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Over the weekend, Urban Meyer and the Ohio State coaching staff played host to a few talented recruits. One of those prospects to visit was 2014 Lima Central Catholic defensive back Darius West. The 6-0 195 pound West, who has already made the short trip down to Columbus a few times told Land-Grant Holy Land, "the visit was a lot of fun." Even though Darius is no stranger to the program and has watched the Buckeyes beat Michigan in the 'Shoe, this visit definitely had its highlights, West had the opportunity to sit in during position meetings and talk with the coaching staff.
His day on campus didn't stop there; West took in a spring practice Saturday and liked what he saw out of the staff. He also told us he really enjoyed seeing the staff fly around the field as well as having the chance to watch how the position coaches coach. Darius even got to meet a couple of the other top prospects the Buckeye state has to offer in Ohio State commit Kyle Trout and Cincinnati LaSalle wide receiver Derek Kief.
West, had an impressive junior campaign where he finished with 47 tackles and 5 interceptions. His hard work didn't go unnoticed teams such as Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Purdue and West Virginia are just some of the schools that have offered full ride scholarships to West. Even though the Bucks have yet to issue an offer themselves, they continue to show increased interest. He also told us,"the coaches said they wanted to see a track meet and come see me at school. I feel like an offer could be coming soon." See what Darius could bring to the Buckeyes in these highlights.
The Ohio State recruiting express didn't stop Saturday; Monday started off an important week in Ohio State football recruiting with one of the nations top linebackers kicking things off. Five star Georgia native Raekwon McMillan started his three day visit Monday. 247Sports rates McMillan as the 19th prospect in the nation the #1 inside linebacker in the nation and the second best player the peach state has to offer. The Buckeyes, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Southern Cal seem to be the teams at the top of the lengthy list of schools after the talented McMillan, who had close to 100 tackles and five forced fumbles for his Liberty County squad last season. Fellow Georgia native Myles Autry, a four star running back had previously stated he would join McMillan on the trip but it seems the 5-10 175 pound speedster had to cancel. As for McMillan:
At O-State coolen
— Raekwon McMillan™ (@Kwon_daTRUTH) April 1, 2013
After the Buckeyes recently had Virginia quarterback Caleb Henderson on campus, the Buckeyes will host another signal caller this week. Delaware dual threat quarterback Darius Wade told me he is in contact with Coach Herman the most amongst Ohio State's recruiters and is really looking forward to checking out the facilities while he is in town. The 6-2 190 pound Wade, who is sporting offers from Boston College, Nebraska and Syracuse to name a few, would like to meet with academic support while on campus and try to get a feel where he stands with the Buckeye coaching staff. With Wade having had an impressive junior season in which he accounted for nearly 3000 total yards from scrimmage, it was only a matter of time before the big boys came calling.
Check out what Wade prospectively brings to the table for the Buckeyes:
As many of you well know, the Buckeyes have a hard and fast need when it comes to the punter position. Another one of the many talented recruits to visit this coming weekend is North Carolina punter Corbin Daly. While Daly wouldn't be able to help this coming fall, the 6-1 185 pound Daly told Land-Grant Holy Land that he is in contact with Mark Pantoni and is looking forward to watching practice and checking out the campus. Like Darius Wade, Daly would like to see what the Buckeyes have to offer off the field, stating he would like to check out the Fisher College of Business since that is what he plans to major in. Even though Daly doesn't have an OSU offer yet, that doesn't mean he won't soon. Schools such as Alabama, Duke, North Carolina, NC State and LSU are just a few of the other programs showing interest in the talented punter who averages well over 40 yards a boot.
Stud New Jersey running back Jonathan Hilliman announced his top ten on Monday afternoon. The 6-1 210 pound Hilliman is down to (in order) the Buckeyes, Michigan, Alabama, Rutgers, Stanford, Georgia, Oregon, Boston College, Arkansas and Vanderbilt. No wonder why so many of the nations top programs are after Hilliman; the talented back rushed for 1400 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for St. Peter's Prep. Hilliman had the following to say when a Buckeye fan asked him what made him put the good guys on top:
@ohio_statement Urban Meyer came to my school to personally tell me how important I was to OSU!! Gets no better than that man !!!
— J B O O G I E™ (@Thrilliman23) April 1, 2013
The Buckeyes have offered a pair of talented defensive backs the last few days in Oklahoma safety Steven Parker and Tennessee corner Rico McGraw. Parker is a 6-2 175 pound ball hawk who has programs such as home state schools Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and out of staters Texas A&M, Alabama and Arizona State all after him for his talents. McGraw is a 6-0, 180 lb shut down corner who has scholarships from Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and most of the other top southern schools.
Got the Ohio State offer! 🏈😎🙏
— Rico McGraw (@LoveHateRico) April 2, 2013
In Buckeye basketball news, 2014 Georgia guard Keith Pinckney told me he has been in contact with Dave Dickerson recently. The 6-1 170 pound point guard told me when it comes to Ohio State, he thinks of a tough, big time basketball program. The Bucks aren't the only team showing interest in the Miller Grove baller; Miami, Xavier (both have offered), Georgia Tech and Clemson are just a few of the teams eyeing Pinckney who averaged over 14 points and five assists a game last season.