More on DT recruiting
While some of Ohio State's biggest recruiting targets at the defensive tackle position will likely be taking official visits before deciding, the next two months are going to be very important in terms of some shedding some light on just how realistic some of these guys are as possibilities for the Buckeyes.
I continue to feel that Rashan Gary is in the longest of long shots category and have heard more evidence recently from other sources with familiarity of that recruitment that have backed that up. Gary's recruitment is complex in that there are so many schools involved but it's pretty straightforward in that the only two people that matter are Rashan and his mother.
There is no 'inner circle' here. I've heard that term tossed around with Rashan and that's an immediate indicator that anything that comes after that is nonsense. There are two people that will have say here, not his coaches, not his other relatives, mentors, etc.
Mom didn't make the last visit to Ohio State and there may not be another one as no summer plans have been setup and Rashan has told me point blank multiple times that an official visit to Ohio State is very much up in the air as he may focus some of those on schools that are further away.
Unless something changes in a big way here, as in a summer visit is setup which includes his mother, and then a follow up official visit in the fall/winter, I don't give the Buckeyes much of a shot here at all. I still think there are probably five or six schools with a better chance in this race.
I think the most likely scenario is that Gary ends up going South, either Clemson or Alabama but Michigan is in the mix and several SEC schools such as Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss are all recruiting Gary hard and he will make his way through the South here in a few weeks to hit a handful of schools.
The other five-star the Buckeyes are chasing is Dexter Lawrence and he's a wild card here. He doesn't give much away in interviews, when he even talks, but he is expected to visit Ohio State at some point this summer so definitely put that one in the wait-and-see category. We should be spending a few days around Dexter this coming week at the Rivals Challenge and we'll be hoping to get more insight at that point as well.
While I think there are some hurdles to overcome with Antwuan Jackson, that is still the guy among those national top 50-75 type of prospects that I think the Buckeyes have the best shot with.
The big thing right now at UGA is this 'fab five' DT recruiting class they are trying to put together. Tyler Clark and Julian Rochester are already in. Five-star Derrick Brown will almost certainly be in. Jackson is another one that the commits and UGA coaches are hoping comprise that group and then the dream scenario would be adding Rashan Gary to that (though more realistically Michail Carter). I spoke to a source very familiar with UGA recruiting recently who weighed in on that.
First on Brown:
"I think that's a Trenton Thompson situation. He's trying to build drama but he has seemed like a UGA lock all along."
On the 'Fab 5' and Jackson:
"(Jackson) has talked about being a part of that but I think he's the least likely to end up at UGA out of the group (of Jackson, Clark, Brown, Carter, and Rochester). I think it's going to get too crowded and someone is going to get in his ear about playing a more featured role."
Ohio State is one of the schools trying to do just that, along with Auburn and South Carolina where his brother plays.
"I think (Ohio State) will end up being a player. The Gamecocks have his big bro but I think the coaching will scare him and his family off there."
These summer visits will be huge for the Buckeyes. They can't sell the proximity to home that UGA can or even the comfort level in terms of friendships in the recruiting class, but Larry Johnson continues to make inroads there on the relationship front and the Buckeyes' depth chart is far more appealing with both starters this fall being seniors and nothing really close to what UGA is bringing in terms of landing Thompson this past cycle and then Rochester and likely Brown this cycle.
Reading Hamlin
There was definitely a very pro-OSU vibe given off today by four-star Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin. Hamlin showed up with the OSU visor on (playing to his audience perhaps?) and then called Ohio State a 'perfect place' and that he couldn't find anything he didn't like about the school/program.
His actions back up his words as well. Sure, this was a convenient trip for him to make with The Opening regionals being the next day but we are closing in on a half dozen unofficial visits to Ohio State at this point. You don't keep coming back over and over again if the interest isn't real and Damar and his parents aren't about wasting time.
I have done this long enough to not count out Pitt for a local prospect. The Panthers have been giant slayers over the years. While they haven't kept every single top kid at home, they've won some huge battles over powerhouse programs like OSU, Alabama, and others so you really have to throw program prestige and recent success out the window sometimes with these Pittsburgh kids.
