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Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 5/31 - Marcelys Jones, Will Dawkins latest

Rumors of Marcelys Jones visiting elsewhere squashed, '14 WR Will Dawkins names Ohio State his leader, and Mike Gesicki includes Ohio State in his top four. Also, Demarre Kitt commits to Clemson and a '14 shooting guard includes Thad Matta's squad in his top five.

By zrc11
Recent Buckeye offer-holder, '14 WR Will Dawkins, names Ohio State his current leader
Recent Buckeye offer-holder, '14 WR Will Dawkins, names Ohio State his current leader

In a quiet recruiting Thursday with no Buckeye scholarship offers issued, the Twitter world was abuzz for quite some time with rumors of the first pledge of Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class, offensive lineman Marcelys Jones, scheduling a visit to Kentucky on June 11th. As word spread like wildfire, I, as well as others, quickly caught up with Marcelys to follow up on the rumors. He seemed quite confused when asked about his Kentucky visit plans, and set the record straight:

Marcelys' response of, "What would I go down there for?" should clear up any confusion for Buckeyes fans following Marcelys' ongoing recruitment. As we've seen with our very own Urban Meyer, relentless is the name of the game, and y'all can rest assured that big Marcelys will be receiving plenty of non-Ohio State attention up until Signing Day '14. Noting this and recognizing his current commitment to Ohio State, we must also recognize the importance of the college decision for these high school athletes and wish them well in whatever decision they finally make. As Buckeye quarterback target Brandon Harris put it best in a tweet earlier this week, athletes are going to "make decisions and change their minds."

Despite the turnaround from troubling to positive Marcelys Jones news for Ohio State fans, Demarre Kitt officially ended his recruitment and announced his decision to play at Clemson. It was well noted that Ohio State was very fond of Kitt, but as nearly all analysts wound up predicting, Kitt was ultimately more fond of the Tigers than the Buckeyes. Looking on the bright side, Kitt's decision allows for the staff to narrow their search for wide receivers in the 2014 class. As the LGHL staff keeps you informed of daily, new names pop up left and right, most with legitimate shots of ending up Buckeyes.

One name to now keep a closer eye on is '14 wide receiver Trevion Thompson. Thompson has been unanimously predicted by 247Sports' Crystal Bal partipants to choose Clemson, but one can only wonder how Kitt's decision may affect Thompson's. Both are very similarly ranked by 247Sports' Composite Rankings, with Thompson coming in as the 81st best overall prospect, the 10th best wide receiver and the 4th best player from North Carolina in the 2014 class. Missing out on Kitt and snagging Thompson certainly would instill some Buckeye fan confidence at the wide receiver position in the 2014 class.

Three 2014 prospects, two on the gridiron, the other on the hardwood, issued statements regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes and their standing in their choice of colleges. Will Dawkins, wide receiver from Vero Beach, FL, spoke with Scout's Jamie Newberg about his recruitment, visit plans and exactly how his Ohio State offer came about ($). In Newberg's update, Dawkins stated, "right now Ohio State is my No. 1. I will probably go see them this summer." From the horse's mouth, Will Dawkins named Ohio State the current leader for his services. According to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Dawkins checks in as the 689th best overall prospect, the 90th best wide receiver and the 102nd best player from Florida in the 2014 class. As Dawkins' recruitment progresses, we'll see how his recruiting assesments fluctuate as well as if Ohio State remains his leader and ultimately college choice. Gauge your excitement on the news from Dawkins yourself after watching his highlight tape here:

Mike Gesicki, a name probably more familiar to the Buckeye faithful, issued his top four schools last night. Wisconsin, Rutgers, Penn State and Ohio State made the cut for Gesicki. Despite not yet receiving a scholarship offer from Ohio State, Gesicki is clearly seriously interested. Post-Ohio State visit back in March, Gesicki had some strong words about his visit, saying that for Urban Meyer to tell him that he has "so much potential" and "a lot of football to be played in his life" and he wants it to "continue at Ohio State" was "unbelievable." After eliminating Notre Dame with this last cut, Ohio State is the only school he is now considering who has not yet offered. To me, that speaks volumes and points to the fact that he is strongly, strongly considering choosing Ohio State if offered.

Lastly, 2014 shooting guard L.J. Peak named his top five schools. Fittingly, Ohio State was included. The four-star prospect named South Carolina, Georgetown, Ohio State, Connecticut and Florida State as his top five. However Buckeye nation, caution your optimism, as all analysts on 247Sports' Crystal Ball have predicted Peak to South Carolina. Only time will tell is Thad Matta can work his magic and sway the stud prospect to choose the Bucks in the end.

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