Rivals Challenge thoughts
More than a dozen Ohio State commits and key targets were in Indianapolis this weekend for the Five-Star Challenge. I'm going to go player-by-player for a quick synopsis on what I saw and what I'm hearing, starting with the commits.....
Brenton Cox - Camp Thoughts: Cox was definitely among the cream of the crop at the event. He has a great first step but he is also very fluid and he put that fluidity to use by showing off a pretty devastating inside move. Tyreke Smith won defensive line MVP but we were told that Brenton also received serious consideration.
Recruiting Intel: Brenton told me he is feeling good about his decision to commit to Ohio State and I think the Buckeyes are definitely the most likely scenario in terms of where he ultimately signs. I don't think they are one-hundred percent out of the woods just yet as a handful of teams are still coming after him and it is possible he makes a visit or two at some point. But there is no reason to be sounding the alarm at this point, he seems pretty solid.
Jaelen Gill - Camp Thoughts: Big-time performance from Jaelen. He has looked good at a few regional camps including the Ohio Rivals and Nike camps, but he took things to the next level on Saturday. He had a very impressive showing in 1-on-1's, and in 7-on-7 he was able to easily separate from linebackers, make defenders miss in open space, and made a couple of tremendous catches, including a touchdown in the back of the end zone where he had to tap his toes. He'll be a great weapon in the Ohio State offense with all of the things he can do. He is a highly confident guy right now and it is showing.
Recruiting Intel: It doesn't get any more solid than Gill's commitment. He has been leading the charge along with Emory Jones in recruiting other players to join them in Columbus.
Teradja Mitchell - Camp Thoughts: These spring and summer elite camps are not built for MIKE linebackers. They are asked to do the impossible by covering running backs in just about unlimited space in 1-on-1's. Only the Baron Browning's of the world typically excel and really stand out at these things, but Mitchell held his own this weekend. He did a good job taking away passing lanes in the 7-on-7 and was able to get his hands on a few passes during the tournament. Jaelen Gill got him in open space one time, but Teradja can get in line to be put on that list.
Recruiting intel: He's solid. Very solid.
Josh Proctor - Camp Thoughts: Proctor showed good range during the 7-on-7 event as his team fell to Jaelen Gill and Jaiden Woodbey's squad in the championship. I saw him snag at least one interception and his height and long arms help shrink the passing windows of opposing quarterbacks. Good effort for Proctor who I felt backed up his ranking as a borderline Top 100 guy.
Recruiting Intel: It is likely that Proctor will make an official visit to Oklahoma this fall but in talking to him and a few people who know him well, I don't think it's troublesome at this point. It will be interesting to see how the coaching transition goes at Oklahoma, but Proctor goes into that Brenton Cox category for me right now where I don't think Ohio State is one-hundred percent out of the woods, but I don't see reason for serious concern at this juncture either.
Jaiden Woodbey - Camp Thoughts: Woodbey had an excellent 7-on-7 tournament. He played both ways down the stretch and recorded an interception on defense a couple of touchdowns on offense. I would say he exceeded my expectations more than any of the commits.
Recruiting Intel: Jaiden said and did all of the right things all weekend. Throwing up O-H's in the background of my interviews with uncommitted guys, hanging out with all of the Ohio State commits, celebrating his big plays by yelling O-H, and decking himself out in Ohio State gear. I still feel this one will be a little stressful for Ohio State before it is all said and done, perhaps he is this year's Shaun Wade?
As for the uncommitted targets....
Jowon Briggs - Camp Thoughts: Briggs was a mixed bag in terms of success in 1-on-1's but it was a great experience for him to get in there against elite kids that are a year older than him and The Opening will also provide that for him in July. He still showed some tremendous raw power and was able to move a few of the guys he went against, but I think it opened his eyes to the importance of adding to his arsenal. He can't just throw the Trey Hill's of the world around like he can the guys at the regional camps. Still very high on Jowon moving forward and think he's very appropriately ranked as a Top 100 guy in the class.
Recruiting Intel: I've said it several times, Jowon is just a different kid. He's not out there calling coaches every day, he really just prefers to keep a low profile, work on his studies, football, and some of his other interests outside of athletics. But Kerry Coombs has got through to him pretty well so far and the Buckeyes are in a solid spot early along with Michigan and Notre Dame. He's going to expand his horizons and visit Alabama in July.