Hamlin says he is going to let things play out a bit longer which makes me think a lot could depend on how fast Narduzzi and company get out of the gates this fall. If Narduzzi has a great first year, that could be big for Hamlin who definitely wants to be a part of a winning program. Any early momentum this new Pitt staff gets will help them greatly.
Still, I like where OSU sits today. I'd consider them an ever so slight favorite at this point. OSU checks a lot of the boxes here for Hamlin and his family. It's still close enough to home where it's convenient for his family, the depth chart sets up pretty well at either the corner or safety spots, the comfort and relationships piece of the puzzle is strong too. Certainly this one could go back and forth over the next few months but I like the momentum OSU has right now and I've talked to a couple of people that feel things are going well for the Buckeyes in this recruitment.
Penn State also remains a factor for Hamlin but they seem to have lost a bit of steam there lately and if Miles Sanders starts to seriously look around, which appears to be the case, that's going to be one less thing the Nittany Lions have going for them in that recruitment.
More from The Opening regionals
Tons of talent at today's Nike Camp on OSU's campus. This is always one of the premier regional camps based on its location and that its usually the last camp on the circuit for Nike so you get some random out-of-area guys that show up to try and earn an invite to The Opening that had a scheduling conflict for their local event earlier in the spring.
Got my first look at 2017 Cleveland Heights WR Jaylen Harris. Harris is a smooth athlete for his size. He's still raw as a route runner but looked pretty natural catching the football and is definitely a good run-and-jump athlete.
Unfortunately Springfield's Danny Davis wasn't able to make it today. He is nursing a foot injury and didn't want to risk it as we are getting close to high school practices starting as well as college camp season.
Right now I think I prefer Richardson among these three but they're all good enough to be offered. I think Richardson has the highest upside but where I think Davis can really come into play is that I think he's probably the most versatile of the three. I think you can line Danny up all over the place and that might be his ticket into this class with Trevon Grimes being a pretty heavy lean at this point and the Buckeyes probably not taking all three in-state guys.
Really, really liked what I saw today out of Buckeye commits Jonathon Cooper, Jake Hausmann, and Demario McCall.
This setting was tailor made for McCall who is just a freakishly fast and explosive athlete. I set the bar very high for him today in terms of what I expected and I thought he delivered. He can't be covered in space. I'd still love to see the kid play cornerback, I think he's a more unqiue talent there, but you can't blame coaches for taking that type of speed and putting it on offense.
Cooper has had the best off-season of any prospect in the state of Ohio. He has dominated four major events, the Best of the Midwest in February, the Atlanta Nike camp, the Atlanta Rivals Camp, and now the Columbus Nike Camp. These aren't just your run of the mill regional camps, all of these events were loaded with top talent.
I can't remember the last time he lost a rep. He didn't lose one today, he didn't lose one in Atlanta and I can't remember him losing one in Indianapolis in February. The energy and competitive spirit are really off the charts. The only Ohio prospect that I've seen recently that I would put on par with him in terms of compete level is Darron Lee. Every rep was like life or death to these two guys.
He has become so good with his on-the-fly adjustments. A lot of these kids both in camps and in games, predetermine what they're going to do before the snap and if it gets snuffed out by the offensive lineman, they are done. Cooper is really good at hitting guys with that second move if they jump on the first one and watching him is almost like watching a pitcher change speeds, he can beat you with so many different moves. He plays the chess match so well and has that ability to adjust in real time if the O-lineman jumps his first move.
Cooper's next event will be the Rivals Challenge this coming weekend and there are no easy reps against that caliber of an OL group so I am really interested to see if he can keep up this type of dominance in Baltimore. There is no doubt he is coming into this thing red hot and with a lot of confidence as he has made some very, very good linemen look bad recently.
Hausmann looks to me to be in the best shape that I've seen him in over the past three years. He looked lean and really quick out there. He has pretty much done nothing but lift and run routes this off-season so he has been locked in and I thought it was evident today. Looked great in drills and then carried that over to 1-on-1's and the 3-on-3's they were doing.
