The Hurry Up: Buckeyes Hoping For Hamlin, Guarantano Visits Rutgers Again, Big Offers for Little Key and More.

By Jeremy Birmingham on February 19, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin
64 Comments

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.


HOPING FOR HAMLIN

Pittsburgh's Damar Hamlin has been to Ohio State three times since July's Friday Night Lights and the country's 13th-ranked cornerback continues to be a big target for the Buckeyes. At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Hamlin is the ideal size for Chris Ash's defensive plans. The Buckeyes like where they stand with the Central Catholic star.

"He's definitely a priority for us," a source close to the Buckeyes said. "We like him a lot, and there's some thought that we lead for him. He's visited a bunch of times so it makes sense."

The Buckeyes were in the mix until the end for Jordan Whitehead, a cornerback from Pittsburgh in the 2015 class, but they fell short. Pulling kids out of Pittsburgh is never easy, but it appears right now Hamlin is deciding between Ohio State and Penn State.

The speculation is that Hamlin could make a decision in the relatively near future.

GUARANTANO GOES BACK TO RUTGERS, BUCKEYES STILL HANGING TIGHT

Last night, Ohio State's top 2016 quarterback target Jarrett Guarantano made his second visit to Rutgers in the last eight days. The visit is noteworthy in its timing but not necessarily beyond that, Piscataway is close to home and Rutgers is his father's alma mater. Kyle Flood, the Scarlet Knights head coach, is working overtime to try and keep the Garden State's best players at home. Since Rutgers has already lost out on Kareem Walker and is unlikely to nab defensive tackle Rashan Gary, keeping Guarantano is an even greater priority.

We've talked about the country's sixth-ranked quarterback several times, but as the signs point more and more to him staying home, the Buckeyes are still confident.

"We had a chance to talk to him earlier this week," one source said. "He seems to still like us a lot. I think we still are in front. There's just a lot of negative recruiting happening."

The term "negative recruiting" immediately gets people up in arms, but it most likely concerns Ohio State's loaded depth chart, which is hard to ignore if you're a 2016 quarterback.

Some feel that if Guarantano is good enough, the stacked depth chart shouldn't be a deterrent. Some suggest that it's just good business sense to look at schools where it will be easier to get on the field. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in-between the two.

I've said the term "Head vs. Heart" a number of times when it comes to recruits, and I think that with Guarantano, that's what it will eventually come down to. Ironically, I think with this particular prospect, the "heart" is with the school in Columbus and the "head" is with the hometown Scarlet Knights. Expect the Buckeyes to get another visit from Guarantano soon and don't be surprised if he also makes a trip to Tennessee before making a college decision. The longer his recruitment goes, the better for Ohio State, I think.

BIG OFFERS FOR LITTLE KEY

Ohio State offered 2017 wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, Jr. almost a year ago now, but the hits keep coming for the Calabasas, California junior-to-be. At 6-foot-1, Johnson is likely to get upwards of 6-foot-3. Right now he's still growing and still gaining big offers; Alabama and Nebraska have each thrown their hat into the ring in the last ten days.

Johnson is glad to earn the offers, but isn't going to let it change his focus. "I've been working hard," Johnson told 11W. "I'm trying to get faster. I appreciate every offer I get. It's important to stay humble."

Johnson, who is the cousin of Buckeye wide receiver Michael Thomas, will make visits to schools around the country this spring.

"I will go see a bunch of SEC and ACC schools," he said of his near-future plans. "I will visit Ohio State again, maybe for their spring game."

PAT BETHEL HEARING FROM BUCKEYES REGULARLY

Vero Beach, Florida's Pat Bethel has — up to this point — done the unthinkable. He has not committed to Miami, unlike 18 of his classmates in Florida who have.

"It's great for all those guys," Bethel told Eleven Warriors. "But I think I'm going to keep my options open a bit longer."

Bethel has a good number of options. Yesterday he added offers from Auburn and Georgia, bringing his total over 20. That number includes Ohio State.

"I talk to (Tim) Hinton a lot," Bethel said when asked who from Ohio State is recruiting him. "We talk about day-to-day stuff, see what's going on in life. He's sure to alert me to the academic prestige of Ohio State and the greatness that awaits on the football field, too. It's a place I'd definitely like to visit."

64 Comments
View 64 Comments