Welcome back for another edition of “A-Deck” at BuckeyeGrove.com, where I’ll bring you thoughts, what I’m hearing, inside scoop, tidbits, and more for Ohio State recruiting and team coverage, every Wednesday.
Last week’s “A-Deck” provided inside scoop on the end of fall camp, as well as some tidbits on wide receiver recruiting. This week we take a look at a defensive line target, check-in on a pair of big time prospects from the “State Up North”, provide an update on the Ohio State basketball freshmen, and hear from a 2021 national recruit.
JACOLBE COWAN
The defensive line is one of the position groups that Ohio State still needs to fill before prospects sign their letters of intent in either December or February. Right now, the Buckeyes have commitments from Ty Hamilton and Darrion Henry, with the possibility that Mitchell Melton could also play with his hand down, but definitely would like to add one or two more to the group, before it’s all said and done.
One player who has been on Larry Johnson’s radar for some time is Charlotte (N.C.) The Providence School’s Jacolbe Cowan. The 6-foot-5, 252-pounder holds an offer from Ohio State and took an official visit to Columbus during the big recruiting weekend of June 14.
This is a recruitment that has looked at times like it very well could go the Buckeyes’ way, and at other times like it was nowhere close to happening. And there are many reasons for that.
In looking at the OSU side of things, the numbers game certainly has played a part here, especially when the staff was under the impression, they could only take 25, which is not the case anymore. In addition to a total class cap, Hamilton and Henry are both defensive ends that very well could end up inside after they hit Mickey Marotti’s strength and conditioning program. Cowan is a similar type player, and the staff may prefer getting more of a true defensive end (or two) with their remaining spots. Finally, there’s some other things the staff still has to sift through before we see them go “all-in” on this one.
As for Cowan, I spoke to the prospect myself over the weekend, and he told me that he’s currently trying to figure out some visits for the fall. He also mentioned that while there is no commitment date set, that an announcement would be coming relatively soon (see: he’s not waiting until December). I specifically asked him about his contact with OSU and he said “I speak with them here and there”. He admitted on that point that he has been busy lately, but I got the vibe in talking with him further that his interest in the Buckeyes may be dropping a bit from where it once was.
It’s important to note that the latter part is all me inferencing based on the conversation I had with Rivals’ No. 138 overall player, but as of now, given all of the above, I would take “the field” over Ohio State for Cowan, in the words of the great Marc Givler.
STAR DUO FROM UP NORTH
Looking at the 2021 class, two of Ohio State’s top prospects reside in Michigan, in RB Donovan Edwards and DT Damon Payne.
Edwards may indeed be the number one running back target for the Buckeyes next cycle, and depending on how 2020 shakes out, he may become even more of a priority, if that’s possible. The West Bloomfield star is a teammate of Makari Page and plays for former UM receiver Ron Bellamy, which should do OSU no favors, but he’s also a very big fan of the Scarlet and Gray early on. Edwards tells me he is in pretty frequent contact with Ohio State and should be coming down for at least one game this season (still to be scheduled). Michigan will be the Buckeyes’ biggest competition here, but the junior has 33 offers already, so pretty much every national power will try and lure the Rivals No. 89 player nationally (and No. 4 RB) to their campus. This one has a long way to go, but Ohio State is where it needs to be right now. Expect Ryan Day and/or Tony Alford to be among the first to call Edwards on September 1, when prospects in the 2021 class can officially contact coaches and vice versa.
As for Payne, he is Rivals’ No. 25 overall talent and the No. 3 defensive tackle. Like Edwards, he has offers from nearly everyone (30 total) so far, and those he doesn’t have yet, he’ll likely get in the next few months. Ohio State was looking like an early favorite here, but like with most kids, things tend to change a bit as they get older and closer to making that decision. I still see the Buckeyes as a major player for Payne, and they maybe even still could be considered the favorite, but things have definitely “evened out” a bit here. Michigan will be a major player here (Bellville HC Jermaine Crowell is also pro-UM), as will Michigan State (two former teammates now there), Penn State, and Alabama, among others. Long way to go on this one, but again, OSU is in a place they need to be. One thing I did find interesting is that Payne told me he hasn’t been communicating with the Buckeyes much but “would like to really soon”. I’m not looking at that too much, as staffs can’t initiate contact with 2021 prospects until that September 1 date, but it was worth noting. I’d be surprised if the Bucks weren’t all over Payne come September 1.