Luke Farrell and Kierre Hawkins are very good tight end prospects, I love Hawkins' upside and Farrell is just so well balanced, he's an every down tight end. But Hausmann to me is still very much the best of the three players. I don't think anything happened today that would make me question that.
Got my first look at Buckeyes OL commit Michael Jordan since last year at Friday Night Lights. Jordan is a tackle all the way so no worries there. He has really long arms and not much baby fat so he'll be a guy that Marotti and Warinner will be really excited to work with. Coop got the best of him today in their match-up but he suffered the same fate as every other OL that has went against him at a camp this off-season.
I thought Josh Myers made good strides today from what I've seen out of him in the past in pass protection. Still some work to be done there but he is just so physically impressive at this point that as the experience comes along with it he's going to be a very special player.
This was my first look at Damar Hamlin and he didn't disappoint. Played some safety in 3-on-3 as well as some corner and looked very comfortable at both spots. Always seemed to find the football today. I watched him in just a few minutes of time break-up three passes and intercept another one so he was flying around out there. Looks to me like he could definitely player corner if he wanted to, very fluid and very lean. He's got another 15-20 pounds of muscle to add before it's all said and done.
I thought 2017 Clairton (Pa.) DB Lamont Wade was pretty good at our Cleveland camp but I thought he picked things up a level or two today. He was outstanding, loved his aggressiveness out there. He plays the ball like a wide receiver and when there was a jump ball situation he is a kid that can really elevate and go up and battle with taller receivers even though he's only 5-foot-10. Big-time competitor too which is an absolute must at that position.
Finally, I thought 2018 Westerville (Ohio) South athlete Jaelen Gill once again looked very good. Gill is going to have a big week ahead of him. He is visiting Ohio State on Wednesday and Michigan State on Thursday. I don't know what OSU is going to do yet, I think they'll probably wait to see him at camp on the 13th, but I would be really surprised if Michigan State doesn't offer on Thursday. They have been all over him for a while now and I think Dantonio just wants to make it official in person. Gill is also camping with Illinois and Purdue next week and I expect offers to come forward from both of those programs.
While some of Ohio State's biggest recruiting targets at the defensive tackle position will likely be taking official visits before deciding, the next two months are going to be very important in terms of some shedding some light on just how realistic some of these guys are as possibilities for the Buckeyes.
I continue to feel that Rashan Gary is in the longest of long shots category and have heard more evidence recently from other sources with familiarity of that recruitment that have backed that up. Gary's recruitment is complex in that there are so many schools involved but it's pretty straightforward in that the only two people that matter are Rashan and his mother.
There is no 'inner circle' here. I've heard that term tossed around with Rashan and that's an immediate indicator that anything that comes after that is nonsense. There are two people that will have say here, not his coaches, not his other relatives, mentors, etc.
Mom didn't make the last visit to Ohio State and there may not be another one as no summer plans have been setup and Rashan has told me point blank multiple times that an official visit to Ohio State is very much up in the air as he may focus some of those on schools that are further away.
Unless something changes in a big way here, as in a summer visit is setup which includes his mother, and then a follow up official visit in the fall/winter, I don't give the Buckeyes much of a shot here at all. I still think there are probably five or six schools with a better chance in this race.
I think the most likely scenario is that Gary ends up going South, either Clemson or Alabama but Michigan is in the mix and several SEC schools such as Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss are all recruiting Gary hard and he will make his way through the South here in a few weeks to hit a handful of schools.
The other five-star the Buckeyes are chasing is Dexter Lawrence and he's a wild card here. He doesn't give much away in interviews, when he even talks, but he is expected to visit Ohio State at some point this summer so definitely put that one in the wait-and-see category. We should be spending a few days around Dexter this coming week at the Rivals Challenge and we'll be hoping to get more insight at that point as well.
While I think there are some hurdles to overcome with Antwuan Jackson, that is still the guy among those national top 50-75 type of prospects that I think the Buckeyes have the best shot with.
