Bill Kurelic January 1998 Posts January 30, 1998 The Buckeyes have also received a verbal commitment from offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley. At one point LeCharles Bentley was scheduled to visit Ohio State the weekend of January 9th, but he committed to Michigan State right before that visit and cancelled his trip to Columbus. Subsequently, Bentley de-committed from Michigan State and committed to Indiana. However, after thinking about things, LeCharles decided that he really wanted to go to Ohio State. The Buckeyes were still very interested and Bentley ended up committing to Ohio State on Thursday. Bentley is 6-3, and now is up to 265 pounds, yet he runs a 4.8 40. He played offensive tackle for Cleveland St. Ignatious, but will move to center at Ohio State. Bentley was particularly impressive playing against Blue-Chip defensive end Kenny Peterson this season. Bentley held his own against Peterson. Bentley told me some of the reasons for changing to Ohio State included he wanted to to play for a winning program, he wanted to play in big time bowl game every year, and after thinking everything over, he just felt Ohio State afforded him the best opportunity in all areas. I had LeCharles Bentley rated as the number one offensive line prospect in the state of Ohio. LeCharles Bentley will qualify academically. With Bentley in the fold, it is very doubtful that the Buckeyes will be able to fit offensive lineman David Porter from Illinois into this recruiting class if he wanted to commit to Ohio State. Linebacker Jashon Sykes was visited late Thursday night by Colorado. Sykes did not commit to the Buffaloes. He is still trying to decide between Ohio State and Colorado and could reach a decision at any time. I will be talking with Sykes again later this evening. The Buckeyes remain in pursuit of linebacker Shamar Finney. Finney may announce today his two finalists, however at this point Finney is still saying Ohio State, Florida State, Florida and Penn State are all in the mix. Even if Finney announces his two finalist today, don't expect him to announce his final destination until February 3rd or February 4th. Wide receiver Greg Moore from Florida told me last night that it is now down to four teams, Ohio State, Florida State, Florida and Tennessee. Moore is scheduled to visit Florida State this weekend, and the Seminoles may have the inside track. The Buckeyes will host lineman Ivan Douglas (6-7, 300) for an official visit this weekend. Douglas has committed to Michigan State, but is still going to visit the Buckeyes. The big question mark with Ivan Douglas is qualifying academically and he would be a candidate to come to Ohio State as a prop, or to be placed at Fork Union Military Academy. The rumors and reports that Ryan Pickett has de-committed from Ohio State are absolutely false. Very late last night, Pickett told me that he has cancelled his scheduled visit to Florida State this weekend, however, Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer visited with Pickett earlier this week, and Pickett is visiting Tennessee this weekend. Late Thursday night Ryan Pickett told me he is absolutely still committed to Ohio State, and was very emphatic that he will sign with Ohio State on national signing day. However, the Buckeyes certainly will sweat through the visit with Tennessee this weekend. January 27, 1998 As far as the seniors that Ohio State is recruiting for this recruiting class, several new commitments could come any time this week. Linebacker Jashon Sykes had a great visit to Ohio State this past weekend. Sykes had committed to Colorado last Wednesday, but is now not certain what he is going to do. Sykes does say that he is still committed to Colorado, but has not yet made a final decision. Jashon Sykes will be visited on Wednesday by Buckeye head coach John Cooper and perhaps assistant coach Tim Spencer. Sykes says that he will make a final decision in the very near future, but does not have an exact time table as to when he will do that. He had made official visits to Colorado, USC, Arizona State, and Oregon State before visiting Ohio State. All five schools offered him a scholarship. Running back Jonathan Wells told me last night that things are now dead even between Ohio State, North Carolina, and Auburn. Wells is set to be visited this evening by Buckeye assistant coaches Tim Spencer and Tim Salem. Wells says it is very doubtful that he will take any more official visits, and he may wait until national signing day to announce his decision. Quarterback Steve Bellisari, another one the Buckeyes would love to have in this recruiting class, visited West Virginia this past weekend and did not commit to the Mountaineers.According to Bellisari's mom, she expects him to announce sometime this week that he is headed to either Notre Dame or Ohio State. Bellisari continues to say those are his two leaders. As to when a decision and