The Hurry-Up: Ohio Cornerback Aaron Scott Puts Ohio State in His Top Five, 5-star DL Dominick McKinley Puts Buckeyes in Top Six

By Garrick Hodge on June 1, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Aaron Scott Jr.
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One of Ohio State’s top remaining cornerback targets in the 2024 class has narrowed down his recruitment.

Four-star Ohio defensive back Aaron Scott released a top five on Thursday consisting of Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee. 

As of now, Scott has locked in official visits to Ohio State (June 23-25), Michigan (June 16-18) and Oregon (June 9-11). It’s expected Scott will make a decision later this summer. 

It’s widely believed the Springfield cornerback’s recruitment could come down to Ohio State and Michigan, extending the greatest rivalry in college football to the recruiting sphere as the Buckeyes try to close on one of their critical remaining in-state targets. 

“They talk about each other all the time,” Scott said of Michigan and Ohio State after the Under Armour Next camp on May 7. “Talking about they don't want me to go there. They’re definitely competitive and preach on going to their schools.”

Scott said he speaks with Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton and Ryan Day nearly every day but also said that’s true of Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale.

“I feel like the decision is really going to come down to just getting that gut feeling, for real. Because I got a couple of schools in mind,” Scott said. “I feel like once I know it's time, then I'll make the decision. 

“Really, just knowing, when I get that gut feeling like who I can win a natty with.”

Dominick McKinley puts Ohio State in his top 6

This weekend, Ohio State is hosting its first round of official visits, as the Buckeyes are expected to host seven prospects in total (more on that coming in Friday’s Hurry-Up) beginning Friday. 

One of those visitors will be five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, who included the Buckeyes in his top six schools on Wednesday along with Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia and Texas A&M.

McKinley’s visit to Columbus this weekend will be his first time on Ohio State’s campus, with the Buckeyes extending him an offer on Feb. 11. He also has visits scheduled with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Ahead of Friday’s official visit, the Buckeyes aren’t seen as the favorite in this recruitment, but finally getting McKinley on campus could be the first step in changing that.

Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound McKinley is considered the 29th-rated prospect and the fifth-ranked defensive lineman in the 2024 class. Last season, McKinley racked up 86 total tackles (18 for loss), 10 sacks with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

Cai Bates includes Buckeyes in top 10

A 2024 cornerback has included the Buckeyes in his top 10 list released Wednesday, as four-star Florida Cai Bates put Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, UCF, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida State, Colorado and Maryland in his trimmed-down school list.

“Ohio State is a staple in the Big Ten and the opportunity to practice against the best receivers every day in practice and get better is a big thing for me,” Bates told On3 of the Buckeyes.

While the Buckeyes are arguably the favorite for Scott and are receiving a visit from McKinley this weekend, they could be simply a hat on the table for Bates. As of now, the Florida defensive back has official visits scheduled to Florida State, Alabama, Tennessee and LSU. Unless a visit gets scheduled to Columbus in the future, Bates will likely be playing his college football elsewhere next season.

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