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.
SECOND #BOOM'S A CHARM?
The Shaun Wade saga may finally be coming to a close.
According to his father, the five-star cornerback is working toward announcing his final decision during a ceremony at Trinity Christian on Monday. Wade was previously set to make his decision known at U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, 2017.
“Not 100 percent, but we are trying to schedule it through the school,” Randy Wade told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-1, 177-pound Wade has been committed to Ohio State for almost two years, but has continued to look at other schools in the meantime to make sure he's making the right decision. He took official visits to Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech this fall, but the Crimson Tide seem to be the only legitimate threat to flip the fourth-best corner and No. 22 prospect overall in the Class of 2017.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck made an in-home visit with Wade earlier this week, as did Alabama's Nick Saban, Florida's Jim McElwain and Virginia Tech's Justin Fuente. But only Coombs flew to Orlando this morning to have lunch with Wade's family.
More flags to be planted today! Headed to the Sunshine State! #escapingthesnow! #visitingchampionsandfutureBuckeyes #GoBucks!
— Kerry Coombs (@OsuCoachCoombs) December 11, 2016
Trinity Christian won its fourth-consecutive Florida Class 3A state championship game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday morning, after which Wade told reporters he was going to continue his winning ways in Columbus.
"When I get up there, we're going to win the national championship," Wade said. "We going for the five-peat, man."
A sign of things to come or getting your hopes up? It appears we won't have to wait much longer to find out.
WORRY NO MORE
Amid speculation he would join former defensive coordinator Luke Fickell's staff at Cincinnati, Ohio State announced on Saturday an expanded role for the aforementioned Coombs.
Great news! My rt-hand man, Kerry Coombs, is a Buckeye! In add to coordinating the SPT, he will have an expanded coordinating role on our D
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) December 10, 2016
It will certainly come with a hefty pay increase, though well worth it for the assistant I'd argue is the program's best recruiter. Coombs' passion for the game of football is unmatched in practice and during games, and his ability to recruit and develop elite prospects would have made him extremely difficult to replace.
Meyer said as much when he hired Coombs to coach the cornerbacks in 2012.
“Kerry Coombs had an incredible record of achievement as a high school head coach, and he is highly regarded as one of the great coaches in Ohio high school football history,” Meyer said. “I have watched him coach in high school and at the University of Cincinnati, and I have great respect for the way he works. He is a strong recruiter; he knows defense and special teams; and he is an excellent teacher.”
Coombs had a hand in molding one of the nation's premier secondaries — the Buckeyes ranked fifth in the country in allowing only 164.5 passing yards per game and returned a school-record seven interceptions for a touchdown this season — but there's a reason Meyer mentioned his recruiting acumen first.
Coombs' work in the Detroit area — where he plucked starters Damon Webb, Mike Weber and Michael Jordan in consecutive classes — turned the tables in Ohio State's favor up north, while his connections in Cincinnati have been just as important.
Ohio State signed only eight recruits from the Cincinnati area in the 10 years prior to Coombs' arrival, but have since pulled at least one prospect from the region in each of the last five recruiting classes — not to mention the Buckeyes hold a commitment from four-star cornerback Amir Riep of Colerain.
Ohio State would have certainly found it harder to recruit those regions without Coombs, and that is one of the many reasons why the Buckeyes did everything they could to keep him on staff.
SNIP SNIP
Marietta, Georgia, Lassiter five-star cornerback Derrik Allen revealed his Top 10 on Twitter Sunday afternoon, and — as expected — included Ohio State alongside California, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame and Penn State.
Thanks to all the schools that offered...these are Top 10 schools that my family & I will focus on evaluating going forward. #Savage18 pic.twitter.com/rsr8qOdNPA
— Derrik Allen (@DsmoothAllen) December 11, 2016
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder is considered the third-best corner and the No. 21 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He currently holds more than 30 offers, but most believe it's a two-horse race between the Buckeyes and Bulldogs.
Allen, who was on campus for Ohio State's 62-3 win over Nebraska last month, said his relationship with head coach Urban Meyer and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs is one of the reasons the Buckeyes are high on his list.
“They are showing that they care about my development on and off the field,” he told Eleven Warriors. “That's important to my family and I.”
Allen said academics will also factor heavily in his recruitment, as he'd like to study computer science and engineering in college.
CERTAIN TO BE INCLUDED
Bellaire, Texas, Episcopal five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson announced on Twitter Sunday afternoon he'll trim his list of more than two dozen offers to five during the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 1, 2017.
I will be announcing my Top 5 at the UA All American #iwill pic.twitter.com/s843G9sP8s
— HOLLYWOOD MARV (@RDMW6) December 11, 2016
The 6-foot-4, 329-pounder is considered the top-rated defensive tackle and the No. 3 prospect overall in the Class of 2017. He listed Ohio State alongside Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA and USC in his Top 10 back in June, and the Buckeyes are almost certain to make the cut once again.
Wilson, who is good friends with Ohio State linebacker commit Baron Browning and cornerback target Jeffrey Okudah, reportedly had a great time during his official visit to Columbus for the 30-27 double-overtime win over Michigan two weeks ago.
Defensive line coach Larry Johnson made an in-home visit with Wilson last week, and the staff feels confident with where it stands heading into the recruiting dead period.
GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER
Though he lives only a short drive away from campus, Columbus St. Francis De Sales junior linebacker Brian Asamoah made his first trip to Ohio State on Friday afternoon. The 6-foot, 205-pounder watched practice and mingled coaches and commits, including four-star corners Amir Riep and Marcus Williamson.
“It was great. It was my first visit there ever, and I really enjoyed it,” Asamoah told Eleven Warriors. “I really enjoyed the energy of the practice. They were really focused and their margin for error was small.”
I've never seen a locker room with a barbershop until today.
— Brian Asamoah (@b_moah211) December 10, 2016
As for the barbershop? "That was crazy," he said.
Asamoah is not yet ranked by any major recruiting services but holds 10 offers from programs such as Duke, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh and UCLA.
“I've been told [Ohio State is] really interested,” Asamoah said. “I'm sure I'll be visiting again sometime soon.”
Former defensive coordinator Luke Fickell — a De Sales graduate — was Asamoah's primary recruiter, but accepted the head coaching position at Cincinnati on Saturday.
“He had to make a decision that was best for him and his family, and I'm certainly happy for him,” Asamoah said.