announcement might come, the Bellisaris have not pinned down an exact date or time yet. The Buckeyes would also love to add linebacker Shamar Finney to this recruiting class. Finney is continuing to consider Ohio State, Florida State, Penn State and Florida. He is not likely to announce a decision until February 3rd or February 4th. One player that did commit elsewhere was defensive back/wide receiver Antonio Cooks from California who committed to Washington. On the other hand, the Buckeyes remain very much in the running for wide receiver Greg Moore from Florida. When I spoke again to Moore he told me that after visiting Maryland, his new top three are Ohio State, Florida State, and Maryland. Moore's top three change on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, but two schools that have consistently been in his top three are Ohio State and Florida State. Moore is scheduled to visit Florida State this coming weekend, January 30th, and I anticipate that he will end up committing to either Florida State or Ohio State, though he says the other schools are not out of the running. A couple of players say they have committed to Ohio State, however, they are not likely to qualify academically. Those players are defensive end David Thompson from New Jersey and Ziyier Walker from New Jersey. Both say that they are committed to Ohio State however neither has qualified academically, and neither is likely to sign with Ohio State on national signing day. They could wind up being placed at Fork Union Military Academy and re-recruited later if they do not qualify academically. In addition to Jashon Sykes making an official visit to Ohio State this past weekend, two players made unofficial visits. Those two were linebacker Daymon Bell (6-2,215, 4.74) from Middletown, Ohio and kicker/punter Chad Eriksen (6-0, 180, 4.8) from Grose Ile, Michigan. Daymon Bell says he is going to go to Ohio State next year as a preferred walk-on. Bell intends to get a job in the Columbus area this summer and also work out at Ohio State in hopes of earning a scholarship down the road. Chad Eriksen says he was very impressed on his unofficial visit to Ohio State, and is highly considering becoming a Buckeye as a preferred walk-on next season. However, Eriksen is still considering Alabama and perhaps Michigan State, though neither have offered a scholarship yet. Offensive lineman Ivan Douglas (6-7, 300) from Cleveland Benedictine is scheduled to make a visit to Ohio State this coming weekend, January 30th. Douglas has previously visited West Virginia, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Indiana. However, the big question mark with Ivan Douglas is qualifying academically, so it seems unlikely he will be offered a scholarship this weekend. Defensive end Ryan Pickett from Florida told me last night that he is still committed to Ohio State but he is still planning on making an official visit to Florida State this weekend. Pickett did say that it would be very hard for Florida State to change his mind, but the Buckeyes are of course continuing to stay in close contact with Ryan Pickett. The Buckeyes are staying in contact with running back Ja'mar Toombs as well. Toombs told me that Ohio State and Florida State are his top two choices, but he will visit Texas A&M this coming weekend, January 30th. Tennessee has continued to stay in contact with defensive end Julius Yeast from Kentucky, but Yeast has not wavered one bit and continues to say that he will sign with Ohio State on national signing day. Christian Morgan has chosen Ohio State, however he has not qualified academically. Most likely, he will go to Fork Union Military Academy, or go to Ohio State as a prop. Morgan is not expected to sign with Ohio State on signing day. January 21, 1998 Running back Tony Fisher could make a decision any day now. He has it down to Ohio State and Notre Dame, and says it is 50-50 between the two schools at this point. Fisher would like to announce a decision by the end of this week. Another player who could make a decision any day now is WR/DB Antonio Cooks from California. Cooks told me on Tuesday night that he has narrowed things down to Ohio State and Washington. One player that has eliminated Ohio State is running back Brandon Williams from Pennsylvania. Williams has narrowed things down to Notre Dame, UCLA, and Pitt. Williams did not make an official visit to Pitt, but has been there on an unofficial visit and they are one of his three finalists. Steve Bellisari continues to have Florida State, Ohio State and Notre Dame as his top three. Bellisari had a home visit from Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie on Monday night but did not commit to the Irish. At this point, Bellisari is still planning to visit West Virginia this weekend, but he also adds that he might make a decision before that visit and cancel West Virginia. At this point Bellisari continues to say that Florida