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LGHL Felix Okpara changes his mind, enter portal; men’s tennis, volleyball win titles

Felix Okpara changes his mind, enter portal; men’s tennis, volleyball win titles
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron​


Ohio State Five-Star 2025 QB Commit Tavien St. Clair Fulfills Dream by Qualifying for Elite 11 Finals
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors


Huge shoutout to @OhioStateFB QBs Devin Brown (‘21 Finalist) & Air Noland (‘23 Finalist) for coming out and sharing some words of wisdom w/ the guys! #Brotherhood pic.twitter.com/1r1ZvynAES

— Elite11 (@Elite11) April 21, 2024​
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Tavien St. Clair shines at Elite 11 as Ohio becomes quarterback hotbed (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting the Eyes

Three takeaways from Ohio State quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair Elite 11 Performance (paywall)
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Predicting Ohio State’s 2024 rushing statistics
Michael Citro, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood​


Ohio State sophomore center Felix Okpara enters transfer portal after two seasons in Columbus
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land



View this post on Instagram​


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Ohio State lands San Diego State transfer Micah Parrish
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State hoping to get same Micah Parrish it saw at the Maui Invitational in 2022
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Which transfers have been linked with Ohio State? Here’s a list
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State men’s basketball roster snapshot: How well do the pieces fit together right now?
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott​


Former Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder qualifies for third Olympics
Tom Schad, USA Today Network

Men’s Tennis: Buckeyes Win 18th Consecutive B1G Title, Sweep Wisconsin 7-0
Ohio State Athletics


Ohio State Big Ten record since 2006:
188-2
https://t.co/sVbnEicmEV

— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 22, 2024​
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Men’s Volleyball: Ohio State Wins 19th MIVA Tournament Title
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Gymnastics: Ohio State Finishes Sixth at NCAA Championships
Ohio State Athletics

Softball: Ohio State Completes Weekend Sweep over Maryland
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Golf: Buckeyes Finish Runner-up at 2024 Kepler Intercollegiate
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...​


Counting down the days...


Found the guy who killed Bambi’s mom. #DeadpoolAndWolverine #LFG ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cxYSPG2d69

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) April 22, 2024​
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LGHL Will Roddy Gayle’s move to Ann Arbor intensify the Ohio State-Michigan basketball rivalry?

Will Roddy Gayle’s move to Ann Arbor intensify the Ohio State-Michigan basketball rivalry?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Michigan v Ohio State

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The former Buckeye made the rare and unprecedented decision to transfer to Michigan on Monday morning.

Since the day Roddy Gayle Jr. announced that he’d be transferring away from Ohio State, Michigan — led by new head coach Dusty May — was one of the leading candidates for the services of the 6-foot-4 junior guard from New York. May was hired on March 24 and was looking at a roster that had just three scholarship players remaining on it, which meant he had 10 available scholarships to use on uncommitted 2024 recruits and transfers. A blank canvas, if you will. Gayle quickly became a priority for May, who found success at Florida Atlantic by using big, athletic guards such as Gayle.


Gayle took visits to Creighton, Georgia, and Michigan, and was photographed at the Michigan football spring game this past weekend, alongside Auburn transfer — and now Michigan teammate — Tre Donaldson, who was wearing a large Michigan puffer jacket. Gayle appeared to have passed on the maize and blue jacket at that point, but nonetheless was on the field at the Big House, taking in the spring game of the reigning Big Ten and national champions. It wasn’t long until Gayle allowed himself to be embraced by the coaches and fans in Ann Arbor, opting to jump state lines and continue his career as a Michigan Wolverine.



View this post on Instagram​


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The reaction from Ohio State fans has been, well, about as expected. Internet comments directed towards Gayle have largely been “NSFW” after one of the expected core pieces of Jake Diebler’s first Buckeye team made an unprecedented decision to flip to the opposite side of the rivalry.

Just over a month ago on March 19, a stoic but emotional Gayle sat in front of the media after Ohio State’s 88-83 win over Cornell in the NIT and described how the biggest motivator to keep winning was the simple fact that he “was not ready for this family to be over with.” Gayle, a soft-spoken guy who challenged himself to be a more vocal leader this past season, was reportedly also one of the Ohio State players most vocally adamant that the Buckeyes needed to accept the NIT invitation after falling short in the Big Ten Tournament.

That, paired with the fact that Gayle’s lead recruiter to Ohio State was just recently named the head coach of the program, made his decision to leave a stunner to the Ohio State fan base. The fact that he’s now handing in his scarlet and gray uniform in favor of a maize and blue one? Unfathomable.

