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Yesterday, we mentioned that Mike Gesicki would be visiting Ohio State this week. That day comes today as the under-the-radar New Jersey-based tight end makes the trek to Columbus. Our own Charles Doss spoke briefly with Gesicki Tuesday evening and confirmed not just how excited he was to see what C-bus has to offer, but also about checking out campus and meeting with the coaches he's been corresponding with. An offer isn't completely of the question, either.
So just who is Gesicki? An understated (to say the least) tight end from Manahawkin, New Jersey. The Southern Regional High School attendee measures in at about 6'5" and currently plays wide receiver but with a frame optimized for adding bulk, many project him to tight end at the next level. He's already attended Notre Dame and Maryland's Junior Days and also taken unofficial visits to both Penn State and Wisconsin.
He's gotten offers from the likes of Temple, Rutgers, Boston College, and future FBS program, Old Dominion, but with Ohio State and now Michigan expressing interest, it seems to be only a matter of a time before all the major services revisit their standings on him. Many haven't so much as rated him, while both Scout and Rivals have him pegged as just a 3-star... for now.
If your mind still isn't made up on his potential, freshman Buckeye defensive back Eli Apple has a rather first hand (the two played in high school this past December) account of just how good he is:
"@derek11w: WR Mike Gesicki says he will be visiting #OhioState Thursday. He's receiving a lot more attention from the staff."#baller
— Eli Apple (@EliApple_9) March 26, 2013
Speaking of New Jersey, Ohio State target 5-star DB Jabrill Peppers announced Wednesday he'll be playing in the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game:
@bigguyoncampus7 & myself have decided.. & we are going to play in the Under Armour All-American Game!!!! #ImGoingToDisneyLand
— Breezy (@JabrillPeppers) March 27, 2013
While some think Peppers ends up at Stanford when everything's said and done, a number experts also suspect the Buckeyes are the favorite to land his services. We might find out sooner rather than later with he taking a vist to Columbus the weekend of April 5th.
Our frenemies at Maize 'n Brew profiled Peppers Tuesday and had the following to say about his upside:
He might be the fastest corner in his class, constantly closing on receivers as the ball arrives. He flashes above average hands and ball skills and can rise high enough to make a play on any ball around 11 feet in the air, which is pretty impressive. He runs mostly man coverage and will need time to learn more complex zone systems at the next level. Tackling isn't a problem for him, breaking down in the open field and smashing kids down when he gets the chance. His strength is far too much for the average ball carrier to handle, and he's too fast for anyone to outrun him.
Joining him (both in the Under Armour game and in heading to C-bus) will be the mentioned above Juwann Bushell-Beatty. Bushell-Beatty is a 3-star composite rated tackle who's gotten offers from Tennessee and Miami in the last week. The high school teammate of Peppers is expected to join him visiting Michigan just days before the duo comes to Columbus. Could they be another package deal in the mold of Demetrius Knox and Daniel Gresham?
All in all, you better mark the weekend of April 5th in iCal as a recruiting weekend to keep an eye on. Besides the New Jersey duo, the likes of Sam Mustipher (who we've written about with regularity lately), Jermaine Eluemunor, and Dallis Todd amongst others will all be on campus. Could be another big one for the Buckeyes.