ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

The moment is never too big for Mike Edwards. Whether his Cincinnati Winton Woods teammates need a big play or an emotional lift from the junior safety , Edwards does not buckle when under the spotlight.

“He’s fearless back there,” Winton Woods coach Andre Parker said. “I don’t think he feels the pressure.”

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It wasn’t your typical unofficial visit. Then again, it wasn’t supposed to be.

Outside linebacker Kyle Berger (Cleveland/St. Ignatius), who has blown up on the recruiting scene of late, took a trip to Columbus, Ohio on Saturday to see the other side of Ohio State.

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Sitting in Algebra 2, the security guard came knocking on the door looking for Nilijah Ballew (Cincinnati/Walnut Hills). He was not in trouble -- quite the opposite actually.

Waiting for him outside was his coach, who had some good news to deliver.

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Traditionally, no position fills up in recruiting classes faster than quarterback, which is why Joey Duckworth (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) knows he will not drag his decision out.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Beavercreek (Ohio) linebacker Airius Moore holds five offers, and he recently took a visit to one of those schools.

Illinois is one of the first schools to tender a scholarship, and Moore likes what the Fighting Illini program has to offer following a trip to Champaign a few weeks ago.

“I like their coaching staff. Coach [Alex] Golesh is a really nice guy,” Moore said. “The biggest thing for me is the coaches and they make you feel at home and they’re really nice.”

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Two-way athlete Brandon Powell (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the state of Florida in the last four weeks or so.

Offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Marshall, Massachusetts, Northwestern, Purdue, USF and West Virginia had all come in for the 2014 prospect. But two big ones on the same day were the highlight.

"It was exciting, especially when I got Tennessee and LSU in the same day," Powell said. "That was a big day for me. It is just that they are in the SEC. That is the big-time conference in college football. That's why it was so big for me."

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Davonte James (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) has the offers. He has the interest as well.

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In his words, his pursuit of the big one is over.

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Dylan Thompson (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic), a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end, didn’t mince words about his latest offer.

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Travis Johnson (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit) has found a home at Cincinnati.

The 6-foot-3, 231-pound ESPN 300 tight end chose the Bearcats over Missouri, Rutgers and USF on Wednesday afternoon, electing to join new assistant coach Eddie Gran's offense.

The nation's sixth-best tight end prospect should give Cincinnati another dimension in the passing game.

Johnson originally committed to Miami back in June, but would go on to part ways with the Hurricanes in December. Cincinnati, with Gran's Florida ties, were able to secure an official visit on the weekend of Jan. 11.

The rest, then, is history.

What is the impact of Johnson's decision?

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Watch List linebacker Davonte James (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) picked up his biggest offer yet on Thursday when Georgia Tech stopped by his school and offered the 2014 prospect.

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There’s a shortage of offensive linemen in Columbus after the 2013 season. Urban Meyer knows it. That’s why the trenches are a point of interest for Ohio State in the 2014 recruiting class.

The Buckeyes offered their 19th offensive tackle from the junior class and their 21st offensive lineman overall.

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Watch List tight end Ethan Wolf (Minster, Ohio/Minster) is planning a very busy spring in the hopes that his summer is a bit lighter than last year.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to have to go through the camp circuit again,” Wolf said. “We’re trying to cram in junior days whenever we can … The schools that we can’t get to junior days, we’re going to try and get to for spring practices also. We’re really working to get to as many campuses as we can.”

Wolf holds eight offers from schools like Illinois, Indiana, Cincinnati and Pitt and is picking up more interest. This week alone, Purdue, Bowling Green, Michigan State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Indiana and Pittsburgh have visited Minster.

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