Jared Mayden Previews Visit for Friday Night Lights

July 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Follow: @Mike_Rockstedt

Texas is one of the richest states in terms of high school football talent.  The movie, Friday Night Lights, is based in Texas.  They compromise a good percentage of a lot of recruiting rankings and that does not change with class of 2016 cornerback Jared Mayden.  Mayden, a 6-0 cornerback from Texas, has offers from all of the top programs around the country.  His list includes the likes of Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and Ohio State.  Mayden was offered by Ohio State on June 26th and is being heavily recruited by Coach Ash.  He has a strong interest in Ohio State for a number of reasons, one of them being the success the program has had under Urban Meyer.

Jared Mayden Really Likes Ohio State

“I love how the program is doing and the continued success they have there,” Mayden said of why he is very interested.  “They have such a strong tradition.  They win a lot of bowl games and they also send a lot of defensive backs into the NFL.” Mayden is visiting for Friday Night Lights this Friday and is really excited about it.  He has not been to Ohio State and is excited to meet all of the coaches in person.  “I cannot wait to get to Columbus,” he said of his upcoming visit.  “I am excited to meet the coaches in person and to improve my game with them.  I hope I have the chance to check out the campus and facilities while I am there also. I am very excited to go on this visit.”  Chris Ash is his main recruiter and the two are starting to build a strong relationship.  He told me that he and Ash talk quite a bit and he is excited to meet him in person.  Tom Herman usually covers Texas when it comes to recruiting but I am guessing that because Ash is the position coach, Urban told him to get his guys on the field.

All of the big Texas schools have offered Mayden except for Texas Tech, so he does not have to travel far if he wishes to play college football.  I asked him whether or not there was any pressure or necessity to stay in Texas for football and he told me that he is going to go wherever he feels is the best fit for him.  He is open to everyone recruiting him and pretty soon he is going to have offers from everyone across the country.  When he is not training for football, odds are he is sharpening his guitar and piano skills.  We were joking around that if football does not work out, he could start a band.  I asked him what he would like to say to Buckeyenation and he answered, “I am excited to visit Ohio State!”  Jared is one of the best cornerbacks in the 2016 class.  I am interested to talk with Jared after his visit to Ohio State and I think with a good visit, they could become a serious contender for his services.

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Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With:

MotSaG Chat with Kieffer Longson

July 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

3star_recruit_iconCoach Meyer and Ohio State have proven over and over they will go anywhere in the country to find talent that can succeed at OSU. Offensive Line is always an area of need and the 2015 class is no different. There is however one 2015 OLman who is a little different than most of the guys OSU is recruiting. You see Kieffer Longson is LDS (Mormon) and recently he named OSU in his top 6 schools. But you see even if he does pick OSU he won’t be enrolling at OSU for at least 2 years as he goes to serve a mission for his church. The beauty of this is OSU has a chance to grab a kid who is very talented but it would not count against the 2015 class size.

Let’s get to know Kieffer who is a 6’7″ 290 lbs 3 star OG from San Ramon, California. See I told you Coach Meyer will go anywhere to find talent. I sat down with the young man and got to know him and we talked about all of the schools he is currently leaning towards.

I will let you decide which guy is Kieffer.

I will let you decide which guy is Kieffer.

I asked Kieffer about serving a mission and whether or not it would affect his standing with any of the schools he currently favors he said… “All 6 of my Top 6 schools have experience dealing with LDS kids and have no problem with me going on a mission.”. When you think about LDS kids most people instantly think about BYU and Utah so I asked him about growing up in the church and which way his family leaned in the Holy War he said… “Haha my family is happy whatever school I go to. They are not really a fan of either school but my dad went to BYU and UCLA so he is more of a Cougar fan but wants what is best for me.”. You see for any member of the LDS church you almost have to choose a side in the Holy War and while Kieffer didn’t come out and say it my guess is his family would chose BYU.

We talked about why of all the schools he is currently favoring Ohio State is the only one east of the Rocky Mountains and his answer was pretty telling… ” I really like the coaches and the place! It is a great way to get to the NFL. They put 4 guys in the NFL this year and I’d love to maybe be apart of the program.”. Kieffer visited OSU about a month ago and loved it and said… “I might take an official visit soon too.”.

