The Hurry Up: Ohio State Welcomes Defensive End Marcus Hicks to Campus While Cornerback Jordan Battle Sets Visit

By Andrew Lind on March 22, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Marcus Hicks
Marcus Hicks
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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.

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

Ohio State welcomed Orlando Jones three-star linebacker Marcus Tillman Jr. to campus for an unofficial visit on Thursday. And given all the pomp and circumstance surrounding Pro Day at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, he couldn’t have possibly picked a better date this spring to attend.

This marks the second time on campus for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Tillman — who is considered the 38th-best outside line backer and No. 561 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 — as he also attended the Buckeyes’ 39-38 win over Penn State last October alongside former teammate and current Buckeyes cornerback Sevyn Banks.

"That game was just unbelievable. Probably one of the greatest games in college football," Tillman told Eleven Warriors. "I loved the atmosphere, the fans were into the game and the players stuck together and never gave up."

Tillman was actually committed to Florida at the time of his visit, but reopened his recruitment in early February after new Gators head coach Dan Mullen opted not to retain defensive coordinator Randy Shannon — the two had a strong bond since Tillman’s father played for Shannon when he was an assistant at Miami.

Though Tillman has yet to narrow down his list of 16 offers, Ohio State would certainly be at or near the top if he did.

"The coaches stand out to me the most because they're not just there to coach football, but to help you become a man and help you in life after football," Tillman said.

Tillman is currently in the midst of a seven-school tour that includes trips to Alabama, Florida, Miami, North Carolina, South Carolina and USC. He plans to make a decision sometime after he concludes all of his visits.

WELCOME HOME

Austin, Texas, Lake Travis four-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, meanwhile, arrived in Columbus as Pro Day was wrapping up.

As you may recall, it’s a bit of a homecoming for the 6-foot, 185-pound Wilson, who is considered the 14th-best wide receiver and No. 80 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He’s originally from Dublin, but moved to the Lone Star State when he was in the sixth grade.

This marks Wilson’s first time on campus since the Buckeyes offered him a scholarship in December, though he’s been to numerous games in the past.

"Those fans were the best in the country, for sure," Wilson told Eleven Warriors, noting he was a big fan of former wideout DeVier Posey. “The atmosphere every time was awesome, and I can't wait to see it again.”

Wilson will also be reunited this trip with his former quarterback, Matthew Baldwin. The two developed a strong repertoire during Baldwin's only season as a starter at Lake Travis, as they hooked up on 98 passes for 1,774 yards and 26 touchdowns to lead the Cavaliers to a berth in the state championship game last fall.

There’s no doubt in my mind that certainly helps Ohio State in its pursuit of Wilson. They’ll have to get past the in-state Longhorns if they want to secure his pledge, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this visit — as well as the opportunity to see any family and/or friends that remain in the area — help the Buckeyes gain an emotional advantage in his recruitment.

IT'S TIME FOR WAR

We’ve known for a while that Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas four-star cornerback Jaden Davis is set to take an official visit to Ohio State the weekend of April 7, but he’s not going to be alone on the trip.

According to Miami Diehards’ David Wilson, he’ll be joined by his teammates four-star cornerback Jordan Battle and four-star linebacker Anthony Solomon. Though all three have an offer from the Buckeyes, I’d keep an eye on one prospect in particular — Battle.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Battle is considered the 31st-best safety and No. 356 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 55 tackles, four interceptions, three pass deflections, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown the Raiders last season. He holds more than 20 offers from programs such as Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia Tech, but named Ohio State his leader during the Under Armour All-America Camp Series last weekend — and subsequently accepted an invitation to play in the game shortly thereafter.

This will mark Battle’s first time on campus, but wide receivers coach Zach Smith, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson and defensive line coach Larry Johnson have all made him feel like a priority from afar. That’s also a big reason why I placed my 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes this evening.

Now, Battle has been eyeing a potential fall commitment and hopes to visit Georgia and Oklahoma this spring, as well, but I could certainly see him pulling the trigger while on campus. Either way, Ohio State is in great shape to keep the pipeline from Aquinas flowing.

I don’t get the same feeling for Davis or Solomon, though, as the former is unlikely to leave the state for college and the latter is a heavy Michigan lean. In fact, he’s set to be in Ann Arbor the follow day.

LARRY'S SPECIAL

Wichita, Kansas, Northwest four-star defensive end Marcus Hicks was also in Columbus on Thursday, marking his first time on campus since Ohio State offered him a scholarship in late November.

The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Hicks is considered the 15th-best defensive end and No. 254 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 59 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks to lead the Grizzlies to the state semifinals last fall. The visit comes just a little over a week after he included the Buckeyes in his Top 12 alongside Florida, Kansas State, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

As I mentioned at the time, Hicks has a strong relationship with Larry Johnson that dates back to his only other time on campus for a one-day camp last June. His father has the utmost respect for the defensive line coach, as well.

“Marcus loves the facilities and the tradition they have and how they develop lineman, but coach Johnson really stands out,” Hicks’ father, Kelvin, told Varsity Kansas shortly thereafter. “He’s a man of men. He carries himself very professionally and stands out differently than a lot of the other coaches. I know Marcus was blown away by the offer.”

The Sooners are currently considered the favorite in Hicks’ recruitment, but I think the Buckeyes aren’t far behind thanks to Johnson. Whether or not they make a push depends on what happens with five-star Zach Harrison and four-stars Ani Izuchukwu, Noah Potter and Brandon Smith, though.

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