CHIEF HAS AN OSU CONNECTION
A few weeks back, Marc did a feature on 2021 athlete Malik “Chief” Borders from Powder Springs (GA) McEachern. The 6-foot-5, 228-pounder currently has 24 offers, including Ohio State, and took a visit to Columbus in late July.
While Marc uncovered that Borders has Midwest ties (he moved from Chicago to Georgia) and followed the Buckeyes growing up, there’s indeed another connection between the prospect and Ohio State. Chief told me he spent a lot of time with Greg Mattison on his visit, and that he’s known the OSU defensive coordinator since he was 3-years old. Apparently Mattison and Borders’ father go way back, as Mattison recruited Chief’s brothers when he was at Michigan.
Obviously that connection doesn’t mean that Borders will be a Buckeye, but anyone who has been following recruiting knows that any advantage helps. Having the trust factor already there with Mattison in Columbus will definitely help the Buckeyes in their pursuit of the outstanding athlete.
NOTES ON HOOPS FROSH
Ohio State basketball brought in an excellent 2019 recruiting class that features PG D.J. Carton, F E.J. Liddell, F Alonzo Gaffney, and C Ibrahima Diallo.
I asked a source “in the know” to give me a quick update on how the four newcomers were doing thus far, and here’s what I got:
“Very little doubt that Carton and Liddell are going to play a good amount and have a significant impact on this team,” the source shared. “Hard to say who will be starters and who won’t, but so far those two have been very impressive and are showing they are ready to contribute right now.
“As for Alonzo and Diallo, I think you’ll see them a bit, but really just in garbage time or for minimal stretches here and there. Both need to get stronger and thicker. Diallo is very raw, but we knew that coming in. If he can work on his discipline and staying away from fouls, I could see him helping for a few minutes at a time as a rim protector, but he’s got a way to go and they’re working on that. For Gaffney, he just needs to get his body ready for the big stage. He’s got to get stronger. He’s got a ton of athleticism and skills and I think long term he’s going to be a nice player, but he’s not going to be able to get to the rim the same way he did in high school and it’s not like he’s a lights out shooter or anything.
“I see Carton and Liddell being a very big part of the team this year, and I think the other two will be waiting their turn a bit. Things can change over the next couple of months, but that’s how I’m seeing it.”
Last week’s “A-Deck” provided inside scoop on the end of fall camp, as well as some tidbits on wide receiver recruiting. This week we take a look at a defensive line target, check-in on a pair of big time prospects from the “State Up North”, provide an update on the Ohio State basketball freshmen, and hear from a 2021 national recruit.
JACOLBE COWAN
The defensive line is one of the position groups that Ohio State still needs to fill before prospects sign their letters of intent in either December or February. Right now, the Buckeyes have commitments from Ty Hamilton and Darrion Henry, with the possibility that Mitchell Melton could also play with his hand down, but definitely would like to add one or two more to the group, before it’s all said and done.
One player who has been on Larry Johnson’s radar for some time is Charlotte (N.C.) The Providence School’s Jacolbe Cowan. The 6-foot-5, 252-pounder holds an offer from Ohio State and took an official visit to Columbus during the big recruiting weekend of June 14.
This is a recruitment that has looked at times like it very well could go the Buckeyes’ way, and at other times like it was nowhere close to happening. And there are many reasons for that.
In looking at the OSU side of things, the numbers game certainly has played a part here, especially when the staff was under the impression, they could only take 25, which is not the case anymore. In addition to a total class cap, Hamilton and Henry are both defensive ends that very well could end up inside after they hit Mickey Marotti’s strength and conditioning program. Cowan is a similar type player, and the staff may prefer getting more of a true defensive end (or two) with their remaining spots. Finally, there’s some other things the staff still has to sift through before we see them go “all-in” on this one.
As for Cowan, I spoke to the prospect myself over the weekend, and he told me that he’s currently trying to figure out some visits for the fall. He also mentioned that while there is no commitment date set, that an announcement would be coming relatively soon (see: he’s not waiting until December). I specifically asked him about his contact with OSU and he said “I speak with them here and there”. He admitted on that point that he has been busy lately, but I got the vibe in talking with him further that his interest in the Buckeyes may be dropping a bit from where it once was.
It’s important to note that the latter part is all me inferencing based on the conversation I had with Rivals’ No. 138 overall player, but as of now, given all of the above, I would take “the field” over Ohio State for Cowan, in the words of the great Marc Givler.
