@O.iatlhawksfan article from11w.
ELIAS RICKS DISCUSSES RECRUITMENT GOING INTO THE FALL
From checking in in Frisco to the first workout of The Opening Finals, it’s been clear to LSU cornerback commit
Elias Ricks that Ohio State’s commits want him in Columbus.
Gee Scott Jr. and
Lejond Cavazos are two guys that have been developing a relationship with him, trying to gauge the strength of his commitment to LSU and his interest in other programs.
“It’s Ohio State really,” Ricks told Eleven Warriorsabout other schools’ commits approaching him. “That’s it. I would say USC, but they don’t really have many commits like that.”
Cavazos has been the Ohio State commit that’s been pushing Ricks the most to pull the trigger and flip to the Buckeyes, but it’s clear that the No. 2 cornerback will take his time on the decision to stay in Baton rouge or decide on something else.
Cavazos was attached to Ricks’ hip during warm ups and then again after the workout was finished.
But Ricks has had a lot of decision to make lately, with deciding on which schools he wants to take officials to – his Ohio State visit is scheduled for Nov. 22, his USC visit for Nov. 2 and Alabama LSU and an undetermined school yet to be scheduled – and where he will be playing his senior season, since Mater Dei will not allow him to graduate early. He will make that announcement July 18.
He told Eleven Warriors, though, that having Cavazos and No. 3 cornerback Clark Phillips committed to Ohio State wouldn’t deter him from choosing to play with the Buckeyes if his recruitment went that direction.
“It could be 500 cornerbacks committed,” Ricks said. “If that’s the school for me, I don’t fear competition. I always think I’m going to be the top dog wherever I go. I’m always going to come in thinking I can beat these guys out, and those are my guys. But that’s not going to affect me.”
Ricks’ relationship with Ohio State dates back to when Urban Meyer was the head coach of the Buckeyes, and that’s a specific topic that he and Cavazos can relate to, as Cavazos decommitted after Meyer’s departure before choosing to recommit in April.
“I visited there when Urban was there,” Ricks said about Ohio State. “Me and Urban talked every single night. That was my guy, and when I heard he was leaving, I was hurt. If he was still there, it would’ve been a whole other story. We were ready.”
While several top programs would like to see him flip, Ricks said he isn’t feeling too much pressure because he is still committed to LSU and that if nothing else piques his interest, he’s still happy to be a Tiger.
But one thing that intrigues him about Alabama and Ohio State is that they always win.
“They always win. They’re always in the national championship every year,” Ricks said. “They put out first round DBs all the time. Same thing (with Ohio State) – DBs like Denzel Ward, Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, dudes that are producing in the League.”