The Hurry Up is your nightcap of Ohio State recruiting news, catching you up on the day’s events with an ear on the ground for what’s next.
KEY ADDITIONS TO FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS VISIT LIST
It's Monday. We're getting closer and closer to Friday Night Lights and new names continue to pop up on the visitor list. Here's a few of the weekend's additions and why they're important.
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Tyler Gerald // 2016 // Offensive Guard
- The second commitment in the 2016 class, lineman Tyler Gerald transferred to the IMG Academy in Florida in January and hasn't been able to spend as much time at Ohio State as he'd like, so being in town this week for FNL is a good thing. Gerald has been active on the recruiting front in Florida along with IMG teammate Malik Barrow, but the chance to spend more face time with his future teammates is something he's relishing.
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AJ Rose // Athlete // Garfield Heights
- A Kentucky commitment, AJ Rose is a name I've mentioned a few times in recent months and it appears that the Buckeyes will finally get a chance to see the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder on their terms. Rose could play any number of positions but early indications were that the Buckeyes saw him as a potential defensive back option.
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Tyrell Ajian // 2017 // Athlete
- A four-star prospect in the 2017 class, Tyrell Ajian is a player that many people are eager to see perform live, mostly because he's not had much exposure on the camp circuit and his game film is minimal. Still, Ajian – who did camp briefly at Ohio State in June before a minor injury ended his day prematurely – is well thought of by the recruiting service folks, especially at 247Sports.com, where he's ranked as the country's 43rd overall prospect. He'll likely compete at defensive back and to stand out on Friday night he'll have to do it against many of the country's best at the position.
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Richard LeCounte // 2017 // Defensive Back
- As I mentioned yesterday, Hinesville, Georgia's Richard LeCounte will come back to Columbus on Thursday so he can be at Friday Night Lights. The country's 52nd-ranked player was in Ohio this past week, but was unable to arrange for an extended stay, so he's chosen to return to the Buckeye state for the second time in two weeks which would appear to be a pretty darn good indicator about the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder's interest in Ohio State.
The full list of expected attendees as we've gathered so far can be found here.
WALKER'S VISIT TO ARIZONA STATE
The weekend visit to Arizona State for Kareem Walker is over and once again the rumor mill is churning, placing Walker here, there and basically anywhere but Ohio State come signing day.
The trip to Tempe was, by most accounts, not something that the Buckeyes were worried about, as much as they'd prefer he not take other visits. Still, Walker has a few connections out west that are, at the very least, perking up some ears. One of his mentors is a part-time Arizona resident and Walker has, according to folks at Scout.com, been reaching out to Philadelphia's Naseir Upshur, one of the country's top tight ends, about the possibility of the pair playing together...at Arizona State.
Ohio State isn't going to ask Walker to stop taking visits, at least not at this point. However, as the attention of the coaching staff turns from recruiting to preparing for a title defense, it's likely that Walker's next visit to Columbus is a big one. He's expected back at Ohio State in early August for a camp-day visit.
ADAMS HEADING TO OHIO FOR OHIO STATE VISIT
Although a handful of Pittsburgh's best 2017 prospects (Lamont Wade, Paris Ford, Robert Hainsey) heading to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights, the Steel City's top 2017 linebacker will make his trip to Columbus a week later. David Adams, the country's second-ranked inside linebacker for 2017, tweeted yesterday his plans for a few college trips.
Notre Dame on July 31st. Ohio State on August 1st.
— David Adams (@David_Adams1335) July 20, 2015
A teammate of 2016 Buckeye target Damar Hamlin, Adams is a 6-foot-1, 225-pounder with offers from Pitt, Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland and close to ten more.
The Buckeyes are likely to only take one linebacker in 2016 so expect Adams to get a good, long look from Luke Fickell and Ohio State's defensive staff as they explore 2017 options.
CORLEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OPENING SHOWS WHY HE'S STILL A PRIORITY
Why are the Buckeyes still holding out hope to land Detroit Martin Luther King, Jr. wide receiver Donnie Corley? Because he's really, really good.
If that wasn't enough, how about this little video clip from the weekend?
The country's 18th-ranked 2016 wide receiver is expected to be in Columbus for Friday Night Lights. Corley was expected to make a decision earlier this month at The Opening, but at the urging of his family held off. It's unsure if this will be Ohio State's last chance to impress the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Detroit native so the Buckeyes will pull out all the stops as though it were. Corley has discussed the possibility of taking a couple early season official visits, but nothing is finalized and it's unlikely the Buckeyes would get one because he's been to campus a number of times.
