MARVELOUS
The Arizona Cardinals select Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
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.
FIRE UP THE FAX MACHINE
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer will meet with the media at approximately 2 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the Buckeyes' class. You'll have to understand if he seems anxious or a little preoccupied, though, with five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson set to announce his college decision at 4:30 p.m.
Now I've repeatedly said LSU is considered the favorite, but if anyone says they know for certain where Wilson will end up, well, they're lying. Wilson said he isn't even sure yet, which is why he'll sit down with his family this evening to make a decision.
I will be making my college decision this Wednesday on ESPNU live @ Episcopal high school at 3:30 #RealLifeGoon pic.twitter.com/ejwsxKGumJ
— HOLLYWOOD MARV (@RDMW6) January 31, 2017
So where does that leave us? We simply have to make our best educated guess based on preference location, in-home and official visits and his relationship with coaches and commits.
That said, this is my first National Signing Day as a recruiting analyst, so I'm still a little green behind the ears. But it also wasn't too long ago that I was a teenager with plenty of options for my future. I could have gone to a number of schools, near and far, but always knew in the back of my mind where I wanted to go.
Wilson, who is from Texas, did not grow up rooting for Florida State, LSU or Ohio State, however. He has always been open to finding the best fit and the school that offers the most opportunities to succeed on and off the field.
Wilson's mother and brother have been huge influences on his life, so he'll absolutely take their thoughts and feelings into consideration. His mom wants him to remain close, which favors LSU, but she also understands it's his decision.
The same goes for Ohio State commits Baron Browning and Jeffrey Okudah, who have texted and called him almost nonstop over the last month. But that's exactly why I think he'll pick the Buckeyes tomorrow afternoon.
Most people point to Wilson's relationship with head coach Ed Orgeron as to why he'll end up at LSU. But really, what can Orgeron provide that Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson cannot? They both have a track record of developing talent if making it to the NFL is your ultimate goal, you truly can't go wrong with either.
The next logical step in your decision-making process has to be considering your relationship with Browning and Okudah. What else would help ease the the distance than rooming with your best friends?
I'm not saying this is what Wilson will do because, again, not even he knows just yet. But if he does pick up a scarlet hat tomorrow afternoon, this is why.
I will be committing on Wednesday at Bingham high school at 10:00 a.m. feel free to come out and support my final decision.
— Jay Tufele (@tufele123) January 31, 2017
Ohio State also awaits decisions from South Jordan, Utah, Bingham, four-star defensive tackle Jay Tufele and Massillon Washington four-star offensive tackle Thayer Munford. Their decisions are a little more cut and dried, however.
Tufele, it seems, is torn between playing for a big-time program and staying close to home. If it's the former, Ohio State figured to be the choice. Utah, of course, if it's the latter. But USC has emerged as a real threat in recent weeks, essentially offering everything Ohio State does in terms of tradition and the ability to compete for national championships.
The Buckeyes haven't given up on Tufele, hoping his relationship with Johnson is worth more than playing close to home. But I can't help but feel like they've slipped to third at the wrong time, though Utah will likely be the pick regardless.
Munford, meanwhile, is almost certain to pledge his services to the Buckeyes at 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, provided he was extended a scholarship offer during one of his recent campus visits. He's never publicly said so, but the general consensus was that he'd commit the moment he got an offer.
Seeing as signing day isn't as full of drama as year's past, the staff may have asked him to hold off on an announcement in order to have at least one thing to celebrate. Maybe there will be more fireworks that expected. Maybe there will be none at all. But tomorrow will certainly be enjoyable to cover nonetheless.
