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.
AND NOW WE WAIT
Virginia Beach Bishop Sullivan four-star linebacker Teradja Mitchell wrapped up his unofficial visit to Florida State on Sunday morning, and seemed to come away from the visit still conflicted on his college future.
“I still have some thinking to do,” Mitchell told 247Sports. “Hopefully I will know in the next two or three weeks, but I don't have a date. That could change. I don't have a specific date.”
You may have noticed I said “four-star,” too. That's because the 6-foot-2, 243-pound Mitchell saw his stock drop after he showed up at last weekend's The Opening Charlotte Regional a little heavier than expected and proceeded to run a 5.01-second 40-yard-dash with a vertical jump barely exceeding 30 inches.
Now I'm not the late Raiders owner Al Davis, so I don't get enamored by someone testing extremely well — or, in Mitchell's case, thrown off by a poor performance. Put on the tape and you'll see why he's still widely considered the best inside linebacker in the Class of 2018.
So back to the trip to Tallahassee...
Florida State, surprisingly, did not put the full-court press on Mitchell and his parents this weekend. Most of the team is out of town with school ending last week, so the visit pretty much consisted of touring the facilities, meeting with academic advisers, head coach Jimbo Fisher, area recruiter Odell Haggins and linebackers coach Bill Miller — all things he's done in the past.
I was interested to learn part of the coaches' pitch to Mitchell included a program called LYFE, more or less the Seminoles' version of Real Life Wednesday. It's obvious that resonates with recruits, and any school that doesn't have their own version of it needs to get on it. It is also no longer something unique to just Ohio State.
So, then, if both schools offer the opportunity for Mitchell to major in business and have a plan in place for life after football all while playing for a program that will undoubtedly put him into the NFL, what will be the deciding factor?
If it comes down to coaches, I'm confident Urban Meyer and Larry Johnson can steal another one from the Seminoles. We won't have to wait too much longer to find out, either.
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
Now I'm not one to put too much stock into a prospect wearing college gear because kids visit countless schools and are bound to purchase something at each stop along the way. But sometimes, just sometimes, there's more to it than that.
Such is the case for Laurinburg, North Carolina, Scotland County five-star running back Zamir White, who posted pictures of himself to Twitter on Friday night wearing an Ohio State cap.
//\\ pic.twitter.com/qbw3b2t6QP
— Zeus34 (@zeus1_34) May 12, 2017
The 5-11, 195-pound White didn't include Ohio State in his Top 4 a few months back, instead listing Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and North Carolina as leaders in the race for his services. He did, however, attend the annual Spring Game in mid-April — his third trip to Columbus in the last year, all of which came on his own dime.
The staff has been making a strong push as of late, and it's clear the Buckeyes continue to weigh on his mind. The only issue? White is set to make a decision on his future on June 27, his mother's birthday.
For those who don't know, the two share an extremely strong bond.
White was barely one pound when doctors suggested a 14-year-old Shanee terminate her pregnancy six months in. She, of course, did not, and White weighed more than seven pounds when he was born. He still struggled early on in his life, but overcame a number of extensive surgeries to become one of the most sought-after recruits in the country.
That said, he's a self-proclaimed momma's boy. He wanted to honor her courage by announcing his college decision on her birthday, and — wouldn't you know — she's very high on Georgia. Of course, there's a chance he goes against her favorite school on her big day, but I just don't see it knowing how close they are.
NO BIGGIE
Though he admits he's not fully healed from a leg injury he suffered in the first game of his junior season, Westerville South four-star running back Jaelen Gill continues to rake in the accolades this spring.
He was invited last month to his second-consecutive The Opening Finals and the Under Armour All-America Game — though he'll play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl instead — and on Sunday, Gill was one of six prospects to secure a spot at Rivals' Five-Star Challenge during its camp series stop in Columbus.
Our 5 star challenge invitees! #Rivals3StripeCamp pic.twitter.com/ay6hpZDgpC
— Rivals Camp Series (@RivalsCamp) May 14, 2017
Gill will be joined in Indianapolis next month by fellow Ohio State commits Emory Jones and Jaiden Woodbey, who punched their tickets to the event at the Atlanta and Los Angeles stops, respectively. Cleveland Heights four-star defensive end target Tyreke Smith was also invited to the finals on Sunday.
That, like Sunday's event in Columbus, will unfortunately only be open to Rivals' reporters.
OFF THE RADAR
Last but not least, Ohio State extended a scholarship offer late Saturday night to Frostproof, Florida, three-star safety Jeremiah Salaam.
Blessed to say I've just been offered by hio State University. #Zone6 @Corey_Bender @DemetricDWarren @HamiltonESPN @247Sports pic.twitter.com/FyXQL1ulbN
— Jeremiah Salaam (@Jeremiahsalaam) May 14, 2017
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Salaam is not yet ranked by 247Sports Composite, but is considered the 83-best safety in the Class of 2018 by Scout. He holds a dozen offers from programs such as Arizona, Kentucky, Memphis, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt.
Salaam, who posted a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and 35-inch vertical jump at The Opening Orlando Regional in February, is set to announce his college decision on July 9.
