The Hurry Up: Ohio State Makes the Cut for Pair of Four-Star Juniors While A Flurry of Offers Go Out As Contact Period Opens

By Andrew Lind on January 15, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Jaiden Woodbey
Jaiden Woodbey
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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.

ONLY FINAL FOUR OHIO STATE WILL SEE THIS YEAR

Though he's never been on campus, Bellflower, California, four-star safety Jaiden Woodbey included Ohio State in his Final 4 on Sunday afternoon alongside Nebraska, Oklahoma and USC.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Woodbey is considered the third-best safety and No. 32 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He is the teammate of Ohio State offensive guard commit Wyatt Davis. 

The Buckeyes are at a serious disadvantage in Woodbey's recruitment — his father played at USC and he therefore attends every home game. But Davis in the fold, the staff is certainly excited for his official visit next fall.

LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CUT THIS LIST IN HALF

Montvale, New Jersey, St. Joseph Regional four-star defensive end Dorian Hardy recently included Ohio State in his Top 12 alongside Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Penn State, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. 

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Hardy is considered the sixth-best strong side defensive end and the No. 109 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He recorded 20 tackles and three sacks to lead the Green Knights to a state championship.

PIPELINE STILL FLOWING

Ohio State has sent out several new scholarship offers since the recruiting contact period opened on Thursday. Among them, Las Vegas, Nevada, Bishop Gorman four-star tight end Brevin Jordan.

"It's huge man. I'm truly blessed," Jordan told Eleven Warriors. "That's a team I've been waiting for forever. I put them in my Top 10 list a while ago, even when they hadn't offered me." 

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Jordan is considered the second-best tight end and No. 66 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan, UCLA and USC. 

Jordan was a big-time favorite of Ohio State quarterback commit Tate Martell. The pair hooked up 37 times for 667 yards and 13 touchdowns at Gorman, but Jordan said Martell being in Columbus won't really have an impact on his decision.

"I don't really care," Jordan said. "It's my recruitment, so I'm gonna do what's best for me. But it definitely is a plus."

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

Hogansville, Georgia, Callaway four-star offensive guard Keiondre Jones also earned an offer. 

"It's great man. I've been waiting on that for a long time," Jones told Eleven Warriors. "It feels amazing."

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Jones is considered the top-rated offensive guard and the No. 21 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds more than a dozen offers from programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, but said Ohio State stands out nonetheless.

"It's the whole school, Jones said. "Emory has told me about the atmosphere up there. I can't wait to get up."

Emory, you guessed it, is Ohio State quarterback commit Emory Jones - they are cousins. Expect the two to travel to Columbus together this fall.

UNDERRATED BUT NOT UNDERVALUED

The same can be said for Jersey City, New Jersey, St. Peter's Prep three-star safety Shayne Simon, who earned an in-person offer from head coach Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano on Thursday.

"It means everything," Simon told Eleven Warriors. "Ohio State is a big-time program, and I'm thankful that they're giving me an opportunity."

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Simon is considered the 34th-best safety and the No. 419 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds double-digit offers from programs such as Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, Syracuse and UCLA.

"I just try to be as versatile as possible," Simon said. "My coaches put me in different positions and I just try to go out and make plays whenever I can."

Simon hopes to make it to Columbus for a visit this spring.

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