But as scorned as so many feel, this unforeseen and stunning move might be exactly what the rivalry needs to re-energize it. The football version of this rivalry has never needed any extra juice — it’s a way of life around here. The games leading up to The Game are simply warming up for The Game. The day after The Game, both sides begin counting down the days until The Game next year.

It’s not that way on the hardwood — at least, it hasn’t in quite some time. But whether he knows it or not, Gayle just turned the heat up on this rivalry to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ohio State vs. Michigan will always be one of the better-attended home games for each school, regardless of how each program is doing. That’s even more evident recently, as neither program made the NCAA Tournament the past two years. Even with both teams out of NCAA Tournament contention, over 16,000 people showed up to watch Ohio State dispatch the Wolverines on March 3 to the tune of an 84-61 shellacking. The rivalry brings people out, and it always will. But the pure venom and hatred that players, coaches, and fans have in their hearts for that chilly November showdown on the gridiron will never quite carry over to the hardwood.

The next time you get the chance, take a look at a viewership map of any Michigan football game. Naturally, the highest concentration of TV viewers will be in the Detroit market. But the second? You guessed it — Columbus. Ohio State fans will gladly turn on and watch the Wolverines play UNLV, for example, just for the off-chance the ‘Runnin Rebels make it interesting.

Michigan-Wisconsin drew a 3.6 overnight rating and ended up being the most-watched college football game of the week on the Disney-owned ABC/ESPN family of networks.

In terms of market breakdown, Detroit was the leader. But check out No. 2. pic.twitter.com/wAZ9tBaHpW

— Aaron McMann | MLive.com (@AaronMcMann) October 14, 2018
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But do Ohio State fans lock in to watch the Michigan men’s basketball team take on Central Michigan in early December on Big Ten Network, hoping to see the Chippewas pull off the upset in Ann Arbor? Absolutely not. Hell, a good chunk of Ohio State fans probably haven’t even checked in on the Ohio State men’s basketball team by that point of the season.

Roddy Gayle may not realize it, but he just took a metaphorical defibrillator to the rivalry.

Andrew Dakich jumped sides in 2017, but he was a former walk-on who largely played an insignificant role for the Wolverines from 2013-2017. Michigan fans turned away from Dakich, who is now an assistant coach at Illinois State, but it’s not the same as Gayle flipping sides.

Gayle knew exactly what he was getting into, spending two years at Ohio State. He certainly knew what the backlash would be like when he was spotted at the Big House that weekend, and he knows how he will be received in Columbus when Michigan travels there this season. He will be booed every time he touches the ball for the entire 40 minutes. The consensus opinion of Ohio State fans when he left was “Please, anywhere but Michigan.”

Well, so much for that!

From Evan Turner’s buzzer-beater in the Big Ten Tournament in 2010, to Tim Hardaway’s block of Aaron Craft at the buzzer in 2013, to Xavier Simpson grabbing and tearing Kyle Young’s jersey apart in 2020, there’s been no shortage of high-voltage moments in this rivalry. But the tenor of this ongoing feud between two bitter programs seems to have mellowed over the last few years. People just don’t have the same disgust for that basketball team up north as they used to.

Gayle has inserted himself as the perfect spark to make this rivalry nasty again. The perfect villain to bring the juice back to the rivalry. Any goodwill from Ohio State fans that remained when Roddy first entered the transfer portal is gone now, and Gayle is even leaning into the villain role a bit, it seems.

On April 10, Gayle simply couldn’t resist snapping back at an Ohio State fan who was talking a little trash about Michigan’s newest star — well before he was committed. While Gayle will be close with Ohio State teammates for a long time, it looks like his affection for the school and its fans is quickly fading.



Looking back through years and years of rosters for the two programs, you really won’t find any impactful, “star” level players who decided to jump to the other side of the rivalry. That’s probably why so many people are shocked, hurt, and bewildered by Gayle’s decision. It’s just not something you do.

Roddy Gayle could’ve transferred to 360 other Division-I programs. He chose Michigan. Ohio State lost a very good player, but the rivalry between two storied programs just escalated tenfold.

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Google BM5: Feeling a Draft | How many Buckeyes will be taken next year? | Okpara bails | Howard's pocket presence - 247Sports

BM5: Feeling a Draft | How many Buckeyes will be taken next year? | Okpara bails | Howard's pocket presence - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

BM5: Feeling a Draft | How many Buckeyes will be taken next year? | Okpara bails | Howard's pocket presence 247Sports

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LGHL You're Nuts: What kind of player should Ohio State men’s basketball target in the transfer portal?