Anthony Cook - Camp Thoughts: Love his competitiveness and aggressiveness. St. Brown got him a few times, but one of those times Anthony showed excellent recovery speed and was able to get back in the play and make the deflection. I don't think he's Okudah, but he's very good and would certainly be a player to be very excited about.
Recruiting Intel: Continue to hear this is Ohio State vs. Texas for the most part and I like where Ohio State sits right now. I'll have more on Anthony in a different segment below.
Kalon Gervin - Camp Thoughts: Gervin has a turf toe injury and did not participate on Saturday.
Recruiting Intel: Gervin, despite the injury, is expected to show up at Ohio State on the 17th to work out for Coombs and he is expecting an offer. He released a top five today that did not include Ohio State but there is no question the Buckeyes would jump into that mix with an offer.
Jadon Haselwood - Camp Thoughts: Total freak show. He's not better than St. Brown today, but five years from now? It's possible. I think it will be tough to unseat him at the top of the 2019 WR rankings. He was conservatively a top 3 receiver there right now and has more potential than St. Brown and Kevin Austin because of his size and freakish athleticism.
Recruiting Intel: My obnoxiously early prediction is that he'll be UGA's Shaun Wade. He'll make other visits, he'll waver and waffle, he'll drive UGA fans nuts, and then he'll sign with Georgia. But Ohio State will never give up on this one and a visit this summer will be key.
Stephen Herron - Camp Thoughts: Herron had some great reps and he had some not so great reps. Like many of the young linemen at these things, he learned that some things don't work against older guys who are stronger and more experienced. But his good reps were REALLY good.
Recruiting Intel: He'll be back at Ohio State at some point this summer and while he'll be a kid who does a lot of research and puts a lot of thought into this, Ohio State will be right there when it's crunch time.
Trey Hill - Camp Thoughts: Monster. When he anchors, you aren't moving him. Stood up Jowon Briggs three times in a row and Briggs couldn't move, had to see it to believe it. Has to watch his weight a little bit, he has a very broad frame which helps him and he is incredibly strong, but has to maintain that quickness to combat interior pass rushers.
Recruiting Intel: Not happening for Ohio State. Probably going to UGA.
Kearis Jackson - Camp Thoughts: Jackson had one of the stronger builds among receivers at the camp, but kind of got overshadowed on a loaded White team that included Gill, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Trey Knox.
Recruiting Intel: Ohio State is in Jackson's top five, and I'm told the Buckeyes like him quite a bit. I'm also told it's unlikely that OSU will be able to pull him all the way to Columbus.
Trey Knox - Camp Thoughts: Knox had a very good day on Saturday and really knows how to use his big frame to shield defenders when he goes into those tough areas over the middle. He's a long strider and a huge receiver so he's not quite as sudden as some of the small guys but he still showed good explosiveness for such a big receiver.
Recruiting Intel: Watch this one closely. He visits again Tuesday.
Elijah Moore - Camp Thoughts: This is absolutely Moore's setting. He is a wonderful route runner and a very explosive athlete. But he also has a knack for finding soft spots over the middle and making tough catches in traffic. I think he's going to be a very, very good slot receiver in college and perhaps beyond.
Recruiting Intel: Things were nearly dead here with Moore and Ohio State this off-season but have picked back recently. He'll camp at Friday Night Lights and he'll need to be very, very good given the receivers board and fairly limited spots at the position given how well they sit with Blue Smith and Kamryn Babb.
Amon-Ra St. Brown - Camp Thoughts: St. Brown and Trevor Lawrence I thought were the two best players, regardless of position, during the 7-on-7 and St. Brown was pretty much unguardable. He is an elite route-runner with great strength and explosiveness and he makes tough catches look easy. He's the best receiver I've seen in the 2018 class and by a good bit.
Recruiting Intel: St. Brown told me it is probably unlikely that he visits Ohio State this summer but is strongly considering an official visit and has a lot of respect for the program. I don't see this happening for Ohio State, but he's one of those kids they'll chase because why not?
Tyreke Smith - Camp Thoughts: Tyreke continued his tremendous camp circuit by bringing home MVP. The weight he shed early this spring is paying major dividends as he just looks much quicker. But it continues to be his technique that impresses, the usage of his hands and the excellent swim move that he has developed.
