The Hurry Up: Top-Rated Linebacker Talks Looming Decision While Four-Star Receiver Narrows Things Down

By Andrew Lind on May 19, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Jordyn Adams
Jordyn Adams
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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.

COMING SOON

Virginia Beach, Virginia, Bishop Sullivan four-star linebacker Teradja Mitchell sent Twitter into a tizzy on Thursday night when he announced he was close to a decision on his future.

“Sometime before June 4,” Mitchell told Eleven Warriors. “[I'm] still torn between Florida State and Ohio State.”

The 6-foot-2, 243-pound Mitchell — as you know quite well by now — has been to Columbus twice in the last six months, and the staff was feeling increasingly confident in their chances following the latest visit in April. But a trip to Tallahassee last weekend has things seemingly trending toward the Seminoles as of late.

Of course, a similar feeling surrounded Brenton Cox's recruitment before he choose the Buckeyes over Georgia. And even Mitchell acknowledges both Ohio State and Florida State offer the exact same things on and off the field.

“Both schools can develop me into the best person I can be,” Mitchell said. “They both are championship contenders and they have great business programs.”

So what will be the deciding factor for Mitchell?

“Wherever my heart feels is the best place for me,” he said. “I've been praying to God about it and taking my time.”

GROWING APART

Though he recently included Ohio State in his Top 5 and visited Columbus for the Spring Game last month, Cary, North Carolina, Green Hope four-star wide receiver Jordyn Adams listed Clemson and North Carolina as his final two schools on Thursday night. He'll make his decision at Nike Football's The Opening Finals next month.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Adams is considered the 30th-best wideout and No. 163 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, though he threw for 2,350 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 793 yards and 11 touchdowns last seasons as the quarterback for Blythewood, South Carolina. He transferred to Green Hope in January to be closer to his father, Deke, who is the defensive line coach at East Carolina.

Adams' interest in the Buckeyes was sincere, but the Tar Heels have long been considered the favorite in his recruitment thanks to proximity and his relationship with the staff.

Ohio State has seemingly shifted its focus in the last year or so to prospects who play wide receiver full-time as opposed to athletes who make the transition in college — and the H-Back position in the class is already filled by Westerville South four-star Jaelen Gill — so it's difficult to see how Adams would fit into the staff's plans anyway.

FAMILIAR NAME

As mentioned in yesterday's edition of The Hurry Up, Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith offered a scholarship to North Palm Beach, Florida, The Benjamin School four-star cornerback Kaiir Elam after watching him practice on Thursday.

“I called him when I got home after practice and he told me to call [head coach] Urban Meyer,” Elam told Eleven Warriors. “It was a blessing and I'm thankful, but now I have to prove to everyone that I deserve what was given.”

The 6-foot-1, 177-pounder, son of former NFL safety Abram Elam, is considered the third-best cornerback and No. 77 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as hauled in 39 catches for 570 yards and five touchdowns on offense and made three interceptions on defense for the Buccaneers last season. He holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

Kaiir, who took an unofficial visit to Ohio State for last season's game against Rutgers, isn't only a star on the football field, but also on the basketball court and the track. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game and finished eighth in the 100-meter dash at the state track and field championships.

FROM AN EARLY AGE

The spring evaluation period allows coaches to travel all over the country in search of talent, which is why we've seen a significant increase in offers being handed out over the last few weeks. In fact, Ohio State has handed out more than a dozen in the last three days.

One prospect who could soon join that constantly growing list is Mineral, Virginia, Louisa County four-star defensive end Brandon Smith. Linebackers coach Bill Davis recently stopped by to watch him practice, and the two have maintained contact since.

“[Coach Davis] just talked about how freak of an athlete I was,” Smith told Eleven Warriors. “He was impressed at how many positions I can play, linebacker or defensive end.”

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Smith is considered the seventh-best weak-side defensive end and No. 107 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 40 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and two sacks to garner first-team all-conference honors. He holds double-digit offers from programs such as Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech, but hopes Ohio State comes through sooner rather than later.

“That would be great news for me and my family,” Smith said. “Ohio State has been a school I have followed for a while. My head basketball coach [Robert Shelton] played basketball for Ohio State [under Randy Ayers], plus my dad played football with [former running back] Eddie George at Fork Union Military Academy.”

The Seminoles, no surprise, are considered the early favorite in his recruitment. Is another battle between the two programs brewing? We'll see.

ANY ROOM LEFT?

Ohio State already holds commitments from two of the top-rated safeties in the country in four-stars Josh Proctor and Jaiden Woodbey.

However, that didn't stop Arp, Texas, four-star DeMarvion Overshown from including the Buckeyes in his Top 15 on Thursday alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M and TCU.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Overshown is considered the 11th-best safety and No. 109 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he recorded 173 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and three interceptions to help the Tigers to the state semifinals last season. And though the Buckeyes probably wouldn't make the cut if he narrowed things down any further, it speaks to the staff's increased presence in the Lone Star State.

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