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.
AN OIL WELL
As part of the Eleven Warriors Community Interview series, we allow our readers the unique opportunity to ask questions of Ohio State’s football commits. And in early January, one reader asked freshman quarterback Matthew Baldwin — a four-star prospect from Austin Lake Travis — if he planned on recruiting any fellow Cavaliers to join him in Columbus.
“I'd like to start an Ohio State-Lake Travis pipeline,” he said.
Of course, Baldwin singled out four-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson — who is set to choose between the Buckeyes and Longhorns by the end of the month. But he also mentioned another teammate, four-star quarterback Hudson Card.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Card was Baldwin’s backup last season, but primarily played wide receiver during the Cavaliers’ run to the state championship game last fall. The two hooked up on 69 passes for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Card also threw for 597 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 491 yards and six more scores in very limited duty under center.
That includes the aforementioned title game, in which he was thrust into the spotlight and threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another when Baldwin went down with a knee injury on the very first play of the game. They lost the game, 35-33, however.
"He could be a big-time college athlete,” Baldwin said of his former teammate. “He's got the talent to do it. I think he might get an opportunity and he'll have success wherever he ends up.”
Card, who is considered the second-best dual-threat quarterback and No. 167 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, has yet to start a game for Lake Travis. But given the fact that the Cavaliers consistently produce top college quarterbacks in arguably the toughest division in all of high school football — Kansas' Todd Reesing, SMU's Garrett Gilbert, Virginia Tech's Michael Brewer, SMU's Collin Lagasse, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, Iowa State's Dominic DeLira and Baylor's Charlie Brewer all in the last decade — programs from all over the country have already started to take notice of his talents.
That includes Ohio State, which offered him a scholarship on Tuesday evening.
Excited to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/opdCD5t6FK
— Hudson Card (@Hcard7) April 25, 2018
As we first reported earlier in the week, Buckeyes offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day and wide receivers coach Zach Smith were in Austin to check on Wilson. They clearly left Lake Travis’ spring practice impressed with what Card has to offer, too.
Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck and wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer were also in attendance on Tuesday, which is notable since the Longhorns also offered Card while he was on campus with Wilson for the Spring Game last weekend.
Naturally, some view it as a last-ditch effort from the program as it tries to land Wilson’s pledge, but I scoff at the notion either school would offer him a scholarship just because they’re teammates. Card is a very talented prospect in his own right, and some believe he’ll be the best quarterback to ever play for the Cavaliers when his career is said and done.
All that said, Wilson has strong relationships with players at both programs, and Card’s offer isn’t going to swing the pendulum one way or the other.
“Obviously, he's got a good relationship with Matthew and knows how good of a player he is,” Lake Travis head coach Hank Carter told Eleven Warriors earlier this week, “but we’ve also got a couple players over at Texas, as well, that are good players. I think he’s pretty familiar with both programs and has friends at both places.”
KILLA CAM
Ohio State made a significant push in the commonwealth of Virginia last cycle, landing commitments from four-star linebackers Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughan Pope.
Mitchell — in particular — is close with and taken it upon himself to recruit some of the top prospects in Hampton Roads, including Chesapeake Oscar Smith four-star athlete Cam’Ron Kelly, who listed the Buckeyes in his Top 8 on Tuesday night alongside Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Virginia and Washington State.
Decisions coming soon! Where will I be spending my next 3-4 years at? pic.twitter.com/NjbqQdM798
— Cam'Ron Kelly (@CamRonJKelly) April 25, 2018
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Kelly is considered the 15th-best athlete and No. 159 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he accounted for 1,661 yards of total offense to lead the Tigers to their third-consecutive state championship game last fall. He played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback and safety and returned kickoffs and punts, which is why he was name the Virginian-Pilot’s All-Tidewater Player of the Year.
Kelly made his first trip to campus for Ohio State’s 39-38 win over the Nittany Lions in October and the staff offered him a scholarship just a few months later. He returned for another visit in early February, where he spent time with head coach Urban Meyer, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Alex Grinch.
Kelly, who is believed to be a Penn State lean, plans to take all five official visits before making a decision on his future this spring or summer.
WE GOT SOME WORK TO DO NOW
Aledo, Texas, four-star cornerback Jeffery “Scooby” Carter listed also Ohio State in his Top 6 on Wednesday afternoon alongside Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas A&M.
Im just trying to be the best to play this game... pic.twitter.com/2zUpsWfuti
— scooby (@jcarter2133) April 25, 2018
The 6-foot, 180-pound Carter is considered the 13tg-best cornerback and No. 125 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, as he recorded 28 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions to help the Bearcats to the state championship game last fall. He also added 10 catches for 232 yards and one touchdown on offense.
Ohio State offered Carter — a one-time Sooners pledge — back in February and he subsequently included the Buckeyes among his Top 10 one month later. He’s never been to Columbus, but the program’s inclusion on today’s list certainly puts them in the running for an official visit this spring or fall.
All that said, the Ducks are considered the favorite in Carter’s recruitment following an unofficial visit for the Spring Game last weekend.