Recruiting Intel: Ohio State is in great shape right now. The West Coast trip in July will be something to watch just to make sure the nostalgia of being back in California doesn't get to him, but the Buckeyes are a pretty big favorite.
Isaac Taylor-Stuart - Camp Thoughts: Five-star kid in my opinion. Great size but man can this kid run. Covers a ton of ground, just a big-time athlete.
Recruiting Intel: Long shot but Ohio State is trying. He has been talking to the coaches pretty regularly.
Michael Thompson - Camp Thoughts: Thompson got nicked up but had a solid morning of 1-on-1's. He's another big guy that needs to stay on his body and make sure he's not getting too big, but he's very quick at his size and has the physical tools you're looking for in a future 1-tech.
Recruiting Intel: Thompson will only listen to schools at this point who are recruiting him as a DT, which Ohio State now is. There are guys ahead of Thompson on the board now though and I think it would be a bit of a surprise if he ended up in Columbus.
Solomon Tuliaupupu - Camp Thoughts: Like most MIKE linebackers, this was a tough task for Solomon this weekend. He's a smaller framed and lighter kid than Teradja, but still, when you're asked to cover 50 yards by about 20 yards 1-on-1 against Jaelen Gill, it's not going to end well. I thought he was better in 7-on-7. Like Mitchell, he's an 11-on-11 guy, you take away what he does best in these settings.
Recruiting Intel: I think he genuinely really likes Ohio State and Bill Davis. This upcoming visit is much more about the family though. A lot of pressure to go to USC here so we'll see how things go on the 19th. If USC has another really good year, I think it's going to be a tough sell.
Rasheed Walker - Camp Thoughts: Great tackle frame/body and can deliver a strong punch. Wasn't dominant this weekend but thought he was very good.
Recruiting Intel: He swears he's not a slam dunk for Penn State. He swears Ohio State has a legitimate chance and that he'll make his third visit to Columbus this summer. But he spent the entire weekend with the PSU kids. Everytime I saw the PSU guys walking around the hotel Rasheed was with them.
Al'Vonte Woodard - Camp Thoughts: Was hoping for a little more out of Al'Vonte. He flashed at times but did not dominate the way St. Brown, Kevin Austin, and a few others did. Strong kid that can really run though, think he'll be a good one.
Recruiting Intel: Think he's leaning towards Texas right now pretty heavily. I also think (know) Ohio State has Babb at the top of the board so with Babb and Blue Smith, it becomes pretty tight. Don't see this being a match but I think you'll see them continue to recruit him just in case.
Extra notes from the Rivals Challenge
- Cross K.J. Henry off the list. Communication has really dropped off there with Ohio State and this just won't be a match. Clemson or Alabama for Henry seems likely.
- Rick Sandidge continues to list when Ohio State when prompted, but I'm also told this won't be a fit. A lot of guys higher on the board right now.
- Recently offered 2019 WR Theo Wease is an intriguing prospect. Definitley 6'2-6'3 and just has the look. Needs to get stronger but flashed at times during 7-on-7, I'd have him behind Knox and Haselwood at this point in terms of the pecking order, but he's a legitimate talent.
- Not sure how much effort Ohio State is going to put into Brennan Eagles if they don't soon get a visit. Eagles has Ohio State in his top 10 but still hasn't visited and he's not at that point on the board like St. Brown where they'll wait forever. This is kind of reminding me of B.J. Foster right now.
- Said I would post kind of an interesting/funny story about silent commits. I was rounding up the five commits at the end of camp on Saturday and when I had them all gathered around, I said something to the effect of 'do we have everybody? I'm not forgetting anyone am I? Just five here right?'
They all looked puzzled and Teradja and Jaelen said 'I thought there was six' and I started going through the roster and couldn't find anyone. I asked if they were thinking of Emory who couldn't make it due to the ACT on Saturday and they said no. I then said to Teradja, 'you're probably thinking of someone here who has not made it public yet'.
And it just looked like the light bulb went on and he got a big smile like 'oh yeah, that's right.....'
So there's more coming folks.
More on a couple of Friday campers
Going to circle back this week on some of the underclassmen who camped at Ohio State on Friday, the more urgent stuff surrounds two class of 2018 guys, wide receiver Cameron Brown and defensive end Jayson Oweh.
