Don't hit that button
As we reported on Saturday, Rivals100 quarterback Dwayne Haskins was on Maryland's campus this weekend (well, just Saturday really) and it was an unofficial visit, I'm told. When we reported this yesterday, I told everyone not to hit the panic button. Since that point, what I've heard on this situation has been increasingly positive for OSU.
"He wasn't there very long," one source close to the situation told me on Haskins' trip.
There is also some thought from a couple of people that I've spoken with today that this was a last ditch desperation attempt on Maryland's part and that Haskins may have went to share some bad news with the UMD coaching staff face-to-face. The comment that he wasn't there very long would seem to validate that theory. If things were great with Haskins and Maryland, why such a short trip?
Either way, I've talked to a handful of people about this and not one of them is telling me that things have moved towards Maryland, or away from OSU for that matter, since yesterday's trip. Then there is the issue of a pending visit to LSU next weekend. I am told that is very much up in the air. Many don't believe that will visit will actually take place.
Long story short, RELAX. Things still look very good for Ohio State with the four-star signal caller.
What about Jones?
From everything I've been told, the visit went well for five-star linebacker Keandre Jones, who was a surprise visitor for the Buckeyes this weekend after speaking with Luke Fickell on Thursday.
The red carpet was rolled out and Urban Meyer, Luke Fickell, and Greg Schiano made it very clear to Keandre that he is at the very top of the remaining defensive board.
I definitely think there is a pull here to stay home, but Ohio State is a serious player and those that were on campus this weekend spoke about Jones with a sense of optimism. As always on these visits, you want to see where things head in the days following the visit. Most prospects feel great about the school they just visited when they leave on Sunday, but what about on Tuesday or Wednesday after things have returned to normal?
Jones is tentatively scheduled to visit Florida next weekend. But with the Gators seemingly out of it for Haskins (or very close to it), I'm not sure I see UF as much of a threat. I think it's possible that Maryland could keep Jones in the fold, but in order to flip him, you're probably going to need Haskins to do that.
I still think that Ohio State is going to flip Haskins, and maybe sooner than people think. If that happens, that would be a nice ace in the hole to have as the staff continues to work Jones between now and Signing Day.
Bar set for Fuller
We have a front page story right now on four-star defensive back Jordan Fuller who made his official visit this weekend. Ohio State got the first visit coming out of the Dead Period and now trips to Michigan and Penn State are presumably following.
Fuller is a pretty calculated kid and his family has plenty of experience with the recruiting process, so because of that, I tend to think he'll follow through on all of his visit plans regardless of how well this one went this weekend or how well next weekend's Michigan visit may go.
But I did get the sense in talking with Fuller and talking to a few people who were on campus this weekend that Ohio State has set the bar very high. Fuller's time spent with Greg Schiano went very well and he has always liked the business-like approach of Urban Meyer and Chris Ash. Schiano is cut from a similar cloth as Ash so it looks like that was a pretty smooth transition in this particular recruitment.
I started leaning towards Ohio State for Fuller in the days leading up to Army Bowl. I think that's the likely landing spot right now and that it's going to take a very, very strong effort from Michigan or Penn State on the upcoming official visits to change that. My confidence in Ohio State landing Fuller has never been higher.
Odds and Ends
- Akron (Ohio) Hoban athlete Jonah Morris did not make it to campus this weekend for an official visit. I wouldn't anticipate things to go any further between Morris and the Buckeyes at this point. Morris was given a long look by the Ohio State staff but I've been told not to expect further developments at this point and you may see Morris reshuffle the deck a bit on his end as I'm told he's not a take for others in his top four as well. Rutgers is one school that is trying to swoop in at the last minute.
- One prospect where real info is generally scarce is Damar Hamlin. The four-star defensive back has really kept a lid on things and the lid gets tighter and tighter as the process wears on. Indications from those I have spoken with are that things went over pretty well this weekend. Hamlin has been considered a Pitt lean for at least a few months now, if not longer, and as one source recently told me about Damar, "he really feels a lot of pressure around here (to go to Pitt)" but there is something to be said for Ohio State's longevity here. Even when things haven't looked the greatest for the Buckeyes' chances, they've remained on the short list.
I've had Hamlin going to Pitt for a while now and I'm not to a point where I'd change that pick, but Ohio State has done enough to remain very much in the picture here.
- It was a weekend of shuffling around visitor lists with a subtraction and a couple of late additions. One of the late additions was JUCO defensive tackle Jamar King. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound prospect DOES hold an offer from the Buckeyes and I'm told is a definite take right now before the Rashard Lawrence verdict is even in. The visit to watch for King is the scheduled Alabama trip next weekend. If Ohio State survives that, they'll have a great chance here. There's a real chance he ends up in the class in my opinion.
- Working to get more on five-star ATH Mecole Hardman who has suddenly emerged on the radar. Going into the visit, this was considered an Alabama/Georgia battle and I'd still wager that's the case. But, Meyer and Hardman hit it off pretty well over the weekend.
"I think it was a good visit," said a source who was on campus this weekend with Hardman. "Mecole told the coaches and recruits that he was now seriously considering Ohio State."
I'll stick with Hardman staying in the South for now but it sounds like Ohio State at least gave him something to think about.
- Finally, I have spoken with Malik Harrison post-visit. No commitment and no change of plans on his end in terms of visits and announcement date. I'll add some commentary on him later but want to get the story posted first.
