The Hurry-Up: Ohio State Commits Join Justin Fields’ Campaign, Bennett Christian Sets Commit Date, C.J. Hicks Makes Massive Rankings Jump

By Zack Carpenter on August 17, 2020 at 6:30 pm
C.J. Hicks
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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.

Commits join Fields

It didn't take long at all for Justin Fields' #WeWantToPlay campaign to pick up a ton of signatures, as it stood at 1,000 signatures after less than 10 minutes, more than 25,000 after about an hour and a half, and it stood at more than 200,000 signatures on Sunday night.

It also didn't take long for Ohio State's commits to join Fields' cause, showing support by tweeting out the same message that Fields did throughout the day. Here is a roundup of those who joined Fields:

2021 safety/outside linebacker Jaylen Johnson:

2021 safety Jantzen Dunn:

 

2022 outside linebacker C.J. Hicks:

2022 offensive tackle Tegra Tshabola:

2022 cornerback Jyaire Brown:

2022 outside linebacker Gabe Powers also retweeted Fields, as did 2021 running back commits TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor.

Tight end target to make decision soon

For the first time since the shutdown, or at least this is the first one we've known about publicly, an uncommitted Ohio State target made his way to campus for an unofficial visit on his own dime and without seeing any of the coaches.

That was Atlanta three-star tight end Bennett Christian, a 6-foot-6, 235-pounder ranked No. 18 among tight ends and No. 26 among Georgians in the 2022 class, per 247Sports. 

Christian enjoyed his visit, which lasted through Saturday, and he will be following up with a visit to Tennessee next weekend. The following week, Christian will be announcing his commitment, on Sept. 1, and right now that appears to be trending toward Ohio State with a Crystal Ball prediction being placed for him to choose the Buckeyes.

Christian is a Tennessee legacy, as his father was a defensive end for the Vols in the 70s, but the rising junior is very high on the Buckeyes. He broke down his top three with Eleven Warriors at the end of July, but that top three is now down to two, with Ohio State and Tennessee no longer having to contend with Penn State.

Ohio State: “The main reason is because they’re such a winning program. I really love Coach (Kevin) Wilson. All the coaching staff up there is amazing. It’s really one of those schools I’m interested in going to down the road. It’s one of those schools where I’d have a really good chance at winning a national championship and getting that ring there. There’s that winning aspect but not only that, the coaching staff is amazing. Just the feel of Ohio State football is it’s really a family thing. I’ve gotten the vibe of that recently. So now that I’m getting closer to making a decision, that’s one of those schools I might go with moving forward. 

“Really, from the start of my conversations with Coach Wilson and the staff there, they said, ‘Bennett, listen, man. We’ve got about five guys in your class,’ and they said, in our opinion, you’re our favorite right now. Truly, it’s because I can do both in catching and blocking. That’s what they really like about me is I can block and run routes. That’s the main thing is how I’m really complete.”

Tennessee: “My dad played (as a defensive end) there under Coach (Johnny) Majors in the 70s, and my mom was a two-time All-American cheerleader there. Outside of those connections, it was the relationships I have with the coaches. I love the offense they run up there, and I could see myself fitting in there pretty well. Really, I love the fans. The fans are awesome, and it was just one of those things where you can feel the connections.”

Hicks, nicknamed Captain Buckeye for his ability to recruit fellow 2022 players, seems pretty confident that someone could be committing to the class soon. So perhaps that will be Christian.

Vernon earns offer

We introduced readers to Mentor (Ohio) High School defensive end Brenan Vernon in mid-June, labeling him as perhaps the top candidate to wind up as the state of Ohio's No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class.

We still believe he has the lead to become that top-ranked guy, and Ohio State coaches showed how high they are on him this weekend by offering the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder over the weekend.

Vernon has offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee, and that list will grow exponentially over the next several months, as his quickness off the snap, already high but growing athleticism and agility will be enticing for more and more teams as he continues to improve.

He also has the mentality you love to see in a top-tier prospect.

“The main goal is to be the best – the best that offensive tackles ever played and the best player that team has ever seen,” Vernon told Eleven Warriors previously. “My goal’s to be the best in whatever I do.”

Hicks’ massive jump

When Powers announced his commitment earlier this month, one of the main questions we asked him was how dangerous the combination of him and Hicks would be, as they are two of the top-eight outside linebackers in the 2022 class.

“C.J. should be ranked higher. He should be ranked a lot higher,” Powers said.

Today, the good folks at Rivals took heed of Powers' words – and our words – by making him a five-star prospect and skyrocketing him all the way up to the No. 4 overall player in the 2022 class.

We had a great inkling that Hicks would make a substantial jump after seeing him a few days before the Elite Underclassmen Camp, and at that camp he stood out even more as the best linebacker prospect (and the best prospect overall) at the event. 

Rivals analyst Mike Farrell is high on Hicks and his potential:

Farrell's take: CJ Hicks is a monster physically for a 2022 and a kid who could be a massive safety or a big linebacker at the next level. He’s so athletic and quick twitch that it’s almost unfair to watch him against opponents at times.

It's now only a matter of time before Hicks makes a jump in the composite rankings. Hicks is ranked No. 118 overall but will likely jump into the top 100.

Other prime-time Buckeye targets on Rivals' five-star rankings are middle linebacker Shawn Murphy (No. 14), outside cornerback Will Johnson (No. 13), offensive tackle Zach Rice (No. 11), receiver Luther Burden (No. 9) and cornerback Denver Harris (No. 3), in addition to a few others.

Dasan McCullough Announcement?

It looks like we could be getting some news from four-star Sam linebacker target Dasan McCullough tomorrow.

If this is indeed a commitment, as it seems, it's likely good news for the Buckeyes as there's been plenty of momentum their favor the past few months.

And McCullough even teased it earlier on Monday afternoon.

McCullough is the No. 70 overall prospect in the 2022 class, and at 6-foot-5, 220 lbs, is a big and versatile prospect. If Ohio State does secure his commitment, McCullough will join already committed linebackers Gabe Powers and C.J. Hicks in the Buckeyes' linebacker-heavy 2022 class.

Leigh to visit Oklahoma

Looks like the Sooner Summit is going to kick off this weekend, and it will have at least one five-star prospect aboard.

Virginia offensive tackle Tristan Leigh – the Buckeyes' biggest remaining offensive line target in the 2021 class – is set for a four-day trip to Norman beginning Thursday, reports 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong:

“Oh my god I’m so excited,” Leigh’s mother Laura started in. Her brother who lives in Atlanta will also accompany them on the trip. “I can’t wait. We just don’t know if recruiting is going to open back up so we have to take that initiative to see the area and get the feel of the town even though we can’t see the coaches and stadium. We’re okay on the outside. We can imagine it.”

Oklahoma is battling Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Clemson. While they won't be able to visit with Lincoln Riley and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and the rest of the staff in person, they've gotten to know them well through the process as well.

“They know what they’re doing,” Laura said of the Sooners. “They have a good track record. Their players end up in the NFL, the ones that work hard. You can’t really argue with success. One of the biggest advantages for us is Caleb Williams is going there. He’s a good friend of ours. Tristan has always wanted to play with him. He can’t wait to play with him in San Antonio (at the All-American Bowl).

Leigh is down to a final five of Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson, LSU and Alabama. He has not yet visited Oklahoma, but he has visited the other four schools, with his last visit to Columbus coming in November for the Buckeyes' win over Penn State.

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