Oweh is a take for the Buckeyes. There is just a fascination with his potential. It's hard to find guys at 6-foot-5, 240-pounds that can run around like Jayson can. One year of football means he's raw, but he also means that there aren't a ton of bad habits there either and you can kind of mold him the way you want to. Furthermore, a lot of the other linemen in the class are fairly college ready, guys like Brenton Cox and Taron Vincent, and with the depth at defensive end, there would be no reason to rush Oweh on the field. You can redshirt him and then spend a second-year still developing and then by year three you might have something special.
Oweh plans to take his time right now, though he did tell me on Friday that the Buckeyes have pushed ahead. Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame are the Big 3 right now and this will be a major battle into the fall most likely.
I think it was last week (it was very recent I know that) that I said people were trying to tell me five defensive linemen in this class and I scoffed at it, I'm really scoffing now after the Oweh developments. I think it will be six, especially if they get Oweh.
As for Brown, I only half believe his tweet that the Ohio State camp and offer didn't prompt the decommitment from Nebraska. I think it certainly contributed, even if indirectly in terms of helping expedite the severing of ties with Nebraska who I am sure was not thrilled at all to see one of their guys go on another visit, especially camping with an in-conference rival to earn an offer, that is kind of a kick in the stomach.
But this apparently WAS coming and I've really just put two and two together this weekend as Ohio State was really just out there on the perimeter lurking until Friday's offer. We stopped by Brown's school to talk to his teammate Kamryn Babb in May, just after he had committed to Nebraska.
While we were there, a coach asked us if we wanted to talk to Brown, which sort of caught me off guard since he had just committed to Nebraska. I said, 'should we?' sort of trying to gauge why we would need to talk to a kid who just committed to Nebraska and it was almost like that coach caught himself and thought, 'yeah this might be a bad idea to do this after just committing to Nebraska', so they never pulled him for us and we interviewed Babb and left. So things looked shaky from the jump there.
Now there is no question that Ohio State was really impressed on Friday. I'm told Brown catapulted into the upper tier of the receivers board. And there is no question that Brown is very high on Ohio State and that the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat with his teammate and close friend Babb.
But I don't think we're going to see an immediate flip this week or anything. I think Ohio State would love to let camp season play out with all of the big name guys they are hoping to get up here. If Brown forced the issue? I think they'd take him, but I don't think the push is going to happen yet, I think the first step was just getting him to back off the Nebraska pledge.
Meyer making the rounds
Urban Meyer has been all over the place this past week at satellite camps including one at Texas Southern this past Thursday, where Anthony Cook was working out. The most interesting thing about that, however, is that Tom Herman was also there and there was absolutely a tug-of-war going on over Anthony.
I talked to Anthony about it, mostly off-the-record, but he told me it was crazy seeing how aggressive both were in trying to see who could take up the most time with him.
The other thing I picked up from a different source was that Texas wasn't even supposed to be there initially. Herman found out Meyer was going to be there and at the last minute got his guys into the event so as to keep pace with Ohio State here and not let the Buckeyes get the upper hand.
The gloves are coming off on this one, folks. Now you guys know why I kind of laughed at the notion that because they are friends that they would back off of each other's guys out of respect on the recruiting trail. If anything, the familiarity and friendship there is going to add fuel to the fire. We're talking about two incredibly competitive individuals with a lot on the line.
Meyer also found himself in Florida on Saturday at FAU's satellite camp and the American Heritage crew was there, including three major targets for the Buckeyes in defensive backs Pat Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell and defensive tackle Nesta Silvera.
Meyer and Kerry Coombs were able to spend a lot of time with the group and I'm told that Campbell and Silvera were supposed to be at Miami earlier in the day but never made it. Surtain Jr. did make it to Miami, however, before heading over to FAU.
Silvera is saying the right things about Miami right now, but I continue to hear positive things for Ohio State privately. Nothing that would insinuate that it's done for the Buckeyes, but that Nesta is definitely listening. Ohio State also continues to make progress with Campbell. Again, Campbell is right at the very top of the Ohio State wish list, regardless of position. They're going as hard after him as anyone out there right now and I think it is working. Things sound much better for Ohio State today with Campbell than maybe 3-4 months ago.