You're Nuts: What kind of player should Ohio State men’s basketball target in the transfer portal?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Alabama at Kentucky

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes have two open roster spots to fill.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: What kind of player should Ohio State men’s basketball target in the transfer portal?​

Josh’s Take​


Just when we thought that the Ohio State men’s basketball roster was nearly set or complete, the transfer portal snatched up yet another Buckeye. Weeks after saying that he was 100% committed to OSU, Felix Okpara announced on Sunday morning that he had experienced a change of heart and was entering the portal, joining Roddy Gayle, Scotty Middleton, Zed Key, and Bowen Hardman as part of a Scarlet and Gray exodus.

Okpara’s exit opens another roster spot for Ohio State, and leaves just one member of the team’s acclaimed 2022 recruiting class. Bruce Thornton is the last man standing, as long as he sticks around in Columbus. But at this point nothing would surprise me. NCAA basketball is essentially just AAU now, and I for one hate it. I absolutely hate it with every fiber of my being. Great job, NCAA! You’ve kneecapped college sports and created a club environment/system with no rules... Sweet.

But since we’re here, let’s address the state of Jake Diebler’s roster. The Buckeyes now have two open spots. And fortunately, there are still plenty of quality players available (in the portal). However, not all of those players are a perfect fit with/for OSU.

Diebler’s team is loaded with guards, most of whom are of the undersized combo variety. Less than ideal, but that’s fine. I’m happy to ride with Thornton, Meechie Johnson, Taison Chatman, and incoming freshman Juni Mobley. On the wing, Devin Royal, Evan Mahaffey, and Micah Parrish offer scoring, defense, and glue guy-ness, respectively. And Aaron Bradshaw is a high-ceiling big man. But other than that, there are glaring weaknesses and very specific holes in/on the roster which Ohio State must look to fill.

So what are those weaknesses, and who exactly will fill these holes? Sorry, that became awkward... But anyway, I’m glad you asked. Because Gene and I are here to answer in today’s edition of You’re Nuts.

In my opinion, the Buckeyes really need a big who can also shoot. I’m not talking Kristaps Porzingis per se, but someone who can at least competently guard opposing forwards and/or centers, grab a handful of rebounds, and then knock down a shot or two outside of the paint. These guys don’t grow on trees – and Ohio State hasn’t had this archetype since arguably Kaleb Wesson – but they do exist. Even more so now, as modern basketball has continued to evolve into more of a pace and space game.

A big who can shoot would be a best of both worlds-type deal for OSU, offering not one, but two things the team is currently missing: Size and perimeter shooting, as if my archetype description was not obvious enough.

Bradshaw is the only “contributor” over 6-foot-6 for the Buckeyes, which screams rebounding margin — and not in a good way for our beloved Scarlet and Gray. This essentially locks him (Bradshaw) in at the center position, with Austin Parks as the only backup currently available. The latter was a coveted center recruit coming out of high school but played only 20 minutes as a freshman.

If both Bradshaw and Parks were to succumb to foul trouble or injury, who would Ohio State deploy at center? Mahaffey? Good luck with that against the next Zach Edey. So yeah, size is a big need. No pun intended.

As far as shooting goes, well, OSU just doesn’t have a lot of snipers on the current roster. Jamison Battle’s departure leaves Thornton as the team’s most “efficient” outside shooter, and he connected on (just) 33.3% of his three-point attempts last season. Johnson and Parrish can knock down a few treys here and there, but both are largely inefficient from distance. Soooo, where exactly does the perimeter shooting come from? This isn’t 1984, three or four three-point makes a game isn’t going to get it done.

Fortunately, there is at least one player out there who perfectly fits the “stretch four” description. And he recently visited Ohio State! His name is Sam Walters, and he would be THE ideal addition for Diebler and Co.

Walters was a top-100 player in the 2023 recruiting class, who committed to Alabama over Florida, LSU, and several other P5 programs. He then played in 37 games for the Tide, contributing 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in a shade over 12 minutes (played) per. Not bad for a true freshman playing on/for a Final Four team. But I fear that I am burying the lead here...

Not only did Walters play a role for Bama, but he is also 6-foot-10 with a sweet shooting stroke! Which means that he is exactly what the Buckeyes are and have been missing. And we have a real sample size to evaluate, too. Because Walters attempted 99 threes, draining 39 of them. That’s legit, folks. He also connected on 82.5% of his free throws, just for good measure.

