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Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 8/9 - Jalyn Holmes, Raekwon McMillan updates

A pair of Ohio State commits talk with LGHL about visiting campus, while one major target continues to plot his future.

By Andrew Lind

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With the 2013 college football season on the horizon, many of the top recruits on Ohio State’s radar are set to take their official visits. Two 2014 commits, and one big target, announced their intentions on Thursday.

Lake Taylor (Norfolk, VA) running back Jalyn Holmes told Land-Grant Holy Land that he will probably be coming to Columbus on September 28th, when Ohio State plays host to Wisconsin at night. Holmes, a 6-5, 225 pound defensive end, committed to play for the Buckeyes back in June after an unofficial visit.

Another soon-to-be classmate of Holmes’, quarterback Stephen Collier, told Land-Grant Holy Land that he’ll "be at the Wisconsin game for an unofficial visit, and I’ll be taking my official sometime in December." Nothing like a night game in the Horseshoe to leave a lasting impact on two of your commits.

One target to keep an eye on over the next few weeks is linebacker Raekwon McMillan. The last time we caught up with McMillan, the top ranked inside linebacker in the 2014 class, he reassured Land-Grant Holy Land that Ohio State was his leader.

McMillan announced his top 6 schools via Twitter on Thursday.

McMillan went even further, announcing when he would visit each school ($). Just as head coach Urban Meyer wanted, he has another chance to showcase his team to a recruit during a potentially high profile game in Ohio Stadium.

The biggest competition to the Buckeyes for McMillan’s services may come from "Death Valley", South Carolina. McMillan is scheduled to attend Clemson’s highly touted matchup with Georgia on August 31st.

Few atmospheres in college football rival a night game in Death Valley, whether it’s LSU’s or Clemson’s, and with College GameDay on hand, McMillan will see all that the Tigers have to offer.

Another target from the state of Georgia is running back Myles Autry, who has previously said that Ohio State is his dream school. The Norcross native trimmed his list to three on Thursday, mentioning Ohio State, along with Georgia Tech and Florida State.

Autry has connections to Georgia Tech, where his brother is competing for a job at wide receiver, but it is said to play no role in where the younger Autry commits.

The most imminent commitment has been rumored to be coming from Pope John XXIII (Sparta, NJ) athlete Noah Brown, who said that Ohio State was his leader following his visit to Columbus on July 24th.

Although he said the Buckeyes were his favorites, expect Brown to take some time before he decides what school he will attend for the next three to five year. Brown recently told Eleven Warriors that he’s not sure when he is going to decide:

"I’m going to take some more visits first. It felt like I was rushing a bit and the process was taking a hold of me instead of me having full control of my recruitment."

Brown and a couple teammates visited Rutgers for the second time in three days on Thursday.

At this point, it is unclear whether the Scarlet Knights have made an impression on Brown strong enough to cause him to change course and give them his pledge or if he’s just along for the ride with a few teammates and gathering info.

One surprise in the 2015 class could come in the form of Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson.

It isn’t clear why Jefferson needs to get in contact with Meyer or Tom Herman, who is actively recruiting the linebacker from Mesquite, but as the process stretches on, we should get a clearer picture on just how interested the Ohio State cocahes really are.

One 2014 recruit who will become a fan favorite during his tenure in scarlet and gray will be Archbishop Moeller’s Sam Hubbard. The 6’6", 225 pound strong safety will start at both safety and wide receiver this upcoming season, something that is rare at Division 1 schools, especially Moeller.

Hubbard said he is looking forward to playing wide receiver for the Crusaders, something he’s only done in practice.

"I am excited to be able to help on the offensive side of the ball," Hubbard said. "I am just looking forward to it – getting in there, learning the offense and contributing."

QUICK HITS:

  • Ohio State commit D’Angelo Russell will be playing in this year’s Under Armour Elite 24 game. The shooting guard from Montverde Academy (Louisville, KY) will be playing in the event on August 24th in New York City.

  • Joining Russell will be Ohio State target Myles Turner, a 6’10" center from Euless, Texas. Turner has written offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Duke, Kansas, and Arizona.

  • One of the top players in the state of Indiana, James Blackmon, Jr. has de-committed from the Hoosiers. Blackmon has been committed to Indiana since his freshman year of high school, but the Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne) product decided to pull his pledge this week.

    Blackmon’s father, who played his college ball at Kentucky in the 80's, said his son's decision is based on the simple fact that he was young and had nothing to compare it to.

  • And finally, just a reminder that Ohio State spirit is everywhere.

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