Newly Offered: DJ Smith (More highlights on hudl)

• Michigan State offers Marcelys Jones
• Notre Dame & Georgia Tech offers Shaq Davidson
• Lawrence Marshall unofficially visits Michigan
• Buffalo offers Kevin Mouhon
• Clemson offers Artavis Scott
• Allen Trieu: #Illinois stopped at Gary West Side (Ind.) today. Junior WRs Lonnie Johnson and Jon Vea' Johnson there. Both coming to Illini Junior Day.
• Christopher Worley: @Jizzle_6: Coach Meyers , Coach Drayton , and @CoachVrabel50 just left the school!!!! Love em!!!
• Matt Porter: Urban Meyer expected at Dwyer on Monday. 2014 class, especially WR Johnnie Dixon, in his sights. #OhioState
• UK Coach Mark Stoops is visiting Ryan Timmons today and 2014 QB Drew Barker tomorrow 
• Drew Barker says Vols and Michigan State were in today. Mark Dantonio coming soon 
• Mark Dantonio at Toledo (OH) Central Catholic today, home of 2014 QB DeShone Kizer.
• @JShankerESPN Detroit Cass Tech assistant Jermain Crowell says #MichiganState was at the school today and #Spartans coach Mark Dantonio coming Monday
• @DJ_Smith_smith GOT OFFERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OHIO STATE TODAY!! #BuckeyeNation!!!
• @Rivalsfriedman 2014 DE Jesse Aniebonam @JesseBona_Bonam just told me his top 5. #ND #UMD #Clemson #Michigan #OhioState (no order) #Auburn is 6th
• @alex11w 2014 OT Kyle Trout @Trout75 will visit #OhioState this weekend

Rivals$--Smith to get a first look at Aggieland '14 KS OL Braden Smith

• Braden's coach says he is up to approximately 30 offers but has already developed a list of 15 schools he is interested in researching. He also already has a core group of 5 schools that have his highest interest. No schools are mentioned as part of the group but he will be watching his sister run track for TCU while at A&M.

ESPN$--Ducks visit Wilson, but he still plans visits '13 TX ATH Dontre Wilson

• Still visiting tOSU even though Oregon coaches didn't want him to....also has Okie St. visit planned for Feb. 1

ESPN$--Ohio State commit to take Missouri visit '13 MO RB Ezekiel Elliott

• Ezekiel says the visit is to show respect to home school and parent's alma mater.

BG$--Clark sets final visit '13 FL WR James Clark

• James says after speaking with Coach Meyer and Coach Herman, he realizes he cannot pass up the visit opportunity. He will decide on NLOID between Northwestern, Florida, Clemson, Ohio State, and Nebraska.

Scout $ - Video: Garrett takes MVP '14 IL LB Clifton Garrett

• By Long....Won MVP at the Core 6 Athletes Winter Showcase. Recaps his visit to Iowa & says he'll visit Ohio State, Ole Miss & Mississippi State next. Talks about the factors of his decision.

Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 1/24 - Timmons gets his offer, Clark to visit (land grant holy land)

Ryan Timmons has his Ohio State offer and James Clark is going to take an official to Columbus. But will either pledge to become a Buckeye?

Though it seems like it was a long time coming, 2013 3-star WR/ATH Ryan Timmons officially has an offer from Ohio State (which by every indications seems as though it's committable). This might say as much about what Timmons brings to the table as it does about where the Buckeyes stand in the pursuits of James Clark and Dontre Wilson.

On the upside in that regard, Urban Meyer was in Florida yesterday to try and talk Clark into taking an official visit to Ohio State after all, and by all accounts that seems to have been a riveting success ($). Clark is ducking Florida, and will instead head to Columbus this weekend for an official visit. With both the Gators and Buckeyes in on Clark and Timmons, you almost have to think one might land one while the other will be left with the other.

