Ohio State coaches hit the road after dead period ends

If it seems like Ohio State is always in the headlines for something, it’s because it’s true. The Buckeyes never seem to have a slow day in the world of sports news. Lately, for every negative Ohio State related headline considering a decommit, coaching change, etc., there’s been a counter story that brings what seems like even better news than imagined. The same was true again yesterday as the Ohio State coaching staff was back on the road since the dead period ended at midnight. As Urban Meyer always says, “the future is bright in Columbus”.

Back to the well?

When Ohio State rolled into Brooklyn, N.Y. a few short years ago, they were at Erasmus Hall High School in full pursuit of Curtis Samuel. Fast forward a couple of years and that same Curtis Samuel is now a Buckeye football alumni headed to the NFL in this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. What seemed like the start of a beautiful relationship between the Buckeyes and Erasmus Hall continued when 2016 Ohio State recruiting class commit Jahsen Wint gave his pledge to the Buckeyes.

Yesterday, that relationship may have once again went back to well when Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano made a stop at Erasmus Hall and extended an offer to current native, and 2018 prospect, Aron Cruickshank.

Aron, listed as an “athlete” projects to be a receiver at the next level and could be a Samuel clone in the making. With his 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame, he may not have the size many may covet, but his speed and athleticism on the field is what separates him from the rest of the pack. Currently, Cruickshank has three offers from the likes of Michigan, Syracuse and most recently Ohio State, but with the two best recruiting schools in the Big Ten extending their hat into the ring, it’s only a matter of time before others do the same.

There’s plenty of time before Aron makes a final decision on his college of choice, but with two former Erasmus Hall players currently with Ohio State ties, the Buckeyes and Urban Meyer may have found the start of a very key pipeline in the Empire State. NFL-bound star Curtis Samuel sure seems to think so.

Actually, back to the state

Another New Jersey native picked up an offer from the Scarlet and Gray. Class of 2018 safety Shayne Simon was the recipient. Simon took to Twitter to tell the great news.

Simon currently has 11 offers, according to 247sports. Ohio State isn’t the only Big Ten school vying for the three-star; Michigan and Penn State have thrown their hat into the ring for the Jersey City, N.J. prospect.

As more information, visits, and everything in-between comes up with Simon, Land-Grant Holy Land will keep you posted.

Are we finally ready?

What a last couple of days it has been in the world of Ohio State recruiting. With the decommitment of Tyjon Lindsey and the craziness surrounding his decision, the confusion of what really happened is garnering some serious attention. Ohio State lost out on Lindsey, but good news may come— and help regain the ground lost to Alabama for the No. 1 recruiting class for 2017.

With some light shed on the Jaylen Harris sweepstakes, a final decision is nearing and nearing fast. Thought to be a Buckeye lock for his entire recruitment now, Harris took to twitter to let everyone know that his next tweet would be crucial as it would be an announcement on where he will school.

The Buckeyes have a great receiver in the class in Trevon Grimes, and recently moved fellow 2017 commit Brendon White to the receiver corps. With the departure of Lindsey, the receivers room wants to add some much needed depth. Insert Jaylen Harris (hopefully) and the Buckeyes may have found their answer.

Harris, a Cleveland, Ohio native is no stranger to the Ohio State program as he has made numerous visits. However, Harris has extended his recruitment much longer that many expected. Due to Lindsey seemingly out for good, is Harris now ready to pledge his commitment to Ohio State? Who knows. However, Urban Meyer and Zach Smith have to feel good about where they stand for Harris.

Being from Cleveland, staying home and playing for the beloved Buckeyes brings some serious pressure. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Harris could be a serious complement to Grimes and be key forces in bringing back the vertical passing game to the Buckeye offense. Time will only tell and it could be as soon as today.

OSU makes stop in Indiana

Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano headed to Brooklyn, but they weren’t the only ones on the trail. Kerry Coombs and new linebacker coach Bill Davis headed west of Columbus to Indiana as they made a stop to see current OSU linebacker pledge Peter Werner at Cathedral High School in Mount Vernon.

While Werner may have been the main target to check in on, Coombs and Davis wasted no time as they also checked in on Markese Stepp, a current Notre Dame running back commit for the 2018 class. Stepp, a 6-foot, 205-pound bruiser has been committed to the Irish since June, but that doesn’t stop top programs from checking out the eighth best running back in the country, per 247sports.

The Buckeyes 2018 running back situation seems golden with an early pledge from Florida four-star Brian Sneed. On top of that, the Bucks seem to be a strong leader for in-state star Jaelen Gill, too. However, if Ohio State can pluck Werner from Notre Dame, maybe they’re thinking the same for Stepp.

Make way for Day

No time was wasted yesterday as Bill Davis wasn’t the only new Buckeye coach to hit the road recruiting. Yesterday, new quarterback coach Ryan Day hit the trail as he headed to Georgia to check in on current 2018 quarterback pledge Emory Jones.

At first, some may have worried that the departure of Tim Beck may have a negative effect on future Ohio State QBs currently committed, but after reports and quotes from Jones himself, all seems to be just fine. If anything, with Day’s NFL experience, that may appeal greatly to the prospects Ohio State pursues.

While Day builds his relationship with Jones, it’s important to remember that Joey Burrow, Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell all remain in the QB room for the Buckeyes. Oh, and J.T. Barrett is also there. A truly loaded unit, Jones will be next in line as the five-star is currently ranked by 247sports as the top dual threat QB in the 2018 class and a top 25 prospect at any position in the country. Urban Meyer couldn’t have given more to Coach Day, but with the Ohio State’s exceptions, results must be produced.