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.
HARRIS TALKS OHIO STATE VISIT
Ohio State's offense struggled to find any rhythm or consistency for the second straight week yesterday, but that didn't bother 2017 Cleveland Heights' wide receiver Jaylen Harris, who was in attendance.
"Not every game will be your best game," Harris told 11W. "I know what their offense can really do."
Harris, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound wide receiver with an Ohio State offer is the type of receiver the Buckeyes are lacking at the moment. Yes, they've got a number of talented players at the position, but not many that are natural wide receivers; rather athletes playing wide receiver. He said the game, despite the unexpected tightness of it, was an overall good experience.
"The whole atmosphere was nice," Harris said. "I got to talk with the coaches a bit, but not too much because they were busy, but it was great."
Ohio State is the runaway favorite to land Harris, who also has offers from Alabama, Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa and others.
HAUSMANN, DOTSON CHECK OUT BUCKEYES
Ohio State redshirt freshman defensive end Sam Hubbard had another nice day for the Buckeyes yesterday, and at least one – and perhaps two – of the next Cincinnati Moeller products to don the scarlet and gray were there to see it.
Jake Hausmann and Matt Dotson, Moeller's 2016 and 2017 tight ends respectively, were in Ohio Stadium and saw the Buckeyes' offense struggle, but noticed something else: the emergence of the tight end in Ohio State's passing game.
"It was awesome to see Nick get the opportunity to get the ball," Hausmann told Eleven Warriors. "It was a lot of fun."
Dotson agreed.
"(Nick Vannett) had a great game," Dotson told 11W. "It was good."
What's better for Dotson is that next weekend he'll finally make his 2015 debut. He's missed half of the season for Moeller after a summer surgery on his wrist.
"I couldn't be more ready (to play)," Dotson added. "I've been conditioning, and it's going to be good to be playing this week."
A 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior, Dotson visited Tennessee a week ago and they're the only other team with a pick on his 247Sports.com crystal ball.
GEORGE HILL AT OHIO STATE YESTERDAY
After last weekend's visit to Michigan State, a number of predictions for a flip to Michigan State came in for Hubbard, Ohio's George Hill. The first 2016 commitment for the Buckeyes, Hill has been a subject of much debate in recent months as his supposed apathy towards his recruitment and the Buckeyes has caused many to wonder where his heart is.
Yesterday, Hill visited the Buckeyes and he's said that he'd like to get back to campus again next week. Seeing him on the sidelines at Ohio Stadium, he appeared bright-eyed, engaged and happy to be there, a slight departure from my experiences seeing him in the past. I am not sure – and don't want to speculate irresponsibly – if there has been some kind of discussion between the two parties where Hill has been explicitly asked to get more involved, but yesterday did have a different feel.
I said earlier in the week that I don't anticipate Hill will sign with Ohio State, and I'm standing with that, but yesterday was a positive step for the chances of that happening.
ADAM REED ISN'T YOUR NORMAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER
Ever hear of Adam Reed? No? He's a running back at American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale), the alma mater of Ohio State freshman Torrance Gibson and one of the country's best high school football programs. Here is one of his highlight clips, can you let me know if you spot anything unusual?
See, Reed is 4-foot-5 and 95 pounds. He's a real-life Madden glitch.
From MiamiHerald.com:
“I'm a little undersized,” the 17-year-old senior said Tuesday after practice. “But it’s, whatever. I don’t let my size stop me from doing anything.”
A "little undersized" for a high school running back, especially at a school like Heritage, is 5-foot-8 and 160-pounds; Reed is a fraction of that and, according to doctors, there's no definitive reasoning for his slight stature.
Reed, adopted two days after he was born, has been to many endocrinologists and other doctors in South Florida, but hasn’t found an explanation for his diminutive stature.
“Unofficially, the best answer we’ve gotten is his body doesn’t know what to do with growth hormone,” said Reed’s mother, a kindergarten teacher at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston.
Despite a generally positive outlook, Reed has had his tough moments, as you'd expect.
“It hasn’t been all peachy keen. He’s cried, been upset about his height. But I said to him, ‘This is just the way you are, and this is just part of life.’ Thank God you can walk, run and scream and play. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade out of it.”
Reed's story has gotten him some national attention as well: he's flying to New York this week to appear on The Rachel Ray Show.
THE LUNACY AROUND RECRUITING
On Friday night, a report surfaced that Ohio State's top defensive tackle target in the 2016 class, Georgia's Antwuan Jackson, would be making his college decision on Tuesday afternoon.
Per @Keith247Sports Commitment date set for 4-star #OhioState defensive tackle target @Hercules__52 http://t.co/mcSiwAMSLQ
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) September 19, 2015
Unfortunately, due to "miscommunication," that report/update was proved false shortly thereafter.
I'm not Committing on TuesdaySorry for the Miscommunication
— Antwuan Jackson (@Hercules__52) September 19, 2015
We're in a point-in-time where literally everything these top recruits do or says is being over-evaluated and this kind of thing will become more and more common. The need to break news often comes with a price: an incomplete story.
Jackson has stated a number of times that he'll make a decision in September or October so the idea that a pledge date was imminent wasn't outlandish, but it just goes to show how quickly a story can erupt from nothing.
