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LGHL Ohio State makes the cut for a top 2026 RB, likely to miss out on another EDGE
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Ohio State makes the cut for a top 2026 RB, likely to miss out on another EDGE
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Derrek Cooper keeps Ohio State in the mix ahead of his July 20 commitment date.
Not hosting recruits on campus right now, it’s a more quiet time surrounding Ohio State recruiting in regards to in-person efforts. It’s decision season for several guys on the big board for the Buckeyes, and the 2026 class is really starting to take shape for programs across the country.
Still an impressive class, Ohio State sits at sixth with 21 commitments, with hopes to land additional top guys sooner rather than later. Likely not going north of 25 players, it’s unlikely Ohio State finishes in the top three of the rankings purely based on quantity, but looking at a handful of realistic options should present the chance at finishing in the top five when all is said and done.
Results to soon follow, Ohio State’s coaching staff will see where they’ve won and where they need to pivot as they look to fill important pieces before signing day.
Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn have long presented the desire to take two running backs in the 2026 class. One in the fold thanks to Ohio native Favoir Akih, the Buckeyes have still hunted a list of names and over the course of this cycle. Several of those names have come and gone in terms of being real possibilities.
An ever-changing landscape that is recruiting, Ohio State has had some mainstay guys they’re after, but in July there’s just a small few remaining they can look to as potential additions. Florida native and familiar prep Chaminade-Madonna product Derrek Cooper has been a common theme this recruiting class, and fortunately for the Buckeyes he will continue to be.
The No. 30 player nationally and second-ranked athlete in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Cooper took to social media on Thursday to share the latest news in his recruitment as he narrowed it down to just five remaining schools he is still considering before making his commitment.
In addition to Ohio State, four southern schools in Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Texas were left with a chance. From that list, Texas is the only program listed that doesn’t have a true running back already committed, so they have the ability to prioritize him as the guy. Still, this can be anyone’s race if they put their money with their mouth is.
The Buckeyes are still recruiting the top running back in the class in Savion Hiter, but with Michigan and Tennessee reportedly offering more money in the NIL aspects, Ohio State may not be as much of a threat down the stretch. Regardless, Ohio State is in the top schools list for both Cooper and Hiter. If they really want a second back in this class, they’re going to have to pony up it seems.
Cooper’s commitment coming July 20. Ohio State won’t have to wait long to see their fate and whether or not they need to pivot elsewhere, but this late into the summer the options are coming off the board.
The position in this class facing the most scrutiny for Ohio State’s 2026 class is edge rusher. Just one player committed thanks to Khary Wilder, the Buckeyes have missed out thus far on basically all of their top targets they’ve put a ton of time and effort into. NIL amounts being the main reason for finishing runner-up many times, it’s a tough place to be in whether or not these deals end up panning out or not.
Ohio State’s options are wearing thin, and Texas native KJ Ford is in many aspects the last true big name player the Buckeyes are chasing in this cycle before having to reassess where to go if they are to miss out. Making his top three schools list just last week, Ford kept the Buckeyes in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M, but with his planned commitment coming later today, Thursday that sent a major change to his recruitment if the predictions hold true.
Coming out of left field, Alabama was pegged as the landing spot by On3’s Steve Wiltfong. Similar to the Felix Ojo’s recruitment to Texas Tech, it’s another instance where a program not originally in the running makes a late push and becomes a real threat. The No. 116 player nationally and 15th best edge rusher per the 247Sports Composite, it’s easy to see why bigger offers are coming late in the game with not many of these caliber guys left.
Learning their fate today, it’s not likely Ohio State wins this recruitment, and it will be another blow to the cycle that hasn’t been real kind at the edge rusher position. A spot that’s thin on the current roster thanks to similar recruiting cycles the last couple of years, the Buckeyes have some major work to do to reload this group of importance following this season.
Whether that’s now or through the transfer portal, Larry Johnson and Ohio State need to adjust and do so quickly.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Derrek Cooper keeps Ohio State in the mix ahead of his July 20 commitment date.