When foes he believe he will commit? He does not have a firm commitment date yet but he said… “The Sooner the better but at the same time I want to make sure I choose the best school for me.”. He would like Buckeye Nation to know that he is… “Very interested in OSU and that I’m looking for the best way yo get to the NFL while getting an education.”. At this point he says “Everyone is even” and he has no favorites but it is great for OSU that he has visited and is considering an official visit. If Coach Meyer can get him back on campus I have no doubt he can’t close the deal and land this talented kid.

You can follow Mt. Storming Mormon on Twitter by clicking @kieffer74

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Quick Hitter: Van Jefferson Visit Recap

July 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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I was able to talk to Van Jefferson’s Head Coach at Ravenwood High School Coach Hester and he was able to share a few things about the visit after he spoke with the Jeffersons.

  • It was a great visit and all of the Jeffersons enjoyed themselves.  They were there for 24 hours
  • They got to spend most of the time with Urban Meyer one on one.
  • The negative things out there about Urban Meyer and the system were a concern to the Jeffersons, but they have all been answered on this visit and by the visits in Spring Ball.
  • Urban Meyer has taken over his recruitment, very good news for all involved, and is important to the Jeffersons.
  • He told me that this visit reassured Van WHY Ohio State is one of his favorites.
  • Coach Trakas used to coach at Ravenwood, now he is a coach at Ohio State as a QB intern.
  • We talked a little bit about Urban’s “system” and he told me that all those questions have been answered.
  • Van is still planning on visiting UGA next weekend.

 

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Which Top 2015 WR is Hoping to Earn an Offer at FNL?

July 17, 2014 by 1 Comment

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Lawrence Cager grew up rooting Ohio State.  The 6-5, 210 pound receiver from Maryland, was a huge fan of Troy Smith and he is one of the main reasons why he is a Buckeye fan.  He also liked the USC Trojan teams of the 2000’s, and what is not to like? They won almost every game during that era and were the most dominant team during that time. Cager is one of the best receivers in the nation and might be playing for one of those teams in the future.  He is rated by 247sports as the #151 player in the nation, which he says is a huge honor but he is not satisfied with that.  Cager is working to be the best.  Last week, Cager was able to showcase his talents on national television at The Opening at Nike’s headquarters.

Lawrence Cager Loves Ohio State

“The Opening was a lot of fun,” Cager said of the event.  “The best of the best was there playing against each other and competing.  I thought that I performed very well against the competition.  Overall, it was a lot of fun to be there.”

Cager is hoping to take the things he learned at The Opening and showcase them at Ohio State’s Friday Night Lights.  He is hoping that with a solid performance, he could get an offer from Ohio State.  It is the offer that he wants the most.  He loves everything about Ohio State.  He talked to me a little bit about why he is so intrigued by Ohio State.  “I grew up rooting for Ohio State,” said Cager of why he likes Ohio State.  “I loved Troy Smith, he was my favorite player.  I also really like Coach Zach Smith, Larry Johnson, and Urban Meyer.  All of them are great guys.  Urban Meyer always has a winning program and I love that.”

Before he receives an offer, he knows that he needs to perform well in front of the coaches.  He is very eager at the chance to do that and is getting ready for the camp.  He told me that he can’t wait to compete at the camp and prove to the coaches that he is a great receiver.  He recently took a trip to Alabama and camped there, and he feels that they are close to offering also.  Alabama is another offer that he really wants.  He is hoping for the same at Ohio State Friday Night Lights.  Ohio State is at the top for Cager and he has made no secret about it.  I asked Cager what he would like to say to Buckeye nation and he told them, “Watch out for me! I am going to ball out at FNL, and if I play at Ohio State, I am going to make a huge impact.”  Cager should get an offer after the camp.

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Neville Gallimore Brings Canadian Flavor to The Opening

July 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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The Opening, held each year at Nike’s headquarters in Oregon, is a prestigious event held for the best of the best in high school football.  Neville Gallimore, with his participation, became the first Canadian prospect to play in the event.  Gallimore, as we all know, dominated the Columbus NFTC and as a result, was invited to this all star challenge.  He is not only showing off his skills for himself, but wants to prove to people that Canada has a lot of talent, just like the United States.  The Opening was his chance to show the nation why Canada deserves a fair shot at gaining credibility for football.  Gallimore, of course, did not disappoint, and he was able to enjoy every moment of it.