Walters’ size and shooting prowess is/would be so, so perfect for OSU. He could seamlessly fit in at the four, flanked by Bradshaw and Royal, giving the Buckeyes one of the most talented front courts in the Big Ten. And that’s before we even get to the holy basketball triumvirate of Thornton, Johnson, and Chatman. I know I’m probably going a bit overboard there, but you get my point.

Ohio State lacks size and shooting, and Sam Walters checks both boxes. So make it happen, Diebs. I need to know that the Buckeyes will not go into next season with Evan Mahaffey as a backup big and Meechie Johnson as the team’s relied-upon sniper... No offense to either. But go get Sam I Am!

Gene’s Take​


Without even knowing which direction Josh would be going in today’s edition of You’re Nuts, I had written in our LGHL Slack group last night that I was very intrigued by Walters after I saw that he was on campus this past weekend. A 6-foot-10 sharpshooter is definitely appealing, especially given that Ohio State has lost five of its top six three-point shooters from this past season and has just two scholarship players remaining listed at over 6-foot-6 — not including incoming Kentucky 7-footer Aaron Bradshaw.

However, since the Buckeyes now have two spots to fill with Okpara now in the portal, for the purpose of this exercise I am going to pretend that Josh’s selection of Walters is taking one of the two spots. There is certainly no guarantee that the Alabama transfer will eventually choose Ohio State, but for my half of You're Nuts I will pretend Walters is in, filling both the need for three-point shooting as well as size.

With that in mind, it opens the door for me to go in a variety of directions to fill that one final roster spot. I really would like to go after another three-point shooter, even if Walters is in the mix, as Diebler’s group has lost virtually all of its ability to stretch the floor. This has been addressed somewhat with Micah Parrish, who shot over 35% from downtown in 2021 and 2022, but his three-point shooting took a dip down to 29.2% this past season. Respectable numbers, but definitely not the over 43% from beyond the arc of guys like Battle and Middleton.

Tucker Anderson and Kasean Pryor are two intriguing options still on the board, while Jalen Sullinger — son of JJ, nephew of Jared — is also still out there, but seemingly without much interest from Ohio State. There is also of course Trey Townsend, who at this point seems like the most likely candidate out of all remaining transfer portal players — Walters included.

Anderson, who spent his freshman campaign at Central Arkansas, averaged 14.5 points per game this past season while shooting over 38% from downtown. The 6-foot-9 forward was named the ASUN Freshman of the Year, led the Bears in scoring and has three years of eligibility remaining. Pryor, meanwhile, is coming off his junior season with South Florida after two years at Boise State. A 6-foot-9 forward, Pryor averaged 13 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and shot over 35% from three-point land.

That being said, while the prospect of adding another prolific three-point shooter is enticing, I’m going with the top overall candidate on the board in my opinion: Oakland’s Trey Townsend.

What Townsend lacks in shooting prowess, he makes up for in nearly every other aspect of his game. The 6-foot-6 forward led the Grizzlies this past season in both points and rebounding with 17.1 and 8.1, respectively. Townsend also posted team-highs in assist (3.1 per game) and steals (1.3), all good enough to earn him the Horizon League Player of the Year. Townsend was even better when the lights were brightest, posting a double-double in each of Oakland’s NCAA Tournament games, including a 30-point, 13-rebound performance in a tough loss to NC State.

While Townsend doesn’t take a ton of three-pointers, he has made over 37% of his attempts in each of the last two seasons. What has perhaps been most impressive for the Oxford, Michigan native has been his consistency. Starting nearly 130 games over four seasons at Oakland, Townsend is a career 50% shooter from the floor and is averaging 14.1 points per game. He would bring a ton of experience and leadership to an Ohio State team that will be largely comprised of underclassmen.

Following an official visit to Ohio State this past weekend, there have been reports that Townsend has canceled his planned visit to Louisville. With both Diebler and his former teammate Parrish both pushing hard to bring Townsend to Columbus, it sounds like there is a pretty good chance the talented forward ends up in scarlet and gray.

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LGHL Ohio State offers five-star TE, makes short list for a top Florida LB

Ohio State offers five-star TE, makes short list for a top Florida LB
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

11916071.0.png

2025 LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng | Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports

Plus, Buckeyes QB commit Tavien St. Clair earns his spot at the Elite 11 Finals.

After last weekend’s festivities surrounding the annual Ohio State spring game, this past weekend was much quieter on the recruiting front. Still, the Buckeyes remained active on the trail over the past few days in both the 2025 and 2026 classes as they extended a new offer to one of the nation’s premier tight ends, while also making the top schools list for a top-70 national linebacker.