State and Notre Dame in no particular order are his two slight leaders, but he quickly adds that Ohio State is "most definitely in the running." Linebacker Rocky Calmus from Oklahoma is still considering all four schools he visited, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Ohio State. He had dropped Oklahoma from contention, but a home visit on Tuesday night from Sooner head coach Blake has Oklahoma back in the running. Calmus says he will make his decision in the near future. Defensive lineman Ryan Pickett from Florida did make an official visit to South Florida this past weekend, but it did not change his status. Pickett told me on Tuesday night he is still committed to Ohio State. Pickett says that the Florida Gators have finally stopped contacting him, but Florida State and Tennessee are still contacting him. He said he was not planning to visit Florida State, but there was a slight chance he might visit Tennessee. However, he quickly added "I'm going to Ohio State." Linebacker Shamar Finney had a great visit with Ohio State last weekend. His mom seemed particularly impressed with the Buckeyes program. Finney has cancelled his visit to Notre Dame which was scheduled for this weekend. He indicates that he will likely wait until February 3rd or February 4th to announce his decision, and is giving no hints as to a leader between Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, and Florida State. One player that is going to announce a decision today that may still visit Ohio State this coming weekend is linebacker Jashon Sykes (6-3, 225) from Gardena Serra High School in California. Sykes told me on Tuesday night that he will commit to either USC or Colorado today, but Ohio State coach Tim Spencer is still in contact and Sykes said that even though he plans to make a commitment today, he may still go ahead and visit Ohio State this weekend. The Buckeyes also remain in the running for offensive lineman David Porter from Illinois. Porter visited Iowa last weekend rather than Tennessee, but did not commit to the Hawkeyes. Defensive end Julius Yeast from Kentucky is planning to announce his decision on Friday morning at his high school. Yeast has narrowed things down to Ohio State and Tennessee and is giving no hint as to which way he is leaning. January 16, 1998 Linebacker James Cotton has enrolled at Ohio State but is still not on scholarship. His credits are still being checked out and until Ohio State finds out if all of his courses are transferable, he cannot go on scholarship. As far as this weekend goes for the Buckeyes, three prospects, and they are all outstanding ones, are scheduled to visit Ohio State. Blue Chip linebacker Shamar Finney from North Carolina is scheduled to visit the Buckeyes. Finney has previously visited Florida State, Florida, and Penn State, and going into this weekend with Ohio State, was not sure if he would visit Notre Dame the weekend of January 23rd or not. Also visiting Ohio State this weekend is defensive back Derek Ross (6-1, 190, 4.5) from Rock Hill Northwestern High School in South Carolina. Ross has already visited South Carolina, and is scheduled to visit Nebraska at the present time. From Nebraska, he is scheduled to fly directly to Columbus for a visit to Ohio State on Saturday January 17th, and Sunday January 18th. As a sophomore, Derek Ross, playing exclusively cornerback, intercepted 10 passes. As a Junior, Ross played almost exclusively at quarterback. This season he played primarily at quarterback, but did play about half the time at cornerback and intercepted 5 passes. So in approximately a year and a half of playing time at cornerback, he intercepted 15 passes. The third player visiting Ohio State this weekend is Rocky Calmus (6-4, 225, 4.6). Calmus is a linebacker/running back from Jenks, Oklahoma. He has a 2.6 grade point average and a 26 on the ACT. Calmus has been a three year varsity starter at Jenks High School, one of the top prep football programs in the country. This season, Calmus was named defensive player of the year for the state of Oklahoma as he made 193 tackles from his weak side linebacker position, including six sacks and two interceptions. Calmus also led Jenks in rushing, with 1409 yards and 19 touchdowns. Previously, Calmus has visited Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, and has been offered a scholarship by those three, as well as Nebraska, even though he has not visited the Cornhuskers. He also plays basketball and is a pitcher in baseball. The coach at Jenks High School says that in 9 years as the head coach, Rocky Calmus is the best big athlete he has ever had. Going into this visit to Ohio State, Calmus might be leaning toward staying close to home, but, he definitely wants to take a good look at Ohio State before making his decision. One player that looks like he will not be visiting Ohio State this weekend is wide eeceiver/defensive back Mike Ainsworth from