Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 7/18 - Torrance Gibson planning visit

There was quite a bit of news on the Ohio State football recruiting front yesterday and we're here to get you caught up on all of the latest happenings.

Torrance Gibson planning Ohio State visit

Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage athlete/quarterback Torrance Gibson tweeted yesterday that he was planning a visit to Ohio State.

If he does indeed follow through with his plan to visit Ohio State, it would be his first ever trip to Columbus. It's unclear whether he's planning an official or unofficial visit. Tennessee and Auburn are probably in the best position to land his commitment as things currently stand.

If Gibson does eventually show up on Ohio State's Columbus campus, then it could change Gibson's recruitment significantly. However, this is something I would put on the back burner until it happens. The Buckeyes would be in the thick of things with a visit.

I still question whether or not Gibson can be a quarterback at the college level. It could be worth the gamble bringing him in as a quarterback because he has the potential to be an elite wide receiver if things don't work out behind center for him. Right now I have him pegged to go to Auburn, but a lot can change in between now and his October decision date.

Thoughts on Van Jefferson

Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood wide receiver Van Jefferson was in Columbus yesterday, on what should be his last trip to Ohio State before he makes a college decision, which is expected to come down sometime before the summer comes to a close.

I think Ohio State held a comfortable lead in his recruitment a few months ago, but Tennessee has gained a lot of momentum recently. From what I've heard, his trip went very well and he was impressed by what OSU had to offer yet again.

Ohio State is still my pick today, but I may change that to Tennessee in the coming days/weeks as more information becomes available.

Other recruiting news

• 2016 forward VJ King has decided to transfer from St. Vincent-St Mary High School in Akron to Paul VI High School, which is located in Virginia, according to multiple reports.

  It's unknown how much of an impact this will have on Ohio State's chances at landing the standout forward, but it's certainly a big loss for the state of Ohio's 2016 basketball class.

• Ohio State is recruiting Alabama commit Shawn Burgess-Becker to play wide receiver at the college level, according to Scout's Chad Simmons. Most schools view the standout athlete as a defensive back at the next level.

  He visited Columbus in June, but I don't think the Buckeyes have much of a chance at flipping the Sunshine state star.

• San Ramon (CA) Dougherty Valley offensive linemen Keiffer Longson recently cut his list of schools to six. His final six schools include the likes of Arizona State, BYU, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and Utah.

  I think BYU is the leader in this race right now, but he could emerge as an intriguing option for the Scarlet and Gray somewhere down the road.

Important dates

• July 16: WR Van Jefferson
• July 25: Friday Night Lights – QB Joe Burrow (commit), QB Danny Clark (2017 commit), RB Jordan Conkrite, WR Lawrence Cager, WR Devante Peete, WR Austin Mack (2016), WR Desmond Fitzpatrick (2016), WR Justin Layne (2016), TE Jake Pickard, TE Josh Moore, TE Luke Farrell (2016), TE Jake Hausmann (2016), OL Matthew Burrell, OL Drew Richmond, OL Drake Jackson (2016), OL Tyler Gerald (2016 commit), OL Thiyo Lukusa (2016), DE Jashon Cornell (commit), DE Dre'Mont Jones (commit), DE Joshua Alabi, DE Justice Alexander, DE Jonathon Cooper (2016), DE Prince Sammons (2016), DT Michael Onwenu, DB Patrice Rene, LB Nick Conner (commit), LB Justin Hilliard (commit), DB Jamel Dean (commit), DB Denzel Ward (commit), DB Damon Arnette, ATH Demario McCall (2016), ATH George Hill (2016 commit)