

Quick's decision coming soon; will it be UofL or OSU?

Trinity High’s James Quick, the only Kentucky high school player to star on both state championship football and basketball teams in the same academic year, will receive the Paul Hornung Award at tomorrow’s Louisville Quarterback Club meeting at Big Spring Country Club.

But don’t expect Quick, a five-star football recruit, to announce where he plans to play his college ball. His high school coach, Bob Beatty, confirmed yesterday that Quick probably will make the announcement on Jan. 5 before he plays in the nationally televised U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio.

“That seems to be the way it’s going,” Beatty told Louisville Catholic Sports Network yesterday.

The recruiting experts agree that Quick will pick either Ohio State or Louisville, with Kentucky a distant longshot. Both Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer and U of L Coach Charlie Strong have made their home visits. Monday began a recruiting “dead period” in which coaches can’t have any contact with players, either on or off campus, until Jan. 3.

The speculation about Quick’s choice has almost grown to the proportions that surrounded Hornung in 1952. After leading Flaget High to the mythical state championship, Hornung narrowed his decision to Notre Dame, coached then by Frank Leahy, or Kentucky, coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant.

He picked Notre Dame mostly to please his Catholic mom. As a senior in 1956, Hornung played both offense and defense for an Irish team that won only two of 10 games for Leahy’s replacement, Terry Brennan. Nevertheless, Hornung was the Heisman Trophy given to the best player in college football. He’s still the only player to win the Heisman while playing for a losing team.

cont...

Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 12/20

The hiring Tommy Tuberville has proven to be somewhat a mixed blessing in the admittedly early goings of his tenure at the University of Cincinnati. Sure, in a moment of uncertainty with their third coach in eight years leaving for a more lucrative opportunity it provided a community with a sense of pride and some instantaneous reactions that bringing a guy of Tuberville's pedigree to the area would help reinvigorate the school's ability to recruit in the Ohio State dominated landscape of the state.

But then came the reality that in leaving Lubbock, Tuberville may have just been restarting the clock. That is to say, that by abandoning Texas Tech (and allegedly recruits at an on an official visit dinner the night before), he was getting a clean start, one where by which having a disappointing next season is exponentially less likely to cost one their job. But in developing a bit of a reputation as a carpetbagger, it'll become harder and harder for Tuberville to sell recruits, existing and new alike, on taking him at face value.

Following Butch Jones' departure for Tennessee, UC almost immediately lost the verbal commitment of 2013 3-star lineman Dylan Wiesman. Wiesman had been a steady Bearcat commit going back to June 17th. But with the coach he made the commitment to back then now in Knoxville, he and his family decided it was time to reevaluate their options. Courtesy of a steady dose of Kerry Coombs, it seems as though the Buckeyes are now squarely in the mix to secure the services of the talented o-lineman:

Colerain OL Dylan Wiesman to visit Ohio State Jan 11, Tennessee Jan. 18 #enqr #OhioState #Tennesseecincinnati.com/blogs/recruiti… via @cincienquirer

— Mike Dyer (@MikeDyer) December 19, 2012

While you almost have to think that Butch Jones or perhaps even Tuberville yet will have the best shot at landing the commitment, never rule out Urban Meyer.

Speaking of Urban Meyer and closing, all the scuttlebutt of late surrounding Louisville, Kentucky product James Quick has been that Meyer has taken over his recruiting himself. Still, the conventional wisdom is that head coach Charlie Strong and the hometown Cardinals have the 2013 4-star WR's heart. But in a Q&A Wednesday afternoon, Rivals' Mike Farrell wasn't quite ready to count out the Buckeyes:

#Buckeyes in a battle @lambert_john: @rivalsmike James Quick prediction?

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) December 19, 2012

Definitely a great sign if one of the most connected on the recruiting scene out there is favoring Ohio State. While I personally am still skeptical, it's hard to not gain at least some semblance of optimism in the wake of folks that have been covering recruiting for so long feeling that way.

On the subject of existing Buckeye verbal commits, any worries about former Michigan commit-turned-OSU class of 2013'er Gareon Conley turning back to the dark side need not apply. Conley told Scout's Bill Bank Greene he's a Buckeye for good:

No more visits for Gareon Conley. Talked to him today, he said "I'm done with recruiting. I'm all Buckeye." Video interview coming

— Bill Greene (@BillBankGreene) December 19, 2012

Conley is the cousin of current Buckeye wide receiver Devin Smith

Flash forward to the class of 2014, one of the most likable prospects out there on the scene (both among fellow recruits and fans alike) has to be class of 2014 QB Drew Barker. Still, the 4-star QB can't seem to receive an offer from Ohio State's coaching staff. There appears to be mutual interest, but Barker's gone on record as to how frustrating the process has been with the Buckeyes not really reciprocating his desire to potentially play his college football there. It might now be getting into crunch time, with as the offers stacking up, Barker opined on Twitter Wednesday that he may be committing relatively soon:

Thinking about announcing around my bday or April.

— -Drew Barker- (@D_Barker7) December 19, 2012

Barker's birthday is March 14th, so target that area give or take a few weeks for a potential decision. If Barker hasn't garned an offer by that juncture, it might be safe to start scratching him off your recruiting wish lists.

Finally, let's incorporate some rare basketball recruiting talk. 5-star class of 2013 forward Dakari Johnson has his prospective school list down to 3 ($). Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they fail to make the cut off as Johnson appears bound for Kentucky, Syracuse, or Georgetown. You have to almost think that Thad Matta, Jeff Boals, and co. may be done with that class with forward Marc Loving and guard Kameron Williams already officially in the fold.

2013 Ohio State Recruiting Board Update: 12/20/12

Fans wondering where Ohio State coaches are spending their recruiting time when they're not scouring the Buckeye State would be wise to look south -- in Georgia.

A hotbed for football, Georgia has become somewhat of a focal point for Urban Meyer during his time with the Buckeyes.

While he has yet to land a prospect from the Peach State as coach at Ohio State, it’s not for lack of trying, as the recruiting classes of 2012-14 have 29 Georgians with offers from Meyer.

Defensive tackle Jaleel Fields could feel his heartbeat quicken the first time he spotted a college coach this season, a man dressed in Pitt attire during Week 2.

But by the time he played in the state title game Saturday -- surrounded by several coaches from Pitt and Penn State -- the junior lineman out of Aliquippa (Pa.) didn't mind much. With all the recruiting attention he's received, they just started blending in with the crowd.

"I got nervous in the beginning of the year, but it was just like a regular game there," he said. "I didn't let the nerves get to me. I just hope they liked what they saw. I tried my hardest out there."

Virtually every single Ohio State fan -- or at least those glued to Buckeyes recruiting -- has already circled Jan. 13.

There’s not a bowl game or some big commitment announcement scheduled for that date -- at least not yet -- but it is when ESPN 150 safety Vonn Bell (Rossville, Ga./Ridgeland) will conclude his official visit to Ohio State.

One of three schools lined up for Bell along with Alabama and Tennessee, Ohio State is getting the first visit of the bunch and could be the biggest for the Buckeyes.

ESPN Watch List tight end Jeb Blazevich (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian) named his top six schools on Twitter last week. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior is one of the most coveted targets in the Class of 2014 and that news left 17 programs with lumps of coal in their recruiting stockings.

“It is Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama and Ole Miss,” Blazevich said.

The Rebels would not have made the cut had Blazevich decided to trim the list before the football season.