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.
IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS
Dublin Jerome linebacker Cade Kacherski took to Twitter on Tuesday night to announce he had accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State. He becomes the third in-state player to do in as many weeks, joining Big Walnut's Abe Myers and Piqua's Ben Schmiesing.
BLESSED to say I have ACCEPTED a preferred walk-on spot at THE Ohio State University #SILVERBULLETS pic.twitter.com/yZdvHDH9HK
— CADE (@cadekacherski) October 4, 2017
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Kacherski is not ranked by any major recruiting sites, but is certainly among the top players in Central Ohio from the Class of 2018, as he was named first-team all-league and honorable mention all-district after recording 63 tackles and five sacks for the Celtics last season. He holds academic and athletic offers from Brown, Indiana State and Western Illinois, but the chance to follow in his father's footsteps was too good to pass up.
In fact, Kacherski didn't hesitate to accept the offer as soon as assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges reached out on Tuesday night.
“It's huge, but it wasn't a hard decision for me,” Kacherski told Eleven Warriors. “Home is Ohio State, and with my dad plaing ball there, I'm just happy to get the opportunity.”
Kacherski's father, John, played outside linebacker for Ohio State from 1987 through 1991. He was a starter and captain for the Buckeyes his senior year. The elder Kacherski was then signed by Denver Broncos in 1992 and played in seven games on special teams, but a pulled hamstring the following season ended his NFL career.
The younger Kacherski, meanwhile, is quite familiar with Ohio State and the staff outside of his father's influence. He attended Junior Day in late January (pictured above) and returned to campus for a one-day camp in June. There, he spent a considerable amount of time with linebackers coach Bill Davis, who gave one-on-one instruction to a select group of prospects inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“Camp was great,” Kacherski said. “I thought I did well. He told me I had a big future and he thought I'd have tons of offers after the year. He's the coach who really made this thing happen. When my dad reached out to him to see how the walk-on process would work, he was all for it. I texted him after the offer [was extended], and he told me I made his day. I can't thank him enough.”
ANOTHER VOLUNTEER STATE PROSPECT FOR THE TAKING
Just two weeks after he included Ohio State in his Top 3 alongside Alabama and South Carolina, Nashville Davidson Academy four-star defensive end Ani Izuchukwu told Eleven Warriors he will take an unofficial visit for the Buckeyes' game against Maryland on Saturday.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Izuchukwu — a native Nigerian — is considered the 11th-best weak-side defensive end and No. 175 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, though he missed most of his sophomore season with a shoulder injury. It's worth noting his list of top schools is fluid and he also holds offers from programs such Clemson, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss and Tennessee, all of which he anticipates will ramp up their pursuit once the season ends.
“Those three schools [are going to be there until the end] because they talk to me often and want me down to their campus, especially Ohio State,” Izuchukwu said last week. “We're building a relationship, and that's awesome.”
Head coach Urban Meyer, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and running backs coach/area recruiter Tony Alford have been Izuchukwu's primary recruiters since the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship in April.
“They are really good people and ask a lot about health and how my season is going,” he said.
Izuchukwu is also good friends with Ohio State four-star offensive tackle commit Max Wray, who lives about 30 miles away in Franklin. They're both a part of the National Playmakers Academy, as well, which is a training and college prep program in Nashville.
Wray may also tag along this weekend, though it's not certain at this time.
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
Citing a possible competitive disadvantage with the current system, the NCAA Division I Council introduced a proposal on Wednesday afternoon that would require schools to designate 30 individuals who would participate in on-campus football recruiting activities. If passed, the rules would go into effect on Aug. 1, 2018.
Schools are currently allowed a head coach, nine assistants (which will increase to 10 this January), five strength coaches and a maximum of four graduate assistants. They are alllowed to initiate written and electronic correspondence with prospective student-athletes, their parents or legal guardians. The council has an issue with the number of support staff members, however, which has grown to includes so-called analysts, consultants, player relations, player personnel and volunteer members.
A report exclusively obtained by CBS Sports last spring shows Ohio State had 32 total staff members, which would be tied for sixth in the Big Ten and 19th nationally. Notre Dame is reportedly tops in the country, meanwhile, with 45 total staff members.
“We feel we have reinforced the rules that are already on the books,” said Bob Bowlsby, chair of the Football Oversight Committee and commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. “The head coach, the soon to be 10 assistants and the four graduate assistants are the people who are supposed to be coaching student-athletes, preparing them for the game and doing the recruiting.”
The Division I Football Oversight Committee will gather feedback from head coaches, athletic directors, compliance and conference offices before revealing its findings its next meeting in January. It will be discussed and pushed ahead or tabled at that time.
