The Hurry-Up is your nightly dose of updates from the Ohio State Soccer Recruitment Route, featuring the latest in stakes and targets from across the country.
Quiet period coming?
We come with a whole calendar year since recruits could make official or unofficial visits to schools. (Not the self-guided tours, or whatever you want to put it, that players like Raessie Davis, Zen Michalski and other recruits went to visit the Ohio State.)
The current NCAA death toll lasts until April 15, but there may be important news on the way regarding the recruiting calendar.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported via Twitter this week that NCAA executives are being recommended to start a quiet period starting after the April 15 date. This quiet period would last from April 16 to June 30, which would be a major game changer to get things back on track in the recruiting world.
We will soon have to see an update at the end of the NCAA’s recruiting period, which is scheduled for April 15. A note sent to administrators obtained by @YahooSports indicates a recommendation for a quiet period – “depending on medical guidance” – in all sports 16 April – 30 June
– Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) 27 January 2021
As Thamel noted, visits to campus were allowed during a quiet period – and interactions with university coaches on campus – face-to-face.
With how well the state of Ohio is performing in recruiting personal interactions, it may be a time – once the news is official – that the Buckeyes will gain some momentum on the recruiting route this spring and summer.
This is also welcome news for five-star defending Washington, JT Tuimoloau and his camp. Tuimoloau’s father told 247Sports this week that he will wait until ‘at least April’ to make a college commitment because he wants the opportunity to make visits.
It is possible that Tuimoloau is waiting even longer to make visits and interact with the coaches in Alabama, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and USC, his last five schools. That could give each of the programs (especially the state of Ohio and Alabama, the two supposed favorites) some time to give their final push to the country’s No. 3 overall player in the 2021 class.
Buckeyes pick up PWO
The state of Ohio landed a #BOOM on Thursday night, albeit from the smaller stage.
Cayden Saunders, a 5-foot-10 rugby player from Northville High School (Michigan), has announced that he has accepted an academic scholarship to the state of Ohio and that he will join the Buckeyes’ soccer program as a preferred study. .
As Dan noted, Saunders’ father previously played for Ohio State and is an agent for one of Ryan Day’s former fullbacks:
The state of Ohio has a preferential commitment from Cayden Saunders, whose father Cedric Saunders also played for the Buckeyes and is now one of Dwayne Haskins’ agents. Saunders, a fullback / cornerback from Northville, Michigan, received an academic scholarship to the state of Ohio. https://t.co/NZIdvaRlOD
– Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) 29 January 2021
Pretty sure the Buckeyes had a success story with a previous walk-on with that of Saunders.
Dunn’s fourth star
Security entrepreneur Jantzen Dunn finally got a well-deserved boost on his rankings this week.
Dunn, who is arguably the most underrated yard in the Buckeyes’ 2021 cycle and one of the most underrated in the entire country, is ultimately his fourth star by Rivals.
Ya thx competitors ….
– Jantzen Dunn (@JantzenDunn) 27 January 2021
It took a long time for Dunn. He is overall number 146 and number 7 on safety on 247Sports’ rankings, but Rivals has him in 26th place among safety directions.
There was a bit of frustration from Dunn’s camp for a while that Rivals didn’t rate him that high, but eventually he got his right. And that led to his good reaction on Twitter when he heard the news.
Burton still solid
We touched on it a few weeks ago, but there’s a triple-down of one of the Buckeyes’ best recruits in the 2022 class.
Five-star receiver Caleb Burton, who has been linked with the state of Ohio since Nov. 23, made it clear in mid-January that he was “going nowhere.”
This week, Burton told recruiter analyst CJ Vogel that he is still locked up with the Buckeyes, despite Steve Sarkisian becoming Texas’ head coach and that his relationship with Brian Hartline remains as striking as ever.
The no. 1 WR in the country for 2022, Caleb Burton (@calebburtoniii) remains very firm with its promise to the state of Ohio.
Say the relationship between him and tOSU WR coach Brian Hartline is very strong. # GoBucks pic.twitter.com/pV092JEHkZ
– CJ Vogel (@ cjvogel3) 28 January 2021
Stockton chooses Bulldogs
One of the former top quarterback targets in the state of Ohio in the 2022 class is not in the market. Again.
Georgia five-star full-back Gunner Stockton, who committed himself to South Carolina in August before making the commitment two weeks ago, has announced his commitment to his home country Bulldogs.
COMPULSORY GO DAWGS@KirbySmartUGA @Buster_Faulkner @CoachToddMonken @ Mansell247 @DieSkoon pic.twitter.com/x2gVPYcbmk
– Gunner Stockton (@GunnerStockton) 28 January 2021
Stockton is the number 27 overall player and number 1 double threat in the country from Rabun County High School in Peach State.
OSU connects the name All-Americans
Five Ohio State commitments in the 2022 class were named All-Americans this week, as Quinn Ewers, Jaheim Singletary, CJ Hicks, Gabe Powers and Dasan McCullough were each named Junior All-Americans by MaxPreps.
Singletary was named a defensive All-American from the first team, while Ewers, Hicks, Powers and McCullough all selected the second team.
Other Buckeye targets who made the list include cornerbacks Denver Harris and Will Johnson and defensive line Caden Curry.