Akron/Canton football recruiting notes: Is a pick coming soon for Massillon's Marcus Moore Jr.?

College football recruiting is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year event.

Sure, there's times where face-to-face contact may not be permissible. That doesn't mean recruiting above — and sometimes below — board isn't happening.

The end of April and beginning of May is squarely in the heart of an active recruiting time. The evaluation period started on April 15 and runs through May, meaning college coaches are able to get out on the road and see potential recruits.

Recruits, meanwhile, are getting themselves on campuses for unofficial visits. That's different from the school-paid official visits, which are often set up for summer or late fall.

This period of time is often when the offers really start flying around. It's also when you start seeing players begin to make their own college decisions, or at least their initial ones.

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That's where this week's recruiting notes begins.

Massillon's Marcus Moore Jr. hints at decision

On Wednesday evening, Massillon Class of 2023 defensive lineman Marcus Moore Jr. tweeted out, "My next home will be stated really soon." Unless the big Tiger is moving into a new house, the hint seems pretty clear that he could become the next Massillon player to announce his college choice.

Where could Moore — ranked fifth in our initial Greater Akron/Canton recruiting rankings for players in the 2023-25 classes — be headed? Considering Moore was one of several Massillon players at a University of Akron spring practice last Saturday, it wouldn't necessarily be a stretch to guess the Zips as the pick.

Akron is one of five schools to have offered the two-time All-Ohioan, but the only FBS Division I program. He also has FCS Division I offers from Southern Illinois, Illinois State and Youngstown State, as well as recently picking up a Division II offer from Notre Dame College.

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Want another Massillon-to-Akron connection that could help Moore's decision? Former Tiger Malcolm Robinson Jr. is on new Zips head coach Joe Moorhead's coaching staff.

Receiver Ardell Banks is the other Massillon player to have already made a verbal commitment. Banks announced he was picking Toledo on April 10.

Hoban's Drew Holt garnering West Point interest

One of the anchors of Hoban's offensive line is starting to get his own college recognition. Two-year starter Drew Holt recently took a visit to the United States Military Academy.

The Class of 2023 Holt, who stands 6-foot-2, 300 pounds, certainly meets the academic and athletic requirements to earn a spot at West Point. He owns a 3.9 cumulative grade-point average, while also clearing 90% in blocking efficiency each of the last two seasons.

Holt isn't the only area player who's on Army's radar. Massillon Class of 2023 running back Willtrell Hartson, also as good a student as he is football player, earned an Army scholarship offer in early April.

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Division I college programs coming to Massillon showcase

COVID made it tough for college coaches to get into high schools for spring visits the last two years. Check that, made it impossible, really.

However, after two years of not being allowed to, those coaches now can visit in the spring. That's opened the door for high schools to do everything they can to make their visits as easy as possible.

For Massillon, it's bringing back something it had done in 2019 and had scheduled to do in 2020, a Division I college showcase. On May 12, Tiger players will run a variety of drills for the college coaches in attendance inside the Paul L. David Athletic Training Center.

The 2019 event drew coaches from a large percentage of the Big Ten, as well as the ACC, Big 12, Group of 5 schools and Notre Dame. Smaller-division schools also were well-represented.

NCAA rules prohibit multiple high schools to participate at the same time in such events. In other parts of the state, schools have set up similar events at a central location, but with different time slots for each high school in order to adhere to the rules but still provide the exposure.

Schools increasing for Kent State's Ohio Mega Camp

June will be the month that colleges hold several on-campus camps which will draw in potential prospects from all over the place. Kent State, though, is pulling in other colleges from all over for what it's calling it's "Ohio Mega Camp" on June 18.

This isn't exactly a new concept that multiple other colleges will be at a school's camp. This one, however, may have as many as any in the country.

To date, there will be 10 other FBS Division I college programs represented at the camp. That includes Big Ten schools Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, Purdue and Rutgers.

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The ACC will be have a representative in Syracuse, while Kentucky will give the SEC a presence. Kansas is the lone Big 12 school currently, while Central Florida — which is headed to the Big 12 — is coming up from the American Athletic Conference.

Beyond those schools, FCS Division I will have several schools, including Youngstown State and multiple Ivy League programs. There will also be several Division II schools in attendance.

Reach Chris at chris.easterling@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingINDE

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon's Marcus Moore Jr. may be nearing college choice