Welcome to The Hurry-Up, which runs Sunday through Thursday, serving as your last stop for recruiting news and notes nightly. We'll recap the day as it happened and preview the days ahead while keeping our ear to the ground on the Ohio State recruiting scene.
HAPPY VALLEY THOUGHTS
Saturday night was my first trip to Happy Valley and while the place is antiquated and an absolute disaster in a lot of ways, there’s one undeniable fact: the crowd, and the atmosphere inside of Beaver Stadium was sensational. When you're playing a huge home game against a marquee opponent, hosting dozens of top recruits, you have to put your best foot forward as a crowd and the Nittany Lions’ fans definitely did that. Win or lose, the impact you make on the visitors is tangible. Multiple times I stopped and just looked around and was kind of awed at the involvement in the game from the crowd seemingly from start to finish.
I wasn't the only one impressed, I can assure you of that. James Franklin personally escorted Matt Burrell around the stadium with less than two hours before kick-off, investing key game prep time in recruiting the Woodbridge, Virginia star. Despite the loss, the Nittany Lions proved themselves a dangerous opponent and Franklin’s first true opportunity to show he belongs in the Big Ten was a success.
I don’t want to stand on this soapbox for too long, but Ohio Stadium could learn a few things from the crowd, the music, the entire atmosphere at Penn State. The lesson? Be loud, be insane, be non-stop, Buckeye fans. That’s the only way you impact recruiting. Not by being this guy.
@HeaftyLefty have u watched penn state they r bad, u must have lower standards then Michigan st. Or Ohio state
— Ron Yoder (@yoder_ron) October 25, 2014
RESCHEDULE ON TAP FOR BOWEN
Utah commitment Branden Bowen, scheduled to visit Ohio State this coming weekend, will reschedule his official visit due to a play-off game scheduling snafu.
“The region we play in has a three-way tie for the fourth playoff seed,” Bowen said. “They have to play a play-in game on Tuesday, pushing back to Saturday.”
Bowen says he still fully intends on visiting Ohio State.
“I hope to get there at the end of November,” he added. “Hopefully for the game against the team up north.”
JUSTIN LAYNE AND THE BUCKEYES
One of Ohio’s top players in 2016, Benedictine wide receiver Justin Layne, continues his strong season. Offered by Ohio State three weeks ago, Layne attending Friday Night Lights in July and had hoped to earn an offer there, but a sore ankle kept him from competing throughout the night.
“The offer from Ohio State was very exciting,” Layne shared with Eleven Warriors. “(Not being able to compete at Friday Night Lights) was very frustrating for me, because I felt like there was a lot to prove there, but things have worked out this way for a reason.”
Layne visited Ohio State last year when the Buckeyes hosted Indiana, and he’d like to get back to a game on campus soon. He says, however, that since he received his offer, he’s not talked to the Buckeyes.
“I’ve not heard from them since they offered,” he said. “I’m not sure when I’ll get over there this season.”
On Friday night, Layne had four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals’ win against Walsh Jesuit. He also added over a 100 yards as a return specialist.
CORNELL PREPARES FOR THE NEXT LEVEL
Despite a disappointing first-round playoff exit for his high school team, Ohio State 2015 commitment Jashon Cornell is keeping a level head.
“It was disappointing, there was some crying,” Cornell told 11W Friday night. “But, the better team won tonight and you can’t put your head down.”
Cornell was exceptional in the loss: he collected 18 tackles including seven for loss. He also forced a fumble. With his season over, Cornell now begins earnest preparation Ohio State, the next step in his football career. He’s focused on improving a few things in his repertoire before he arrives on campus in January.
“I’m enrolling early, I’ve signed the papers and everything,” he said. “I’m just trying to work on my speed and my first step, getting faster. I’m also working on improving how I use my hands on defense.”
Cornell said there’s a chance he’ll be on campus when Ohio State hosts Illinois this weekend.