Gallimore is a huge prospect.

“Everything from the plane ride to chilling in the hotel room was awesome!” Gallimore said of the event.  “Everything about The Opening was great and I had a lot of fun.”

Gallimore’s roommate was non-other than Ohio State’s very own Jashon Cornell.  Of course, this is a time to enjoy but Cornell was recruiting him here and there.  He told me that he got to spend some time with both Cornell and Justin Hilliard, and not all of the conversations were about football.  They have truly built a good relationship off the field as well and it has helped Ohio State’s chances for landing the big target.  Gallimore talked a little bit about how their friendship helped Ohio State.

“It’d be awesome for all of us to play together,” Gallimore said of his new friends.  “It definitely helped the chances with Ohio State because it shows the type of players they recruit.  Justin and Jashon are great guys and it kind of shows the team that Ohio State wants.  They are guys I would love to play with.”

As for the rest of the summer, Gallimore is unsure of what visits he is going on, but is hoping to come to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights.  He has just been invited to and accepted an invite to the Army All American Game and is very excited for that.  Gallimore is still pretty open in his recruitment and is enjoying everything about it.  I like Gallimore a lot as he is very humble and talented.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: , ,

Could Donovan Peoples Jones Be the Next Michigan Star at OSU

July 15, 2014 by 1 Comment

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Michigan was good to Ohio State in the 2014 recruiting class.  Ohio State landed one of the best corner backs in the nation in Damon Webb from Cass Tech in Michigan.  Ohio State is hoping to continue that trend with class of 2017 WR Donovan Peoples Jones.  Jones already has a couple of offers from North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State and Miami and  other schools have been showing interest such as Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Penn State.  Ohio State has really been recruiting him hard he tells me and he is very interested in Ohio State.

Donovan Peoples Jones already has an Ohio State offer.

“They have a great program all around,” Jones said of why he likes Ohio State.  “They have a great tradition and I have a good relationship with all of the coaches.  I also want to major in a medicine field and I love the medicine school at Ohio State.”

Jones told me that he knows he wants to study medicine but is not sure which specific part of medicine.  The medicine school has a big appeal to Jones and it shows how much effort he puts into academics by considering the academic side of things.  He has been to Ohio State before and got a chance to get a better feel for the overall feel in Columbus.  He got to check out the facilities and be in on the position meetings.  He had many good things to say about Ohio State’s facilities.  “The indoor field was pretty nice,” Jones said of the facilities.  “The weight room was also state-of-the-art.”

As for the rest of the Summer, he is going to camps at Tennessee, Penn State, and Ohio State for Friday Night Lights.  He has been busy this summer with camps and visits to many different schools across the nation.  I asked him what Damon Webb has told him about the recruiting process and Damon has been talking to him a lot.  “Damon is telling me to keep working hard and that if I continue everything is going to fall into place.”  Donovan is very excited for the season.  His recruitment is just getting started and I think he is going to get more and more offers.  He already has an impressive offer list but it is only going to get bigger.  It can only help that Damon Webb is at Ohio State for Jones’ recruitment as I am sure Damon Webb is going to try and bring him here.  Jones is very talented and he going to be one of the top WR’s in the nation for the 2017 class.  He is a recruit that every recruiting  fan should follow.

Follow Donovan: @dpeoplesjones 

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Want to own something OSU great Mike Vrabel once owned?

July 15, 2014 by 1 Comment

As everyone reading this post should know by now Mike Vrabel a Buckeye in the truest sense of the word has accepted a position coaching in the NFL and is moving his family to Houston, Texas. While this saddens so many of us Buckeye fans that he wont be standing on the sideline for OSU games anymore this was an opportunity he could not turn down and we understand that. What it does mean though is that the family has to move and when you move across country you have to get rid of some things because a purge is needed.

In there lies the awesomeness of this here post. You see the Vrabel family is auctioning off many of those belongings that they can’t take with them….

Who doesn’t want a signed Chevy Chase Caddyshack poster?