STAR DUO FROM UP NORTH
Looking at the 2021 class, two of Ohio State’s top prospects reside in Michigan, in RB Donovan Edwards and DT Damon Payne.
Edwards may indeed be the number one running back target for the Buckeyes next cycle, and depending on how 2020 shakes out, he may become even more of a priority, if that’s possible. The West Bloomfield star is a teammate of Makari Page and plays for former UM receiver Ron Bellamy, which should do OSU no favors, but he’s also a very big fan of the Scarlet and Gray early on. Edwards tells me he is in pretty frequent contact with Ohio State and should be coming down for at least one game this season (still to be scheduled). Michigan will be the Buckeyes’ biggest competition here, but the junior has 33 offers already, so pretty much every national power will try and lure the Rivals No. 89 player nationally (and No. 4 RB) to their campus. This one has a long way to go, but Ohio State is where it needs to be right now. Expect Ryan Day and/or Tony Alford to be among the first to call Edwards on September 1, when prospects in the 2021 class can officially contact coaches and vice versa.
As for Payne, he is Rivals’ No. 25 overall talent and the No. 3 defensive tackle. Like Edwards, he has offers from nearly everyone (30 total) so far, and those he doesn’t have yet, he’ll likely get in the next few months. Ohio State was looking like an early favorite here, but like with most kids, things tend to change a bit as they get older and closer to making that decision. I still see the Buckeyes as a major player for Payne, and they maybe even still could be considered the favorite, but things have definitely “evened out” a bit here. Michigan will be a major player here (Bellville HC Jermaine Crowell is also pro-UM), as will Michigan State (two former teammates now there), Penn State, and Alabama, among others. Long way to go on this one, but again, OSU is in a place they need to be. One thing I did find interesting is that Payne told me he hasn’t been communicating with the Buckeyes much but “would like to really soon”. I’m not looking at that too much, as staffs can’t initiate contact with 2021 prospects until that September 1 date, but it was worth noting. I’d be surprised if the Bucks weren’t all over Payne come September 1.
CHIEF HAS AN OSU CONNECTION
A few weeks back, Marc did a feature on 2021 athlete Malik “Chief” Borders from Powder Springs (GA) McEachern. The 6-foot-5, 228-pounder currently has 24 offers, including Ohio State, and took a visit to Columbus in late July.
While Marc uncovered that Borders has Midwest ties (he moved from Chicago to Georgia) and followed the Buckeyes growing up, there’s indeed another connection between the prospect and Ohio State. Chief told me he spent a lot of time with Greg Mattison on his visit, and that he’s known the OSU defensive coordinator since he was 3-years old. Apparently Mattison and Borders’ father go way back, as Mattison recruited Chief’s brothers when he was at Michigan.
Obviously that connection doesn’t mean that Borders will be a Buckeye, but anyone who has been following recruiting knows that any advantage helps. Having the trust factor already there with Mattison in Columbus will definitely help the Buckeyes in their pursuit of the outstanding athlete.
NOTES ON HOOPS FROSH
Ohio State basketball brought in an excellent 2019 recruiting class that features PG D.J. Carton, F E.J. Liddell, F Alonzo Gaffney, and C Ibrahima Diallo.
I asked a source “in the know” to give me a quick update on how the four newcomers were doing thus far, and here’s what I got:
“Very little doubt that Carton and Liddell are going to play a good amount and have a significant impact on this team,” the source shared. “Hard to say who will be starters and who won’t, but so far those two have been very impressive and are showing they are ready to contribute right now.
“As for Alonzo and Diallo, I think you’ll see them a bit, but really just in garbage time or for minimal stretches here and there. Both need to get stronger and thicker. Diallo is very raw, but we knew that coming in. If he can work on his discipline and staying away from fouls, I could see him helping for a few minutes at a time as a rim protector, but he’s got a way to go and they’re working on that. For Gaffney, he just needs to get his body ready for the big stage. He’s got to get stronger. He’s got a ton of athleticism and skills and I think long term he’s going to be a nice player, but he’s not going to be able to get to the rim the same way he did in high school and it’s not like he’s a lights out shooter or anything.
“I see Carton and Liddell being a very big part of the team this year, and I think the other two will be waiting their turn a bit. Things can change over the next couple of months, but that’s how I’m seeing it.”
