The rush is your overnight dose of Ohio state football recruiting trail updates, keeping track of the latest confirmations and targets across the country.
Davis shows Ohio state visit
Raesjon Davis’s phone last week was essentially overheated to the touch.
Makes sense. Davis is one of the most valued recruits left in the 2021 class. And since he dropped his top five from Ohio State, LSU, USC, Oregon and Vanderbilt on Sunday, communication has been overwhelming at times.
“My messages have been exploding with all these coaches,” said Davis Eleven Warriors on Wednesday night. “After I left my top five, everyone has been texting me. I put in ‘do not disturb’. I just had to put my head in place to see where I really wanted to go. I try to stay away from social networks too. That’s why I have been practicing and lifting weights, just trying to hit my head. ”
So there is a lot of stress on Davis’ decision, but two weeks from now he will have cemented his decision by telling us that he still plans to sign with one of these five schools on the February 3rd National Signature Day.
My overwhelming opinion is that the four-star prospect Mater Dei (California) – rated No. 45 overall, No. 4 on the external linebacker and No. 3 on the state – is choosing between Ohio State or USC.
Although Oregon is also in good shape, it is these two programs that are tied in the race to get Davis. This weekend, the Columbus and Ohio State campus will have a chance to make a last impression on Davis and his family as he will pay a visit to the city with his parents.
“It’s the last step because it’s the last school, so we’re just waiting to see how it works out,” said Davis.
“(This visit is) critical because I just want my parents to see it. As soon as they see it, I’ll know exactly how I feel. “– Raesjon Davis
The plane tickets were purchased on Tuesday, as Davis, his parents and his uncle will leave on Friday before returning on Sunday. And you wouldn’t be making an expensive visit on your own, flying across the country in the 11th hour, if you weren’t serious about choosing that school.
“My uncle went to Toledo there, so he knows a lot about Ohio. He’s going there with us too, so he said he can show us outside, ”said Davis.
There was no detailed itinerary that Ohio state coaches gave Davis about the points to be settled, but this is likely to happen as soon as he makes a planned Zoom call this week with Al Washington.
“I think we’ll find out (what points to reach) when we get there, really,” said Davis. “(My mom) was just trying to see if we could talk to some of the players, the first freshmen, to see if they could show us around.”
The first 2021 registrants in Ohio will have arrived on campus by the time Davis is in town or will arrive there at the weekend. Davis is hopeful of meeting guys like TreVeyon Henderson, Evan Pryor, Jack Sawyer and Kyle McCord, and he’s in contact with Jaylen Johnson, who didn’t sign up early, who is due to meet him this weekend.
One player Davis won’t be able to meet, however, is Buckeye quarterback CJ Stroud, a SoCal colleague that Davis has known for a long time.
“This is my guy. We are very nice. I’ve known him since eighth grade, ”said Davis. “We were always super cool. He said to me, ‘You would love it here. But it’s business. ‘He just said to come in with a business mindset all the time, because that’s the way it is. He knows that I’m a business guy because I came from abroad, so he knows that I would be ready to work there. He said it was super fun, but he said it was very serious too.
“I talked to CJ, but he said he’s home now, so he’ll see what he can do.”
top 5! @ Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/5n8ys70exb
– Raesjon Davis (@ raesjon1) January 17, 2021
Contrary to what I wrote on Wednesday, Davis says he actually only visited the state of Ohio once (not twice). That was in March 2020, but he says “it was only for a few hours. It was not a full visit business. That’s why I wanted to go back there and check out the campus and the city. ”
He met Paris Johnson Jr. during that visit while walking on High Street and obtained some more information about the inner workings of the state of Ohio from a player who had spent about two months on the program at that time. But it is of utmost importance that Davis’s parents know the city and its facilities.
When we spoke to Davis in the summer, while he was still committed to LSU, he hoped to arrive on campus for a visit to see if there was a “spark” for his family as there was in Baton Rouge.
“This is critical because I just want my parents to see it,” said Davis. “Then, when they see it, I’ll know exactly how I feel. Because my parents are a big part of my decision, so I always ask about (what do they think about a school).
“This is what I’m trying to see (it’s that spark). Because I knew after that visit that they were excited about it, so I’m trying to see if they have the same feeling about the state of Ohio. They are super excited. My mom has been trying to get up there for the past, like, three weeks. So, we’re happy to finally get there. ”
Again, this recruitment appears to be falling for Ohio State vs. USC. Dave Aranda was the coach who recruited Davis for LSU, and after he stepped down to become head coach at Baylor, new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini (who was fired after just one season) did not show up to impact Davis . The Tigers have lost Davis’ commitment and will not receive it back.
If this visit goes well, I think the Buckeyes could take a look at what would be a little boring because of the Trojans and their attraction to being close to home.
Washington has one of the best relationships with Davis than any coach who recruited him. Possibly The best. The same goes for Davis’ father, who also built a close bond with Washington.
USC being closer to home is a factor at play here, as is the Trojan linebacker’s lack of depth. Davis wants to play early and make an impact as a freshman before competing for a sophomore year, and the potential to see the course sooner or later at USC is intriguing.
Meanwhile, Ohio has its top four linebackers leaving for the NFL. With Teradja Mitchell, K’Vaughan Pope and Dallas Gant set to reach their fourth year in 2021, the Buckeyes could see even more turnover in the position after the next season. The opportunity is there for an initial role as a freshman and, more importantly, as a sophomore player with Reid Carrico and Jaylen Johnson (who could still be placed as a defender) as the only other linebackers entering the 2021 cycle.
All of these are options for Davis to reflect on as he takes this last step.
Header photo: Raesjon Davis – Ken Ruinard / USA Today