The Hurry-Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio soccer recruitment path that keeps you up to date with the latest commits and goals information from across the country.
Turn another DB around and continue the Georgia pipeline
By officially receiving the flip from cornerback Jordan Hancock of Clemson on Sunday, the Buckeyes have achieved another theft of a defensive recruit (and essentially made up for the loss of Devonta Smith’s flip to Alabama).
Ryan Watts’ Flip recently came from Oklahoma in class 2020. Then Jantzen Dunns Flip from Oklahoma came in class 2021 in this wild one-hour period in April. And now they did a giant flip by stealing Clemson Hancock.
With Kerry Coombs in the picture again, it really feels like the Buckeyes want a defensive back, especially a corner kick, they’ll get it. This happens when you helped place seven cornerbacks in the first round of the NFL draft, with another (Shaun Wade) heading in that direction soon enough.
And as for Coombs, who was instrumental in the Hancock flip, he’s now number 2 in the 247Sports recruitment rankings for the 2021 class. He is credited with six recruits with an average player rating of 93.60 points, although Jaylen Johnson owns more to Al Washington, the assistant who recruited Johnson before Coombs returned to Columbus.
Tony Alford ranks 3rd on this list and Brian Hartline ranks 9th after finishing first in 2020. Landing Emeka Egbuka would likely put Hartline in the top five for the second consecutive cycle. Larry Johnson (12) and Washington (19) are also among the top 20 recruiters in the 2021 class.
The Buckeyes now have 12 top 100 prospects from a total of 19 commits. This can assert itself against the other top recruitment classes for 2021:
1. Ohio State (12)
2nd Clemson (7)
3rd Alabama (6)
4th LSU (5)
5. Oklahoma (4)
5. Oregon (4)
7. Georgia (3)
7. North Carolina (3)
7. Texas (3)
Here’s a snapshot of the 247 composite team leaderboard that shows how great this Ohio State class is developing. pic.twitter.com/OxS1xqSN62
– Elf Warriors (@ 11W) July 19, 2020
If the Buckeyes could land their last four top priority goals in JT Tuimoloau (2), Egbuka (8), Derrick Davis Jr. (53) and Tywone Malone (54) – that’s a daunting task, of course – they would have owned 12 commits currently in the top 55. And that does not include Tristan Leigh (12), who, after JC Latham’s involvement in Alabama, has become her top target for non-binding offensive lines.
As for the Buckeyes’ position in their defensive recruitment, the coaching staff has already fulfilled their current commitments to let them know that their position in the class has not changed due to Hancock’s commitment. There is an outside opportunity that could change if Davis commits because we have been told several times that the Buckeyes want to use him as security and not as an external linebacker.
But at the moment, every defender’s engagement is solid and we don’t expect them to be courted by the places of other competing schools, that the state of Ohio has too many defenders in the class.
Coach Day now … pic.twitter.com/d2QMD3tsEO
– TreVeyon Henderson (@ TreVeyonH4), July 19, 2020
Some other facts about Hancock’s commitment, courtesy of Eleven warriorsMatt Gutridge:
It helps the Buckeyes to continue their Georgia pipeline as Hancock is the first state player to commit to the 2021 Buckeyes class, and now the third player from Suwanee to commit to the state of Ohio, along with Cameron Heyward and Bradley Roby.
Hancock will be the 38th Peach State player to join a Ohio State squad. The 2020 list includes Justin Fields, Harry Miller, Steele Chambers, Antwuan Jackson and Trey Sermon.
Thanks to Hancock’s commitment, the Buckeyes are already the 12th-highest class compared to classes that have been number 1 in the country since 2001.
Mirco is now a three-star hotel, Adeleye can earn the fifth star again
In both the 2021 and 2022 classes, there were changes to the leaderboard this week, including the debut of the 2022 composite leaderboard, in which the state of Ohio debuts at number 2 as a class with three top 150 commits.
While there were no major updates for 2021 commits or goals, one we didn’t mention was Punter Jesse Mirco.
Mirco now has a star rating because he is listed as a three-star prospect at number 1,868 overall, third at Punter and second in Australia. He is just behind West Bloomfield (Mich.) Punter and Wolverines sign Tommy Doman and ProKick Australia Punter and Texas sign Isaac Pearson on position. Pearson is the only Australian before Mirco. (All top Australian players in the leaderboard are players committed to Division I programs.)
Also keep an eye out for Buckeye’s defensive end, and commit Tunmise Adeleye to become a five-star perspective. With Tony Grimes, who is to be removed from the 2021 ranking with his reclassification into the 2020 class, the Adeleye is in 31st place in the row to get into the top 30 and get the coveted fifth star. Adeleye was a five-star prospect until a slight decline in February. That would give Ohio State five 2021 commits classified as five-star prospects.
Clemons watches a 4.37
Oregon four-star recipient Darrius Clemons is a player the state of Ohio has been interested in for some time, although he hasn’t received a Buckeyes offer yet and it doesn’t look like an offer is imminent.
But the 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver remains a top 150 frontier worker who deserves to keep an eye on the future, even after performing at the MVP Combine in Oregon. Clemons was clocked in the laser-controlled 40-yard dash at a time of 4.37 seconds.
hard work pays off https://t.co/blDTJ8EOLw
– Darrius Clemons (@DarriusClemons), July 19, 2020
This speed and overall performance at the camp were good enough for Clemons, Oregon’s top-ranked player in 2022, to spark interest in both Alabama and Clemson as the two programs are expected to call the top 20 receiver at some point in the future this week.
Clemons has 20 listings, including from Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and Stanford.
Top photo: Jordan Hancock (Rusty Mansell / 247Sports)