Not hosting recruits on campus right now, it’s a more quiet time surrounding Ohio State recruiting in regards to in-person efforts. It’s decision season for several guys on the big board for the Buckeyes, and the 2026 class is really starting to take shape for programs across the country.
Still an impressive class, Ohio State sits at sixth with 21 commitments, with hopes to land additional top guys sooner rather than later. Likely not going north of 25 players, it’s unlikely Ohio State finishes in the top three of the rankings purely based on quantity, but looking at a handful of realistic options should present the chance at finishing in the top five when all is said and done.
Results to soon follow, Ohio State’s coaching staff will see where they’ve won and where they need to pivot as they look to fill important pieces before signing day.
Buckeyes in the top five for Cooper ahead of decision
Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn have long presented the desire to take two running backs in the 2026 class. One in the fold thanks to Ohio native Favoir Akih, the Buckeyes have still hunted a list of names and over the course of this cycle. Several of those names have come and gone in terms of being real possibilities.
An ever-changing landscape that is recruiting, Ohio State has had some mainstay guys they’re after, but in July there’s just a small few remaining they can look to as potential additions. Florida native and familiar prep Chaminade-Madonna product Derrek Cooper has been a common theme this recruiting class, and fortunately for the Buckeyes he will continue to be.
The No. 30 player nationally and second-ranked athlete in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Cooper took to social media on Thursday to share the latest news in his recruitment as he narrowed it down to just five remaining schools he is still considering before making his commitment.
In addition to Ohio State, four southern schools in Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Texas were left with a chance. From that list, Texas is the only program listed that doesn’t have a true running back already committed, so they have the ability to prioritize him as the guy. Still, this can be anyone’s race if they put their money with their mouth is.
The Buckeyes are still recruiting the top running back in the class in Savion Hiter, but with Michigan and Tennessee reportedly offering more money in the NIL aspects, Ohio State may not be as much of a threat down the stretch. Regardless, Ohio State is in the top schools list for both Cooper and Hiter. If they really want a second back in this class, they’re going to have to pony up it seems.
Cooper’s commitment coming July 20. Ohio State won’t have to wait long to see their fate and whether or not they need to pivot elsewhere, but this late into the summer the options are coming off the board.
Not looking good for Ohio State to land four-star edge rusher
The position in this class facing the most scrutiny for Ohio State’s 2026 class is edge rusher. Just one player committed thanks to Khary Wilder, the Buckeyes have missed out thus far on basically all of their top targets they’ve put a ton of time and effort into. NIL amounts being the main reason for finishing runner-up many times, it’s a tough place to be in whether or not these deals end up panning out or not.
Ohio State’s options are wearing thin, and Texas native KJ Ford is in many aspects the last true big name player the Buckeyes are chasing in this cycle before having to reassess where to go if they are to miss out. Making his top three schools list just last week, Ford kept the Buckeyes in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M, but with his planned commitment coming later today, Thursday that sent a major change to his recruitment if the predictions hold true.
Coming out of left field, Alabama was pegged as the landing spot by On3’s Steve Wiltfong. Similar to the Felix Ojo’s recruitment to Texas Tech, it’s another instance where a program not originally in the running makes a late push and becomes a real threat. The No. 116 player nationally and 15th best edge rusher per the 247Sports Composite, it’s easy to see why bigger offers are coming late in the game with not many of these caliber guys left.
Learning their fate today, it’s not likely Ohio State wins this recruitment, and it will be another blow to the cycle that hasn’t been real kind at the edge rusher position. A spot that’s thin on the current roster thanks to similar recruiting cycles the last couple of years, the Buckeyes have some major work to do to reload this group of importance following this season.
Whether that’s now or through the transfer portal, Larry Johnson and Ohio State need to adjust and do so quickly.
Continue reading...
LGHL National champion Buckeyes nominated for ESPY Award
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National champion Buckeyes nominated for ESPY Award
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team nominated for an ESPY
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Why does Ohio State have fake players in new EA Sports game?
Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch
Projecting starting unit for talented, deep Ohio State offensive line
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
What did Caleb Downs say about the 2025 OSU defense’s potential?
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Bold Predictions: Ohio State players will win the next 3 NFL Rookie of the Year awards
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grand Holy Land
Breaking down Ohio State’s position battles before fall camp
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State’s 2022 Recruiting Class Looks to Make Mark in 2025 Even Though Two-Thirds of Class is Gone
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Making the case for Jaylen McClain to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Making the case for Malik Hartford to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State commit Alex Smith discusses transfer to Prolific Prep: ‘It was not an easy decision’
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
How Ohio State’s Kary Hollenbaugh became one of the nation’s top golfers
Dave Purpura, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Gymnastics: Kameron Nelson Named CSC Academic All-America
Ohio State Athletics
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team nominated for an ESPY
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Why does Ohio State have fake players in new EA Sports game?
Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch
Projecting starting unit for talented, deep Ohio State offensive line
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
What did Caleb Downs say about the 2025 OSU defense’s potential?
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Bold Predictions: Ohio State players will win the next 3 NFL Rookie of the Year awards
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grand Holy Land
Breaking down Ohio State’s position battles before fall camp
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State’s 2022 Recruiting Class Looks to Make Mark in 2025 Even Though Two-Thirds of Class is Gone
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Making the case for Jaylen McClain to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Making the case for Malik Hartford to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
On the Hardwood
Ohio State commit Alex Smith discusses transfer to Prolific Prep: ‘It was not an easy decision’
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
Outside the Shoe and Schott
How Ohio State’s Kary Hollenbaugh became one of the nation’s top golfers
Dave Purpura, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Gymnastics: Kameron Nelson Named CSC Academic All-America
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Ohio schools, get ready! Fitness challenge coming soon….. pic.twitter.com/6gxZVLuQ8j
— Lt. Governor Jim Tressel (@LtGovJimTressel) July 9, 2025
Continue reading...
LGHL Bold Predictions: Devin Royal will be named First Team All-Big Ten this year
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Bold Predictions: Devin Royal will be named First Team All-Big Ten this year
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The Pickerington forward showed tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore year. Now it’s time for Royal to make a huge leap in his junior season at Ohio State.
This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
To say Ohio State men’s basketball has been tough to watch recently is an understatement. The Buckeyes haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2022, and they haven’t made the second weekend of the tournament since 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Over the last two seasons, Ohio State has played .500 basketball, posting a 30-30 record during that time.
Despite their recent struggles, there are reasons to be excited about the upcoming Buckeye basketball season. While Bruce Thornton will receive a lot of the headlines as the season opener in the fall inches closer, I’ll be focused on another player who I think will have a strong season.
Devin Royal made a noticeable improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons, and I think he is going to make another leap in his junior season.
So just how good do I think Royal is going to be this year? I don’t think it’s crazy to expect Royal to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors when the all-conference teams are announced ahead of the Big Ten Tournament in March.
After averaging 11.2 minutes per game, 4.7 points per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, last year Royal saw a significant uptick in playing time, averaging nearly 29 minutes per game. With his expanded role, Royal finished his sophomore season with 13.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Royal started off his season like a house of fire as a sophomore, reaching double figures in scoring in 10 of the first 13 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points against Valparaiso. During that span, Royal also pulled down at least 10 rebounds in three of those games.
While Royal would only have one other game the rest of the season where he reached double figures in rebounds, he wasn’t non-existent on the glass in those contests, recording at least four rebounds in each of the final 18 games.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26052001/2196471398.jpg "Iowa v Ohio State")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
What I’m banking on is Royal continuing to improve on the offensive end and his scoring this coming season will be closer to 20 points per game. Last season saw Royal’s role increase on the floor, which resulted in increased scoring. Heading into his third season with the program, the Pickerington product will show more consistency as the season moves along.
Last year during conference play, there was a stretch where Royal failed to score more than eight points in five of six games. The only game during that span where he did reach double figures came against Michigan when he scored 26 points. At times it was truly boom or bust for Royal.
