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.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Ohio State is off to a tremendous start with its 2020 recruiting class, particularly in the trenches with Cincinnati St. Xavier five-star tackle Paris Johnson Jr., Georgia four-star tackle Jake Wray and New Jersey four-star guard Luke Wypler.
The staff would like to add at least two more linemen next cycle, with Lawrence, Kansas, Free State four-star offensive tackle Turner Corcoran among their top options.
The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Corcoran — who is considered the 10th-best offensive tackle and No. 80 prospect overall — landed an offer from the Buckeyes in late April and visited campus for the first and only time in June.
“It was great,” Corcoran told Eleven Warriors. “Being able to talk with coach Stud[rawa] was awesome. He brought in a few of his offensive linemen to talk with me so I could get a better feel of the place.”
Corcoran and his mother also spent time that afternoon with head coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Day.
“I really like [Meyer],” Corcoran said. “He’ll care about you as a player and as a person. He helps a lot of his players get to the next level and get a job with the Real Life Wednesdays program. [Day] had good things to say, as well. He talked to me about the offense and how they run things, too.”
In the month and a half since that visit, Corcoran has maintained contact with Studrawa. He also talks with Johnson, Wray and Wypler, as well as 2019 commits Harry Miller and Kane Patterson.
“They’ve all been great to talk to,” Corcoran said. “Just having me pick at their brains is the best part and just to see what their opinion was on everything, so it’s been great talking to them, too.”
Corcoran understands the Buckeyes’ needs along the offensive line, so he’s not discouraged by the fact that three of the five or six spots earmarked for linemen are already occupied. In fact, he’d welcome the competition at the next level.
All that said, Corcoran is no hurry to make a decision on his future. He plans to return for a game this fall, and has one already circled on his calendar.
“The ‘Team Up North’ game, for sure,” Corcoran said.
CREATING SEPARATION
College football’s recruiting dead period runs through July 24, and Ohio State will waste no time in getting prospects to campus the following weekend.
That includes Akron Archbishop Hoban four-star athlete DeaMonte Trayanum, who told Eleven Warriors he will be on campus for an unofficial visit on July 27. He’ll be accompanied by his mother and uncle.
This will mark the third trip to Columbus for the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Trayanum, who is one of just four in-state prospects from the Class of 2020 to hold an offer from the Buckeyes. His most recent visit, which coincided with Friday Night Lights, has helped Ohio State separate itself from some of the other programs recruiting him, including Boston College, Michigan, Notre Dame, Purdue, Stanford, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
“I’m just getting more comfortable every time I go down there,” Trayanum said.
Trayanum has continued to build a strong relationship with Meyer and running backs coach Tony Alford, and the two were seemingly attached at the hip during the camp. He’s also been in contact with Day.
All that said, there has been a lot of discussion of whether Trayanum — similar to four-star commit Steele Chambers — would be better suited at running back or linebacker. Nothing is set in stone just yet, but it’s clear which he’d prefer.
“They’re leaving it up to me, but I’m leaning more toward offense,” Trayanum said.
Trayanum will visit Clemson the following day, and an offer from the Tigers could shake things up in his recruitment. But there’s no doubt he’s getting closer to a decision, and I anticipate the Buckeyes will have some good news sooner rather than later on that front.
A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM
Bay City, Michigan, Central three-star wide receiver Devell Washington told Eleven Warriors he’ll also return to campus on July 27.
“I’m super excited,” Washington said. “I can’t wait.”
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Washington was last in Columbus for Friday Night Lights, at which time he worked with wide receivers coach Zach Smith. He received an offer from the staff just a few days later, which only added to a collection that includes Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Michigan and Toledo.
Smith has been on vacation in the weeks since, but Washington has maintained contact with cornerbacks coach/area recruiter Taver Johnson.
“He wants me to come to some games and see campus this fall. He also talks about how coach Smith and coach Meyer are impressed with me,” Washington said. “He spoke to my mom, too.”
Washington will make the trip with his mentor, but plans to return for a game this fall with his mother. It’s clear, despite his ties to the state of Michigan, Ohio State is a serious contender in his recruitment.
“I just hope to keep building relationships with the coaching staff,” Washington said. “I also want to get with some of the other 2020 recruits to hang with them. I know a few guys, but I’d like to meet some more.”
TO THE TOP
It’s certainly shaping up to be an extremely busy weekend for the staff, as Santa Ana, California, Mater Dei four-star cornerback Elias Ricks also told Eleven Warriors he’ll visit Ohio State for the first time on July 28. He’ll make the trip with both of his parents.
The Buckeyes have yet to offer the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Ricks — who is considered the second-best cornerback and No. 18 prospect overall in the Class of 2020 — but I anticipate that’ll change by the time he heads home. It’ll instantly put Ohio State right at the forefront of his recruitment, too.
“It would be big,” Ricks said. “Besides USC, that has been my dream school. They have been putting out first round defensive backs, and I could be the next one if I went there.”
With offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA and USC, Ricks plans to drag out the recruiting process a bit and then make a decision the summer before his senior season. But that said, Ohio State has a chance to put itself squarely among his final schools with one simply move.
“If they offer me, they will for sure have an official visit locked,” Ricks said.
