The Hurry Up: Levonta Taylor Trying to Visit Ohio State, George Hill Update, Buckeyes Offer Antwuan Jackson and More.

By Jeremy Birmingham on February 18, 2015 at 7:45 pm
George Hill continues to work hard.
Hubbard, Ohio's George Hill
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Welcome to The Hurry Up, which runs Sunday through Thursday, serving as your last stop for recruiting news and notes nightly. We'll recap the day as it happened and preview the days ahead while keeping our ear to the ground on the Ohio State recruiting scene.


GEORGE HILL WORKING HARD

Maybe it's because he has been committed to Ohio State since last June, maybe it's because he doesn't talk much to the media or on social media, but Hubbard's George Hill doesn't get nearly the pub he should. After consecutive 1100 yard seasons splitting time with Michigan State signee LJ Scott, Hill is primed and ready for a big senior year. The country's 66th-ranked player in 2016 has been working around the clock to improve himself as he prepares for an increased workload.

"My off-season has been good so far," Hill told Eleven Warriors. "I'm up to 202 pounds, most places have me listed still at 180."

Gaining 20-plus pounds as a high school junior isn't easy, but Hill says it's not slowing him down. On the contrary, he's as fast as ever.

"The last 40 I ran was in the 4.3's," he continued. "If I don't get a good start it's closer to 4.4. I'm still fast, I've gained weight, but it's all muscle."

The country's fourth-ranked running back, Hill is working not only for his senior year at Hubbard, but also for the competition he'll face in Columbus when he arrives in the summer of 2016. He says the recent commitment of New Jersey's Kareem Walker is a good thing for him and the Buckeyes.

"Kareem committing doesn't do much of anything to me, to be honest," Hill said. "He's really good and you can see he's fast. He's competition and that's all good. I'm looking forward to being teammates. I've got a lot of respect for him."

Hill is likely to line up in the backfield occasionally for the Buckeyes, but he'll be used primarily in a Jalin-Marshall/slot receiver kind of way. He talked about the possibility of enrolling early for the Buckeyes, but he doesn't anticipate that happening.

"As of now, probably not," Hill said of enrolling early. "I want to experience all of high school, it's a once in a lifetime thing."

LEVONTA TAYLOR TRYING TO VISIT CAMPUS

Over the weekend it was reported that Levonta Taylor, the country's second-ranked 2016 cornerback and a composite five-star, was hoping to organize a trip to Ohio State while his 7-on-7 team was in the Buckeye state. The 7-on-7 tournament is this coming weekend but it's unlikely that he'll make the trip, according to sources at Ohio State.

"He might come through," a source said about the trip. "Honest, we're trying to make that trip not happen because [Urban] Meyer won't be there and it'd be his second visit here and [Meyer] would be gone for both of them."

Taylor last visited Ohio State in April of last year. He's without question one of the most explosive defensive back prospects in America and a player the Buckeyes have been trying to increase their standing with.

"He might be the best player in the country, regardless of position," the source said. "We want to make sure he knows he's a priority."

ANTWUAN JACKSON SAYS BUCKEYES HAVE A SHOT

Last night, Ohio State offered Ellenwood, Ga. 2016 defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson. The country's tenth-ranked defensive tackle and 58th-ranked overall player, Jackson said he's been contacted by the Buckeyes just recently.

"(Larry) Johnson is who offered me," Jackson said. "We've been talking for a couple of weeks now."

The offer from Ohio State was Jackson's 27th and he says the Buckeyes will get a shot despite starting "late" in the process.

"I've begun cutting down from the offers, and overall recruiting is going great," he added. "But Ohio State is definitely in the conversation."

AUSTON ROBERTSON DOWN TO THREE, JUNE DECISION PLANNED

Although his uncle, Stan Drayton, no longer coaches in Columbus, Fort Wayne, Indiana's Auston Robertson is still thinking about Ohio State. On Monday, following his standout performance at the Best of the Midwest combine in Indianapolis, Robertson — the country's 102nd-ranked player — announced a final three schools of Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame.

The Buckeyes are slated by most to be likely destination for Robertson, the 247Sports.com crystal ball is leaning heavily in the direction of the Scarlet and Gray.

Robertson and his close friend Austin Mack are each scheduled to make their college decision on June 7th at the Redefining Athletic Standards Football Camp.

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