California. Originally Ainsworth was scheduled to visit Ohio State the weekend of January 23rd, however earlier in the week he told me that his visit has been moved up to this weekend, January 16th. However, it looks like the visit with Ohio State has been postponed. Also having his visit postponed is linebacker Tom Ward (6-3, 235) from Defiance Ohio. Coach Chuck Stobart visited with Ward on Thursday night in Ward's home, and Tom Ward's visit has been pushed back to the weekend of January 23rd. As of late Thursday night Ward was probably going to go ahead and visit Michigan State this weekend since his Ohio State visit had been pushed back. Quarterback Steve Bellisari was visited by Buckeye assistant coaches Fred Pagac, Bill Conley, Mike Jacobs and Tim Salem at Bellisari's home on Wednesday night. On Thursday night, Notre Dame quarterback coach Mike Sanford visited with Bellisari. On Monday, January 19th, Irish head coach Bob Davie is scheduled to make a visit with Bellisari. Bellisari did say on Thursday night that he would leave on Saturday morning for an official visit to Northwestern this weekend. Bellisari also added that his two leaders are Florida State and Notre Dame, with Ohio State third, but Bellisari did say that the Buckeyes are still in the running. Running Back Jonathan Wells, despite his commitment to Ohio State, has decided to visit North Carolina this weekend. Originally, Wells was going to visit Notre Dame this weekend, then he changed to Georgia Tech, but finally decided to visit North Carolina this weekend. He also has a visit scheduled with Auburn the weekend of January 23rd. However Wells does say that he remains committed to Ohio State. One of the reasons that he is visiting North Carolina this weekend is that his high school coach would like him to take at least one other visit besides Ohio State to have something to compare the Buckeyes with. Offensive lineman Brady Washburn is visiting Kansas State this weekend. On Tuesday night, Buckeye offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs made a home visit with Washburn. Early next week Washburn plans to announce his college choice. It will be either Ohio State, Kansas State, or Clemson. Washburn says all three schools are about even. However Brady Washburn's father, who has been a major college assistant coach for many years, including this year at Arkansas, told me that nothing would make him happier than if Brady picked Ohio State. January 13, 1998 This past weekend the Buckeyes hosted 11 players. Donnie Nickey from Plain City Jonathan Alder High School committed to Ohio State. Nickey is a 6-3, 200 pounder who rushed for almost 1400 yards this season and also played free safety. Nickey will be a free or strong safety for Ohio State. He had originally committed to Ohio U., but when the Buckeyes got back in touch and asked him to make an official visit and subsequently offered him a scholarship, Nickey said the decision to switch to Ohio State was an easy one. Jonathan Wells, the Blue Chip running back from Louisiana, also visited Ohio State and reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes. Wells actually committed to Ohio State while the Buckeyes were in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. On Wells' visit this past weekend, he said he loved it at Ohio State, it was even better than he thought it would be, and he again committed to Ohio State. However, Wells is planning on making a visit to Georgia Tech this weekend, January 16th, and also has a visit scheduled with Auburn January 23rd. Part of the reason he is going to visit Auburn is that three of his friends are going to be visiting Auburn that weekend. The Buckeyes will have to stay in touch to make sure that they retain Wells, but I expect him to sign with Ohio State on national signing day. Another player that the Buckeyes did extremely well this weekend with was wide receiver Greg Moore from Florida. Moore had Michigan as a big favorite going into the visit, and in fact had told the Michigan coaches while on his official visit there in December that he wanted to go to Michigan. However, after visiting Ohio State, Greg Moore told me that it is dead even between Ohio State and Michigan for his top spot, with Florida State number 3. Moore says that he loved it at Ohio State, and feels like there is much more to do at Ohio State than there is at Michigan. He says Ohio State is the better place, but on the other hand, if he were to go to Michigan, he would have a better opportunity to start right away since David Boston and Dee Miller are both coming back. Right now Greg Moore says he could not pick a school between Ohio State and Michigan, it is that close. Running back Tony Fisher had a very good visit with Ohio State and told me that he liked his Ohio State visit better than Michigan State. He feels more comfortable at Ohio State, but he will still visit Notre Dame, this coming weekend, January 