The Hurry Up: Smith Will Visit Ohio State, Funderkburk Making Official, Fuller Honored and More

By Jeremy Birmingham on September 25, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Derek Funderburk is making his return to Ohio
Derek Funderburk
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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.

BLUE SMITH VISITING OHIO STATE THIS WEEKEND

Wayne (Huber Heights) 2018 standout L'Christian “Blue” Smith, who we first discussed on Eleven Warriors about two weeks ago, will make his first visit to Ohio State as a collegiate football prospect.

"I'm going with my dad," Smith told 11W. "I hope to see more of the culture up there and how they're coming off of a great season last year. I want to see everything they do, pretty much."

Smith hasn't had much interaction with the Ohio State staff yet, but that's sure to change as they get face-to-face time with the 6-foot-5, 200-pound quarterback turned wide receiver. Two weeks ago, his coach, Jay Minton, told us why he's got the chance to be a big-time player down the road.

"He is so competitive with everything he does and the neat thing about him is you can't read that in him unless you know him," Minton said. "(He's got ) so many natural talents. He is put together well and continues to get better each day. That is his competitive drive."

FUNDERBURK TAKING OFFICIAL 

While the big names on the football recruiting front are taking their official visits later in the season to catch the year's biggest football games, one Ohio State hoops pledge will be on campus this weekend for his official. 

Derek Funderburk, who led Lakewood St. Edward to a state championship last year and subsequently transferred to Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia for his senior year, will be in town this weekend for his official visit. His last visit to Ohio State was this past winter when the Buckeyes hosted Wisconsin.

"I'm flying in today," Funderburk said. "I'm looking forward to whatever the weekend brings."

Funderburk is one piece of a two-man 2016 recruiting class and he's looking forward to seeing more of his future teammates.

"I know all the guys on the team pretty well," he added. "It should be fun." 

JORDAN FULLER HONORED BY ALL-AMERICAN COMMITTEE

It's "Selection Tour" week for the US Army All-American game and they've made stops in Georgia (Antwuan Jackson), Ohio (Demario McCall) and New Jersey, where they presented Ohio State target Jordan Fuller with his jersey.

Fuller is one of a handful of key remaining prospects on the Ohio State board, and is being pursued by many of the country's top programs, including Notre Dame and UCLA, where his brother – Devin – plays wide receiver for the Bruins. Lately, it's been the Irish who have been making a big push. 

Brian Kelly's team has one committed safety, Florida's Spencer Perry, and continue to be at the top of the list for Devin Studstill and DJ Morgan. Fuller has yet to take any of his official visits and has not committed to any specific trip, although speculation is that the Buckeyes are still among the most likely to receive one.

DUVERNAY MAKING OFFICIAL VISIT

Ohio State is getting a key official visit this weekend from Sachse, Texas 2016 wide receiver Devin Duvernay. Duvernay is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound four-star prospect who has been a quiet target for the Buckeyes for a while now, especially for Tim Beck, who covers Texas as part of his recruiting responsibilities.

It's well documented that Ohio State wants another wide receiver in their 2016 class but it's hard to say exactly where they stand with Duvernay, who most people expect to stay in Texas; Baylor is the leader in the clubhouse at the moment.

One key thing to see this weekend, as it pertains to Ohio State, is whether or not his father accompanies him on the trip to Columbus, which is – as of now – an unknown. If there's no parental companion, it's safe to view this as just a free trip to Ohio for Duvernay.

NEW 2017 OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OFFERED

Ohio State has two commitments in the bag from 2017 offensive lineman (Josh Myers and Jake Moretti) but they're still in the market looking for talented big men to take on the mantle of Slobs in the future.

That is Jackson, Tennessee's Trey Smith, a 6-foot-5, 277-pound junior at the University School of Jackson.

Smith is the country's 81st-ranked overall prospect in 2017 and the 14th-ranked offensive tackle. Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, USC and Tennessee, where he's likely to end up, have all offered already.

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