MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Urban Meyer sent a text message to four-star wide receiver Trey Knox of Murfreesboro (Tennessee) Blackman on Wednesday that basically questioned the prospect’s abilities in the kitchen.
“He said I can’t cook,” Knox said, “and that I need to prove him wrong.”
Knox can make a mean fried chicken that he breads and fries himself, but that’s not really the point. Knox said he texts with Meyer almost every day, and most of the time it’s not even about football. For instance, this week Knox thought he’d send a selfie of him and teammate Master Teague III — a running back committed in Ohio State’s 2017 class — to Meyer to remind him of the potential of what the future could hold. They’re all close.
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This is what recruiting is like. Sometimes it’s easier to get caught up with how much a prospect likes a visit or how nice a program’s facilities are, but it’s about comfort. It’s about relationships. And when you see Meyer on TV behind podiums after games or explaining why he’s sticking with J.T. Barrett, it’s hard to see the jokester side of him that has been so efficient with connecting with high school coaches and players.
He’s done it again with Knox.
That’s why Ohio State is one of his top schools.
“We text constantly,” Knox said.
Rated the No. 19 wide receiver in the 2019 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Knox has been to Ohio State three times, starting with an unofficial visit with Teague for the Buckeyes’ win over Northwestern last season. It was during that visit when the 6-foot-4, 206-pound Knox realized Ohio State was going to be a factor until the end of his recruitment.
“We took the tour of the whole Woody, then we went to the Blackwell Hotel and then I talked to Coach Meyer,” Knox recalled. “Then we went onto the sideline of the field. Then Coach (Tony) Alford came up to me on the sideline and said, ‘You have an offer from The Ohio State University.’ So I was already geeked before the game, then they won the game and that added onto the sweetness to the whole visit. Shoot, I was excited for two or three weeks after that.
“It was in warm-ups and it was already loud. I just remember sitting there watching the receivers warm up, coach (Zach) Smith throwing the ball around, then Coach Alford telling me I have the offer. It was ridiculous. I was like ‘Dang, I can really picture myself playing here.’ ”
Ohio State actually offered Knox before Teague, who is a year older.
It’s important to remember that Ohio State generally offers and takes more receivers than running backs, but there has been a special type of urgency to get program-changing receivers up to Columbus. The Buckeyes did that in 2017 when they signed Trevon Grimes and Jaylen Harris, but there’s a need for more.
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Knox is one of those special talents.
When you watch Ohio State on Saturdays, you see receivers struggling to create separation or make big plays.
When Knox watches Ohio State on Saturdays, he sees a lot of receiver rotation and an opportunity to get onto the field as a freshman.
In Knox, Meyer sees somebody who can put an end to all of the current problems.
“I feel like I could go up there and play my freshman year,” Knox said. “They rotate receivers constantly, so I feel like I could go play early.”
Ohio State should be considered Knox’s top school at the moment, but he’s also involved with Florida, Tennessee, Louisville, South Carolina and others. He said he’s keeping his options open and making his rounds, which is fair.
But as long as he sees Meyer’s name popping up on his screen every day, it’s hard to imagine Knox won’t be a Buckeye.
“It’s crazy that somebody my age and people are saying, ‘You get to text Coach Meyer,'” Knox said. “I just have to take a step back and say that I’m truly blessed because not that many people my age have opportunities like this to get close with someone like Coach Meyer.”