The Hurry Up: Big In-State Offers Go Out, Jackson Arrives on Campus and the Latest in Buckeye Recruiting News

By Jeremy Birmingham on June 14, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Jaylen Harris at The Opening's regional camp in Columbus.
Jaylen Harris
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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.

Here's a brief recap of the week that was in Ohio State recruiting.

VICTOR, MULLEN VISITS HIGHLIGHT CAMP WEEKEND

As mentioned on Thursday, Ohio State's coaching staff had a chance on Friday, during the Sound Mind/Sound Body camp in Detroit, to make an impact on a number of players they are still aggressively pursuing. One of those players is Coconut Creek, Florida wide receiver Binjimen Victor, regarded by many as the best wide receiver in the 2016 class. The Buckeyes have been trying for months to get Victor back on campus, where he and teammate Trayvon Mullen spent nearly a full week last summer. Friday's camp in Detroit gave Zach Smith and the Ohio State coaching staff a chance to talk to the 6-foot-4 wide receiver – who had scheduled a commitment date for June 22nd – and it could not have gone better for the Buckeyes.

Victor announced he would be delaying his decision and that he'd visit Columbus, along with Michigan and Michigan State, on Saturday. He made the trip to Ohio State and spent the afternoon getting vital face time with Ohio State. 

The South Florida duo finished their night in Ann Arbor but did not make it to Michigan State. Today, they returned to Florida.

So, what does this mean for the Buckeyes? Is the timing just coincidental or was the Ohio State staff that convincing? The fact is that Victor has always liked Ohio State – he's made no secret of that – but the issues that moved Florida, where he was likely to commit on June 22nd, to the front remain. Ohio State is quite a hike from the sunny beaches of the 305 and the challenges on the Buckeye depth chart make a place like Gainesville an attractive option.

Victor is now saying he will not decide until, in all likelihood, January, so there's a lot of time for Ohio State to make their move. Zach Smith has landed his first big fish of the 2016 cycle (Austin Mack) and if the feeling that Victor is seriously interested is there, he can be focused on almost exclusively by Smith (and Mack) for the next six months. Don't be surprised if Victor works to arrange a Friday Night Lights visit.

DOTSON OFFERED BY BUCKEYES, ENJOYS VISIT

As he expected, Cincinnati Moeller 2017 tight end Matt Dotson earned an Ohio State offer on Saturday at the Buckeyes one-day camp. 

"I talked to Urban Meyer twice in his office, and he offered," Dotson told Eleven Warriors. "I love their (coaching staff) and I feel like they love. We have a great connection."

It was Ohio State's Tim Hinton that spent most of the time during Saturday's camp with Dotson.

"Working one-on-one with (Tim) Hinton was great," Dotson said. "I learned a lot from him and the way he coaches."

Following the camp, Dotson spent the evening at Ohio State, hanging out with one of the newest arriving Buckeyes.

"I stayed with Damon Arnett," Dotson added. "We just hung out at the dorms, and we went to eat at Eddie George's restaurant."

The Buckeyes have identified Dotson early as their top tight end target in 2017. This coming Friday, the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder from Cincinnati will check out the most likely competition for his services: Notre Dame. The Irish have not yet offered, but it would be very surprising if that doesn't happen this week. He told 11W he hopes to be back at Ohio State for Friday Night Lights in July.

HARRIS ADDS BIG OFFER

2017 could be a special year for wide receivers in Ohio and the debate about which in-state guys could get a chance to become a Buckeye got its first bit of intrigue on Saturday. After camping with the Buckeyes, Cleveland Heights' standout Jaylen Harris was offered by Urban Meyer.

Harris told me he has no plans to decide yet, and he's getting ready to embark on a southern tour that will likely lead to big offers (Bama-esque) coming his way soon. What do the Buckeyes like? Harris is a real-life 6-foot-5, 210-pound wide receiver as a 16-year-old. He's regularly under 4.6 in the 40-yard-dash and as he gets bigger, stronger, and faster you can see all the tools to become a megastar. He's a bit raw and needs to work on becoming a more natural pass-catcher, but everything you want is there to be molded and worked with.

ANTWUAN JACKSON IS AT OHIO STATE

One of the biggest priorities for the Buckeyes at this point is adding another defensive tackle to the 2016 recruiting class and today marks the first day of a two-day visit for one of the primary targets, Georgia's Antwuan Jackson.

I don't want to put too much stock into just one visit, but it goes without saying that this trip is huge for the Buckeyes when it comes to their pursuit of the country's 45th-ranked prospect. 

The Buckeyes are still under the impression that they'll see Rashan Gary and his mother back on campus at some point, but hitting a homerun with Jackson, who many expected to commit to Auburn two weeks ago, is essential. 

ETHAN TUCKY OFF THE BOARD

Ethan Tucky, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound defensive end/linebacker from Delaware, Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes High School has committed to Boston College.

Tucky is one of the state's most athletic talents, finishing in the top 6 at last week's state title track meet (he had a qualifying time of 21.89 in the 200 meter dash). He was planning a visit to Ohio State for camp this week but that will no longer take place.

"It was a great process," Tucky told 11W. "I picked Boston College because just the overall fit. Athletically, spiritually and education-wise, it was the whole package."

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