Just a few things today that I didn't want to hold until Sunday.
- Ohio State's running back search will continue to expand and no stone will be left unturned. With the mindset of now having four to six months to get two backs and no clear front-runner, it will be, as we've said before, a total reset.
The Buckeyes have kicked the tires on an interesting name, however. That is Rivals100 Dematha Catholic star Marshawn Lloyd, currently committed to the University of South Carolina. Lloyd is the No. 36 overall prospect in the 2020 class and the No. 6 running back nationally. Lloyd gave South Carolina his commitment in late May but opinions vary from sources that I've talked to about just how solid that verbal is.
Ohio State has some familiarity with DeMatha, having pulled Chase Young out of the program a few years ago but it is definitely worth noting that then DeMatha head coach Elijah Brooks is now on Mike Locksley's Maryland staff and he'll be trying to flip Lloyd himself so I don't know that the prior connections to the program are going to help the Buckeyes too much here.
There is enough smoke here to keep an eye on this one, however. Many had Lloyd going to UGA back in the spring and even before Ohio State got involved here very recently, there have been constant rumors surrounding just how solid that verbal pledge to South Carolina is.
- The defensive end situation is in a similar position in that the search will likely expand greatly this fall with no clear front-runner outside of Jacolbe Cowan who may very well end up on the interior at the college level.
Ohio State has been speaking with four-star Utah standout Xavier Carlton. I'm told Carlton has been pretty receptive so far and obviously now the hope is to get him to campus this fall on an official visit. With Marshawn Lloyd, that's a kid that Ohio State would have to take today, with Carlton I think it's more of a feeling out process and everybody just trying to get familiar with each other at this point.
- Speaking of defensive ends, Rivals100 product Desmond Evans will be dropping a top five soon. I'm not particularly confident that Ohio State is going to be on that list after talking to a source close to Evans yesterday.
"At this point, I do not believe he will take an official visit to Ohio State," the source shared with me.
With the list being cut to five, and Evans being allowed five official visits by NCAA rules, that doesn't sound particularly promising for the Buckeyes who were unable to convince Evans to get up this summer for an unofficial visit.
- Ohio State's running back search will continue to expand and no stone will be left unturned. With the mindset of now having four to six months to get two backs and no clear front-runner, it will be, as we've said before, a total reset.
The Buckeyes have kicked the tires on an interesting name, however. That is Rivals100 Dematha Catholic star Marshawn Lloyd, currently committed to the University of South Carolina. Lloyd is the No. 36 overall prospect in the 2020 class and the No. 6 running back nationally. Lloyd gave South Carolina his commitment in late May but opinions vary from sources that I've talked to about just how solid that verbal is.
Ohio State has some familiarity with DeMatha, having pulled Chase Young out of the program a few years ago but it is definitely worth noting that then DeMatha head coach Elijah Brooks is now on Mike Locksley's Maryland staff and he'll be trying to flip Lloyd himself so I don't know that the prior connections to the program are going to help the Buckeyes too much here.
There is enough smoke here to keep an eye on this one, however. Many had Lloyd going to UGA back in the spring and even before Ohio State got involved here very recently, there have been constant rumors surrounding just how solid that verbal pledge to South Carolina is.
- The defensive end situation is in a similar position in that the search will likely expand greatly this fall with no clear front-runner outside of Jacolbe Cowan who may very well end up on the interior at the college level.
Ohio State has been speaking with four-star Utah standout Xavier Carlton. I'm told Carlton has been pretty receptive so far and obviously now the hope is to get him to campus this fall on an official visit. With Marshawn Lloyd, that's a kid that Ohio State would have to take today, with Carlton I think it's more of a feeling out process and everybody just trying to get familiar with each other at this point.
- Speaking of defensive ends, Rivals100 product Desmond Evans will be dropping a top five soon. I'm not particularly confident that Ohio State is going to be on that list after talking to a source close to Evans yesterday.
"At this point, I do not believe he will take an official visit to Ohio State," the source shared with me.
With the list being cut to five, and Evans being allowed five official visits by NCAA rules, that doesn't sound particularly promising for the Buckeyes who were unable to convince Evans to get up this summer for an unofficial visit.
