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.
THE BEST PLACE FOR ME
Ohio State made a significant push toward landing the top-rated class in the country on Tuesday afternoon, as Toledo St. John's Jesuit four-star linebacker Dallas Gant committed to the Buckeyes during a ceremony at his high school.
“[It] was just the place that felt most like home to me,” Gant told Eleven Warriors. "The people down there are great. Coach [Urban] Meyer and I have created a good relationship [and] with my family, as well. It's the best place for me, best fit for me.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gant recently narrowed down his list of nearly two dozen offers to five, though he's known for about a month that Ohio State was the choice. Defensive coordinator Luke Fickell's departure for Cincinnati left the door open for the Fighting Irish, but Bill Davis stepped in seamlessly and picked up right where Fickell left off.
“When coach Fickell left — at the time, Ohio State was my No. 1 — I was kind of unsure so that's when Notre Dame made their [move] up to the second spot,” Gant said. “Ultimately, it just took a longer time when coach Davis came. He's obviously a great coach with a ton of NFL experience. There's no drop [off].
“When he came in, we just got to calling and texting and talking a lot, so it wasn't really a big deal,” he continued. “It was just more of a setback because he's the new guy.”
Michigan also made a late push, and Gant's trip to Ann Arbor last month gave him a lot to think about it.
“I got to visit and I loved it. They just kind of came in late,” Gant said.
Ohio State now holds commitments from two of the top four prospects in the state, as Gant joins Westerville South four-star running back Jaelen Gill in the Buckeyes' second-ranked recruiting class.
“[The staff is] just phenomenal at recruiting. They know who they want to get and then they're just non-stop with recruiting them until they get them,” Gant said. “It's just incredible the job that they do and the relationships they form.”
WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
We recently introduced you to Blairstown, New Jersey, Blair Academy three-star defensive end Jayson Oweh, as defensive coordinator Greg Schiano stopped by his school to watch him practice last week. Schiano and defensive line coach Larry Johnson returned to Garden State on Tuesday, at which time they offered him a scholarship.
Extremely blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University @alexgleitman @SWiltfong247 @SaylorBlairFB @OSUCoachSchiano pic.twitter.com/hwePy7Uvrx
— Clout J (@JaysonOweh) May 16, 2017
"It gives me a lot of confidence in what I can become and just makes me want to keep getting better," Oweh told Eleven Warriors. "[The] sky's the limit."
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Oweh is considered the 14th-best strongside defensive end and No. 393 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, though he's only played one year of organized football. He holds nearly two dozen offers from programs such as Boston College, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
Basketball, as I mentioned previously, was Oweh's first love. And even though he's still learning the game of football, he recorded 42 tackles, seven sacks and five tackles for a loss last season.
“It's a blessing from God,” Oweh said. “I always knew that I was really athletic, but basketball wasn't the best way for me to utilize it. It just feels good to get recognition for what I've had in me for so long.”
OFFER LIST CONTINUES TO GROW
The Buckeyes also extended a scholarship offer to Belleview, Florida, four-star offensive tackle Michael Tarquin. Head coach Urban Meyer delivered the news over the phone on Monday night.
Very honored and excited to have received a scholarship offer from THE Ohio State University! Thank you Coach Meyer and Coach Studrawa. #B1G pic.twitter.com/BDot0RyPV8
— Michael Tarquin (@Mike_Tarquin70) May 15, 2017
"I was extremely happy and honored once I got the offer," Tarquin told Eleven Warriors.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Tarquin is considered the 13th-best offensive tackle and No. 103 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, also holds offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, South Carolina and USF. He just starting to build a relationship with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and running backs coach Tony Alford and hopes to make his first-ever trip to Columbus next month.
