The Hurry Up: Buckeyes Looking to Lonestar State, Defensive Backs in the Mix and More

By Jeremy Birmingham on October 1, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Damar Hamlin remains high on the Ohio State list.
Damar Hamlin
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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.


MCCULLOCH PLANNING OHIO STATE VISIT

Ohio State has ramped up their pursuit of another 2016 linebacker and it seems they could be close to getting one of their new targets on campus for a visit soon.

Houston linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch, a four-star prospect checking in at 6-foot-3 and 230-pounds, is hoping to get to Ohio State next weekend, October 10th, as the Buckeyes take on Maryland.

McCulloch, who has offers from more than 40 schools, was offered by the Buckeyes just over a week ago and without any unofficial visits to the school in the past, the urgency to quickly take an official visit is interesting and a clear indicator that he's taking this opportunity seriously.

Ohio State has one linebacker committed in 2016, Illinois standout Tuf Borland, and was content with one but the uncertainty around Kyle Berger's future has reopened the door for another in 2016.

SPEAKING OF BORLAND...

Have you seen the numbers Tuf Borland has put up over the last four weeks for Bolingbook? Borland has been an absolute tackling machine this season. In the last three weeks, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker has recorded:

  • 23 tackles
  • 20 tackles
  • 27 tackles

According to Borland, he's not doing anything special.

"I'm just running to the ball," Borland told 11W. "That's my job."

BREAKING DOWN DEFENSIVE BACKS

For months, as we've tried to discern how the 2016 Buckeye recruiting class would finish out, the defensive back names have rarely changed although we've seen a number of options commit elsewhere. Now, as we enter the middle of the football season and with only a few months until signing day, where do things stand?

The names at the top of the list remain the same, and their situations remain virtually unchanged.

Damar Hamlin remains right near the top of the list, his athleticism, length and versatility being what the Buckeyes covet the most. He's been to Ohio State nearly 10 times in the last year and a half and is expected to return in November on an official visit. Pitt, Notre Dame and Penn State are the competition and nothing is likely to be decided until after his senior season.

This week Ohio State offered Marquill Osborne, a Tennessee commit from North Carolina, who is more of a pure cornerback, but the focus is and has really been on the hybrid-type of player that Hamlin is.

Jordan Fuller continues to hear from the Buckeyes almost daily, and he's regularly listed them among his favorites but remains coy about when or where he'll take his official visits. The talented New Jersey athlete lists Notre Dame, TCU, Penn State and UCLA among his favorites and is not likely to make a decision anytime soon.

What about a guy like Jaylon Jones? The Ole Miss commitment is a favorite of a few coaches at Ohio State, but it's unknown if he'll make any visits elsewhere this fall.

Nacogdoches, Texas safety Brandon Jones, one of the country's most explosive defensive backs also remains in contact with the Buckeyes and is considering an official visit to Columbus, but he too has never been to Ohio before. Don't be surprised if Jones ends up taking in the Penn State game on October 17th live and in person, but if not then a late November trip would be on the agenda.

There's still time for Ohio guys like Tony Butler and AJ Rose to receive an uptick in Buckeye attention and/or an offer too, so don't forget them. Butler was scheduled to announce his commitment this coming Monday (October 5th) but has pushed back the date to make sure he gets a chance to visit Arizona State and that could help the Buckeyes as they continue evaluation.

There's only a few spots left in 2016, but the defensive backs are likely to fill a couple of them.

TIMELINE FOR WHITE?

I don't ever like to be "that guy" but after talking a bit more with newly offered 2017 Ohioan Brendon White, I wanted to give a little update on where things are at.

As I said yesterday, there's no doubt that White will commit to Ohio State, but it's just a matter of when. The Olentangy Liberty athlete told me that he could make a decision within a few weeks, or by the end of his season, or any day now. 

So, basically, just know it's coming, whenever White and his family decide to make the call. My gut tells me it's somewhere between a few days and a week before the excitement of it all overwhelms and they pull the trigger.

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