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'13 RB/ATH Ezekiel Elliott signed his national letter of intent on National Signing Day 2013 this past February. While some fans were a tad worried about whether or not he would flip to Missouri was quickly replaced with excitement and anticipation as to what the 4-star could bring to the table. Now only a few short months away from football season, Elliott is proving his top-notch talent on another platform: track and field.
The Missouri State Track and Field Championship took place on Saturday, and the future Buckeye showed off his world class speed by winning four events: The 100m dash (11.03 seconds), the 200m dash (22.25), the 110m hurdles (13.87) and the 300m hurdles (39.01). There couldn't be any other way to end Elliott's high school career then to go out on top in those four events. Four golds awaited Elliott at the end of the day, something that he will surely cherish. The next time we see Elliott will be this fall, when he lines up in the Buckeye uniform. Check out his 110m hurdles here:
One of the biggest names in the class of 2014 is '14 LB Raekwon McMillan. We've continued to follow McMillan's recruitment throughout his entire time spent talking with Ohio State as Coach Meyer and his staff try to entice McMillan to pull the trigger on making a verbal to the Buckeyes. Even with the recent commitment of '14 LB Dante Booker, there will always be room waiting for someone like McMillan in any class, let alone Ohio State. Now, the 5-star and number one ranked linebacker in the country has recently been named Defensive Player of the Year in Region 3-AAAA. From the article announcing the selection:
McMillan has offers from all of the top Division I schools, including Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and South Carolina. This season, he recorded 151 tackles with seven sacks, one INT, five forced fumbles and a fumble returned for a TD. He also ran for 316 yards (6.45 yards per carry) and scored nine rushing TDs. He played in the third annual AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31 and was named by USA Today as a second-team All-USA selection.
"Raekwon keeps improving physically, and he is getting better in the mental game by leaps and bounds. He became the quarterback of our defense this year - he knows where everyone should be. He works hard in the weight room. You just can't keep him out of there. We were blessed to have Shadrach (Thornton, now at N.C. State) the last few years, and Raekwon has taken the torch from him. He's become our leader." - Raekwon McMillan's head coach.
You also undoubtedly heard about the commitment of Jabrill Peppers, the 5-star defensive back who most likely projects to cornerback at the next level. Though May recruiting national titles aren't entirely dissimilar to September Heismans or November national championships, his commitment moves Michigan to the top of the 247Composite team rankings. And the thing about Michigan's class, is that even if they go on autopilot from here until February, if they just hold the core of what they're already got in place, they're going to wind up in the Top 5-to-Top 10 just about no matter what. Good for the rivalry, if nothing else. Also, check out how Peppers announced (though it was spoiled on Twitter first, as is customary these days). Credit where credit's due, it's certainly unique:
Finally, '14 RB Jonathan Haden, who attends school in Washington, D.C., and whose three older brothers all played college football (including Joe Haden, the current cornerback for the Cleveland Browns), committed to the Arizona Wildcats on Friday night, according to reports. Haden, a 3-star recruit from Friendship Collegiate Academy, held numerous BCS scholarship offers, including Ohio State, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina State. In 2012, Haden rushed for 977 yards on 115 carries as a sophomore in his only year played at Friendship Collegiate Academy. While the Buckeyes had shown some mild interest in Haden, it appears he could be out of the sights for the Ohio State coaching staff.