More than a dozen Ohio State commits and key targets were in Indianapolis this weekend for the Five-Star Challenge. I'm going to go player-by-player for a quick synopsis on what I saw and what I'm hearing, starting with the commits.....
Brenton Cox - Camp Thoughts: Cox was definitely among the cream of the crop at the event. He has a great first step but he is also very fluid and he put that fluidity to use by showing off a pretty devastating inside move. Tyreke Smith won defensive line MVP but we were told that Brenton also received serious consideration.
Recruiting Intel: Brenton told me he is feeling good about his decision to commit to Ohio State and I think the Buckeyes are definitely the most likely scenario in terms of where he ultimately signs. I don't think they are one-hundred percent out of the woods just yet as a handful of teams are still coming after him and it is possible he makes a visit or two at some point. But there is no reason to be sounding the alarm at this point, he seems pretty solid.
Jaelen Gill - Camp Thoughts: Big-time performance from Jaelen. He has looked good at a few regional camps including the Ohio Rivals and Nike camps, but he took things to the next level on Saturday. He had a very impressive showing in 1-on-1's, and in 7-on-7 he was able to easily separate from linebackers, make defenders miss in open space, and made a couple of tremendous catches, including a touchdown in the back of the end zone where he had to tap his toes. He'll be a great weapon in the Ohio State offense with all of the things he can do. He is a highly confident guy right now and it is showing.
Recruiting Intel: It doesn't get any more solid than Gill's commitment. He has been leading the charge along with Emory Jones in recruiting other players to join them in Columbus.
Teradja Mitchell - Camp Thoughts: These spring and summer elite camps are not built for MIKE linebackers. They are asked to do the impossible by covering running backs in just about unlimited space in 1-on-1's. Only the Baron Browning's of the world typically excel and really stand out at these things, but Mitchell held his own this weekend. He did a good job taking away passing lanes in the 7-on-7 and was able to get his hands on a few passes during the tournament. Jaelen Gill got him in open space one time, but Teradja can get in line to be put on that list.
Recruiting intel: He's solid. Very solid.
Josh Proctor - Camp Thoughts: Proctor showed good range during the 7-on-7 event as his team fell to Jaelen Gill and Jaiden Woodbey's squad in the championship. I saw him snag at least one interception and his height and long arms help shrink the passing windows of opposing quarterbacks. Good effort for Proctor who I felt backed up his ranking as a borderline Top 100 guy.
Recruiting Intel: It is likely that Proctor will make an official visit to Oklahoma this fall but in talking to him and a few people who know him well, I don't think it's troublesome at this point. It will be interesting to see how the coaching transition goes at Oklahoma, but Proctor goes into that Brenton Cox category for me right now where I don't think Ohio State is one-hundred percent out of the woods, but I don't see reason for serious concern at this juncture either.
Jaiden Woodbey - Camp Thoughts: Woodbey had an excellent 7-on-7 tournament. He played both ways down the stretch and recorded an interception on defense a couple of touchdowns on offense. I would say he exceeded my expectations more than any of the commits.
Recruiting Intel: Jaiden said and did all of the right things all weekend. Throwing up O-H's in the background of my interviews with uncommitted guys, hanging out with all of the Ohio State commits, celebrating his big plays by yelling O-H, and decking himself out in Ohio State gear. I still feel this one will be a little stressful for Ohio State before it is all said and done, perhaps he is this year's Shaun Wade?
As for the uncommitted targets....
Jowon Briggs - Camp Thoughts: Briggs was a mixed bag in terms of success in 1-on-1's but it was a great experience for him to get in there against elite kids that are a year older than him and The Opening will also provide that for him in July. He still showed some tremendous raw power and was able to move a few of the guys he went against, but I think it opened his eyes to the importance of adding to his arsenal. He can't just throw the Trey Hill's of the world around like he can the guys at the regional camps. Still very high on Jowon moving forward and think he's very appropriately ranked as a Top 100 guy in the class.
Recruiting Intel: I've said it several times, Jowon is just a different kid. He's not out there calling coaches every day, he really just prefers to keep a low profile, work on his studies, football, and some of his other interests outside of athletics. But Kerry Coombs has got through to him pretty well so far and the Buckeyes are in a solid spot early along with Michigan and Notre Dame. He's going to expand his horizons and visit Alabama in July.
