The Hurry Up: Zach Sandwisch, James Hudson, Kelly-Powell and More.

By Jeremy Birmingham on March 17, 2015 at 7:45 pm
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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.


MICK DOING WORK WITH YOUNGSTERS

Although we don't talk much about the players that actually for the Buckeyes inside the Hurry Up, I've asked around a bit to get an update on how Jashon Cornell, Grant Schmidt, Jamel Dean and Nick Conner have been doing since their arrival in Columbus. The 2014 class had seven early enrollees and a number of them – namely linebacker Raekwon McMillan and running back Curtis Samuel – made significant impacts during last season's title run.

"It's really great to see the young guys, coming in the way they do now," a source at Ohio State shared. "Honestly, last year's group really set a great example and they do a great job leading the way for the freshman. Cornell is busting his ass, Schmidt has been a real pleasant surprise, Conner looks like a college linebacker already and Dean is working hard to try and get his knee stronger and rehabbed. Mick (Marotti) is happy with the effort they're giving and they're buying into the program and culture already, which is important. They're hard-working kids and they aren't getting caught up in the crap that freshman can sometimes."

I pressed a bit more and tried to get an idea if any of these four early enrollees is a likely candidate for playing time as a freshman.

"That's tough to say," the source continued. "I do think that Grant is going to make a push, he's willing to do the dirty work, but the offensive line is pretty stacked. Cornell is in a good spot if he keeps working hard because we need some help there. Conner could help on special teams maybe and with Dean, it's all about health."

IRISH STAR SEES MOUNTAINEERS

Toledo Central Catholic's Zach Sandwisch, the state's 28th-ranked player and the country's 52nd-ranked outside linebacker, visited West Virginia over the weekend. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder said the trip to Morgantown was "great" and recent movement on the 247Sports.com crystal ball suggests the Mountaineers are leading the way to land the Elmore, Ohio native.

I don't personally buy it, at least not yet. I do think, for whatever reason, that when the summer rolls around and Sandwisch makes his way through the camp circuit, that he's a player who ends up in Columbus, as a Buckeye. Could he commit to West Virginia soon? Sure, he could. I just think he'll wait a bit longer and see what happens at the start of the summer, a la Nick Conner last year. 

Sandwisch is not particularly interested in the theatrics around recruiting, and he's certainly not openly-campaigning for a Buckeye offer – or any offer for that matter – but it does mean something more when Ohio State makes you a priority. 

HUDSON PREPARES FOR RIVALS CAMP AND ATTENTION COMING HIS WAY

Another standout from Toledo Central Catholic is two-way lineman James Hudson, who could end up one of Ohio's hottest 2017 prospects by this time next year. Although he has only two offers (Iowa and Toledo) at this point, Hudson's frame (6-foot-5, 260-pounds) and athletic ability made him an eye-catching prospect during this past December's state title game victory for the Irish.

Ohio State is paying attention and it wouldn't be surprising to see Hudson earn a Buckeye offer this summer if he camps in Columbus as expected. He and classmate, running back Michael Warren, Jr. could both be in attendance for Ohio State's spring football game and each likely to shine during the Rivals Camp Series in Cleveland at the end of April.

KELLY-POWELL COULD BE NEXT TO WEAR CASS TECH GREEN AND GET BUCKEYE OFFER

Detroit Cass Tech's Jaylen Kelly-Powell could be the next Technician to hear about a potential scholarship offer from Ohio State. A 6-foot-tall, 180-pound safety, Kelly-Powell picked up his first two offers – from Northwestern and Miami of Ohio – today and he says he and Ohio State's Kerry Coombs have been in contact. 

"I talk to (Kerry Coombs) once a week, he recruits Cass Tech," the 2017 safety said. "He tells me that I'm pretty close to getting an offer if I keep everything up."

Since adding offers from Northwestern and Miami of Ohio, two prestigious academic institutions, you'd be safe in an assumption that Kelly-Powell has his grades in order. He wants to be an attorney, and works after school as an intern in a local law office. 

Kelly-Powell and a number of his Cass Tech teammates will visit Ohio State on March 28th.

BUCKEYES OFFER NEW DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Euless, Texas defensive tackle Chris Daniels is the latest defensive tackle to earn an Ohio State scholarship offer, doing so today. 

Daniels, 6-foot-4 and 299-pounds, is the country's 14th-ranked defensive tackle and ranked as the 23rd-best player in Texas.

Ohio State's need for defensive tackles is not a secret, so it will be interesting to see if they can make an impression and get a visit from Daniels, who is currently leaning toward TCU according to most close to the lineman.

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