The big thing right now at UGA is this 'fab five' DT recruiting class they are trying to put together. Tyler Clark and Julian Rochester are already in. Five-star Derrick Brown will almost certainly be in. Jackson is another one that the commits and UGA coaches are hoping comprise that group and then the dream scenario would be adding Rashan Gary to that (though more realistically Michail Carter). I spoke to a source very familiar with UGA recruiting recently who weighed in on that.
First on Brown:
"I think that's a Trenton Thompson situation. He's trying to build drama but he has seemed like a UGA lock all along."
On the 'Fab 5' and Jackson:
"(Jackson) has talked about being a part of that but I think he's the least likely to end up at UGA out of the group (of Jackson, Clark, Brown, Carter, and Rochester). I think it's going to get too crowded and someone is going to get in his ear about playing a more featured role."
Ohio State is one of the schools trying to do just that, along with Auburn and South Carolina where his brother plays.
"I think (Ohio State) will end up being a player. The Gamecocks have his big bro but I think the coaching will scare him and his family off there."
These summer visits will be huge for the Buckeyes. They can't sell the proximity to home that UGA can or even the comfort level in terms of friendships in the recruiting class, but Larry Johnson continues to make inroads there on the relationship front and the Buckeyes' depth chart is far more appealing with both starters this fall being seniors and nothing really close to what UGA is bringing in terms of landing Thompson this past cycle and then Rochester and likely Brown this cycle.
Reading Hamlin
There was definitely a very pro-OSU vibe given off today by four-star Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin. Hamlin showed up with the OSU visor on (playing to his audience perhaps?) and then called Ohio State a 'perfect place' and that he couldn't find anything he didn't like about the school/program.
His actions back up his words as well. Sure, this was a convenient trip for him to make with The Opening regionals being the next day but we are closing in on a half dozen unofficial visits to Ohio State at this point. You don't keep coming back over and over again if the interest isn't real and Damar and his parents aren't about wasting time.
I have done this long enough to not count out Pitt for a local prospect. The Panthers have been giant slayers over the years. While they haven't kept every single top kid at home, they've won some huge battles over powerhouse programs like OSU, Alabama, and others so you really have to throw program prestige and recent success out the window sometimes with these Pittsburgh kids.
Hamlin says he is going to let things play out a bit longer which makes me think a lot could depend on how fast Narduzzi and company get out of the gates this fall. If Narduzzi has a great first year, that could be big for Hamlin who definitely wants to be a part of a winning program. Any early momentum this new Pitt staff gets will help them greatly.
Still, I like where OSU sits today. I'd consider them an ever so slight favorite at this point. OSU checks a lot of the boxes here for Hamlin and his family. It's still close enough to home where it's convenient for his family, the depth chart sets up pretty well at either the corner or safety spots, the comfort and relationships piece of the puzzle is strong too. Certainly this one could go back and forth over the next few months but I like the momentum OSU has right now and I've talked to a couple of people that feel things are going well for the Buckeyes in this recruitment.
Penn State also remains a factor for Hamlin but they seem to have lost a bit of steam there lately and if Miles Sanders starts to seriously look around, which appears to be the case, that's going to be one less thing the Nittany Lions have going for them in that recruitment.
More from The Opening regionals
Tons of talent at today's Nike Camp on OSU's campus. This is always one of the premier regional camps based on its location and that its usually the last camp on the circuit for Nike so you get some random out-of-area guys that show up to try and earn an invite to The Opening that had a scheduling conflict for their local event earlier in the spring.
Got my first look at 2017 Cleveland Heights WR Jaylen Harris. Harris is a smooth athlete for his size. He's still raw as a route runner but looked pretty natural catching the football and is definitely a good run-and-jump athlete.
Unfortunately Springfield's Danny Davis wasn't able to make it today. He is nursing a foot injury and didn't want to risk it as we are getting close to high school practices starting as well as college camp season.
Right now I think I prefer Richardson among these three but they're all good enough to be offered. I think Richardson has the highest upside but where I think Davis can really come into play is that I think he's probably the most versatile of the three. I think you can line Danny up all over the place and that might be his ticket into this class with Trevon Grimes being a pretty heavy lean at this point and the Buckeyes probably not taking all three in-state guys.
