clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 5/14 - Coaches hit the recruiting trail, 2 new offers, and more

Get caught up on all the Ohio State recruiting news from Tuesday, including where the Buckeye assistants were, and who received a scholarship offer.

By Charles Doss
Josh Wariboko
Josh Wariboko
Student Sports

The Buckeye assistants were back on the recruiting trail on Tuesday. Spread out across the country, many of the coaches, including Ed Warinner, Zach Smith and Tim Hinton, made pit stops at the schools of some of the top recruits in the nation.

Yesterday morning, Warinner, the OSU offensive line coach, reportedly stooped by Imhotep Charter School in Philadelphia. Imhotep is the home of three-star class of 2015 running back Nas Bonner, 2016 tight end Naseir Upshur, and quite a few other solid prospects.

Ohio State has yet to offer either Bonner, or Upshur, but there are plenty of programs that have. The shifty 6'0, 180-pound Bonner, currently has Wisconsin and Rutgers duking it out for his services, while the 6'4, 230-pound Upshur, who also plays defensive end, holds offers from the likes of Arizona State, South Carolina, Michigan State, and Virginia Tech to name a few of his growing list.

Warinner didn't just hit the streets of Philly; he also swung through Jersey, as he watched 2015 Junior College prospect Julian Allen workout at his former school. Now playing for Lackawanna College, the same program that produced Jermaine Eluemunor, a former OSU target who signed with Texas A&M in February, Allen, a pass catching tight end, could be a wildcard for a Buckeye offer,with the staff searching high and low for a tight end to bring in next year.

Check out this pretty slick touchdown by Allen in last years Lackawanna Spring Game:

Escaping down to Florida, one very key prospect wide receivers coach Zach Smith checked in on yesterday was class of 2015 standout Torrance Gibson. Smith wasn't the only coach at American Heritage High on Tuesday checking out recruits. Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Florida, UAB and Western Kentucky were all represented.

Smith and the rest of the coaches on hand didn't get a chance to see Gibson perform as he sat out of workouts with a groin problem.

Still yet to make his way to Columbus, the Buckeyes are the fourth team on Gibson's rather lengthy short list but should climb up the list rather fast after the five-star signal caller finally does.

Sticking around the Midwest, Tim Hinton was in Kansas on Tuesday. One reason Hinton headed to the Sunflower State was to watch recent Ohio State offeree Josh Moore workout.

Moore, not just a pass catching tight end but also a pretty decent blocker in the run game, has watched his recruitment blow up over the last few months. Not only OSU but teams such as Florida State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Auburn have all offered the 6'5 250-pounder.

One thing Hinton has shared with Moore is what the Buckeyes could offer him down the line.

"He (Hinton) talks about Ohio State and how they will develop me, and how I have all the talent in the world." Moore told Land-Grant Holy Land. "He also says I have a big chance to play on Sundays."

Moore has yet to make a trip to Ohio State, but stated that could soon change, as he is working on trying to make it to Central Ohio next month for an unofficial visit.

Two new offers:

Yesterday it was reported that a pair of class of 2015 standouts received a chance to rock the Scarlet and Gray. Offensive lineman Josh Wariboko, a one time Oklahoma Sooner commit, and Porter Gustin, a outside linebacker, are the latest recruits to catch the eye of the OSU coaching staff.

Wariboko, already bigger than most college lineman at 6'3 and 330 pounds, is the fifth offensive guard in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and has offers from not just Oklahoma and Ohio State, but also Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Louisville and many more.

A jack of all trades at Salem Hills in Utah, the 6'5 240-pound Gustin has had a busy last few weeks. Adding offers almost daily, the Buckeyes now join Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Notre Dame, as a few of the programs that have came calling recently.

Here are some highlights of Gustin in action:

Moving on up:

After adding the commitment of shooting guard Austin Grandstaff earlier this month, the Buckeyes 2015 recruiting class has moved up to the second spot in latest 247Sports Team Composite Rankings.

With Grandstaff, Mickey Mitchell, and AJ Harris already in the fold, and with plenty of top prospects still interested in the Buckeyes, Thad Matta's bunch could be in the mix to take the top spot from Syracuse later this year.

To see where your favorite team currently ranks, check out the full list here.

Quick Hits:

  • Coach Meyer called and talked with 2015 QB Kai Locksley last night. It had been reported that contact between the Buckeyes and Locksley had recently been pretty scarce. Only time will tell if the 6'3 190-pound son of Maryland assistant, Mike Locksley, is climbing back up the Bucks big board.
  • The Buckeyes made the top six for offensive lineman Andre James, the four-star prospect announced on Twitter last night. Rounding out his list is Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Utah.
  • Tonight at 8 p.m., class of 2015 defensive end Darian Roseboro will announce his top 10 on his Twitter page. Ohio State, Michigan, North Carolina State, Auburn, and Duke are just a few of the teams that should make the cut for the four star North Carolina native.

More From Land-Grant Holy Land