ON, WISCONSIN

Having grown tired of the constant speculation surrounding his commitment, Wisconsin four-star quarterback pledge Graham Mertz announced on Thursday evening that he has shut down his recruitment entirely.

As I mentioned yesterday morning, both Ohio State and Notre Dame have been pushing hard for a flip from the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Mertz. A source close to the program told Eleven Warriors he was even contemplating traveling to Columbus for Friday Night Lights next week. But that’s obviously no longer the case.

Mertz’s decision comes just days after he took his official visit to Wisconsin with several other commits, which was initially perceived as a bit odd from a timing standpoint given there are still six months until the Early Signing Period. And though Mertz could still hypothetically take an official visit with the Buckeyes or Fighting Irish this fall — thus leaving the Badgers without the opportunity to respond with an official visit of their own — it appears that gamble has paid off.

We know for a fact that Mertz had some interest in Ohio State, and his meeting with head coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day in early May — though viewed more so as a matter of convenience, since he was in town for a camp — gave him plenty to think about. It’s clear he was the staff’s top target and they had a ton of confidence they could flip him in the coming months.

All bets were off if Mertz made a return trip next week, too. But here we are.

Though we’ve watched a number of players (Emory Jones and Jaiden Woodbey last cycle, for example) repeatedly “shut down their recruitment” only to end up elsewhere, I tend to believe Mertz is happy with Wisconsin. That means it’s probably time for Ohio State to look elsewhere.

BEST OF THE REST?

With that, Ohio State will welcome Ocala, Florida, West Port three-star quarterback Brian Maurer to campus Friday Night Lights on June 22. He told Eleven Warriors this morning he’s “very” excited to make his first trip to Columbus.

Day has been keeping tabs on the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Maurer all spring, and stopped by his high school to watch him throw back in late April. He is considered just the 18th-best pro-style quarterback and No. 485 prospect overall in the Class of 2019, but has seen his stock soar following his performance at the Elite 11 Finals earlier this month.

Maurer, who punched his ticket to The Opening Finals that weekend, has since added offers from Syracuse and Texas A&M to his list that already included Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, UCF, USF and West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the favorite in his recruitment at this point in time, but that could certainly change with an offer from the Buckeyes next week.

“It would mean a ton,” Maurer said back in April. “A top-tier school like Ohio State would definitely shake some things up in my recruitment.”

Maurer has the size, arm strength and athleticism of a top-tier quarterback, as he threw for 2,862 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 400 yards and six touchdowns for the Wolf Pack last season. I think he has a chance to become Ohio State’s top attainable target with a strong performance next weekend.

That said, Florida has also been kicking the tires on Maurer a bit recently, and he’s actually on an unofficial visit in Gainesville as we speak. I’m not convinced an offer from the Buckeyes would automatically end his recruitment, as the Gators would surely follow suit.

LAST BUCKEYE TO DO BOTH?

Though he’s a five-star point guard and widely expected to have a brighter future on the hardwood, Minneapolis Minnehaha Academy Upper School three-star quarterback Jalen Suggs was — in my opinion — one of the best signal callers at Ohio State’s one-day camp on Tuesday afternoon.

“I believe I did okay,” Suggs told Eleven Warriors. “My throws were pretty tight and on the money for the most part, but definitely some things to improve on.”

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Suggs is considered the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback and No. 254 prospect overall in the Class of 2020, as he threw for 1,195 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 307 yards and 10 more scores to lead the Wolfpack to the state playoffs last fall.

This marked the first time on campus for Suggs, whom the Buckeyes offered last month. He and his father spent time with Meyer and Day, toured the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and learned some valuable tips from the coaching staff.

“Coach Day helped me throughout the day,” Suggs said. “I definitely feel like during that short time, I got better.”

At this point in his high school career, Suggs — the second cousin of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs — is undecided on which sport he’ll play at the next level. He holds football offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Nebraska, and basketball offers from nearly a dozen schools like Arizona State, Baylor, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Marquette, UCLA and Wake Forest.

Suggs was a member of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championships last summer, and he’ll take part in the Team USA U17 training camp this weekend. He’s the second-best player in the country on the hardwood, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Ohio State basketball coach Chris Holtmann has not yet reached out to Suggs, though there is still certainly time for the Buckeyes to offer him a chance to play both sports in college — if that happens, NCAA rules stipulate his scholarship would count toward football. Regardless, Ohio State finds itself in a great spot early in the process.

“[The Buckeyes are] definitely high on my list,” Suggs said.

Suggs plans to return to campus for a game this fall, and I anticipate coaches from both the football and basketball programs will put on the full-court press.

WHY NOT BOTH? *Old El Paso voice*

Suggs was also accompanied on the trip to Columbus by his teammate and close friend, four-star linebacker Kaden Johnson.

“The experience was outstanding,’ Johnson told Eleven Warriors. “The love the coaches showed me was amazing. To be able to learn from coach [Bill] Davis, explore the campus and learn more about Ohio State was truly amazing.”

This was also the first time on campus for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Johnson, who is considered the 12th-best outside linebacker and No. 223 prospect overall in the Class of 2019. He recorded 118 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, five forced fumbles and one interception return for a touchdown for the Wolfpack last season. He holds offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, and appears to be on the verge of landing one from Ohio State, as well.

“Coach Davis told me that they will be looking over my film with coach Meyer, and that I just need to continue to work on my game, continue to get stronger, and that they want to get in contact with my parents so they can get to know each other,” Johnson said. “If Ohio State offered me, it would be truly a blessing. Ohio State always brings in the best talent and puts them in the best situation for their team and the player. It would be breathtaking to receive an offer from Ohio State.”

As mentioned, Johnson and Suggs are extremely close. And though they’ve discussed playing together at the next level, it’s simply too early to speak in certainties.

“We have known each other our whole life, ever since I could remember. He was always with me when I was a baby. We are like brothers and we treat each other as family,” Johnson said. “As of now, we are going to continue to grow as players and enjoy the process of what we have going for each other right now.”

Johnson hopes to return again for a game this fall alongside Suggs.