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.
Darrion Henry Pushes Back Expected Commitment
As February passed, many fans were hoping for a commitment from four-star Cincinnati defensive end Darrion Henry after his most recent visit to Ohio State on Feb. 2.
With one week left in the month, though, Princeton head coach Mike Daniels said he doesn't believe a commitment will be coming from Henry in February. The head football coach also doesn't believe his commitment will arrive before April.
What Daniels said he believes is that the relationship between Henry and four-star 2020 teammate Jaheim Thomas and five-star St. Xavier offensive tackle Paris Johnson has grown so strongly that the trio is lobbying to play together. That affects the timing of Henry's commitment because Thomas has yet to receive an offer from Ohio State.
“They have to decide on a place to play," Daniels said about Henry and Thomas. "All I can do is guide them. But if they feel pretty strongly that they want to play together, by gosh, do it. That’s my message to them.”
Henry is a 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end that Daniels said has "all the tools" — size, athleticism and a great motor all included. He ranks as the No. 46 player in the nation — No. 4 strong-side defensive end and No. 2 Ohio recruit.
New Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington recruited Henry before coming to Columbus from Michigan and defensive line coach Larry Johnson has been his primary recruiter ever since. It sounds like a matter of time before Henry does, in fact, choose the Buckeyes, but it depends on whether Thomas gets a scholarship or how strongly the group feels about playing together.
“It’s a continuing conversation," Daniels said. "Ohio State and Larry Johnson are important to (Henry). It’s a good fit for him, close to home. His buddy, Jaheim, is still awaiting his Ohio State offer, and I think some of that plays into it as well.”
No. 1 Illinois 2021 Prospect Not Sold on a Program Yet
No. 4 2021 defensive tackle Dominic Bass told Eleven Warriors that he doesn't know why 247Sports' crystal ball mentions Michigan. He isn't particularly leaning toward any program at the moment.
The only team the composite No. 1 Illinois prospect has favored in any capacity during his high school career is Illinois last year, he said, because that's the only school he's visited. He plans to visit Ohio State soon but doesn't have any dates set in stone for a visit to any program yet.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, who has recruited in the Chicago area before, is the primary recruiter for Bass, the defensive tackle said.
"I'm just looking for cool, accepting students at the school and a top football program that takes care of their athletes and puts them in the best spots for the League," Bass said about his ideal school.
New 2021 Ohio Sate Offer
Georgia 2021 tight end Cane Berrong announced via Twitter that after talking with Kevin Wilson and Ohio State assistant tight ends coach Trey Holtz, the Buckeyes extended an offer to him.
Blessed to announce that after talking with @OSUCoachKDub and @CoachTreyHoltz I've received my 8th D1 offer from THE Ohio State University!! #GoBucks @Mansell247 @SWiltfong247 @TomLoy247 @ChadSimmons_ @OhioStateFB @indfbscout @180SportsP pic.twitter.com/aNohtI0Ed1
— Cane Berrong (@CaneBerrong) February 19, 2019
As he said in his tweet, Berrong has seven other offers, including offers from Notre Dame, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and others. His two early frontrunners are Georgia and Notre Dame. He has family connections to Georgia and likes the academics at Notre Dame, but he is certainly looking at schools outside of those two.
As a sophomore, he reeled in 31 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. His combination of size and athleticism makes him one of the top tight ends in this class.
Rivals Sets New Top-100
In Monday's Hurry Up, the new Rivals Top-10 was summarized with Ohio State's interests at hand. On Tuesday, Rivals released its new top-100, and several Ohio State targets were involved.
Among the largest drops in the ratings was five-star Florida wideout Marcus Rosemy, who is ranked as the No. 31 overall player by 247Sports. The St. Thomas Aquinas product dropped 21 spots in Rivals' rankings, from No. 26 to No. 47 overall. For 247Sports, Rosemy is still the No. 5 wideout in the 2020 class and the No. 2 prospect coming out of his state.
Washington four-star receiver and current Ohio Sate commit Gee Scott, Jr. fell 18 spots to No. 99, and four-star Missouri wideout Jordan Johnson dropped eight to No. 59. 247Sports just ranked these two at No. 74 and No. 51, respectively, so these drops mean little to their stocks.
Many of the Ohio State-offered recruits have dropped in the rankings with no other place to go but down the polls. Recruiting sites can also be quick to react to showings at different camps, while others might not have performed at camps over the weekend.
Out of the remaining 100, Ohio State targets finished as follows.
- No. 12: WR Julian Fleming (up three)
- No. 14: RB Kendall Milton (down two)
- No. 15: WR Rakim Jarrett (down two)
- No. 17: TE Darnell Washington (down one)
- No. 18: OLB Mekhail Sherman (even)
- No. 21: ILB Antoine Sampah (down 11)
- No. 26: WR Johnny Wilson (down four)
- No. 30: OT Tate Ratledge (down five)
- No. 45: SDE Darrion Henry (down two)
- No. 47: WR Marcus Rosemy (down 21)
- No. 50: OT Turner Corcoran (down four)
- No. 54: CB Clark Phillips (down one)
- No. 55: RB Bijan Robinson (down one)
- No. 56: QB Jack Miller (OSU commit) (down one)
- No. 59: WR Jordan Johnson (down eight)
- No. 60: RB Chris Tyree (down one)
- No. 63: S Lathan Ransom (even)
- No. 99: WR Gee Scott, Jr. (OSU commit) (down 18)
