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.
SHAPING UP TO BE A GOOD ONE
A number of high-profile recruits made their way to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Saturday for Ohio State's final one-day camp of the spring, including four-star quarterback commit Emory Jones. It would have been easy for any young prospect to be intimidated by that setting, but not Englewood, Florida, Lemon Bay pro-style quarterback Hayden Wolff.
Had a blast at The Ohio State University #gobucks #td11 pic.twitter.com/uJ86so5xOh
— hw11 (@HaydenWolff2019) June 19, 2017
“I loved the camp,” Wolff told Eleven Warriors. “I got there early and worked with coach [Ryan] Day and Emory, and we had a good workout just throwing to receivers. Later in the camp, I did one-on-ones and threw the ball well. I caught attention from many other coaches from other schools also.”
And that's key, as the 6-foot-5, 195-pound rising junior comes from a small school with very limited exposure. He was the nation's second-leading passer in terms of yardage but is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites.
With that said, Wolff has made it a point to hit the camp scene hard this spring, with trips to Cincinnati, Kentucky and Maryland with Vanderbilt on the docket later this spring. He's still looking for his first offer and hopes to build a relationship with Ohio State quarterbacks coach Ryan Day in the coming months.
“I was comfortable throwing in front of both [Day and head coach Urban Meyer],” Wolff said. “Coach Day asked me to work on my lower half and strengthening my legs. That's something I've been working on the whole offseason. It would be great to receive an offer. I loved the school.”
Of course, there are several other names to watch at quarterback in 2019, including Texas four-star Grant Tisdale, Oregon four-star Michael Johnson Jr. and Michigan three-star Dwan Mathis. But if Wolff makes it back to campus anytime soon, he could certainly stake his claim for that spot in Ohio State's recruiting class.
THE AUTUMN WIND
One prospect who stood out at Ohio State's one-day camp last Tuesday was Reynoldsburg weak-side defensive end Jay Amburgey, who worked closely with defensive line coach Larry Johnson for most of the afternoon.
“It was a great experience. I felt like I was a Buckeye,” Amburgey told Eleven Warriors. “We went the same tempo as the actual team goes. It was also nice going through the drills with coach Johnson directly right there giving us tips and evaluating us. He gave me a tip about coming off the line and running without extending my arms right away, but he was very impressed from what he saw from me.”
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Amburgey is not yet ranked by any major recruiting sites nor does he have any offers, but he and teammates Dezman Cooper and Mershawn Rice are among a talented group of Raiders sure to make waves on the recruiting scene in the Class of 2019. He'll return to campus next month for the Buckeyes' annual Friday Night Lights recruiting camp with hopes of earning his first offer.
“[Johnson] really just said keep doing what I'm doing and keep getting better,” Amburgey said. “If I keep doing that, I think I'll hopefully get an offer.”
HAS TO BE A BUCKEYE, RIGHT?
Mentor strong-side defensive end Noah Potter, meanwhile, attended Saturday's camp. It marked his fourth trip to campus in the last year, not counting the numerous basketball games he's watched because of his brother Micah.
“[It was] really good,” Potter told Eleven Warriors. “I spent a lot of time with the coaches throughout the camp that I haven't met [offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano], and a lot of time with coach Johnson, obviously.”
“It was like he was my actual coach,” he continued. “[I] got to see his coaching style and I learned a ton. The way he coaches [stands out]. He doesn't swear; I don't swear. He doesn't yell; he coaches you. I lost a rep and he told me one thing to fix, and then I won the next five reps. He really simplifies pass rushing and makes everything easier.”
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Potter does not have a composite ranking either, but I'd be willing to bet he's among the highest-rated in-state prospects in the Class of 2019 when it's all said and done, as he recorded 37 tackles, 16 quarterback hurries and one sack for the Cardinals last season. He holds offers from Boston College, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Kent State and Toledo, but earning one from Ohio State would be a dream come true.
Potter, who will also attend Friday Night Lights, gained a few pointers from Johnson. He hopes put them to use at the camp on July 21.
“[Johnson] said fix two really easy things: which foot I burst out of and to swipe up to get my hips flipped to take a better route to the quarterback, and I'll be scary good,” Potter said. “He's really excited to see me at Friday Night Lights.”
PLANTING SEEDS IN THE STATE UP NORTH
Another first-time visitor was West Bloomfield, Michigan, linebacker/safety hybrid Lance Dixon, who spent all of Tuesday's camp working out alongside top-rated Ohio State targets K'Vaughan Pope and Cade Stover.
“It went well,” Dixon told Eleven Warriors. “I think I could have done better in my 40[-yard dash] and the one-on-ones, but overall I think I did good.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Dixon has made waves on the recruiting scene this spring, earning offers from Central Michigan, Temple, Toledo and Western Michigan. Programs such as Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State have also started to take notice of the rising junior, who spent a considerable amount of time with linebackers coach Bill Davis despite not having a ranking attached to his name.
“It was definitely cool working with somebody who's known for making linebackers,” Dixon said. “He taught us a lot for us only being there for a couple of hours. I can't wait for the next opportunity to come and visit.”
Dixon will also be at Friday Night Lights.