16th, before he makes a decision. Fisher says it is about even right now between Ohio State and Notre Dame for his top spot. Defensive back Clifford Jefferson had a very good visit with Ohio State this past weekend. He told me the visit moved Ohio State up on his charts, however, Notre Dame is still the school to beat for Clifford Jefferson. He will take one last visit January 23rd to Texas. Brandon Williams, after visiting Ohio State this past weekend, told me that Notre Dame is his leader with Ohio State second and Syracuse third. Williams will visit UCLA this weekend before making a decision. William's one concern is that Ohio State might be a little too big. Defensive end David Thompson from New Jersey said his visit went well with the Buckeyes, but he has still not made a decision. Thompson does still need to qualify academically. Also visiting Ohio State this weekend was offensive lineman David Porter from Illinois. Porter has now been to Minnesota, Boston College , and Ohio State, and will Tennessee this coming weekend January 16th, and Kansas State January 23rd. Porter currently says he has no favorites. Defense Back David Routt (6-5, 210) from Cincinnati Princeton had an excellent visit with Ohio State this weekend. Routt says Ohio State is his top choice, but he is still planning on visiting Pitt this weekend, and Toledo and Ohio U. later in the month. The Buckeyes have told Routt that he has a scholarship if he qualifies academically. If that happens, I expect David Routt to end up at Ohio State. Also visiting Ohio State this past weekend was fullback Jamar Martin who had already committed to Ohio State. And finally, Tight End Greg Grothous (6-7, 240) from Delphos St. Johns High School in Ohio visited Ohio State on Sunday, January 11th. Grothous had previously visited Toledo and Ohio U, and will visit West Virginia this coming weekend. Grothous was not offered a scholarship by Ohio State. Linebacker Shamar Finney visited Florida State this past weekend and did not commit to the Seminoles. Finney has now visited Penn State, Florida, and Florida State, and is planning to visit Ohio State this coming weekend, January 16th. Finney's 5th official visit is scheduled for Notre Dame for January 23rd, but he is not sure if he will take that visit. Finney says that right now he does not have a favorite. Offensive Lineman Brady Washburn visited Clemson this past weekend and did not commit, but had a great visit. Washburn will visit Kansas State this coming weekend before making a decision. He tells me that right now things are pretty even between Ohio State, Clemson, and Kansas State. All three schools have offered him a scholarship. Washburn is going to be visited today, Tuesday, by Buckeye assistant Mike Jacobs. Unfortunately linebacker Shevan Marshall has eliminated Ohio State. He visited Florida State last weekend and did not commit, but says the Seminoles are his leader. Defensive back Cato June committed to Michigan over Florida. June visited Ohio State, but has been saying for some time that his top two have been Michigan and Florida. Quarterback Steve Bellisari has visited Ohio State, Florida State and Notre Dame, and tells me he still has no clear cut favorite. His is not sure when he will make his decision, but says it could come in the next week or so, or he may go ahead and visit Northwestern this weekend, January 16th, and West Virginia January 23rd. Defensive end Julius Yeast visited Florida State this past weekend and did not commit. He is still very much considering Ohio State, but will visit Tennessee this coming weekend before making a decision. Yeast was visited on Monday by Buckeye assistant coaches Bill Conley and Jim Heacock. Yeast said the visit went very well. One player that could soon commit to Ohio State is running back Christian Morgan. Morgan is scheduled to be visited today, on Tuesday, by Buckeye assistant coach Fred Pagac. Morgan wants to go to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have to determine if he will qualify academically. James Cotton has now enrolled at Ohio State. He was in Columbus last Wednesday and Thursday getting everything taken care of. While he has enrolled at Ohio State, it is not a "done deal" yet that he will be on scholarship. His courses are being checked out to make sure he has enough transferable credits to be on scholarship, but at least he has enrolled and of course has committed to Ohio State. January 9, 1998 QB Jason Thomas from California has decided to visit USC this weekend instead of Ohio State. He plans to reschedule Ohio State for the weekend of January 30th. Another prospect that was going to visit Ohio State this weekend was wide receiver Aaron Cochran (6-0, 180, 4.5) from Dover Pennsylvania. Cochran was scheduled to visit Ohio State this weekend but he committed to Michigan State earlier this week and has cancelled his Ohio State visit. Also, RB Eric McCoo (5-11, 190, 4.4) from