It's hard not to read a resume like Timmons' though and not be a bit impressed. This past season he had 2617 all-purpose yards, 1306 rushing on 83 carries along with 26 rushing touchdowns, and then 1004 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns in that regard. That's an insane 42 total TDs during his senior year. Kentucky and as previously mentioned Florida remain in on Timmons. It's expected he'll announce his decision February 5th, one day before National Signing Day 2013.

There were some murmurs that maybe Timmons would be offered a grey shirt, but he took to Twitter Wednesday evening to clear the air on that:

I never got offered a grey shirt! So people can stop saying that ...

— Ryan Timmons(@Rimmons_5) January 23, 2013

We also heard yesterday that both sophomore linebacker Connor Crowell and freshman lineman Joey O'Connor were departing the football team. While the Buckeyes are fairly set at linebacker in 2013 (Mike Mitchell, Trey Johnson) and honing in on the likes of Raekwon McMillan, Dante Booker, Clifton Garrett, Kyle Berger, and others, this either verifies the Buckeyes coaching staff's urgency of late in trying to add one more lineman or at least solidifies the need to do so. Current Tennessee commit Dan Skipper or Cal commit Cameron Hunt could ultimately fill that void. The Bucks probably want an answer from either sooner rather than later to figure it out if they have to move to a next best alternative. It's also worth noting that one of the other guides for Skipper this past weekend? Joey O'Connor.

Urban Meyer, Tom Herman, and company aren't the only ones dishing out the offers though. Thad Matta and the basketball Bucks officially offered 2015 Roselle Catholic (NJ) SG Malachi Richardson yesterday:

RT @thelifeofmali23 Just got ah offer from Ohio state , thankful forreal man

— Charles Doss (@CDoss_LGHL) January 23, 2013

Richardson, a 6-5 195 lb 2 who also plays for Team Final on the AAU circuit, is a consensus 4-star amongst the major recruiting services. He's also received offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Rutgers, and Seton Hall.

And in this week's panic theatre, word leaked out Wednesday night that 4-star RB Ezekiel Elliott would be taking an official visit to Missouri shortly, despite being a strong Ohio State lean. This resulted in a bevy of stupid tweeting both at Elliott and his mother (natch), and a rebuttal from Elliott on the subject ($):

Chill.

Sounds good to us. It's worth remembering that there was a bunch of secondary pressures on Elliott to consider staying home (he's a St Louis native) for his college playing career. You also have to think if you were in the same position, you'd probably take all the free vacations you could get, too.

Finally, in case you missed this earlier in the week, check out this absolutely crazy recruiting video that ESPN pulled in which recruits talk about the most lavish illegal benefits they were offered during their recruiting processes. Pretty nuts.

Ohio State recruiting: '14 PA 4-star ATH Montae Nicholson talks Buckeyes w/ LGHL

Only two weeks remain until National Signing Day, and that means we can start turning our attention on to future classes. The class of 2014 is expected to be the Buckeyes' best in recent memory, and already has gotten a head start with two commitments.

he chase is still on to find a suitable defensive back for safety depth and while Coach Meyer will continue pursuing '13 S Vonn Bell, there's no need for the staff to put all their eggs in one basket. Instead, Ohio State can begin looking to the class of 2014, where plenty of uncommitted talent roams the gridiron.

2014 ATH Montae Nicholson is one option the Buckeyes have on their radar. The 4-star prospect plays safety, cornerback and wide receiver for his high school team. Nicholson has already grabbed some attention from top programs and has scholarship offers from West Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas Tech, Penn State and more teams are actively communicating with him. Nicholson was also recently named to the 2014 Army All-American team, which is a high honor for the top athletes in the country.

This past season, Nicholson had 28 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The two interceptions Nicholson picked off were returned all the way for touchdowns, showing off his speed and vision. On the offensive side of the ball, Nicholson continued to have his way, adding 25 receptions for 653 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

Checking in at 6'3", 200-pounds, the long, rangy Nicholson could be a very nice addition to Ohio State's class of 2014. Nicholson brings skills on both sides of the ball, which is something Coach Meyer has stressed when trying to fill out his future team. Nicholson is ranked as the third best player in the state of Pennsylvania, 15th-best as a safety and 183rd overall according to 247Sports. Nicholson also has outstanding speed, being clocked at 4.55 in the 40-yard dash, something that is vital for both receivers and defensive backs.