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How about the place where he kept his beer cold then after finishing them he probably smashed the cans on his forehead?

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How about the place where Coach Vrabel cooked copious amounts of meat products for himself and his players?

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You get the point I assume by now there are seemingly 100s of items for sale and anyone can bid and win some piece of the Vrabel family history. Curious how to bid? Let Coach Vrabel tell you himself…

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MotSaG Chat with Ethan Tucky

July 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Can you imagine what it is like to be a top 100 recruit in the nation? How about a Top Linebacker in the country? Now also imagine you grew up 30 minutes from Ohio State that has arguably become the greatest Linebacker producing school of modern football era. That is exactly what Ethan Tucky is dealing with right now. The 6’2″ 210 lbs LB from Delaware, Ohio is a 4 star recruit and a top 100 player in the country according to 247sports. I was lucky enough to talk to Ethan tonight and get his reaction to his visit to Ohio State today.

downloadEthan Tucky has been an OSU fan his whole life and who can blame him he grew up a stones throw away and during what has been a golden era of Buckeye Football. When I asked him about the pressure of landing a Buckeye offer and choosing OSU being a hometown kid he had this to say… “A little yes, I try to be very open with recruiting though. In the end I am just trying to find the right fit for me.”. Who does Ethan list as his favorite football player of all time none other than former Buckeye Great James Laurinaitis. A player that every OSU fan hopes the next LB will compare to even a little bit.

You would think being so close to OSU he would have visited a million times but in reality today was his first visit ever to the campus. His impression of the campus was surprising to me he said of it… ” It wasn’t as big as people told me. I mean it is not small or anything but once I got on it the size didn’t matter to me.”. That tells me he wont be intimidated by OSUs vast size and that it wont be a negative factor for him.

What part of his campus tour did he enjoy the most? This also was very telling in my opinion. He said of the visit to OSU that he enjoyed the most… “The coaching staff feel, they really felt like good friends. So I enjoyed being able to open up and be comfortable with them.”.

It didn’t take long from his visit today for Ethan to list his Top 10 schools as he tweeted this message out shortly after our interview ended…

Even that list which he clearly claimed had no order was telling. Sure he put Ohio State #1 which has at least some feeling of being his favorite. But to not even list Michigan in his Top 10 shows you how much he loves OSU as a fan and how much an offer would be for him. The staff told him an offer is forthcoming once they see him play this fall in his new position as an OLB. He played DE last season but every school is chasing him as a LBer at the next level.

He doesnt have any visits scheduled for the rest of the summer but may travel to Michigan State to see their campus if he can arrange it. If I was a betting man I would put all my money on Ethan getting his offer pretty quickly into this coming HS FB season and him committing not to long after that. He is exactly the kind of person and player that Meyer loves and that OSU fans will enjoy watching play for years to come.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

2015 O-Line Recruiting- Commits and Targets

July 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

By: Michael Rockstedt

Follow: @Mike_Rockstedt

The Offensive Line has become such a strong point for Urban Meyer and staff while they have been in Columbus.  That has not changed with the 2015 class.  Securing two commits already, Urban Meyer is still searching for a couple of big prospects to fill needs across the line.  I take a dive into who I think is going to end up in the class along with the two commits.

1. Grant Schmidt-Sioux Falls, South Dakota– Commit South Dakota is not necessarily your recruiting hot bed when searching for the best talents in America.  Grant Schmidt begs to differ.  The 6-6, 275 pound lineman hails from the great state of South Dakota and was a bit of a surprise commit to many.  He came to Columbus for a camp and then a visit the next day, and committed on the visit.  He was one of the recruits that kind of got the ball rolling for the class.  Schmidt is a big, strong guy and should be getting more attention as the season goes on.  I think it’s pretty neat that Schmidt is from South Dakota because not too many players come to Columbus from there.  Schmidt fills a position of need for this class and could have a chance to compete from day one.

2. Kevin Feder- Ramsey, New Jersey- Commit Big is an understatement when you are talking about Ohio State commit Kevin Feder.  Standing 6-9, 305 pounds, not many people can compare in height to this kid.  Originally a Miami commit, Feder switched to Ohio State a couple of days after he camped and visited.  His commitment was one of many in the month of June for Ohio State.  There are not many prospects like Feder in college football and I think that puts him at an advantage.  Don Bosco is also one of the best football programs across the country.  Always producing top-tier talent, Don Bosco is usually ranked top 10 in the nation for football, year in and year out.  Feder brings a unique advantage to the game with his size so it is going to be interesting how his size translates to the next level.