Little Silver Redbank New Jersey was scheduled to visit Ohio State this weekend. However, the visit has been postponed. McCoo says he would still like to visit Ohio State, and if the Buckeyes want him to it could be rescheduled for the weekend of January 30th. On the other hand, several more prospects have scheduled visits to Ohio State this weekend, including one of the top offensive linemen in the Midwest, David Porter (6-8, 305, 5.1) from Belleville Althoff High School in Illinois. Porter has already made official visits to Minnesota and Boston College, and in addition to Ohio State this weekend will visit Tennessee January 16th and Kansas State January 23rd. He says all five schools have told him he has a scholarship, but does not have a favorite at this point. The Buckeyes are also once again recurring tight end Greg Grothous from Delphos St. Johns High School in Ohio. He will visit Ohio State on Sunday, January 12th, and Monday, January 13th because he has basketball games on Friday and Saturday night. Grothous has already visited Toledo and Ohio U., and in addition to Ohio State this weekend is scheduled to visit West Virginia Sunday, January 19th. All the schools except Ohio State have offered Grothous a scholarship. He says he does not have a favorite. Another addition to the players visiting Ohio State this weekend is DB David Routt (6-5, 210, 4.5) from Cincinnati Princeton. Routt will start his visit on Saturday as he has a basketball game on Friday night. Routt's other scheduled visits are to Pitt January 17th, Toledo January 24th and Ohio U. January 31st. Ohio State is his favorite. Other players scheduled to visit Ohio State this weekend are running back Jonathan Wells, running back Brandon Williams, wide receiver Greg Moore, defensive back Clifford Jefferson, defensive back T.J. Jackson, fullback Jamar Martin and running back Tony Fisher from Euclid. WR Shaheed Jackson from Paterson Catholic High School in New Jersey might visit Ohio State this weekend. As of Thursday he was not totally sure if the Buckeyes were going to have him in for an official visit. One player that has already begun his visit to Ohio State is DE David Thompson from Paterson Eastside High School in New Jersey. Thompson began his visit on Thursday. Unfortunately it looks like the Buckeyes are out of the running for DB Cato June from Washington D. C. June is visiting Florida this weekend and indicates that at this point his decision is down to Michigan and Florida. He has already visited Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. June plans to announce his decision on Monday. He did leave the door open a little bit though, saying that he has changed his mind back and forth a few times before, but as of right now Cato June indicates that his decision is down to either Florida or Michigan, and he will visit the Gators this weekend. Linebacker James Cotton has still not enrolled and started classes at Ohio State. The Buckeyes still do not have his final transcript, and he cannot start until those transcripts are received and approved by Ohio State so he is still at this parents house in Cleveland Ohio. LB Shamar Finney is scheduled to visit Ohio State the weekend of January 16th, and Notre Dame January 23rd. However, those dates are subject to change. There is a chance that Finney could visit Notre Dame on the 16th. January 6, 1998 Last week LB James Cotton told me he had received a letter of intent from Ohio State, had signed it, and was planning to enroll at Ohio State and start classes on Monday, January 5th. I checked with Cotton again on Sunday, January 4th, and he said he was all set to begin classes. However, all of that has not happened yet. I called Cotton on Monday night to check and see if he had begun classes at Ohio State. Cotton was at his parents home in Cleveland, and had not yet enrolled. It appears Cotton's transcript and credits have still not been approved to transfer to from City College of San Francisco to Ohio State. Defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, who committed to Ohio State, told me last night that he is still committed to Ohio State. At the time of his commitment, he said there was a chance he might still visit Florida, so I decided to check with him again last night. Pickett says that Florida is still calling him and still wants him to make an official visit, but at this point at least Pickett does not plan to visit anywhere else. Running back Jonathan Wells and his mom and dad went to the Sugar Bowl to see the Ohio State/Florida State game. I talked to Jonathan last night and he said that Ohio State is still where he wants to go. He also says that if things go the way he anticipates this coming weekend, January 9th, on his official visit with the Buckeyes, that it would perhaps be his last official visit. Wells told the Buckeye coaching staff while they were in New Orleans that he plans to go to Ohio State, but at this