Five-star recruit Jackson Carman, an offensive lineman from Ohio, visited Ohio State last weekend and attended the Buckeyes loss to Oklahoma. Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett struggled, going 19-of-35 for 183 with no touchdowns and one interception.
Whether Carman was throwing shade at Barrett or simply supporting a potential future teammate, he posted the following tweet on Monday calling for backup QB Dwayne Haskins Jr. to get more playing time:
OSU game this past weekend, they need to put in my bro @dh_simba7 and let him work ‼️ pic.twitter.com/9X1Cpcfiey
— T H E J I A N T (@Jackthejiant) September 11, 2017
Five-star defensive end Micah Parsons, who also visited last weekend, also voiced his support for a QB change.
I would and his name is @dh_simba7 https://t.co/MZGrGyvPt0
— BLESSEDMVP (@Micah_parsons23) September 10, 2017
That’s a fair opinion if you’re only considering Ohio State’s offensive struggles this season. (The pass defense could also use a lot of work.) But J.T. Barrett is not getting benched at this point in the year.
Fair opinion or not, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, pounced on Carman and Parsons, telling recruits to stay in the their lane:
Can someone get a memo to ALL RECRUITS of EVERY SCHOOL to please keep quiet and worry about their own teams. Not a good look for these guys. https://t.co/5NLH5PXBHV
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 12, 2017
Herbstreit then added he’s advising recruits in their best interest.
?? Spoken like a guy who's never been in a locker room. Tryin to help them avoid issues on their future team. No to mention not their place https://t.co/0ZxWSDUIfn
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 12, 2017
In this case, Carman would never play with the fifth-year senior Barrett. Haskins, a redshirt freshman, is the guy Carman would be protecting if he signed with Ohio State.
Carman wasn’t fazed by Herbstreit’s criticism. He responded by dropping Clemson and USC as schools where his opinions would be welcome, before amusingly calling Herbstreit a sheep:
Pretty sure I wouldn't have any problems in Dabo Swinney's or Clay Helton's locker room for my OPINION on OSU's qb issues. ? https://t.co/FMVwGpAJ2J
— T H E J I A N T (@Jackthejiant) September 13, 2017
As far as his influence upon our future and his choice to openly condemn an individual's personal opinion, he is a sheep ? https://t.co/LQVNF0hFlc
— T H E J I A N T (@Jackthejiant) September 13, 2017
247Sports crystal ball predictions have Carman as a near-lock to commit to Ohio State as of Wednesday evening. We’ll see if this Twitter feud changes anything.