Ohio State held its first one-day camp of the summer on Friday afternoon, and it was even more star-studded that we were initially led to believe.
That’s because Buford, Georgia, four-star center Harry Miller unexpectedly — at least to those covering the program — showed up halfway through the camp. He didn’t participate, but watched closely as offensive line coach Greg Studrawa instructed campers.
Georgia four-star center Harry Miller is at Ohio States camp today with his mother.
— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) June 8, 2018
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Miller was accompanied on the trip by his mother, and a source close to the family told Eleven Warriors they’ll be on campus through Monday morning. That’s certainly a big deal for the Buckeyes as they look to put the finishing touches on his commitment ahead of his decision — which will come sometime during his annual mission trip to Nicaragua early next month.
Ohio State four-star running back commit Sampson James, meanwhile, was back on campus for the first time since his March commitment. He and a small group of running backs ran through individual drills with assistant coach Tony Alford, who was quick to offer tips after each repetition.
James wasn’t the fastest or most physically imposing running back in attendance, but was explosive and constantly displayed the vision that made him one of the Midwest’s most sought-after ballcarriers.
I came into the camp looking forward to seeing a trio of prospects from Tennessee, and they did not disappoint. Nashville Franklin Road Academy four-star Lance Wilhoite — who made his fifth trip to campus — spent most of the camp in a small group with wide receivers coach Zach Smith.
At a chiseled 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Wilhoite sped through individual drills and caught everything thrown his way. Though he’s not often mentioned among Ohio State’s top targets at the position, I get the sense his performance put him squarely among the top tier of targets.
Wilhoite has considerable interest in the Buckeyes, and I think he’d commitment if given the opportunity. With several wide receiver targets set to make a decision in the next month or so, we’ll have a bit more clarity as to where things stand as he heads toward a late-July decision.
Murfreesboro Oakland four-star Woodi Washington, meanwhile, confirmed my believe that he’s among the best cornerbacks in the country on Friday. Both he and Blackman four-star cornerback Adonis Otey worked alongside co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Alex Grinch and cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Washington — as you can see above — is a physically gifted prospect, who is lean and long. He’s fast, but also clearly possesses a great work ethic, attention to detail and the quick twitch desired to play the position.
Otey is built in the same mold and showed a similar nose for the ball. He dealt with some hamstring tightness, though, and was held out of the after-lunch session.
Apopka, Florida, Wekiva four-star defensive tackle Tyler Davis was in town on Thursday as part of a bus tour that traveled to Michigan later that evening. The group returned for the camp on Friday, which gave Davis a chance to learn from defensive line coach Larry Johnson. He was a part of a group that included Westerville Central’s Dontay Hunter II and Pickerington North’s Jack Sawyer that worked on the more technical aspect of the game, most notably hand combat and escape drills.
Davis’ teammate, four-star linebacker Rian Davis, was also at the camp, but did not participate. The same goes for a pair of Florida defensive backs, Lakeland Kathleen four-star safety Brendan Gant and North Palm Beach four-star cornerback Kaiir Elam.
Last but not least, Ohio State extended an offer to 2021 Massillon Washington wide receiver Jayden Ballard. He’s a lanky 6-foot-2 and 164 pounds, but has an exceptional catch radius and made one athletic play after another in one-on-one drills. He needs to fill out physically in the next few years, but the early offer speaks volumes about his performance this afternoon. After all, he became just the second in-state prospect in his class to land an offer from the Buckeyes, joining the aforementioned Sawyer.
Ohio State's next one-day camp is on Tuesday, June 12. Eleven Warriors will, of course, be in attendance.