point he has not yet cancelled his Notre Dame and Auburn visits. Wells did tell me last night that there is a very good chance that he will cancel those visits after his visit to Ohio State. Wells did mention that he felt Ohio State needs a big back both as a runner and to help out on blocking in pass protection after watching the Sugar Bowl. LeCharles Bentley is all set to make an official visit to Ohio State this coming weekend. He has narrowed things down to Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana, and was close to committing to either Michigan State or Indiana before Ohio State made a late push. It will be interesting to see if Ohio State will offer him a scholarship and if they do, if that will change his thoughts on Michigan State and Indiana. Other players that are scheduled to visit Ohio State this coming weekend besides Wells and Bentley are wide receiver Greg Moore from Florida, defensive back T. J. Jackson from Florida, defensive back Clifford Jefferson from Texas, running back Brandon Williams from Pennsylvania, defensive end David Thompson from New Jersey, and possibly quarterback Jason Thomas from California. As of yesterday, Jason Thomas was considering visiting USC this coming weekend instead of Ohio State. Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have been eliminated from the playoffs, coach Paul Hackett is on full-time duty with USC, and he is supposed to visit with Jason Thomas sometime this week. Jason is considering visiting USC this weekend instead of Ohio State. He did say, though, that if he visits USC rather than Ohio State this coming weekend, that he would likely reschedule Ohio State for perhaps the weekend of January 30th, but as of right now Thomas is still scheduled to visit the Buckeyes this coming weekend, January 9th. Stanley Jackson's cousin, Shaheed Jackson, from Patterson Catholic High School in New Jersey, might be making an official visit to Ohio State this weekend as well. Jackson is a wide receiver/defensive back prospect. Cornerback prospect Clifford Jefferson at one point was thinking about visiting Michigan this coming weekend instead of Ohio State, but as of this past weekend he indicated that he is going to visit Ohio State and really is not looking at Michigan very much any more. Jefferson has told Notre Dame that he wants to go to Notre Dame and his cousin Alan Rossum plays for the Fighting Irish, but he is continuing to take official visits. Greg Moore, on his official visit to Michigan, told the Michigan coaches that he wants to go to Michigan. However he did say that on Sunday he is still planning on visiting Ohio State this coming weekend. Moore also has Tennessee scheduled for January 16th, Maryland for the 23rd, and Florida State for January 30th. He says that as of now he is planning on going to Michigan with Florida State number two on his list, but certainly things could change as Greg Moore continues to take official visits. Tom Ward (6-3, 235), a linebacker from Defiance Ohio, told me he wants to go to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are supposed to contact him perhaps sometime this week and let him know about a possible official visit to Ohio State. Tom Ward does have an official visit scheduled with Michigan State for the weekend of January 16th. Neither Ohio State or Michigan State have offered him a scholarship as of yet. If Ohio State offers, TomWard says he will go to Ohio State; if not, his next choice would be Michigan State. If neither of the schools offer, then Tom Ward says he will go to Toledo. Quarterback Steve Bellisari told me on Sunday that the rumors that have him leaning to Notre Dame are not true. He said he still does not have a leader, but Bellisari said that he should know more after his visit this coming weekend, January 9th to Florida State. Bellisari will have then visited Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida State, which he says are his top three choices. He says after visiting all three, he will have a better feel for who he likes best. Bellisari has however scheduled two other official visits. He is going to visit Northwestern the weekend of January 16th, and West Virginia the weekend of January 23rd, however Bellisari said he is not totally certain he will take those last two visits. Look for Bellisari's decision to come down to Ohio State, Florida State or Notre Dame. Offensive lineman Brady Washburn from Arkansas is going to be visiting Clemson this coming weekend, January 9th, and then after that, he hopes to make his decision as quick as possible. Ohio State continues to be his leader, though he does have relatives that live in South Carolina, so this visit with Clemson is going to be an important one. Certainly Brady Washburn could make a commitment to Ohio State as soon as this Sunday evening. ) O-Zone Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. 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