Anthony Cook - Camp Thoughts: Love his competitiveness and aggressiveness. St. Brown got him a few times, but one of those times Anthony showed excellent recovery speed and was able to get back in the play and make the deflection. I don't think he's Okudah, but he's very good and would certainly be a player to be very excited about.
Recruiting Intel: Continue to hear this is Ohio State vs. Texas for the most part and I like where Ohio State sits right now. I'll have more on Anthony in a different segment below.
Kalon Gervin - Camp Thoughts: Gervin has a turf toe injury and did not participate on Saturday.
Recruiting Intel: Gervin, despite the injury, is expected to show up at Ohio State on the 17th to work out for Coombs and he is expecting an offer. He released a top five today that did not include Ohio State but there is no question the Buckeyes would jump into that mix with an offer.
Jadon Haselwood - Camp Thoughts: Total freak show. He's not better than St. Brown today, but five years from now? It's possible. I think it will be tough to unseat him at the top of the 2019 WR rankings. He was conservatively a top 3 receiver there right now and has more potential than St. Brown and Kevin Austin because of his size and freakish athleticism.
Recruiting Intel: My obnoxiously early prediction is that he'll be UGA's Shaun Wade. He'll make other visits, he'll waver and waffle, he'll drive UGA fans nuts, and then he'll sign with Georgia. But Ohio State will never give up on this one and a visit this summer will be key.
Stephen Herron - Camp Thoughts: Herron had some great reps and he had some not so great reps. Like many of the young linemen at these things, he learned that some things don't work against older guys who are stronger and more experienced. But his good reps were REALLY good.
Recruiting Intel: He'll be back at Ohio State at some point this summer and while he'll be a kid who does a lot of research and puts a lot of thought into this, Ohio State will be right there when it's crunch time.
Trey Hill - Camp Thoughts: Monster. When he anchors, you aren't moving him. Stood up Jowon Briggs three times in a row and Briggs couldn't move, had to see it to believe it. Has to watch his weight a little bit, he has a very broad frame which helps him and he is incredibly strong, but has to maintain that quickness to combat interior pass rushers.
Recruiting Intel: Not happening for Ohio State. Probably going to UGA.
Kearis Jackson - Camp Thoughts: Jackson had one of the stronger builds among receivers at the camp, but kind of got overshadowed on a loaded White team that included Gill, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Trey Knox.
Recruiting Intel: Ohio State is in Jackson's top five, and I'm told the Buckeyes like him quite a bit. I'm also told it's unlikely that OSU will be able to pull him all the way to Columbus.
Trey Knox - Camp Thoughts: Knox had a very good day on Saturday and really knows how to use his big frame to shield defenders when he goes into those tough areas over the middle. He's a long strider and a huge receiver so he's not quite as sudden as some of the small guys but he still showed good explosiveness for such a big receiver.
Recruiting Intel: Watch this one closely. He visits again Tuesday.
Elijah Moore - Camp Thoughts: This is absolutely Moore's setting. He is a wonderful route runner and a very explosive athlete. But he also has a knack for finding soft spots over the middle and making tough catches in traffic. I think he's going to be a very, very good slot receiver in college and perhaps beyond.
Recruiting Intel: Things were nearly dead here with Moore and Ohio State this off-season but have picked back recently. He'll camp at Friday Night Lights and he'll need to be very, very good given the receivers board and fairly limited spots at the position given how well they sit with Blue Smith and Kamryn Babb.
Amon-Ra St. Brown - Camp Thoughts: St. Brown and Trevor Lawrence I thought were the two best players, regardless of position, during the 7-on-7 and St. Brown was pretty much unguardable. He is an elite route-runner with great strength and explosiveness and he makes tough catches look easy. He's the best receiver I've seen in the 2018 class and by a good bit.
Recruiting Intel: St. Brown told me it is probably unlikely that he visits Ohio State this summer but is strongly considering an official visit and has a lot of respect for the program. I don't see this happening for Ohio State, but he's one of those kids they'll chase because why not?
Tyreke Smith - Camp Thoughts: Tyreke continued his tremendous camp circuit by bringing home MVP. The weight he shed early this spring is paying major dividends as he just looks much quicker. But it continues to be his technique that impresses, the usage of his hands and the excellent swim move that he has developed.
