The Hurry Up: Ohio State Welcomes Jarren Williams, Tyler Friday For Official Visits While Buckeyes Offer Pennsylvania Corner M.J. Devonshire

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

When Ohio State offered a scholarship earlier this month to Georgia four-star quarterback Jarren Williams, it appeared he would be the answer if quarterback commit Emory Jones eventually flipped his pledge to Alabama. But things sure have changed as he heads into his official visit this weekend.

The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Williams decommitted from Kentucky — for the second time — on Sunday, less that 24 hours after he took an official visit to Miami for its blowout win over Notre Dame. And with the Hurricanes having no other quarterback in its recruiting class and seemingly offering a quicker route to playing time than the Buckeyes, they’ve become the favorite to land his pledge.

There were reports earlier this week suggesting Williams may have cancelled his trip to Columbus and pledged his services to Miami this weekend, but soucres close to Williams told Eleven Warriors he and his family are en route to campus as we speak. He still wants to see over the next week and a half what Ohio State and Auburn have to offer and how he fits into their respective programs.

Once the weekend is through, we'll get a better sense of where the Buckeyes truly stand — or if the staff needs to make a bigger push for Colorado State commit Matthew Baldwin or Tennessee pledge Adrian Martinez as their contingency plan.

All that said, Jones remains Ohio State's top choice at the position and hope he'll reaffirm his commitment sooner rather than later. I'm not sure they'll get a resolution quickly, though, so expect them to roll out the red carpet for Williams this weekend.

ANOTHER UPHILL BATTLE

Ohio State will also welcome Ramsey, New Jersey, Don Bosco Prep four-star defensive end Tyler Friday for an official visit tomorrow, which marks his first time on campus since March.

The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Friday is considered the third-best defensive tackle and No. 67 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he was named second-team all-state after helping the Ironmen to the state semifinals last season. The Buckeyes were among the first programs to offer him a scholarship in December 2015, and were recently included in his Top 5 alongside Miami, Michigan, Penn State and UCLA.

The Wolerines are widely considered the favorite to land his pledge, as they've recently landed a string of Top 100 prospects from the Garden State — including Jabrill Peppers in 2014, Rashan Gary in 2016 and Cesar Ruiz in 2017. But let's not rule out Ohio State just yet.

Friday's coach at Don Bosco, Mike Teel, played quarterback under Buckeyes' defensive coordinator Greg Schiano at Rutgers — you may recall he, running back Ray Rice, fullback Brian Leonard and wide receiver Kenny Britt helped the Scarlet Knights to the biggest win in school history, a 28-25 win over #3 Louisville in 2006. That certainly helps the staff's chances, though there's not a huge need at the defensive tackle position at this point in time.

Ohio State already holds commitments from five-star Taron Vincent and four-star junior college transfer Antwuan Jackson and is a finalist for Idaho four-star Tommy Togiai. If Togiai chooses Washington in early December, I anticipate the staff will make a push for Friday, who isn't expected to make a decision on his future until February.

HOMEGROWN TALENT

Cincinnati Reading defensive end Tanner Cromer told Eleven Warriors on Friday morning he will also attend Ohio State's game against Illinois, marking his first time on campus in a recruiting capacity.

“I'm a big fan of the Buckeyes. They're my favorite team in the country,” Cromer said. “I'm looking forward to seeing the facilities and a good game.”

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Cromer is not ranked by any major recruiting sites, but has already staked his claim to be among the top-rated prospects in the Class of 2020 after he led the Blue Devils with 121 tackles and 16 sacks to be named first-team all-Cincinnati Hills League this season. He doesn't hold any scholarship offers at this time, but programs such as Cincinnati, Michigan State and several Mid-American Conference schools have started to show interest, as well.

Cromer's coach at Reading, Rob Page, recently sent his film to assistant director of player development Eron Hodges, who invited him to campus for a game. He's still relatively new to the recruiting process and is excited to meet the coaching staff for the first time.

"[Hodges] said he likes my film," Cromer said.

Interestingly, former NFL running back DeShawn Wynn, who played for Urban Meyer at Florida, is an assistant at Reading.

CATCHING UP

Ohio State offered a scholarship earlier this week to Aliquippa three-star cornerback M.J. Devonshire, who attended last weekend's game against Michigan State.

Blessed to say Ive received an offer from The Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/vrVei4BX5N

— mj devonshire jr (@GoDumb_9) November 14, 2017

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Devonshire is considered the 42nd-best cornerback and No. 426 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, but was a key component of Quips' 12-0 start this season. He also holds offers from Oregon State, Syracuse, Toledo and West Virginia.

You have to imagine Penn State will follow suit sometime soon, which would certainly make the Nittany Lions the favorites in his recruitment — as is the case for pretty much any kid that plays in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. Otherwise, they might miss out on a player whose athleticism some in the Keystone State are comparing to former Buckeyes safety Malik Hooker.

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE

Playoffs are in full swing for several Ohio State commits, including the aforementioned Jones, running back Brian Snead, tight end Jeremy Ruckert, linebacker K'Vaughan Pope and safeties Jaiden Woodbey and Josh Proctor.

Each hopes to finish their respective high school careers with a state title, and can move one step closer with a win this evening.

A full list of games:

*Playoffs

Make sure to follow me on Twitter for links to some of tonight's matchups. And, as always, stay tuned to Eleven Warriors on Sunday morning for the Supreme '18 Tracker, which will recap the weekend's events.