Heading into last season there was optimism about the Buckeyes because of the size they brought in from the transfer portal with Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart. Unfortunately both Bradshaw and Stewart were largely ineffective, meaning Royal was shouldering more of the load than expected.
This season Ohio State is going in a different direction with their bigs, as Bradshaw and Stewart have transferred out of the program, while Santa Clara’s Christoph Tilly is joining the program.
With Tilly in the frontcourt with Royal, the transfer should be able to take some of the attention away from the third-year Buckeye forward. Also, Royal will be a favorite target of Bruce Thornton, who has shown he can make plays by driving the lane and dishing the rock to an open teammate.
Since Thornton and Royal will be entering their third year together, there will be a lot of comfort between the two, and they have all the makings of not only being one of the best guard/forward combos in the Big Ten, they could also hold their own against a lot of the top duos in the country.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26052003/1945186983.jpg "Ohio State v Michigan")
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
I’m not saying Ohio State’s men’s basketball team is going to match how the football team performed in the face of adversity following their loss to Michigan which kicked off their magical title run, but I do think Thornton and Royal are tired of hearing the negativity surrounding the program. As upperclassmen, expect them to set the tone this season as they go to bat for their head coach and prove that Jake Diebler is the right guy for the job.
It’s not going to be easy for Royal to make the Big Ten’s first team since not only the likes of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Brice Williams, and Nick Martinelli returning this season, Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB transferred to Michigan to bolster the depth in the front court in the Big Ten this season.
I believe that iron sharpens iron, so Royal is not only going to be better because of his battles with those who have already made a name for themselves in the conference already, but he’ll also be ready for the new blood that will be entering the Big Ten.
Who knows, maybe I’m getting a little too bold by overestimating just how much of a leap Royal is going to make this year. Then again, there hasn’t been a ton of excitement around the men’s basketball program recently so I figure I might as well set the bar high in what I’m expecting out of Royal this year since there isn’t a lot to lose.
No matter what happens this year with Royal and the basketball team, we can all agree on one thing... Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The Pickerington forward showed tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore year. Now it’s time for Royal to make a huge leap in his junior season at Ohio State.
This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
To say Ohio State men’s basketball has been tough to watch recently is an understatement. The Buckeyes haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2022, and they haven’t made the second weekend of the tournament since 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Over the last two seasons, Ohio State has played .500 basketball, posting a 30-30 record during that time.
Despite their recent struggles, there are reasons to be excited about the upcoming Buckeye basketball season. While Bruce Thornton will receive a lot of the headlines as the season opener in the fall inches closer, I’ll be focused on another player who I think will have a strong season.
Devin Royal made a noticeable improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons, and I think he is going to make another leap in his junior season.
So just how good do I think Royal is going to be this year? I don’t think it’s crazy to expect Royal to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors when the all-conference teams are announced ahead of the Big Ten Tournament in March.
After averaging 11.2 minutes per game, 4.7 points per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, last year Royal saw a significant uptick in playing time, averaging nearly 29 minutes per game. With his expanded role, Royal finished his sophomore season with 13.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Royal started off his season like a house of fire as a sophomore, reaching double figures in scoring in 10 of the first 13 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points against Valparaiso. During that span, Royal also pulled down at least 10 rebounds in three of those games.
While Royal would only have one other game the rest of the season where he reached double figures in rebounds, he wasn’t non-existent on the glass in those contests, recording at least four rebounds in each of the final 18 games.
What I’m banking on is Royal continuing to improve on the offensive end and his scoring this coming season will be closer to 20 points per game. Last season saw Royal’s role increase on the floor, which resulted in increased scoring. Heading into his third season with the program, the Pickerington product will show more consistency as the season moves along.
Last year during conference play, there was a stretch where Royal failed to score more than eight points in five of six games. The only game during that span where he did reach double figures came against Michigan when he scored 26 points. At times it was truly boom or bust for Royal.
Heading into last season there was optimism about the Buckeyes because of the size they brought in from the transfer portal with Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart. Unfortunately both Bradshaw and Stewart were largely ineffective, meaning Royal was shouldering more of the load than expected.