Recruiting Intel: Ohio State is in great shape right now. The West Coast trip in July will be something to watch just to make sure the nostalgia of being back in California doesn't get to him, but the Buckeyes are a pretty big favorite.
Isaac Taylor-Stuart - Camp Thoughts: Five-star kid in my opinion. Great size but man can this kid run. Covers a ton of ground, just a big-time athlete.
Recruiting Intel: Long shot but Ohio State is trying. He has been talking to the coaches pretty regularly.
Michael Thompson - Camp Thoughts: Thompson got nicked up but had a solid morning of 1-on-1's. He's another big guy that needs to stay on his body and make sure he's not getting too big, but he's very quick at his size and has the physical tools you're looking for in a future 1-tech.
Recruiting Intel: Thompson will only listen to schools at this point who are recruiting him as a DT, which Ohio State now is. There are guys ahead of Thompson on the board now though and I think it would be a bit of a surprise if he ended up in Columbus.
Solomon Tuliaupupu - Camp Thoughts: Like most MIKE linebackers, this was a tough task for Solomon this weekend. He's a smaller framed and lighter kid than Teradja, but still, when you're asked to cover 50 yards by about 20 yards 1-on-1 against Jaelen Gill, it's not going to end well. I thought he was better in 7-on-7. Like Mitchell, he's an 11-on-11 guy, you take away what he does best in these settings.
Recruiting Intel: I think he genuinely really likes Ohio State and Bill Davis. This upcoming visit is much more about the family though. A lot of pressure to go to USC here so we'll see how things go on the 19th. If USC has another really good year, I think it's going to be a tough sell.
Rasheed Walker - Camp Thoughts: Great tackle frame/body and can deliver a strong punch. Wasn't dominant this weekend but thought he was very good.
Recruiting Intel: He swears he's not a slam dunk for Penn State. He swears Ohio State has a legitimate chance and that he'll make his third visit to Columbus this summer. But he spent the entire weekend with the PSU kids. Everytime I saw the PSU guys walking around the hotel Rasheed was with them.
Al'Vonte Woodard - Camp Thoughts: Was hoping for a little more out of Al'Vonte. He flashed at times but did not dominate the way St. Brown, Kevin Austin, and a few others did. Strong kid that can really run though, think he'll be a good one.
Recruiting Intel: Think he's leaning towards Texas right now pretty heavily. I also think (know) Ohio State has Babb at the top of the board so with Babb and Blue Smith, it becomes pretty tight. Don't see this being a match but I think you'll see them continue to recruit him just in case.
Extra notes from the Rivals Challenge
- Cross K.J. Henry off the list. Communication has really dropped off there with Ohio State and this just won't be a match. Clemson or Alabama for Henry seems likely.
- Rick Sandidge continues to list when Ohio State when prompted, but I'm also told this won't be a fit. A lot of guys higher on the board right now.
- Recently offered 2019 WR Theo Wease is an intriguing prospect. Definitley 6'2-6'3 and just has the look. Needs to get stronger but flashed at times during 7-on-7, I'd have him behind Knox and Haselwood at this point in terms of the pecking order, but he's a legitimate talent.
- Not sure how much effort Ohio State is going to put into Brennan Eagles if they don't soon get a visit. Eagles has Ohio State in his top 10 but still hasn't visited and he's not at that point on the board like St. Brown where they'll wait forever. This is kind of reminding me of B.J. Foster right now.
- Said I would post kind of an interesting/funny story about silent commits. I was rounding up the five commits at the end of camp on Saturday and when I had them all gathered around, I said something to the effect of 'do we have everybody? I'm not forgetting anyone am I? Just five here right?'
They all looked puzzled and Teradja and Jaelen said 'I thought there was six' and I started going through the roster and couldn't find anyone. I asked if they were thinking of Emory who couldn't make it due to the ACT on Saturday and they said no. I then said to Teradja, 'you're probably thinking of someone here who has not made it public yet'.
And it just looked like the light bulb went on and he got a big smile like 'oh yeah, that's right.....'
So there's more coming folks.
More on a couple of Friday campers
Going to circle back this week on some of the underclassmen who camped at Ohio State on Friday, the more urgent stuff surrounds two class of 2018 guys, wide receiver Cameron Brown and defensive end Jayson Oweh.