Really, really liked what I saw today out of Buckeye commits Jonathon Cooper, Jake Hausmann, and Demario McCall.
This setting was tailor made for McCall who is just a freakishly fast and explosive athlete. I set the bar very high for him today in terms of what I expected and I thought he delivered. He can't be covered in space. I'd still love to see the kid play cornerback, I think he's a more unqiue talent there, but you can't blame coaches for taking that type of speed and putting it on offense.
Cooper has had the best off-season of any prospect in the state of Ohio. He has dominated four major events, the Best of the Midwest in February, the Atlanta Nike camp, the Atlanta Rivals Camp, and now the Columbus Nike Camp. These aren't just your run of the mill regional camps, all of these events were loaded with top talent.
I can't remember the last time he lost a rep. He didn't lose one today, he didn't lose one in Atlanta and I can't remember him losing one in Indianapolis in February. The energy and competitive spirit are really off the charts. The only Ohio prospect that I've seen recently that I would put on par with him in terms of compete level is Darron Lee. Every rep was like life or death to these two guys.
He has become so good with his on-the-fly adjustments. A lot of these kids both in camps and in games, predetermine what they're going to do before the snap and if it gets snuffed out by the offensive lineman, they are done. Cooper is really good at hitting guys with that second move if they jump on the first one and watching him is almost like watching a pitcher change speeds, he can beat you with so many different moves. He plays the chess match so well and has that ability to adjust in real time if the O-lineman jumps his first move.
Cooper's next event will be the Rivals Challenge this coming weekend and there are no easy reps against that caliber of an OL group so I am really interested to see if he can keep up this type of dominance in Baltimore. There is no doubt he is coming into this thing red hot and with a lot of confidence as he has made some very, very good linemen look bad recently.
Hausmann looks to me to be in the best shape that I've seen him in over the past three years. He looked lean and really quick out there. He has pretty much done nothing but lift and run routes this off-season so he has been locked in and I thought it was evident today. Looked great in drills and then carried that over to 1-on-1's and the 3-on-3's they were doing.
Luke Farrell and Kierre Hawkins are very good tight end prospects, I love Hawkins' upside and Farrell is just so well balanced, he's an every down tight end. But Hausmann to me is still very much the best of the three players. I don't think anything happened today that would make me question that.
Got my first look at Buckeyes OL commit Michael Jordan since last year at Friday Night Lights. Jordan is a tackle all the way so no worries there. He has really long arms and not much baby fat so he'll be a guy that Marotti and Warinner will be really excited to work with. Coop got the best of him today in their match-up but he suffered the same fate as every other OL that has went against him at a camp this off-season.
I thought Josh Myers made good strides today from what I've seen out of him in the past in pass protection. Still some work to be done there but he is just so physically impressive at this point that as the experience comes along with it he's going to be a very special player.
This was my first look at Damar Hamlin and he didn't disappoint. Played some safety in 3-on-3 as well as some corner and looked very comfortable at both spots. Always seemed to find the football today. I watched him in just a few minutes of time break-up three passes and intercept another one so he was flying around out there. Looks to me like he could definitely player corner if he wanted to, very fluid and very lean. He's got another 15-20 pounds of muscle to add before it's all said and done.
I thought 2017 Clairton (Pa.) DB Lamont Wade was pretty good at our Cleveland camp but I thought he picked things up a level or two today. He was outstanding, loved his aggressiveness out there. He plays the ball like a wide receiver and when there was a jump ball situation he is a kid that can really elevate and go up and battle with taller receivers even though he's only 5-foot-10. Big-time competitor too which is an absolute must at that position.
Finally, I thought 2018 Westerville (Ohio) South athlete Jaelen Gill once again looked very good. Gill is going to have a big week ahead of him. He is visiting Ohio State on Wednesday and Michigan State on Thursday. I don't know what OSU is going to do yet, I think they'll probably wait to see him at camp on the 13th, but I would be really surprised if Michigan State doesn't offer on Thursday. They have been all over him for a while now and I think Dantonio just wants to make it official in person. Gill is also camping with Illinois and Purdue next week and I expect offers to come forward from both of those programs.