We recently spoke with Nicholson to get his thoughts on Ohio State, his junior season as a whole and what it felt like to be named an U.S. Army All-American:

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Ohio State recruiting: Upcoming visitors for the Buckeyes' 2013 class (LGHL)

It's the third time in around the last six weeks we've been able to say it, but this is going to be a huge recruiting weekend for Ohio State once again. See who'll be in old Columbus town the next two weekends.

We're entering the home stretch of the home stretch, as there is officially less than two weeks left until National Signing Day 2013. Ohio State is looking to close with a bang, but there are certainly still a few depth related needs Urban Meyer and his staff would ideally like to make sure are addressed before the drop dead deadline of February 6th. With the departure of 2012 signee OL Joey O'Connor, the Bucks could most assuredly use another warm body on the offensive line. While linebacker Connor Crowell's de facto retirement is less costly, there's still other needs the Buckeyes would like to sure up before calling it a class.

The two recruits coming to campus this coming weekend are big ones, and while Ohio State isn't considered the bettors favorite in either circumstance, this will most definitely be a weekend you'll want to stay tuned to Land-Grant Holy Land from Friday through Sunday:

1/25/2013:
James Clark (5-10/170) WR | New Smyrna Beach H.S., FL
Dontre Wilson (5-10/165) ATH/WR/RB | DeSoto H.S., TX

We've heard plenty about both of these guys in the past two weeks, and by all accords it seems like Ohio State may be neck and neck with Clemson, whom he visited last weekend. Florida's one of the leaders as well, and Clark is expected to visit there next week (unless Ohio State completely blows him away). To the Buckeyes' credit, Urban Meyer had an in-home with Clark Tuesday, and apparently held nothing back:

"(The visit) went well," Clark said. "(Meyer) came in, delivered his message and was straightforward with me.

"He kind of just said that he believed that Ohio State was the best as far as having both the best educational opportunities and best football," Clark added. "He had a strong case for Ohio State."

...

"(Meyer) said they are looking for a guy that can come in and make an impact right away," Clark said. "He said speed is the aspect they are looking to add to the team."

Wilson's a tougher read. He's an Oregon commit and said prior to Chip Kelly's departure that he liked Kelly's handpicked successor, Mark Helfrich, and was committed to the school and not the individual. But after Kelly acted like he was leaving and then wound up departing anyways to coach the Philadelphia Eagles, it appears that Wilson's decided to reevaluate his decision. 247Sports has even gone as far as to consider him as a prospective National Signing Day flip in the Buckeyes' favor. With Oregon apparently having sent in the full court press Wednesday night, we'll have to see if the Buckeyes can prevent Wilson from leaving without giving them his word he'll don scarlet and gray next season.

3-star WR Kyrin Priester was originally to join the pair, but after committing to Clemson this past weekend, has decided to cancel his official visit and close his process. Another pair of Oregon commits, the Robinson twins, Tyree and Tyrell, were also said to be considering a visit to central Ohio, but shut down any such notions earlier in the week and appear solid to UO.

So what about the weekend after?

2/1/2013:
Darren Carrington (6-3/180) WR | Horizon H.S., CA

It's a shorter list for sure, but you can't fault Urban and co. for going hard after Oregon commits after Kelly decided to high tail it out of dodge. Carrington's sort of the best of both worlds; built more like the rangier Ohio State wide receivers of the past two decades, but still with the kind of speed schools like Oregon and Ohio State covet. It seems like this one is more of a Hail Mary than either of the previously mentioned recruits, but it's worth pointing out that Carrington did visit Rich Rodriguez and Arizona just two weeks ago. Throughout his recruiting process, Carrington also considered Arizona State and Boise State.