This season Ohio State is going in a different direction with their bigs, as Bradshaw and Stewart have transferred out of the program, while Santa Clara’s Christoph Tilly is joining the program.
With Tilly in the frontcourt with Royal, the transfer should be able to take some of the attention away from the third-year Buckeye forward. Also, Royal will be a favorite target of Bruce Thornton, who has shown he can make plays by driving the lane and dishing the rock to an open teammate.
Since Thornton and Royal will be entering their third year together, there will be a lot of comfort between the two, and they have all the makings of not only being one of the best guard/forward combos in the Big Ten, they could also hold their own against a lot of the top duos in the country.
I’m not saying Ohio State’s men’s basketball team is going to match how the football team performed in the face of adversity following their loss to Michigan which kicked off their magical title run, but I do think Thornton and Royal are tired of hearing the negativity surrounding the program. As upperclassmen, expect them to set the tone this season as they go to bat for their head coach and prove that Jake Diebler is the right guy for the job.
It’s not going to be easy for Royal to make the Big Ten’s first team since not only the likes of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Brice Williams, and Nick Martinelli returning this season, Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB transferred to Michigan to bolster the depth in the front court in the Big Ten this season.
I believe that iron sharpens iron, so Royal is not only going to be better because of his battles with those who have already made a name for themselves in the conference already, but he’ll also be ready for the new blood that will be entering the Big Ten.
Who knows, maybe I’m getting a little too bold by overestimating just how much of a leap Royal is going to make this year. Then again, there hasn’t been a ton of excitement around the men’s basketball program recently so I figure I might as well set the bar high in what I’m expecting out of Royal this year since there isn’t a lot to lose.
No matter what happens this year with Royal and the basketball team, we can all agree on one thing... Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: It is officially TBT time with Andrew Zoldan
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Bucketheads Podcast: It is officially TBT time with Andrew Zoldan
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
We are now in July, and that means it is time for Carmen’s Crew. We welcome back Andrew Zoldan for a full preview of TBT 2025
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On episode 164 of the Bucketheads Podcast, we welcomed back on friend of the program Andrew Zoldan, the Director of Social Media and Marketing for The Basketball Tournament and host/producer of Inside TBT and Drive the Lane with Joey Lane.
No one knows TBT better than Andrew, and he joins us to discuss everything. To open the episode, Andrew talks about his journey in sports media and how he got to TBT, as well as how he met Joey Lane.
Then, we break down the TBT bracket and all the teams involved. We take a look at Carmen’s Crew’s full roster, recap last year and preview their path to another championship.
To close, we make some predictions.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Andrew:
Twitter: @AndrewZoldan
Connect with TBT:
Twitter: @thetournament
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
We are now in July, and that means it is time for Carmen’s Crew. We welcome back Andrew Zoldan for a full preview of TBT 2025
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On episode 164 of the Bucketheads Podcast, we welcomed back on friend of the program Andrew Zoldan, the Director of Social Media and Marketing for The Basketball Tournament and host/producer of Inside TBT and Drive the Lane with Joey Lane.
No one knows TBT better than Andrew, and he joins us to discuss everything. To open the episode, Andrew talks about his journey in sports media and how he got to TBT, as well as how he met Joey Lane.
Then, we break down the TBT bracket and all the teams involved. We take a look at Carmen’s Crew’s full roster, recap last year and preview their path to another championship.
To close, we make some predictions.
Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, leave a comment, and review!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Andrew:
Twitter: @AndrewZoldan
Connect with TBT:
Twitter: @thetournament
Continue reading...
LGHL Bold Predictions: Brian Hartline will win the Broyles Award
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Bold Predictions: Brian Hartline will win the Broyles Award
AlexFrank via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Hartline is entering his third season as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator, but it's his first real gig as the full-time play-caller.
