A CHANGE OF PLANS

As I mentioned was his likely course of action in our forums last night, St. Louis four-star wide receiver Marcus Washington announced that he has delayed his college decision.

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Washington — who is considered the 26th-best wide receiver and No. 154 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 — was set to decide between Missouri and Ohio State on his birthday, Aug. 7. Instead, he’ll reopen his recruitment to include each of the three dozen programs that have offered him a scholarship thus far.

It’s been an interesting two weeks for Washington, who was once considered a heavy lean for the Buckeyes thanks to his relationship with former wide receivers coach and area recruiter Zach Smith. Smith’s firing seemingly led to a reshuffling among the staff’s top priorities at the wide receiver position, however, and Washington immediately began trending heavily toward the Tigers as a result.

I reluctantly switched my 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction to favor Missouri on Tuesday night, but conversations I’ve had with Washington and those close to him made me strongly — and immediately — reconsider. So long as new wide receivers coach Brian Hartline would have him, I fully expected Washington to pick Ohio State.

With that said, I was in the process of changing my prediction back to the Buckeyes when it was announced last night that head coach Urban Meyer would be placed on paid administrative leave. That decision directly impacted Washington’s upcoming decision, which only corroborates my belief that he was going to choose Ohio State next Tuesday.

If Meyer's situation is revolved rather quickly, I think the Buckeyes still have an excellent chance to secure Washington's pledge. But as we've seen in the last two weeks, nothing is certain.

IF IT'S IN THE GAME...

Defensive tackle is not a top priority for Ohio State this year after the staff signed three of the nation’s best last cycle in five-star Taron Vincent, four-star Tommy Togiai and JUCO transfer Antwuan Jackson Jr.

The Buckeyes typically look to sign one prospect at each position in every class — outside of special teams, of course — and new names continue to emerge as realistic options. That includes Salt Lake City East four-star Siaki Ika, who announced he had received an offer from the staff late Wednesday evening.

The 6-foot-3, 347-pound Ika — who is considered the 11th-best defensive tackle and No. 160 prospect overall in the Class of 2019 — was among the most impressive defensive linemen at Nike Football’s The Opening Finals. He was explosive off the ball and used his athleticism to dominate every repetition outside of his battles with Ohio State five-star center commit Harry Miller.

Ika — who also holds offers from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington — traveled to Columbus for the first and only time last summer, at which time he participated in a one-day camp and gained valuable instruction from defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

“It was great. I loved it,” Ika told Eleven Warriors. “It was great to learn from great coaches and learn from top-tier athletes. It was fun to go up against different competition, too.”

Ika was committed to BYU at the time and it appeared as if he would stick with that pledge because the university’s mission aligns with his faith. He backed off his commitment in February, though, and has since taken an official visit with the Trojans.

The Crimson Tide are the perceived favorite in Ika’s recruitment, but the Buckeyes could become a serious player in his recruitment if he takes an official visit this fall. After all, they were his favorite team growing up.

“I remember always fighting with my brother over who got to play with them when we played NCAA [Football],” Ika said. “I’d say the production they’ve had into the NFL is a major factor [and] just always knowing that they have been a major powerhouse for a very long time [stands out].”

Ohio State remains in the hunt for several other defensive tackles, including Hawaii five-star Faatui Tuitele, Maryland three-star D’Von Ellies and New York three-star Jared Harrison-Hunte, so this will certainly be a position to watch in the coming months.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Grand Rapids, Michigan, East Kentwood four-star defensive end Bryce Mostella and his teammate, four-star offensive guard Dallas Fincher, visited Ohio State last Friday and both walked away with an offer from the Buckeyes.

“It was amazing,” Mostella told Eleven Warriors. “I was blown away on almost every facet. It just felt like a great environment.”

This was the third trip to campus for the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Mostella, who is considered the 17th-best weak-side defensive end and No. 332 prospect overall in the Class of 2020. He spent all day with the aforementioned Johnson and cornerbacks coach/area recruiter Taver Johnson.

“Coach [Larry] Johnson is a genius, simple as that,” Mostella said. “That’s the only word I can use to describe how tactical and educated his approach is. He said I have a lot of potential and that the sky is the limit.”

In addition to breaking down his film, the coaches showed Mostella around campus. A high-academic kid and accomplished xylophonist, he was just as impressed with what the program and university have to offer off the field as on it.

“It was great,” Mostella said. “I am very happy to know I can be successful in multiple ways if I go to Ohio State.”

Mostella’s father, Marcellus, is an Alabama native who played linebacker at Auburn. He went on to have a four-year career in the Arena Football League with the Grand Rapids Rampage, which is how the family ended up in Michigan. The younger Mostella is a big-time fan of the Wolverines as a result, but won’t let that impact his recruitment in any way.

“I definitely could see myself playing for Ohio State,” Mostella said. “They are near the top for my recruitment. This last visit really propelled them.”

Mostella, who also holds nearly 20 offers from programs such as Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Purdue, plans to return for a game this fall. He’ll likely be accompanied by Fincher.

CULTURE BREEDS SUCCESS

Ohio State also welcomed Pittsburgh North Catholic four-star linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green to campus on Wednesday, the final day before college football’s month-long recruiting dead period.

“It was really cool,” Hill-Green told Eleven Warriors. “Ohio State is an amazing program.”

This marked the first time on campus for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Green, who is considered the 23rd-best outside linebacker and No. 322 prospect overall in the Class of 2020. He spent most of his time with linebackers coach Bill Davis, who showed him around campus and facilities. They also watched film together.

“He said he liked how I diagnose plays and got to the ball,” Hill-Green said. “He said I could improve my stance and not waste movement, keep my head up when I’m tackling and finishing hits on balance with power.”

Hill-Green — who holds early offers from Boston College, Howard, Temple and Toledo — was most impressed by how several players were at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that afternoon working out, despite the fact that fall camp doesn’t begin until Friday.

“Everyone wants to make each other better,” he said. “It just shows that they really have something special going on.”

Hill-Green plans to return to campus for a game in the fall. He hopes that building a stronger bond with the staff will eventually lead to an offer from the Buckeyes, as well.

“It would mean a lot,” Hill-Green said. “I could potentially leave my mark on that historic program and hopefully be able to do great things.”