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.
WORKING HIS WAY BACK
Ohio State four-star wide receiver signee Kamryn Babb was among the nine future Buckeyes invited to this year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was unfortunately unable to play, though, as he recovers from a torn ACL that cost him his entire senior season.
“It's doing pretty good,” Babb told Eleven Warriors. “I started sprinting and cutting a couple weeks ago, getting into it but just taking it one day at a time.”
The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Babb remained in high spirits despite the injury and cheered on his teammates at St. Louis Christian Brothers College as they bookended his high school career with state titles.
“It was pretty different. When you're on the sideline the whole season, you see the game in a totally different way,” Babb said. “Just being there for them and helping them in as many ways as I could, it was different but I enjoyed it all.”
Babb's teammate, four-star wide receiver Cameron Brown, stepped up for the Cadets in his absence and was named first-team all-state after hauling in 58 receptions for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. And since he flipped from Nebraska on the first day of the Early Signing Period, the two now get to continue their careers together.
Babb is thankful for that opportunity, though he let Brown make the decision for himself.
“I wouldn't say I really recruited him,” Babb said. “He's like my brother, so I wanted whatever was best for him. If it was Nebraska or Ohio State, that was perfectly fine for me. It ended up good for me and him, so I'm happy. I'm glad we get the next three to four years to work together. I really think we can excel and show the world what we can do.”
Most — including myself — viewed Babb’s commitment as inevitable, but he was never in a rush to make a decision. He just wanted to enjoy the process and make the best decision for himself and his family.
“It just took so long because it's a process,” he said. “It can never really take too long. It's on your clock. It's a 40-year decision, not a four-year decision, so for as long as it took for me to make sure not just the football team was good, but the school, academics and everything that I can be set for with life after football, then that's when I decided.”
Babb actually hoped to take a few visits this fall, LSU — his favorite team growing up — and USC in particular. But that never happened, as he silently committed to the staff during his official visit in late October.
“Going up to see them play Penn State, the way they fought adversity, the way they were in the locker room and how close that brotherhood [finalized my decision],” Babb said. “When people actually hear about the brotherhood outside the school or the program, you don't really know if it's true or not. But being in that locker room that day, you could really tell. And talking to coach [Zach] Smith and coach [Urban] Meyer, the relationships I've built with them is really unbelievable.”
For now, Babb is focused on finished his high school classes and rehabbing his knee in order to be full-go when he arrives on campus this June. He feels there's an opportunity for early playing time, too.
“My goal is to start freshman year,” Babb said. “I know I've got the talent and I know I can do it. I'm going to be working toward that all summer. I do plan on starting and getting a lot of clock, just helping the team do whatever we can do to get back to the natty.”
A NEW CHAPTER
Four-star linebacker signee Dallas Gant, meanwhile, had a terrific week of practice and recorded two tackles in the East's 17-16 loss, including one on kickoff coverage inside the 10-yard line.
“It was a cool experience. A nice little transition before college,” Gant told Eleven Warriors. “It was great to see a lot of great athletes I'm going to see in the Big Ten or championship games. I think I performed pretty well. The first day [of practice], it took a little getting used to going from where I played in Toledo to the fast pace these linemen and stuff play at. Once I got the hang of it, I thought I did pretty well.”
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gant — who chose Ohio State over finalists Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State last May — was happy to put the recruiting process behind him early. Living on the northern border of the state, he naturally took a bit of flack from fans of the Wolverines, but said he was always comfortable with his decision.
“Playing my senior season [while] committed was a relief,” Gant said. “Not having to talk to any coaches or anything like that and focusing on my senior season and doing well.”
And that he did, as Gant was named to the Division II First-Team All-Ohio Defense this season after he led St. John's Jesuit with 94 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, seven sacks and an interception. He also added 27 receptions for 456 yards and seven touchdowns on offense to help the Titans reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
“My focus throughout the season was to get my team to the playoffs, and that's what we did,” Gant said. “I'm really proud of my guys, since that's what we set out to do.”
Now, there's a new goal. Gant started classes in Columbus this morning and hopes being able to participate in spring practices will help him see the field early.
“I want to get at least two-deep [on the depth chart as a freshman],” Gant said. “We have a lot of linebackers that are good, but there are a lot that are leaving. My goal right now is to be two-deep.”
BONDING OPPORTUNITY
Four-star offensive tackle Max Wray also flew straight from San Antonio to Columbus on Sunday as one of nine early enrollees.
That's a rather quick transition, but Wray was thankful for the experience of being a U.S. Army All-American. He used the week to get closer with some of his future teammates, particularly those on the West who he hadn't met before, like defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.
“It's been a real good experience to see everybody,” Wray told Eleven Warriors. “Get closer with a couple of my guys and get closer to a couple of the guys who I hadn't met before.”
Though the game was dominated by the defensive lines, the 6-foot-7, 289-pound Wray got the start at left tackle for the East — over Ohio native and Clemson five-star signee Jackson Carman — and more than held his own against some of the country's top pass-rushers. He also competed in practice against top-flight defensive ends on almost every rep.
“I just try to get better every day, and I feel like I've done that and am in a good position,” Wray said. “You look at the guys like Micah [Parsons] and Xavier [Thomas] that I've gone against, and you're just like, 'Jeez.' Those guys are the best I've ever played against, and they're so fast and so strong."
Max Wray's high school career came to an unusual end in October, when both and his younger brother, Jake, left the Franklin (Tenn.) football team team due to concerns with the coaching staff after Jake Wray suffered a concussion. He welcomed the opportunity to play at the high school level one last time.
“I was just excited to get out there and play again,” Wray said. “It's been a while since I put pads on.”
Wray also put on his recruiting cap this week, as he tries to help the Buckeyes address a lack of depth at the offensive tackle position. He spent a considerable amount of time with Florida four-star William Barnes and even posed for an “O-H” photo with Maryland four-star Rasheed Walker, both of which plan to take an official visit later this month.
“I'm talking to 'Sheed and I'm talking to Will,” Wray said. “I'm just giving them my two cents. They'll make their decision, but we really hope that we get them.”
With starting left tackle Jamarco Jones having exhausted his eligibility and that aforementioned lack of depth, Wray feels really good about his chances of making an impact early in his college career.
“I feel great about it,” Wray said. “They said the opportunity is there, but we're not going to promise you anything. You just gotta come in and work. That's what I've always wanted to do, so I feel like I have a good opportunity to get playing time.”
