The Hurry Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio State football recruiting trail, keeping tabs on the latest from commits and targets from around the country.
RULE NO. 1: NEVER TWEET
Four-star wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School is set to announce his college decision on Monday. And though Ohio State and Nebraska are the favorites among nine finalists to land the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder, one of the biggest busts in NFL history is hoping that his tweets featuring the most obscure home decor and recreational items would help sway Lindsey toward his alma mater.
@tyjonlindsey pic.twitter.com/UnhwjAPpKv
— Akili Smith (@akili_smith) August 17, 2016
@BDuncan975 @ASManagementLA @tyjonlindsey
— Akili Smith (@akili_smith) August 17, 2016
When you become a duck you get a bedroom set and skate board lolol. pic.twitter.com/456AsseCW7
That's former Oregon quarterback Akili Smith, who threw all of five touchdown passes in his four-year career after the Cincinnati Bengals selected him No. 3 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Lindsey would likely have the most comfortable bed in the freshman dorms if the bed set wasn't considered an impermissible benefit. And I'm curious, too, if the skateboards are licensed by the NCAA ... but I digress.
Nothing good ever comes from fans tweeting recruits, but this makes me question what kind of absurd and obnoxious items someone could possibly use to try to lure a recruit to their favorite school.
ACCOLADES STACKING UP FOR FAIRFIELD LINEMAN
Fairfield offensive lineman Jackson Carman is the top-ranked player in the state of Ohio in the Class of 2018, so it's no surprise that the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder received an invite to the Under Armour All-American Future 50 Experience.
Blessed to have been invited to the Under Armour Future 50 ! pic.twitter.com/eOCS7KdzFa
— Jackson Carman (@Jackson_Carman) August 18, 2016
The event, held in Orlando, Florida, from Jan. 1-3, gives 50 of the nation's top underclassmen prospects a sneak peek of the the Under Armour All-American Game and get one-on-one coaching from former NFL coaches.
“It's definitely and amazing honor,” Carman told Eleven Warriors. “I'm excited to be able to get down there and experience something like that.”
Carman, who is considered the third-best offensive tackle and No. 17 player overall for his recruiting cycle, has a long list of scholarship offers that includes Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and USC. However, he previously told Eleven Warriors that Ohio State is his favorite.
“What they have to offer is simply better than the other schools I've visited,” he said.
BUCKEYES OFFER ELITE KENTUCKY DEFENSIVE END
Just one day after Louisville native Rodjay Burns had his black stripe removed, another Trinity High standout received an offer from Ohio State. Defensive end Stephen Herron Jr. took to Twitter to announce the news on Thursday morning.
Truly blessed to have been offered by THE Ohio State University!! #GoBuckeyes #OSU @Ant_Coughlan @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/6zibrODg5N
— Stephen Herron, Jr (@stephenherron_) August 18, 2016
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Herron is considered the top overall player in the Bluegrass State for the Class of 2019. He had 75 tackles and five sacks as a freshman last season, earning The Courier-Journal's Southern Indiana All-Area Second Team honors.
In addition to Ohio State, Herron holds offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee.
“Everyone's towards the top, as I feel I don't have the ability to choose a favorite at this point in time with it being as early as it is,” he told Eleven Warriors.
Herron recently visited Alabama for its spring game and expects to take trips to Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State and South Carolina in the coming months. He also hopes to make it to Columbus for a game this season.
UNFORTUNATE NEWS FOR FORMER RECRUIT
Former St. Clairsville linebacker Brendan Ferns was considered one of the top players in the state of Ohio for the Class of 2016, so it seemed like a no-brainer he would end up playing for the Buckeyes. Instead, he abruptly dropped Ohio State in the middle of the recruiting process because he wanted to major in petroleum engineering and the school doesn't offer that curriculum.
“With that, Ferns has to kind of start the recruiting process over, because the family just figured he’d ultimately be a Buckeye,” 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong said at the time. “It was the school he grew up rooting for and the family was real high on [Chris] Ash and Luke Fickell, among others.”
Only a handful of top universities offer that major, including Houston, Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulsa, USC and West Virginia, so Ferns ended up signing with the Mountaineers earlier this year.
He was slotted to be West Virginia's backup middle linebacker this season after coaches raved about his athleticism and instincts during the first few weeks of camp, but will be out for the rest of the year after tearing his ACL in practice.
ACL tear verified: Brendan Ferns out forseason https://t.co/9wTHbQObWF pic.twitter.com/ASjY5e6b6t
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) August 16, 2016
Ferns is expected to be ready for fall camp next year and in the running for the starting middle linebacker spot if all things go as planned with his recovery.
