What We Learned at Under Armour Camp Series in Atlanta

ATLANTA — The Atlanta stop of the Under Armour Camp Series was loaded with Ohio State targets, and they showed up in a big way on Sunday afternoon at Denmark High School.

Hundreds of the southeast’s best young players showed up and worked out, bringing together a truly special group, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. Those areas were where most of the big question marks we had heading into Sunday resided.

Which ones were answered? Let’s take a look at what Lettermen Row learned from the trip to Atlanta.

How real is interest in Ohio State from Walter Nolen?

First, let me state this clearly: Walter Nolen is a beast. This is a surefire 5-star defensive tackle prospect and every school in the country would love to have a player with his potential suiting up for them. That includes Ohio State, obviously. And, yes, the Buckeyes are in his top 10.

But no, my mind has not changed. After speaking with Nolen and from talking to others about his recruitment, there’s no reason to think Ohio State is anything but a hat on the table.

Nolen likes Larry Johnson, calling him a “great defensive line coach.” But liking a coach isn’t enough to make a team a real option, and though he plans to visit Columbus at some point, I’m officially from Missouri on this one: Show me.

The Buckeyes have big-time defensive tackle options. Maybe none of them will be the player Nolen can be, but not every player is for every program. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. It will be a major upset if Nolen doesn’t end up playing his college football in the SEC. He is going to take a self-guided visit to Michigan next weekend — he has family in the area — and the Wolverines are trying to get in the mix. But again it just seems like his recruitment is likely to end up in the SEC.

How good is Lebbeus Overton?

Turns out that the country’s No. 1-ranked 2023 prospect is really good.

Overton has just put the cleats back on after winning a Georgia state title in basketball, and he was exciting to watch on Sunday. He’s big at 6-foot-5 and almost 250 pounds, but he moves like a linebacker in defensive line drills. This is a kid that has it all and was probably better than advertised. His recruitment is going to be a wild ride, but he’s a smart kid from a well-rounded background. Though the local schools will have a built-in advantage, it’s a recruitment that the Buckeyes should be involved in down the road. They will need to really show that he’s a priority on the football field when contact with sophomores opens up, because it’s going to be about relationships here.

Overton is convinced he’s going to be able to play football and basketball in college, and right now he isn’t considering given up the hardwood for the gridiron. He and his family have been very impressed by Chris Holtmann and have been able to speak to him a bit more than they have Ryan Day or Larry Johnson to this point. The battle for Lebbeus Overton is going to be very similar to the recruitment of J.T. Tuimoloau. Right now for Ohio State, it’s all about not getting lost in the shuffle before September 1.

Can Damari Alston differentiate from other top running back targets?

This question was harder to answer on Sunday.

When the running backs and linebackers were doing their work coincided with the time that all the offensive line and defensive line prospects were made available for interviews, and that meant the majority of the workout from the tailbacks was missed.

Unfortunate, certainly, but it doesn’t prevent the question from being answered entirely. Damari Alston was there, in great shape and he moved very well and with purpose. He is a friendly, great kid having fun on the field — but plays with a chip on his shoulder. He was physically bigger than I expected him to be.

I think Alston is behind a few other running backs on the current pecking order for Ohio State, but he’s got the talent to make impact anywhere in college football. If the Buckeyes do decide to take two at tailback in 2022, he’d be a solid choice as one of a pair. There was some talk on Sunday about a potential reclassification to the Class of 2021, but he did tell Lettermen Row that was possible — but unlikely.

What kind of offensive lineman is Ohio State target Addison Nichols?

I don’t believe Addison Nichols is truly a tackle prospect, but I left Atlanta more convinced than ever that he’s an Ohio State-caliber offensive lineman for a number of reasons. On the field Nichols is big, he’s nasty and he plays with good technique. He keeps himself centered and really moves his feet well a big guy. Off the field is where the real fascinating parts of this young can be found. He’s reminiscent of Harry Miller in a way, with a number of fantastic hobbies and a very unique perspective on life. He’s a potential five-position kid, and that versatility combined with his character make him a valuable target for Greg Studrawa and the Buckeyes.

Nichols told Lettermen Row he’s set his official visits for June and will head to Georgia, Florida, USC and Ohio State with a trip to Tennessee likely for July. My personal read on things this weekend were that the Buckeyes and the Volunteers could be in the best spot, but I know others who spoke with him don’t feel the same way. Either way, I think Ohio State is a good spot and the summertime visit will be key.

Two potential 2023 Buckeyes quarterback targets

Both Tad Hudson and Malachi Singleton showed up and threw the ball well. My personal opinion is that the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Singleton threw the ball better than any of the quarterbacks in attendance, firing off tight spirals easily and with a lot of zip. The height may not be ideal for Ohio State, but the Georgia AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year has some swagger to him that can’t be taught. He’s a very confident, talented prospect who has been talking to Corey Dennis and Ryan Day often and thinks he could excel in the offense much like Justin Fields did.

Hudson played Friday night and his ball sailed a bit at times on Sunday, but he was able to find rhythm in the one-on-one drills.

Another 2023 quarterback, Louisiana’s Rickie Collins, once again caught my eye. I liked what I saw from him two weeks ago at the Battle 7-on-7 Tournament in New Orleans, and he was really solid again in Atlanta. At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Collins moves really well in the pocket — he’s also a baseball and basketball player — and has a very natural release. With Arch Manning in the Class of 2023 alongside Collins, he may be getting overlooked a bit in the Bayou. Who knows, maybe that allows a program like Ohio State to eventually steal the likely 4-star quarterback out of that area.

Saturday, we wrote some of the questions Lettermen Row about a few of the Buckeyes targets in attendance. Today, we’re happy to report that it feels like most were answered in one way or another.

Of course, that doesn’t mean new questions didn’t pop up. There will be plenty more coming this week to address them, including interviews and thoughts on potential Ohio State offers in the 2023 and 2024 classes.

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