The Hurry Up is your nightcap of Ohio State recruiting news, catching you up on the day’s events with an ear on the ground for what’s next.
IS PEOPLES-JONES A REALISTIC POSSIBILITY?
From the "That's Interesting" side of the room.
I was speaking to a very highly-regarded national prospect and the five-star recruit offered up an interesting tidbit from his discussions with his peers.
"I think that Ohio State does have a good chance to get Tyjon Lindsey, Trevon Grimes and Donovan Peoples-Jones," he shared. When asked to expound?
"I just know what they tell me."
It's not a secret that the Buckeyes appear to be in a good position with Lindsey and Grimes, but Peoples-Jones has the entire Ohio State coaching staff guessing. I am sure that is the case in the recruiting rooms of all the other programs recruiting him.
Does it mean anything now? Not really, but it was a bit of a surprise he seemed to believe the Buckeyes were as in the mix as anyone else.
OFFENSIVE LINE OPTIONS SHRINKING
It's getting harder and harder to find a way in to Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class but there are still a few prospects along the offensive line with a shot to join Top 100 players Josh Myers and Jake Moretti.
We've talked a bit about Sugarcreek, Ohio's Joel Honigford, who has told us in the past he's going to camp at Ohio State this summer. Honigford participated in The Opening last weekend in Columbus and wasn't thrilled with his performance but is focused on the next step.
"I thought I could've done a lot better," Honigford said. "I don't think I did bad, but I just personally think I can do a lot better. I was just kind of upset I didn't get to go more, to prove myself. I didn't do my best in the four reps I had, but I feel like if I would've gotten more time to settle in I would've been fine."
Ohio State, Michigan, West Virginia and Nebraska visited last week and he'll head to Columbus on June 17 to try and earn his Buckeye offer. He's one of the few offensive linemen out there right now that has a shot.
One guy that has an offer and continues to be a top target is Trey Smith, from Jackson, Tennessee. Smith is 6-foot-6, 300 pounds and the Buckeyes feel that they're right in the thick of it for him, but they know they need to get him on campus this summer. Smith is ESPN's top-ranked 2017 prospect. According to one source, Ohio State isn't far from the offensive tackle's mind.
"They're trying to get him back in June," the source said. "It's Notre Dame or Ohio State in my opinion."
I don't know if I buy that right now with Smith, but he's not the type to say much. Notre Dame has been closely linked to his recruitment for a while now and Tennessee, Alabama and others are among his top choices as well.
JUST TWO MORE LINEBACKERS ON THE BOARD?
While we're talking about a shortage of numbers in the 2017 class let's go to a position that has not been discussed much at all, linebacker.
Right now, there's Antjuan Simmons and probably Brendon White.
There is some discussion about taking one more at the position and one of those guys that would be an absolute no-brainer to "take" – Baron Browning – is visiting next weekend.
"(Urban) Meyer is going to love him as soon as he sees him," a source said. "He looks like a young Joshua Perry, but runs a 10.8 in the 100-meter. He's going to fall in love with him."
Browning is one of the best prospects in the country and if he wants in, Ohio State would have a very difficult time saying no. The feel they get from him after next weekend's visit could have a major impact on their recruitment of another Texas linebacker, Anthony Hines.
Hines is one of the only other names actively being recruited at linebacker, but to this point he's not made an Ohio State trip, choosing instead to focus his recent trips on the plains –– Oklahoma, Texas, etc.
NEW 2017 DEFENSIVE END OFFER
The Buckeyes lost out on five-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh two weeks ago – he committed to Maryland – and they're still in the hunt for Maryland's Chase Young, but Friday they offered another 2017 defensive end.
Jordan Williams, a Virginia Beach four-star with offers from Alabama, Clemson, USC, Penn State, Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan State and a number of others.
Beyond Blessed To Say I Have Received My 29th Offer From THE Ohio State University #BuckeyeNation #B1G pic.twitter.com/rAhx6pGknl
— Jordan Williams (@_blessed_23) May 13, 2016
Williams – 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds – hails from Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia and in the 18th-ranked defensive end in the 2017 class.
Larry Johnson and Zach Smith have owned Virginia for the Buckeyes the last few years. We'll see if they can get this talented lineman to campus this summer before expecting too much to happen in his recruitment.