As preseason camp begins this week, Land-Grant Holy Land is diving into its final theme every week of the off-season. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
This is, perhaps, a broken record at this point, but we’ll say it again: Ohio State is a hotbed for developing wide receivers. The pipeline of wide receivers from Ohio to the NFL began with Brian Hartline, who played at Ohio State from 2006 to 2008.
Now, Hartline is Ohio State’s sole offensive coordinator going into the 2025 season. Hartline has been the Buckeyes wide receivers coach since 2018, and the Buckeyes have produced several first-round draft picks at the position since that season.
Wide receiver is, once again, the strength of the Buckeyes team going into the upcoming season. Given that, Hartline is in a position to have a lot of success in his first season as the Buckeyes sole offensive coordinator. So much so that I’m making a bold prediction that Hartline will win the Art Broyles award this season, given to the best assistant coach in college football.
The great thing for Hartline is that he has already been the Buckeyes offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He handled the role solo in 2023 — albeit with Ryan Day still calling the plays — before sharing duties with Chip Kelly in 2024. Having handled the job by himself before, that’s an indicator that he can have success running the offense solo in 2025.
Having Jeremiah Smith back is an absolute boost for the Buckeyes offense. With all the changes Ohio State has on offense this season, especially at running back and quarterback, a player as great as Smith returning can help the new players settle in on offense.
But being a former receiver at Ohio State himself, Hartline knows where this offense runs through. After Smith made a 57-yard catch on third-and-11 to seal the National Championship, it proved that when a play needs to be made to just call Smith’s number and have him go make a play. That’s what Hartline, Kelly, and Will Howard did throughout the College Football Playoff.
This season, Hartline will have Smith and Carnell Tate to call plays for, in addition to a stable of other former four and five-star talents. Smith has the potential to win the Heisman Trophy this season, and his numbers could be outrageous. In addition, Tate could have the best season of his Buckeyes career in 2025. He could climb the NFL Draft board this season, coming off campaignwhere he hauled in 733 yards on 52 receptions while playing alongside Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Even though the Buckeyes will have a new quarterback, likely Julian Sayin, a new running back in C.J. Donaldson, and a new tight end in Max Klare, Hartline is still in a position to coordinate the Buckeyes to be one of the best offenses in the country. Again, he’s not a first-time offensive coordinator. This is, technically, his third season coordinating the Buckeyes offense. He knows Sayin can lean on the veteran wide receivers to help settle in to being the Buckeyes new quarterback in the early part of the season.
Smith has more than lived up to the hype that he had coming into Columbus last year. He played like a multi-year veteran in the College Football Playoff, and he has high expectations coming into this season. Hartline knows him as well as anybody, and he knows what Smith is capable of this season.
He also knows Tate is ascending, Klare could have one of the best seasons by a tight end in the country this season, and that Sayin could have a prolific season, taking advantage of all the weapons around him.
Ohio State enters 2025 with aspirations of repeating as national champions. If the Buckeyes are a high seed in the College Football Playoff and make a deep run, Hartline will be in a great position to win the Art Broyles Award.
The Buckeyes have a team with a lot of stars, and new stars could emerge throughout the season. That could be what propels Ohio State towards another run at a national championship, and it could make Hartline the best assistant coach in the country.
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AlexFrank via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Hartline is entering his third season as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator, but it's his first real gig as the full-time play-caller.
As preseason camp begins this week, Land-Grant Holy Land is diving into its final theme every week of the off-season. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
This is, perhaps, a broken record at this point, but we’ll say it again: Ohio State is a hotbed for developing wide receivers. The pipeline of wide receivers from Ohio to the NFL began with Brian Hartline, who played at Ohio State from 2006 to 2008.
Now, Hartline is Ohio State’s sole offensive coordinator going into the 2025 season. Hartline has been the Buckeyes wide receivers coach since 2018, and the Buckeyes have produced several first-round draft picks at the position since that season.
Wide receiver is, once again, the strength of the Buckeyes team going into the upcoming season. Given that, Hartline is in a position to have a lot of success in his first season as the Buckeyes sole offensive coordinator. So much so that I’m making a bold prediction that Hartline will win the Art Broyles award this season, given to the best assistant coach in college football.