3. Drew Richmond- Memphis, Tennessee. Drew Richmond has made it known that he grew up an Ohio State fan.  There is no doubt that he truly loves Ohio State.  The 6-5, 320 pound tackle, has offers from all over the country including Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Ohio State.  He has been on visits all over the country and is taking a visit to Ohio State for Friday Night Lights.  His recruitment is going to be interesting down to the wire, but I think it is a Ohio State versus SEC battle, with Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, being the biggest threats.  It is going to be interesting to see how his visit goes at Friday Night Lights.  If he enjoys the red carpet treatment he is most likely going to get, then I think Ohio State could be his end point.  I think the SEC schools are going to be a big challenge for Ohio State.

4. Matthew Burrell- Woodbridge, Virginia. Matthew Burrell is another guy who has made it no secret how much he loves Ohio State.  He has been to Columbus a couple of times now and loves it there.  I really like Ohio State’s chances here.  He is very close with a couple of Ohio State commits and targets such as Justin Hilliard, Jashon Cornell, and Damien Harris.  I know there are a couple of other schools that he really likes and schools that are recruiting him hard such as Alabama and Florida State.  He is still very wide open with his recruitment but is narrowing it down piece by piece.  He hopes that he can return for Friday Night Lights but is still working some things out.  He is not committing until after he takes his official visits, which I am sure Ohio state is going to get one.  I like Burrell to be another piece to the 2015 class.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , ,

MotSaG Chat With 2016 Ohio OL Gavin Cupp

June 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

downloadOhio is one of the best talent producing states in the country.  That trend continues for the 2016 class, especially for offensive linemen.  Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg are very well known prospects and already have offers from Ohio State.  Another huge offensive tackle that is on Ohio State’s radar, and working hard to get an offer, is Leipsic’s Gavin Cupp.  Standing 6-6 and weighing about 280 pounds, Cupp stands out amongst his teammates and competitors.  With offers already from Bowling Green and Toledo, but interest from many more like Notre Dame, Illinois, and Ohio State, his recruitment is starting to heat up.  The good think is that Cupp is no stranger to Ohio State.  He most recently visited for a camp this past weekend.  He told me that he learned a lot and competed very well.

“I learned a bunch of new things from Coach Warriner,” he said of the camp.  “I tested much better in some of the combine numbers and I felt like held my own against some very good competition.  I love coach Warriner a lot and loved working with him.  He wants me to come back and keep working hard to earn an offer.”

Cupp did not earn an offer at this camp, but the coaches told him to work hard in the off-season, during the football season, and to keep coming back to camp to earn an offer.  He was able to tour some of the campus, but not all of it as it did not work out after the camp.  He loved everything Ohio State had to offer that he was able to tour on his visit.

“I got to see a couple of things on campus like the Woody Hayes center which was really cool!” Cupp had to say of the Ohio State.  “I also got to sit in on an academic meeting.  Other than that though I did not get to tour the campus a lot because it did not work out after the camp.”

Cupp is not afraid to talk about how he grew up an Ohio State fan and loves Ohio State.  He follows Ohio State football throughout the season and is really optimistic about this upcoming season. When I asked him what he would like to say to Ohio State fans he said, “You guys have a great program.  This is going to be a good season for Ohio State football and I am so excited for it!”   That could get Buckeye fans pretty excited knowing that he is going to be following the team throughout the season.  For the off-season he is just going to be focusing on the football team.  He wants to win a state championship and told me it’s not about Gavin, it’s about Leipsic.  He has great humility to turn the attention away from an individual, and focus it on the team.  I think Cupp is going to work very hard to earn an Ohio State offer as he is determined and motivated to earn the respect from the coaching staff.  When he gets that offer, I think he is going to be a part of this class.  He is a very good football player, but an even person.  This is a recruit every Ohio State fan should follow on the recruiting pitch.

247Sports Page

Highlights

@gavin_cupp

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With:
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