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While most of Central Ohio was snuggled up in a blanket trying to stay warm over the weekend, members of the Ohio State coaching staff were hard at work hosting some of the top prospects in the country. Making the short round trip to the OSU campus on Friday were class of 2016 defensive back Austin Andrews and 2017 defensive lineman Derrius Mullins of Columbus DeSales.
Mullins, a big and physical lineman at 6'5 and nearly 300 pounds, might be a new name to Buckeye Nation, but should be one to keep an eye on for the future. Reportedly already holding offers from Mid-American Conference programs such as Bowling Green and Toledo, the sophomore is no doubt one of the top lineman in the Columbus area.
His soon-to-be senior teammate Austin Andrews has made numerous stops at Ohio State in the last year or so. Even though he has talked with the staff before while visiting campus in the past, Austin left OSU this go-around with a better overall feel for where he stands with the Buckeyes.
"It was great. The honesty and respect that was shed on me when I was talking to Coach (Chris) Ash and Coach (Luke) Fickell on how to earn that offer was very helpful," Andrews told Land-Grant Holy Land.
"They told me they loved my game, and what I do on and off the field. They want to get me in for a workout with them, and for me to keep grinding to get up to about the 185-190 pound range."
At the moment, Indiana, Kent State, Ohio, and Toledo are the only schools to offer the 6'1, 180-pound Andrews. Andrews is a lifelong Columbus native and OSU fan, and if the recently crowned National Champions dealt out a scholarship, it would be something very hard for him to turn down.
"They'd be number one. No question about it," he said.
After visiting Indiana and Illinois in the coming weeks, Austin could once again be back on the OSU campus to watch the Buckeyes take part in spring practice in March.
Want to see him in action? Get a glimpse of Austin's game with these highlights, courtesy of Hudl:
Canadian prospects visit Columbus
On Sunday, top Canadian prospects Patrice Rene, Jonathan Sutherland, and Luiji Vilain all checked out what OSU had to offer.
Rene, a four-star class of 2016 defensive back who plays his high school ball for Episcopal in Alexandria, VA, is the only prospect to visit OSU yesterday with a scholarship offer. No stranger to Columbus, Rene had the opportunity to show his good friends Sutherland and Vilain around a bit, while also getting a better view of the campus himself.
Rene might already hold a long list of scholarship offers, but Sutherland, a class of 2017 wideout, and Vilain, a 2017 defensive end, are both just starting to watch their stock rise. The 5'11, 190-pound Sutherland, who plays with Rene at Episcopal, currently holds scholarships from East Carolina and Rutgers, while the 6'3, 230-pound Vilain has offers from Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers, and Syracuse.
Former NFL star's son takes trip to OSU
247Sports first broke the news of Walsh Jesuit offensive lineman Jack Wohlabaugh's visit on Sunday morning. One of the top in-state linemen, Jack, the son of former NFL standout center Dave Wohlabaugh, took his first trip to OSU after attending Junior Day at Cincinnati on Saturday.
Jack didn't receive an offer from the Buckeyes yesterday, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the 6'4, 280-pound guard get one down the line after attending one of the many camp sessions at OSU this summer. Even though the Bucks have yet to offer Wohlabaugh, many programs already have. Boston College, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Purdue, Toledo, and Western Michigan are just a few of the schools after Jack at the moment.
Quick Hits:
- After recently visiting the University of Florida, defensive back Shaun Wade (Jacksonville/Trinity Christian) told ESPN recruiting analyst Gerry Hamilton that his verbal commitment to Ohio State is only 75-80% firm.
- Five-star class of 2015 combo guard Malik Newman is no longer considering the Buckeyes. Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina State, and LSU are looked as the front runners for Newman, while his home state Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs are also still in the mix.