The great thing for Hartline is that he has already been the Buckeyes offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He handled the role solo in 2023 — albeit with Ryan Day still calling the plays — before sharing duties with Chip Kelly in 2024. Having handled the job by himself before, that’s an indicator that he can have success running the offense solo in 2025.
Having Jeremiah Smith back is an absolute boost for the Buckeyes offense. With all the changes Ohio State has on offense this season, especially at running back and quarterback, a player as great as Smith returning can help the new players settle in on offense.
But being a former receiver at Ohio State himself, Hartline knows where this offense runs through. After Smith made a 57-yard catch on third-and-11 to seal the National Championship, it proved that when a play needs to be made to just call Smith’s number and have him go make a play. That’s what Hartline, Kelly, and Will Howard did throughout the College Football Playoff.
This season, Hartline will have Smith and Carnell Tate to call plays for, in addition to a stable of other former four and five-star talents. Smith has the potential to win the Heisman Trophy this season, and his numbers could be outrageous. In addition, Tate could have the best season of his Buckeyes career in 2025. He could climb the NFL Draft board this season, coming off campaignwhere he hauled in 733 yards on 52 receptions while playing alongside Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Even though the Buckeyes will have a new quarterback, likely Julian Sayin, a new running back in C.J. Donaldson, and a new tight end in Max Klare, Hartline is still in a position to coordinate the Buckeyes to be one of the best offenses in the country. Again, he’s not a first-time offensive coordinator. This is, technically, his third season coordinating the Buckeyes offense. He knows Sayin can lean on the veteran wide receivers to help settle in to being the Buckeyes new quarterback in the early part of the season.
Smith has more than lived up to the hype that he had coming into Columbus last year. He played like a multi-year veteran in the College Football Playoff, and he has high expectations coming into this season. Hartline knows him as well as anybody, and he knows what Smith is capable of this season.
He also knows Tate is ascending, Klare could have one of the best seasons by a tight end in the country this season, and that Sayin could have a prolific season, taking advantage of all the weapons around him.
Ohio State enters 2025 with aspirations of repeating as national champions. If the Buckeyes are a high seed in the College Football Playoff and make a deep run, Hartline will be in a great position to win the Art Broyles Award.
The Buckeyes have a team with a lot of stars, and new stars could emerge throughout the season. That could be what propels Ohio State towards another run at a national championship, and it could make Hartline the best assistant coach in the country.
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LGHL Bold Predictions: Bruce Thornton will be a First Team All-American
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Bold Predictions: Bruce Thornton will be a First Team All-American
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The four-year starter for the Buckeyes will go out with a bang in his final season
As preseason camp begins this week, Land-Grant Holy Land is diving into its final theme every week of the off-season. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
There were a lot of additions and departures for the Ohio State men’s basketball team heading into the upcoming season, but the biggest news fans received was that the starting point guard is finishing his career in Columbus.
Rising senior and three-year starter Bruce Thornton returns to the Buckeyes for one final season, and I am making a bold prediction that he will be a First Team All-American in his final season.
There are a couple of reasons that Thornton can climb that mountain this year. The first one is I do think the Buckeyes will be better this year and return to the the NCAA Tournament.
For players to get the ultimate national recognition, they have to play on a relevant team. The only player that made an All-American team last season whose team did not make the NCAA Tournament was Eric Dixon at Villanova, and all of the first team recipients teams made the Sweet 16. An improved Ohio State team should help Thornton’s case.
Also, last year’s All-American teams were riddled with players that have left college. There are only four players returning to college who made an All-American team last year —including honorable mention — and only one player from the first team (Braden Smith, Purdue).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26052012/usa_today_26485137.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Thornton was a part of the 2022 recruiting class that was ranked No 1 in the conference and No. 8 in the country. However, he is the only player that will see an Ohio State senior day from that class, as Brice Sensabaugh moved on to the NBA and Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara and Bowen Hardman have all transferred to new schools.
