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LB C.J. Hicks (Official Thread)

Several more clips here....



Wow...with all due respect to Powers and the many Ohio LB prospects that have been outstanding, Hicks is the best Ohio LB prospect I've seen on film coming out of high school. Crazy athletic and just explodes through the ball carrier, will help stop the run but will shine in pass coverage. I seriously think there's an argument that Captain Buckeye is the best player in the nation.
 
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The kickoff return where he's the lead blocker is the most incredible play I can remember seeing. Catching up to the returner from about 40 yards to get yet another block inside the 10 yard line and get him in the endzone was just insane.
 
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THE HURRY-UP: PREDICTING THE NEXT COMMITMENT, MORE ON LATEST RIVALS RANKINGS, C.J. HICKS FLIP RUMORS

HICKS FLIP RUMORS


There have been some rumors being floated around that a possible flip could be coming from C.J. Hicks, with Luke Farrell and Cincinnati making a run at him.

There were differing opinions from the folks at Rivals in analysts Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney:

Farrell’s take: FACT. These rumors began a few days ago and seemed ridiculous. Yes the Bearcats are a top 10 team and Luke Fickell has done an amazing job. But most assume Fickell will be gone for a bigger job and there’s no way Hicks, a five-star, would spurn Ohio State.

But let’s remember one thing. The Bearcats were his first offer, he loves Fickell and Hicks knows he can find his way to the NFL no matter where he goes. I’m not saying this happens, but it could, and that’s all that matters.

Gorney’s take: FICTION. I asked Hicks about this and he said Cincinnati was his first offer and he thinks the Bearcats are a solid program. He loves the coaches and that they’ll be “family” no matter where he goes because they have such a great relationship but I find it very hard to believe he could flip to Cincinnati. It is a great program and Fickell is fantastic but Hicks is already committed to Ohio State. That’s a better program and puts more people in the NFL. Almost no one says “no” to the Buckeyes, especially in-state superstars.

I don't at all believe Ohio State fans have anything to be worried about here. I think it would be downright shocking for Hicks to flip anywhere, especially after he's been such a strong leader carrying the Buckeyes' flag as their top recruiter in the 2022 class.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...n-latest-rivals-rankings-cj-hicks-flip-rumors
 
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GIVE HICKS HIS FIFTH STAR
I love telling this story because it's a perfect example of the real-time growth that these athletes that Ohio State is recruiting undergo over the course of their high school careers.

C.J. Hicks was one of the first players I interviewed when I started this job back in September. I always tell people that it's not like he looked like a pencil or that he was completely shy, but the sophomore – who was originally ranked as a five-star prospect and then subsequently was sent down into the 160s overall as a four-star guy – didn't yet have the physique of a highly recruited linebacker prospect, and he wasn't the most talkative or outgoing.

When I went to visit him this summer, which was the first time I saw him in person since September 2019, he looked like a completely different athlete. He had gained about 15 pounds, getting up to 220 pounds, by putting in a ton of work in the gym and a protein-heavy diet.

And in speaking with him, it was clear that he grown confidence, too, and he's taken that to a whole 'nother level by becoming the Buckeyes' peer recruiting leader in the 2022 class.

And if the video posted to Twitter this afternoon is any indication, it looks like we could be in for even more growth from Hicks by this time next year.



Hicks has ascended his way back from that listing as the No. 117 overall composite prospect (and No. 162, per 247Sports) that he dropped to in July, getting back to No. 71, then No. 53 and No. 35 overall in the latest rankings.

He is the highest-rated four-star prospect in America's 2022 class, as all 34 players in front of him are composite five-star prospects. He is the No. 2-ranked outside linebacker in the country, right behind fellow Buckeye commit Gabe Powers, the No. 1-ranked outside linebacker.

Soon enough, it'll be time to give Hicks his fifth star.

Oh, and to reiterate our stance from earlier this week, Hicks won't be flipping to Cincinnati.



But you didn't need to see a tweet to know that. Those rumors carry about as much weight as the TreVeyon Henderson flip to Oklahoma rumors.
 
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HICKS HAS SAWYER, MCCORD TO THANK FOR PEER RECRUITING SUCCESS

s we all know, Ohio State’s 2021 class is ridiculously loaded with talent from top to bottom. With J.T. Tuimoloau and Raesjon Davis still in the fray as potential commitments – Davis possibly during February’s National Signing Day and Tuimoloau in February or beyond – the Buckeyes already have the No. 3-ranked class in program history.

That would jump to No. 2 all-time in Ohio State history and No. 10 in college football history (316.85 points) if Tuimoloau signs and would jump to No. 1 in Ohio State history and No. 5 in college football history (320.62 points) if both he and Davis sign.

Every recruiting class starts somewhere, but it’s still hard to believe looking back on all of this that it all began with Jack Sawyer in February 2019. Or maybe it’s not. He is a five-star who was ranked in the top-three overall in America at the time of his commitment, after all.

But I’m still not sure we could have seen all of this coming. Sawyer has himself to thank for a lot of that.

He is going to go down as one of the best peer recruiters in program history. I’m not sure how you quantify that, but it doesn’t really matter. He just is. Simple as that.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...mccord-to-thank-for-peer-recruiting-blueprint

“HE KIND OF TOOK A PAGE OUT OF ME AND KYLE’S (MCCORD) BOOK WITH HOW WE RECRUIT GUYS. HE CAN THANK ME A LITTLE BIT FOR TEACHING HIM HOW TO RECRUIT.”– JACK SAWYER ON C.J. HICKS LEARNING TO BE A PEER RECRUITER
 
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