The Hurry Up: Sophomore Wide Receiver Delays Visit While Elite Linebacker Includes Ohio State in Top Seven

By Andrew Lind on February 23, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Al'vonte Woodard
Al'vonte Woodard
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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.

JUST A LITTLE DELAY

Ellenwood, Georgia, Cedar Grove four-star wide receiver Jadon Haselwood was set to visit Ohio State this weekend, but as things so often do in this fickle business, those plans have changed.

“I'm going [to Ohio State] next weekend,” Haselwood told Eleven Warriors. “Coach [Urban] Meyer is going to be there.”

It would be one thing if Haselwood ditched the Buckeyes in favor of the Crimson Tide. But it certainly makes more sense for your head coach to be present when you're hosting the second-best receiver in the Class of 2019 and he's close to a commitment.

PETE WERNER CLONE

Though Ohio State offered him only two weeks ago, Hillsborough, North Carolina, Orange four-star linebacker Payton Wilson recently included the Buckeyes in his Top 7 alongside Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina, Penn State and Virginia Tech.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Wilson is considered the 10th-best outside linebacker and No. 198 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He's recorded 163 tackles, 14 sacks and one interception in his two-year varsity career with the Panthers.

CERTAIN TO FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS

Ohio State extended a scholarship offer Wednesday night to Scottsboro, Alabama, four-star quarterback Bo Nix.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Nix is considered the second-best dual-threat quarterback and No. 85 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He holds double-digit from programs such as Auburn, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Nix thew for 1,737 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 1,300 yards and 20 scores last season to lead the Wildcats to the state quarterfinals. He is the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, who finished his college career as the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency.

H-TOWN TAKEOVER

The Buckeyes also offered a scholarship last night to Houston, Texas, Lamar four-star wide receiver Al'vonte Woodard.

The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Woodard is considered the 14th-best wideout and No. 84 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He holds nearly two dozen offers from programs such as Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

Woodard hauled in 42 passes as a junior for 909 yards and 15 touchdowns to help the Texans to the third round of the state playoffs. He is the teammate of five-star cornerback target Anthony Cook.

KEEP AN EYE OUT

We've seen how quickly a prospect's recruitment can take off, as Dayton Dunbar three-star running back Tavion Thomas recently went from entirely under the radar to swimming in offers in just under a week.

If I had to name another Ohioan who could soon rise up the ranks in a similar fashion, it's Xenia three-star wide receiver Meechi Harris.

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Harris is considered the 60th-best receiver and No. 395 prospect overall in the Class of 2018 — for comparison's sake, commit Elijah Gardiner was the 114th-best wideout and No. 792 overall when he signed his letter of intent earlier this month.

Harris, who was named second-team all-state as a junior after he hauled in 41 passes for 663 yards and 10 touchdowns for Buccaneers, was recently on campus for Ohio State's Junior Day.

“It was nice,” he told Eleven Warriors. “I got to explore the facility, talk to the coaches and I met with coach Meyer personally.”

Harris holds 11 offers from programs such as Cincinnati, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and West Virginia, and hopes Ohio State one day follows suit. In the meantime, though, he's staying patient and only concentrating on things he can control.

“They all standout, [but] I'm just young and trying to focus more on basketball and school at the moment,” Harris said.

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