Lamont Wade attended the Columbus Rivals Camp today. It apparently went well.
Congrats to our Columbus #RivalsCamp DB MVP Lamont Wade (@Goony_38)! pic.twitter.com/bFI4mps6fU
— Rivals Camp Series (@RivalsCamp) April 9, 2016
He expressed to media that solidifying this reputation as the best DB in the nation is important to him. Would love to have a guy with his talent.
Clairton five-star CB Lamont Wade https://t.co/jIWfo8tWRE
— Chris Peak (@PantherLair) April 9, 2016
His intention, as The Hurry Up two Monday's ago, Wade wanted to visit campus again, for the "400th time." Well, not needing to bum a ride on the boostermobile this time, he's making that visit.
Based on the post-camp interviews he gave, it sounds like this will be an important visit. In this first interview, with Rivals/Buckeye Groove, the news sounds good: Wade describes a great relationship with coaches Fickell and Coombs and not being concerned with the stay-in-state pressures from Penn St. and Pitt.
However, more concerning is a comment he made in this video, wherein he is not talking to Buckeyes-focused media. Adam Friedman is Rivals' mid-Atlantic analyst.
I do not know what "situation" he is referring to but his tone sounds frustrated. Possibly this is our recruitment of other players at the position (OSU may have others higher on their board) and possibly its about the prospect of early playing time. On the March 22 The Hurry Up, Birm wrote:
In the 2015 recruiting cycle, a number of teams convinced current Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush that Ohio State's recruitment of Torrance Gibson would keep him from possible playing time in Columbus and there are some taking a similar approach with Wade.
"Two schools came right out and said he will start right now (if he picks their school)," Carlton Wade said. "A lot of schools tell Lamont if he goes (to Ohio State) and gets hurt, he will never get on the field because (the Buckeyes) bring in several players just like him, if not better and he will get lost in the shuffle."
Trust. Comfort. Relationships. This is what Lamont Wade's–and 99 percent of all recruits–will make their decision based on.
In the video above, Wade says early playing time is his number 1 priority. He will be an early enrollee. If he is the best in this class, early playing time, at least special teams, sounds like a strong possibility. I stand firmly in the position of promising recruits nothing and taking those who accept that challenge. Still, I want Wade and hope this is a 'situation' that can be resolved during this visit.
Other notes:
- Wade indicated he will announce the second week of December, after the dead period starts. And if he doesn't have it together by then, he'll announce at the Under Armour All American game. So don't expect anything soon.
-Wade did not identify any favorites. He indicated that Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCLA, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech are the only schools he's seriously considering at this time.
Thoughts?