Oweh is a take for the Buckeyes. There is just a fascination with his potential. It's hard to find guys at 6-foot-5, 240-pounds that can run around like Jayson can. One year of football means he's raw, but he also means that there aren't a ton of bad habits there either and you can kind of mold him the way you want to. Furthermore, a lot of the other linemen in the class are fairly college ready, guys like Brenton Cox and Taron Vincent, and with the depth at defensive end, there would be no reason to rush Oweh on the field. You can redshirt him and then spend a second-year still developing and then by year three you might have something special.
Oweh plans to take his time right now, though he did tell me on Friday that the Buckeyes have pushed ahead. Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame are the Big 3 right now and this will be a major battle into the fall most likely.
I think it was last week (it was very recent I know that) that I said people were trying to tell me five defensive linemen in this class and I scoffed at it, I'm really scoffing now after the Oweh developments. I think it will be six, especially if they get Oweh.
As for Brown, I only half believe his tweet that the Ohio State camp and offer didn't prompt the decommitment from Nebraska. I think it certainly contributed, even if indirectly in terms of helping expedite the severing of ties with Nebraska who I am sure was not thrilled at all to see one of their guys go on another visit, especially camping with an in-conference rival to earn an offer, that is kind of a kick in the stomach.
But this apparently WAS coming and I've really just put two and two together this weekend as Ohio State was really just out there on the perimeter lurking until Friday's offer. We stopped by Brown's school to talk to his teammate Kamryn Babb in May, just after he had committed to Nebraska.
While we were there, a coach asked us if we wanted to talk to Brown, which sort of caught me off guard since he had just committed to Nebraska. I said, 'should we?' sort of trying to gauge why we would need to talk to a kid who just committed to Nebraska and it was almost like that coach caught himself and thought, 'yeah this might be a bad idea to do this after just committing to Nebraska', so they never pulled him for us and we interviewed Babb and left. So things looked shaky from the jump there.
Now there is no question that Ohio State was really impressed on Friday. I'm told Brown catapulted into the upper tier of the receivers board. And there is no question that Brown is very high on Ohio State and that the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat with his teammate and close friend Babb.
But I don't think we're going to see an immediate flip this week or anything. I think Ohio State would love to let camp season play out with all of the big name guys they are hoping to get up here. If Brown forced the issue? I think they'd take him, but I don't think the push is going to happen yet, I think the first step was just getting him to back off the Nebraska pledge.
Meyer making the rounds
Urban Meyer has been all over the place this past week at satellite camps including one at Texas Southern this past Thursday, where Anthony Cook was working out. The most interesting thing about that, however, is that Tom Herman was also there and there was absolutely a tug-of-war going on over Anthony.
I talked to Anthony about it, mostly off-the-record, but he told me it was crazy seeing how aggressive both were in trying to see who could take up the most time with him.
The other thing I picked up from a different source was that Texas wasn't even supposed to be there initially. Herman found out Meyer was going to be there and at the last minute got his guys into the event so as to keep pace with Ohio State here and not let the Buckeyes get the upper hand.
The gloves are coming off on this one, folks. Now you guys know why I kind of laughed at the notion that because they are friends that they would back off of each other's guys out of respect on the recruiting trail. If anything, the familiarity and friendship there is going to add fuel to the fire. We're talking about two incredibly competitive individuals with a lot on the line.
Meyer also found himself in Florida on Saturday at FAU's satellite camp and the American Heritage crew was there, including three major targets for the Buckeyes in defensive backs Pat Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell and defensive tackle Nesta Silvera.
Meyer and Kerry Coombs were able to spend a lot of time with the group and I'm told that Campbell and Silvera were supposed to be at Miami earlier in the day but never made it. Surtain Jr. did make it to Miami, however, before heading over to FAU.
Silvera is saying the right things about Miami right now, but I continue to hear positive things for Ohio State privately. Nothing that would insinuate that it's done for the Buckeyes, but that Nesta is definitely listening. Ohio State also continues to make progress with Campbell. Again, Campbell is right at the very top of the Ohio State wish list, regardless of position. They're going as hard after him as anyone out there right now and I think it is working. Things sound much better for Ohio State today with Campbell than maybe 3-4 months ago.