So will the Buckeyes wrap up their 2013 recruiting class with Clark, WIlson, Carrington, or maybe someone not making the trek to cold confines of Columbus in the next two weeks (e.g. Corey Smith or Ryan Timmons)? If we had to be forced to make a call, we'd say Timmons is the most likely, with Clark second most likely, Wilson a close third, and Carrington a distant fourth, and Smith likely out of the picture due to extenuating circumstances (believed to potentially be qualifying related). And while Ohio State has plenty of times to figure out creative ways to get down to the NCAA punishment mandated ceiling of 82 scholarships, we'd put it at next to impossible the Buckeyes close with two of them unless they just completely whiff on the offensive line front.

Shelton Gibson: On The Record (scout)

West Virginia commit Shelton Gibson has been the target of some abuse from over-zealous fans on Twitter lately, and the four-star wide receiver wants to explain his side of the story. Gibson spoke candidly with FoxSportsNext about his situation.
Like everything else in our media driven society, Twitter can be an amazing way for athletes to share their lives with fans, bringing that relationship closer than ever before.

But it can also be used in a mean and hurtful manner, as Cleveland Heights wide receiver Shelton Gibson experienced recently. The West Virginia commit has been the subject of ridicule and derisive comments from a segment of fans not happy with his choice of where to play college football.

"I just want to get my story out there, because I want the truth out there for everyone to read," Gibson stated. "I have a lot of people saying I'm too dumb to play college football, and that Ohio State dropped me because I will never qualify academically. Those things really hurt me, and I never should have argued back with people on Twitter, because I have to be more of a man and learn to ignore people."

"At the same time, I did want to let everyone know the truth about where things stand for me," he added. "I have switched schools a few times, but I am on target to qualify, and right now I am qualified through the NCAA sliding scale. I've been working very hard to get to this point, so it hurts to have people question my intelligence. When I first started getting offers, every school checked out my transcript and everything has always been fine."

Gibson was expected to commit to Ohio State or Auburn last summer, but that time frame passed without a decision being made.

"Everyone thought it was about grades, but that wasn't it at all," he explained. "It was just too early to make my choice, and I got caught up in wanting to announce on my mom's birthday in June, but I wasn't sure of my choice, so I couldn't do it. It had nothing to do with grades then, and my choice today had nothing to do with grades. I have been on official visits to Ohio State, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee, and they are all great schools, and I love each one for giving me an opportunity."

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UK Football: Franklin County's Ryan Timmons still has UK on his short list (Central ky news)

He’s still enjoying the recruiting process, but Franklin County receiver Ryan Timmons admits it is “getting tough with all the schools firing out right now” to decide where he will play his college football.

He got a scholarship offer from Florida last week and added one this week from Ohio State. Both are schools he’s had a long-time interest in and had been waiting to receive scholarship offers.

“It’s all starting to get really serious right now and I have to think about getting my list down to three or so schools,” said Timmons. “But right now I am still side open. There is not a favorite school or group of schools.”

He has offers from Arkansas, Purdue, Illinois, California, Cincinnati, Missouri, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin and several other schools along with Kentucky. He plans to make his college choice known Feb. 5 — one day before the national signing period starts — during a 1 p.m. ceremony at the high school.

“Ryan doesn’t want word to get out early, so he’s going to let everyone know his decision before signing day,” Franklin coach Chris Tracy said.

Timmons had  72 rushes for 1,260 yards and 25 scores for 12-1 Franklin last season and caught 29 passes for 970 yards and 17 more scores. He had 45 total touchdowns and scored 260 points. Tracy says Timmons, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at a Kentucky camp, played last season at about 187 pounds and now weighs around 195 after opting not to play basketball this season to concentrate on recruiting.

“He needs to get stronger and turn that 195 pounds into all muscle, but he’s a legitimate 5-11, 195-pound guy with speed who runs good routes,” Tracy said. “His legs are huge. Ohio State was in here and said he was even bigger than they remembered.”
Timmons said he didn’t mind waiting so long for Ohio State and Florida offers. He understood that Ohio State coach Urban Meyer had to evaluate his current roster and also honor offers that had been made to players before he got the job last year.

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