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.
TOMORROW'S STARS
Easily overshadowed the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Friday's national combine brought together more than 600 of the nation’s top underclassmen under the roof of the Alamodome in San Antonio.
There, prospects competed in one-on-one drills, the 40-yard dash, shuttle run and vertical jump and received instruction from coaches on how to handle the recruiting process, improve their play and become a leader on and off the field.
Among those in attendance were offensive guard Bryan Hudson and offensive tackle Donovan Jackson, both of whom hold offers from Ohio State.
“It was great to go down and compete with some of the best players in the country,” Hudson told Eleven Warriors. “I feel like I performed well and dominated.”
I would certainly agree with that assessment, as I wrote the following observation following the event Friday afternoon:
The 6-foot-4, 292-pound junior doesn't face the toughest competition week-in and week-out in high school, but should be in line for a massive ratings bump after his performance on Friday. He has a quick release off the snap of the ball, uses his hands well and has a strong push back against defensive ends who think they're going to run around him, all of which he showed during Ohio State's one-day camp last June, as well.
Hudson received an offer from the Buckeyes last April and attended a one-day camp in June. He hasn't heard much from the staff since, but I anticipate that will change as their focuses switches to next year's recruiting cycle in a few weeks.
“I have great schools coming after me,” Hudson said, noting programs like Kentucky, Louisville, LSU and Virginia Tech are recruiting him the hardest at this time, “but a lot can change in the next year.”
Jackson, who is the only freshman to currently hold an offer from Ohio State, also impressed.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Houston native checked into the combine on Thursday afternoon with an 84-inch wingspan. Despite being one of the youngest prospects at the event he used his length and balance to win several one-on-one reps against stronger and more experienced defensive ends. By the time he's a senior, he'll be the top-rated offensive tackle in his class and hold an offer from every major program in the country.
“It was an amazing experience,” Jackson told Eleven Warriors. “I wanted to see how I fared against top competition and with top coaching. The whole time I was there, I thought [to myself] this is the game I want to be in [in a few years]. It gives me another goal to reach during my high school career.”
Jackson also hasn't heard from the Buckeyes since he visited campus over the summer. He gained some very valuable lessons that afternoon, and hopes the staff remains interested because he plans to visit again soon.
“Coach [Greg] Stud[rawa] taught me so much in a day, I can only imagine what I could learn from him over multiple years,” Jackson said.
IN SEARCH OF TALENT
For the second time in as many days, Ohio State has offered a scholarship to a wide receiver. This time, it was West Mesquite, Texas, four-star Dylan Wright.
Blessed to receive a offer from Ohio state @CoachZachSmith much love an respect @EJHolland247 @ZoombielandGW @MikeRoach247 #buzzgang pic.twitter.com/kyqXhqAJ6m
— Dman (@DeunteWright) January 11, 2018
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound Wright is considered the 45th-best wide receiver and No. 283 prospect overall — which certainly speaks to the absurd depth at the position within the Class of 2019 — as he hauled in 32 receptions for 545 and seven touchdowns for the Wranglers last season. He holds offers from more than a dozen programs including Arkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, TCU and Texas.
Though he's never been to campus, you can bet Wright will seriously consider taking a trip to Columbus when junior prospects can start taking official visits in April. Then again, with Trey Knox, Ja'shawn Sheffield, Theo Wease, Lance Wilhoite and Garrett Wilson each having significant interest in Ohio State, it remains to be seen where he fits into the staff's list of priorities.
NIXED ANY PLANS THE BUCKEYES MAY HAVE HAD
Though he included Ohio State in his Top 3 last month alongside Auburn and Clemson, Pinson Valley, Alabama, four-star quarterback Bo Nix’s pledge to the Tigers — the orange and blue version — was inevitable. He finally made it official on Wednesday, though.
C O M M I T T E D https://t.co/2XRBDVbxYA
— Bo Nix (@bo_nix10) January 10, 2018
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound Nix is the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, who finished his career as the school's all-time leader in passing efficiency. He considered the second-best dual-threat quarterback and No. 57 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he threw for 2,872 yards and 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions to lead the Indians to the state title last season. He also rushed for five scores, including two in the championship game.
Nix visited Columbus for the first and only time in November 2016, and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day extended a scholarship offer a few months later. He's one of only five quarterbacks in his class to hold such a distinction — a list which includes Oregon four-star Michael Johnson Jr. and Texas four-star Grant Tisdale, both of whom have shown major interest in the Buckeyes and plan to take an official visit to Columbus this spring, summer or fall.