As we reported on Saturday, Rivals100 quarterback Dwayne Haskins was on Maryland's campus this weekend (well, just Saturday really) and it was an unofficial visit, I'm told. When we reported this yesterday, I told everyone not to hit the panic button. Since that point, what I've heard on this situation has been increasingly positive for OSU.
"He wasn't there very long," one source close to the situation told me on Haskins' trip.
There is also some thought from a couple of people that I've spoken with today that this was a last ditch desperation attempt on Maryland's part and that Haskins may have went to share some bad news with the UMD coaching staff face-to-face. The comment that he wasn't there very long would seem to validate that theory. If things were great with Haskins and Maryland, why such a short trip?
Either way, I've talked to a handful of people about this and not one of them is telling me that things have moved towards Maryland, or away from OSU for that matter, since yesterday's trip. Then there is the issue of a pending visit to LSU next weekend. I am told that is very much up in the air. Many don't believe that will visit will actually take place.
Long story short, RELAX. Things still look very good for Ohio State with the four-star signal caller.
What about Jones?
From everything I've been told, the visit went well for five-star linebacker Keandre Jones, who was a surprise visitor for the Buckeyes this weekend after speaking with Luke Fickell on Thursday.
The red carpet was rolled out and Urban Meyer, Luke Fickell, and Greg Schiano made it very clear to Keandre that he is at the very top of the remaining defensive board.
I definitely think there is a pull here to stay home, but Ohio State is a serious player and those that were on campus this weekend spoke about Jones with a sense of optimism. As always on these visits, you want to see where things head in the days following the visit. Most prospects feel great about the school they just visited when they leave on Sunday, but what about on Tuesday or Wednesday after things have returned to normal?
Jones is tentatively scheduled to visit Florida next weekend. But with the Gators seemingly out of it for Haskins (or very close to it), I'm not sure I see UF as much of a threat. I think it's possible that Maryland could keep Jones in the fold, but in order to flip him, you're probably going to need Haskins to do that.
I still think that Ohio State is going to flip Haskins, and maybe sooner than people think. If that happens, that would be a nice ace in the hole to have as the staff continues to work Jones between now and Signing Day.
Bar set for Fuller
We have a front page story right now on four-star defensive back Jordan Fuller who made his official visit this weekend. Ohio State got the first visit coming out of the Dead Period and now trips to Michigan and Penn State are presumably following.
Fuller is a pretty calculated kid and his family has plenty of experience with the recruiting process, so because of that, I tend to think he'll follow through on all of his visit plans regardless of how well this one went this weekend or how well next weekend's Michigan visit may go.
But I did get the sense in talking with Fuller and talking to a few people who were on campus this weekend that Ohio State has set the bar very high. Fuller's time spent with Greg Schiano went very well and he has always liked the business-like approach of Urban Meyer and Chris Ash. Schiano is cut from a similar cloth as Ash so it looks like that was a pretty smooth transition in this particular recruitment.
I started leaning towards Ohio State for Fuller in the days leading up to Army Bowl. I think that's the likely landing spot right now and that it's going to take a very, very strong effort from Michigan or Penn State on the upcoming official visits to change that. My confidence in Ohio State landing Fuller has never been higher.
Odds and Ends
- Akron (Ohio) Hoban athlete Jonah Morris did not make it to campus this weekend for an official visit. I wouldn't anticipate things to go any further between Morris and the Buckeyes at this point. Morris was given a long look by the Ohio State staff but I've been told not to expect further developments at this point and you may see Morris reshuffle the deck a bit on his end as I'm told he's not a take for others in his top four as well. Rutgers is one school that is trying to swoop in at the last minute.
- One prospect where real info is generally scarce is Damar Hamlin. The four-star defensive back has really kept a lid on things and the lid gets tighter and tighter as the process wears on. Indications from those I have spoken with are that things went over pretty well this weekend. Hamlin has been considered a Pitt lean for at least a few months now, if not longer, and as one source recently told me about Damar, "he really feels a lot of pressure around here (to go to Pitt)" but there is something to be said for Ohio State's longevity here. Even when things haven't looked the greatest for the Buckeyes' chances, they've remained on the short list.
I've had Hamlin going to Pitt for a while now and I'm not to a point where I'd change that pick, but Ohio State has done enough to remain very much in the picture here.
- It was a weekend of shuffling around visitor lists with a subtraction and a couple of late additions. One of the late additions was JUCO defensive tackle Jamar King. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound prospect DOES hold an offer from the Buckeyes and I'm told is a definite take right now before the Rashard Lawrence verdict is even in. The visit to watch for King is the scheduled Alabama trip next weekend. If Ohio State survives that, they'll have a great chance here. There's a real chance he ends up in the class in my opinion.
- Working to get more on five-star ATH Mecole Hardman who has suddenly emerged on the radar. Going into the visit, this was considered an Alabama/Georgia battle and I'd still wager that's the case. But, Meyer and Hardman hit it off pretty well over the weekend.
"I think it was a good visit," said a source who was on campus this weekend with Hardman. "Mecole told the coaches and recruits that he was now seriously considering Ohio State."
I'll stick with Hardman staying in the South for now but it sounds like Ohio State at least gave him something to think about.
- Finally, I have spoken with Malik Harrison post-visit. No commitment and no change of plans on his end in terms of visits and announcement date. I'll add some commentary on him later but want to get the story posted first.
