Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 5/3 - Brandon Harris, Zack Darlington offered

Just a day after surprisingly offering a quarterback not named Deshaun Watson, the Ohio State staff increased the number of '14 quarterbacks holding scholarship offers to four. As of today, Kyle Allen, Brandon Harris, and Zack Darlington have all received offers from the Buckeyes. Each holding a different skill set of their own, one can only wonder who will be the first to pull the trigger and commit, all the while altering the future of Ohio State's offense tremendously.

Yesterday, Buckeye fans were overjoyed to hear that dual-threat quarterback Brandon Harris had been issued his long-awaited offer. It is somewhat common belief among fans and analysts alike that Harris most fits the mold of a quarterback to replace the roles of J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller in Ohio State's offense in the coming years. We detailed Kyle Allen's game extensively yesterday, and Harris has quite a different scouting review. Harris is said to be a "projected spread quarterback" who has the "athleticism to make off-schedule plays in the run game, as well as execute traditional plays in the quarterback run game," according SB Nation Recruiting's scouting report. Regarding athleticism and running ability, no such statements have been made about Kyle Allen, that's for sure.

Despite this positive news, the Buckeyes were not the only ones to sneak in an offer to Harris before his July 5th scheduled decision date. Auburn, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State all mirrored the Buckeyes and offered Harris a scholarship yesterday as well. Quite a day for the young man, as an offer from the Buckeyes and three other SEC teams in one day is nearly unheard of. Scout Harris for yourself here:

While Harris may hold the most athletic ability of the most recently offered quarterbacks, Zack Darlington may be the most competitive, an attribute held in high regard by Urban Meyer and the Ohio State staff. In fact, Darlington told ESPN's Brad Bournival that Meyer told him on the phone that he "reminded him a lot of Tim Tebow in his will to win and be the best" ($). While we may constantly hear comparisons of prospects to players that Meyer has coached in the past like Aaron Hernandez or Percy Harvin, it is certainly rare for Meyer to compare a prospect's competitiveness to someone like Tim Tebow's. Darlington has impressed opposing players throughout his high school career, and that includes the best 2015 prospect in the Sunshine State, Jacques Patrick. Patrick, who plans on visiting Columbus this summer, tweeted his approval after discovering Ohio State's offering of Darlington:

@birm11w Played against him the boy is the truth !

— The Jacques Patrick™ (@jacques_patrick) May 2, 2013

You heard the nickname here first, Zach "The Truth" Darlington could very well be the Buckeyes' quarterback of the future. And While Darlington was all but ready to camp at Ohio State to earn a Buckeye offer, he impressed Tom Herman enough to immediately earn an offer. Aside from Darlington's aforementioned elite competitive nature, he also has some wheels on him. He has been clocked at a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, a time surely suitable for success in any facet of Meyer's offensive scheme deemed needed. Harris and Darlington seems to hold the Buckeyes in highest regard right now, but Kyle Allen, Brandon Harris, Zack Darlington, and Deshaun Watson (extremely unlikely) are all on the clock to commit. Compare your thoughts on Harris' highlight tape with Darlington's here:

Late Thursday, the Buckeyes went ahead and handed out one more offer, for good measure. 2015 OL Matthew Burrell took the honors, setting the stage for a potentially awfully bright future for Ed Warinner and company. The 6-5 265 pound Burrell, who hails from Fredericksburg, VA (about an hour and change south of our nation's capital), also received offers Thursday from Gary Andersen and Wisconsin and two time defending national champions Alabama. There's a long way to go between now and National Signing Day 2015, but he certainly merits keeping an eye on.

The last major news of Thursday concerns a member of the '15 recruiting class, defensive tackle Tim Settle. Joining the likes of Alabama, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and others, Ohio State has offered the 6-2, 295 monster from Manassas, Virginia. Our own Charles Doss caught up with Settle after hearing of the Buckeye offer, and Settle told him this:

"Coach [Mike] Vrabel called my coach, and I'm very excited. Ohio State is a great program."

It is very, very early in the recruiting proces for all these '15 prospects, but we'll keep you update regarding their recruitment and any additional offers they receive.

QUICK HITS:

• '14 Peachtree Ridge (GA) OL Orlando "Zeus" Brown officially committed to Tennessee. Brown had previously been a Buckeye target.
• The Ohio State staff stopped at Friendship Collegiate Academy (DC). FCA is the home of Jonathan Haden, Jalen Tabor, and others.
• Tim Hinton stopped at Ponte Vedra High School (FL), home of '14 LB Dillon Bates. Bates told me that he spoke with Hinton "all about recruiting and where things stand with him."
• Ohio State has reportedly been showing interest in '15 PG Corey Sanders.
• The Ohio State staff checked in on 3-star DT Kayton Samuels from Georgia.
• Former Buckeye commit and 4-star DE Lawrence Marshall announces his top five schools today.