Rush is your nighttime dose of updates to the Ohio State football recruiting trail, keeping track of the latest confirmations and goals across the country.
“After arriving at college, your position coach is basically your father”
The news became mostly official on Thursday night – Al Washington is staying in Ohio.
And with that, the number one recruiter ranked in class 2022 won’t be going anywhere for now, and one of the best relationship builders on the Buckeyes team is cemented in Columbus for at least another year.
When Gabe Powers heard the news, the Buckeyes’ five-star external linebacker commitment in the 2022 cycle was as ecstatic as expected.
“I was really excited,” said Powers Eleven Warriors about hearing the news. “I would not like to be trained by anyone else. He’s a great guy, a great coach. Such a personal trainer that feels like family, you know? ”
When we spoke to Powers and his father, Mike Powers, before their engagement last summer, they each sang praises to Washington, with Mike saying “I can’t say enough good things about that man.”
The younger Powers also praised Washington on hearing the news of its non-departure.
“After you get to college, your position coach is basically your father,” he said. “You’re basically with him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When it comes to relationships, it’s a great relationship. It means a lot to me. Having such a good coach not only for football, but that you can relate outside and have a great relationship outside of football means a lot. ”
Al Washington’s ability (right) to build relationships with recruits will not fail to be seen by the State of Ohio for at least another year, as Washington is maintaining the Buckeyes in 2021.
Powers and his family had a connection from Zoom to Washington, Ryan Day, Kerry Coombs and a few other Buckeye coaches on Tuesday to update themselves. The question of whether or not Washington would leave for Tennessee was raised, and Washington said “I’m a Buckeye,” said Powers. “So, I kind of knew he would be.”
So Washington is in effect for now in Columbus, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be in the same situation a year from now. There remains the possibility, of course, that Washington will become a defensive coordinator elsewhere when we get to the off-season of 2022.
This is a possibility that Powers thought of. But it doesn’t matter when it comes to college fate.
“Yes, I already thought about it,” said Powers. “After that, you end up thinking about it. But I am a Buckeye. I am a Buckeye for life. As long as things continue as they are now, even if he leaves, as long as the coach (who replaces him) is good, we will be Buckeyes. I didn’t just commit to a coach, although that made it a lot easier to commit there. I’m a Buckeye. ”
Now that his future coach is once again solidified, Powers can return to focus on his main goal for this off-season – to train.
“I am trying to earn up to 240 pounds before my senior season,” he said. “(Ohio State coaches) think it would be great if I could get to 240 and maintain my speed. That is the great thing. I want to keep my speed, for sure. I want to go to some fields this off season, if there are any fields. The training is going well, however, getting bigger, stronger and faster ”.
“I just took his word for it”
While talking to Powers after the Washington news was announced, we also spoke with Jaylen Johnson, Ohio State 2021 signatory, on Thursday, just hours before the news.
Johnson, a security committee that has the potential to become a linebacker in college, was very confident that Washington would remain here. Johnson texted Washington the day he heard rumors about his possible departure for Tennessee. The communication was there, no matter what the linebacker coach decided.
“I’m not so concerned because if it were so serious, Coach Washington would have contacted me personally,” said Johnson. “When I asked him, he told me that if something like this happened, you would be one of the first commits, one of the first people I would talk to. He said, ‘You know you have my respect, J’, and I just took your word for it. So, I’m pretty sure he’ll be in Ohio. ”
And then Johnson had to throw a little punch with a laugh: “Who would want to go to Tennessee? Especially with those McDonald’s bags. ”
Johnson and Washington have been close since Washington gave him the Ohio State offer. And you must remember this story right after Johnson’s engagement, in which Washington had some fun with Johnson. He pretended to tell Johnson that the Buckeyes had no room for him in class before turning around and saying that they were all involved with Johnson.
If the two didn’t have a strong bond like that, Washington would never have told that joke (which Johnson agrees with).
“We’re close. Very close, ”said Johnson. “It is not even from the point of view of football. He is a great man outside of football and our relationship is very close. So I will be relying on him when I go to Columbus. ”
Like Powers, Johnson is now back to his primary training focus before going to Ohio on May 30 as a summer enrollee.
One of the best peer recruiters in the 2021 class, however, is close to retirement (with the exception of pushing for JT Tuimoloau). With CJ Hicks and Dasan McCullough leading the way for the 2022 recruiting class, Johnson is ready to let them handle it.
“It would be cheating if I came in and helped,” said Johnson.
Nolen falls in the top 10
As we talked about earlier this week, Walter Nolen, the country’s No. 1 player and second overall player in the 2022 class, included the Buckeyes in his list of the top 10 schools he is considering.
Honored and blessed to say at this point for nominating my top ten schools at a time when recruitment is still fully open @ Hayesfawcett3 @ChadSimmons_ @ YONO96933567 @ BigWalter79 @Coach_WallsSBA @dzoloty @ ESPN3ALLDAY pic.twitter.com/An8GLk8v5G
– Walter Nolen9 (@ WalterNolen4) February 12, 2021
Ohio is confronted with schools like Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Michigan by Tennessee’s five-star defense services.