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.
Rakim Jarrett Commits To LSU
Five-star No. 2 2020 wide receiver Rakim Jarrett announced Saturday evening that he has committed to LSU.
Committed. Thank You. pic.twitter.com/VhRmsAc2Fb
— Rakim Jarrett (@RakimJarrett) April 27, 2019
The Washington D.C. standout made his decision the same weekend as his first official visit – which was to LSU – and that official followed a spring break road trip at the end of March that included visits to eight SEC schools, which also included LSU.
What was an expressed high interest from Jarrett in Ohio State seemed to wane with every passing visit and was virtually unacknowledged in the weeks surrounding his spring break. At one point, Jarrett claimed after a visit in November that he nearly committed on the spot.
That visit happened before Urban Meyer’s departure, though, and since then, Jarrett’s main interests had laid in other places. He’s visited Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and others and could still potentially make an official visit to Ohio State.
Even with his commitment being made, his recruitment has the looks of being far from over. It might not end until he signs a letter of intent.
How Gunnar Hoak's Transfer Will Affect 2021
Kentucky transfer quarterback and former Dublin Coffman High School standout Gunnar Hoak announced Saturday that he will be coming to Ohio State just a few days after entering his name into the transfer portal.
Coing hoe!! pic.twitter.com/XsGbsskISL
— Gunnar Hoak (@GunnarHoak12) April 28, 2019
Hoak represents the third quarterback on scholarship for the 2019 season, in addition to sophomore transfer Justin Fields and graduate transfer Chris Chugunov. Ryan Day has expressed a desire to maintain at least four quarterbacks on the roster, and now, after also adding preferred walk-on JP Andrade for the 2019 season, he and the Buckeyes have five.
First, taking a step back and realizing what Ohio State has done with its quarterbacks this season is crucial. Adding an immediate starting quarterback quarterback with experience in Fields is no easy task. Neither is finding a transfer quarterback with some semblance of experience and years of eligibility remaining. Ohio State has done both of those things in one offseason.
Given that Hoak has two years of eligibility remaining and Andrade is a true freshman, Ohio State will likely continue to search for at least one 2021 quarterback.
Chugunov will not be on the roster next season, and Ohio State has seen how quickly quarterbacks can turn over within one offseason, especially given the NCAA transfer portal. Adding a quality quarterback would likely put the Buckeyes in a much better position with quarterbacks than they exited spring practice with. They’ll also likely try to be in good position with two quarterbacks by this time next year to avoid any other changes that might – and will likely – occur.
Some quarterbacks Ohio State already has good relationships with are J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, Kyle McCord – the most likely quarterback to commit at this point – Miller Moss and Carlos Del Rio, who recently won the 18U MVP at the Cam Newton 7v7 Camp.
Cane Berrong Visited By OSU Staff
Last week, Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson made a trip down to Georgia to visit No. 1 2021 tight end Cane Berrong. Ohio State was one of the first handful of Power Five colleges to offer the top tight end, and it offered him before he was rated, a plus for any top recruit in the country.
Berrong told Eleven Warriors that Wilson had promised him that the Buckeyes are searching for more creative ways to use tight ends within the offense heading into 2019, and Berrong is holding him to that claim.
“I’m looking forward to coming up for a visit,” Berrong told Eleven Warriors on Saturday. “I just want to see how they use their tight ends this year.”
Former Georgia receiver and current leader of the TE Receiver Training in Georgia Terrence Edwards, who has been working with Berrong since February, said that the tight end is already advanced for a high school sophomore and has all the ability to be the top receiving tight end in the country. He just needs to learn defensive schemes and how to counter them.
To impress Berrong, Ohio State will likely need to make a drastic change in the way it uses its tight ends. Luke Ferrell was the leading tight end in 2018, and he has 20 catches for 205 yards. Rashod Berry backed him up with nine catches for 78 yards.
But the Buckeyes are stressing to Berrong that he is a priority for them.
“Coach Washington and I have been talking, and he told me he was coming and would be back as often as he could,” Berrong said.
On the visit last week, Washington was able to get Berrong in contact with Ryan Day, and Berrong has been in contact with other members of the staff as well, as the Buckeyes are putting forth quite an effort to develop a good relationship with him.
Besides Ohio State, Clemson made a visit to Berrong as well, and Penn State and Notre Dame will likely visit within the end of next week.
Henry Gray commitment date
Four-star Miami cornerback Henry Gray, who was in town for Ohio State’s Student Appreciation Day event March 23, hasn’t been making too much noise on the recruiting scene since that visit.
He paid a visit to Miami, which he has done frequently and will likely include Miami when it comes to deciding where he will commit, and Clemson essentially turned him away when he was supposed to visit in April. Clemson had just added the top safety in the country in R.J. Mickens and was about to land No. 3 cornerback Fred Davis as well.
So with those events occurring throughout April, it seems like Ohio State and Miami are the two frontrunners for the No. 6 cornerback in the 2020 class.
The Miami-native announced via Twitter on Saturday that he will be committing in July and potentially August.
McGowan Leaves Buckeyes Out Of Final Four
Seth McGowan, whose name had been floating around as a potential addition to Ohio State’s 2020 class, announced his final four on Saturday, and the Buckeyes were left out.
Unconditionally thankful for every coach and program that believed in me enough to present me with the opportunity to play for them, as well as attend their university. However, I am confident in the judgement and vision that I possess for myself as well as my family. #AGTG #FTG pic.twitter.com/jbAZOg5wAf
— Seth McGowan (@Sjmcg_28) April 27, 2019
It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as relationships with running back prospects like Kendall Milton, Bijan Robinson, DeaMonte Trayanum, Mike Drennen and Jutahn McClain continue to heat up and McGowan’s name was consistently fading into the passing months.
