clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 7/3 - Elite '15, top targets react to Hilliard, Cornell news

The Buckeyes had a day for the ages yesterday. See how top prospects, current commits reacted.

By Luke Zimmermann
Touchdown for the Elite '15
Touchdown for the Elite '15
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

If you were somehow driving all day yesterday or without internet service after a big storm, you missed arguably one of the biggest non-National Signing Days in Ohio State recruiting history. The Buckeyes started Wednesday morning off by landing five-star linebacker, Justin Hilliard, 247Sports Composite's top player from the state of Ohio, and then followed it up by landing all-everything four-star defensive end, Jashon Cornell, just minutes later.

In Hilliard and Cornell, the Buckeyes land the two highest rated players in their 2015 recruiting class to point, as well as guys who sound more than willing to go out and hit the recruiting trails themselves to ensure that the Elite '15 is everything it's capable of being.

Both Hilliard and Cornell will be at next week's Nike The Opening 2014, where along with fellow 2015 Buckeye Tyler Green you can expect them to put the full court press on trying to increase the number of '15 pledges from beyond 12.

If you're new to recruiting or don't follow it particularly regularly, that's completely okay. Yesterday was a landmark Wednesday and deserves to be celebrated as such. But like everything, context helps. Here's a four pack of must reads which will help it all make sense and get you up to speed as to why so many fans were trying to figure out how to duck out of their offices early yesterday to grab a celebratory Great Lakes or Buckeye Vodka:

So how'd yesterday's big news go over with top prospects in and out of the Elite '15 classes? About as well as you could possibly expect.

Damien Harris is the top running back in the 2015 class and many believe could be next for the Elite '15. He definitely liked what he heard on Wednesday morning:

Superstar 2016 wide receiver Nate Craig was a big fan of the news as well. Could the momentum OSU's been showcasing on the recruiting trail of late bleed from one class to the next?

Tommy Kraemer, another top '16 prospect echoed the sentiment:

Perhaps most interestingly of all, Alabama commit Mekhi Brown, said that the duo of new Buckeyes (or perhaps others in the class) had been preemptively pitching him about joining the Elite '15 in light of the news:

A few Elite '15-ers themselves (as well as one prominent current Buckeye from the last recruiting class) weighed in as well:

More From Land-Grant Holy Land