The 6-foot-2 senior is coming off a career-best year where he was named to All-Big Ten Second Team and NABC All-District. He averaged a career-best 17.7 points per game and recorded 148 assists and just 47 turnovers, leading the Big Ten and falling in the Top 10 nationally with a 3.15 assist-to-turnover ratio. He shot over 50 percent from the field and was a career-best 42.4 percent from three-point range.
According to Ohio State Athletics, he is one of just three players in Ohio State history to have 100 or more assists and fewer than 50 turnovers for an entire season, and the only player to do it twice.
There were a lot of rumors that Thornton may head to the transfer portal for his final season after missing the NCAA Tournament for three-straight years, but he has unfinished business in Columbus.
“I’ve always been a loyal guy,” Thornton told Kellyanne Stitts of WSYX. “Me being here just sticking it out just showing love back to Ohio State because they’ve been nothing but great to me this whole time since I’ve been here throughout the whole process, good, bad and ugly, so it just felt right to do it one more time.”
Thornton was a top recruit coming to Ohio State, as a consensus four-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He was the No. 42 prospect overall and No. 8 point guard, according to 247Sports, and was named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
He knows that this is his final shot to head to the Big Dance in his collegiate career.
“I’m just trying to win games,” Thornton told Stitts. “I don’t care what else I do, just make sure I win games and put a banner up in our practice gym, that’s it.”
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The four-year starter for the Buckeyes will go out with a bang in his final season
As preseason camp begins this week, Land-Grant Holy Land is diving into its final theme every week of the off-season. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
There were a lot of additions and departures for the Ohio State men’s basketball team heading into the upcoming season, but the biggest news fans received was that the starting point guard is finishing his career in Columbus.
Rising senior and three-year starter Bruce Thornton returns to the Buckeyes for one final season, and I am making a bold prediction that he will be a First Team All-American in his final season.
There are a couple of reasons that Thornton can climb that mountain this year. The first one is I do think the Buckeyes will be better this year and return to the the NCAA Tournament.
For players to get the ultimate national recognition, they have to play on a relevant team. The only player that made an All-American team last season whose team did not make the NCAA Tournament was Eric Dixon at Villanova, and all of the first team recipients teams made the Sweet 16. An improved Ohio State team should help Thornton’s case.
Also, last year’s All-American teams were riddled with players that have left college. There are only four players returning to college who made an All-American team last year —including honorable mention — and only one player from the first team (Braden Smith, Purdue).
Thornton was a part of the 2022 recruiting class that was ranked No 1 in the conference and No. 8 in the country. However, he is the only player that will see an Ohio State senior day from that class, as Brice Sensabaugh moved on to the NBA and Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara and Bowen Hardman have all transferred to new schools.
The 6-foot-2 senior is coming off a career-best year where he was named to All-Big Ten Second Team and NABC All-District. He averaged a career-best 17.7 points per game and recorded 148 assists and just 47 turnovers, leading the Big Ten and falling in the Top 10 nationally with a 3.15 assist-to-turnover ratio. He shot over 50 percent from the field and was a career-best 42.4 percent from three-point range.
According to Ohio State Athletics, he is one of just three players in Ohio State history to have 100 or more assists and fewer than 50 turnovers for an entire season, and the only player to do it twice.
There were a lot of rumors that Thornton may head to the transfer portal for his final season after missing the NCAA Tournament for three-straight years, but he has unfinished business in Columbus.
“I’ve always been a loyal guy,” Thornton told Kellyanne Stitts of WSYX. “Me being here just sticking it out just showing love back to Ohio State because they’ve been nothing but great to me this whole time since I’ve been here throughout the whole process, good, bad and ugly, so it just felt right to do it one more time.”
Thornton was a top recruit coming to Ohio State, as a consensus four-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He was the No. 42 prospect overall and No. 8 point guard, according to 247Sports, and was named Georgia’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
He knows that this is his final shot to head to the Big Dance in his collegiate career.
“I’m just trying to win games,” Thornton told Stitts. “I don’t care what else I do, just make sure I win games and put a banner up in our practice gym, that’s it.”
Continue reading...