A little over a week ago, Ohio State landed a commitment from four-star 2025 tight end Nate Roberts, the No. 5 player at his position in the cycle. As the leader of the room, Buckeye assistant Keenan Bailey is wasting no time in looking for the next big name to add to his group, and made the first step towards building a strong relationship with a premier talent on Sunday when he extended an offer to 2026 tight end, Brock Harris.


@CoachKee and I have had some great conversations recently. Today’s was extra special. I am so excited that I was offered to play football at THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY @OhioStateFB Thank you Coach Bailey pic.twitter.com/G1hpGzEgzF

— Brock Harris (@BrockHarris2026) April 21, 2024​
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A native of Utah, Harris currently ranks as the No. 2 TE and No. 21 overall prospect in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. A five-star prospect, the 6-foot-6 tight end holds over 30 offers at this early stage in the process, with Ohio State joining the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and many others. Harris is looking to become the first five-star prospect out of Utah since Kingsley Suamataia in 2021, and the first four-star-or-higher TE from the Beehive State since 2015.

Harris is coming off a big 2023 season at Pine View, hauling in 55 receptions for 665 yards and eight touchdowns. Having been the top performer at the Under Armour Camp Series in Salt Lake City over the summer, Harris earned an invite to the 2026 All-American Bowl. He was also selected to the 2025 Polynesian Bowl, where he will get a chance to play against some of the best players in the 2025 recruiting class as well.

Harris has not yet visited Columbus, but listed the Buckeyes among the teams he plans to visit with this summer in talking to Sports Illustrated.

“Hopefully, I will be getting to Texas and Baylor in April, as well as Georgia in May. Then this summer I plan on doing several visits including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and several SEC schools,” Harris said.

In addition to dishing out a new offer, Ohio State also learned over the weekend that it made the cut for one of the top linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class when Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng released his top-13 schools.


NEWS: Four-Star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng has narrowed his list to 1️⃣3️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 210 LB from Manassas, VA is ranked as the No. 4 LB in ‘25 (per On3 Industry)

Where Should He Go?⬇️https://t.co/sjwUNpwgVB pic.twitter.com/qfQpNTbhUe

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 21, 2024​
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A four-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Florida, Owusu-Boateng currently sits as the No. 4 LB and No. 45 player nationally per 247Sports’ rankings. The 6-foot, 205-pound defender began his playing career at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, the same high school that produced Chase Young. His younger half-brother, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, played for Notre Dame from 2017-20, and currently plays for the Cleveland Browns, so Owusu-Boateng has no shortage of ties to Big Ten country.

Owusu-Boateng cut his list down from over 41 offers to now 13 final schools, and it is worth noting that Ohio State was among the first to offer the talented linebacker all the way back in April of 2022. That long relationship has paid off, at least for now, as the Buckeyes are among a now-smaller pool of candidates for Owusu-Boateng that also includes Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Miami and others.

Here is some of what 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins had to say in his scouting report of the DMV area native:

“At his best in chase mode, but has shown over the years that he’s willing to attack blockers or play around them. Tends to strike opponents when the opportunity presents itself. Has proven to be rather effective against the pass as he’s athletic and agile enough to mirror tight ends underneath or down the seam. Should be viewed as a potential impact player at the Power Four level.”
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Quick Hits​

  • Ohio State 2025 quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair earned a spot at the Elite 11 Finals over the weekend after showing out at the Columbus regional. St. Clair will look to join the likes of former Buckeye QBs Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud as well as current Buckeye Julian Sayin as Ohio State players to take home Elite 11 MVP honors. A five-star prospect, St. Clair is the No. 4 QB and No. 17 player overall in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite.

Elite.

Five-star Bellefontaine (Ohio) quarterback Tavien St. Clair punched his ticket to the Elite 11 Finals after an impressive performance at the Columbus regional.

Some takeaways as the Buckeyes send another QB to Los Angeles. https://t.co/qdDSxFEeAv pic.twitter.com/Lno8XbDvNL

— Matt Parker (@MattParkerLR) April 21, 2024​
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  • With the announcement on Sunday that Ohio State center Felix Okpara would be entering the transfer portal, new head coach Jake Diebler now has two open roster spots to fill heading into the 2024-25 season. The Buckeyes would love for one of those to be taken by Oakland’s Trey Townsend, a 6-foot-6 forward who averaged 17.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this past season for the Grizzlies. Townsend and Ohio State’s latest transfer portal addition, Micah Parrish, previously spend two years together at Oakland in 2020-22.

NEWS: Former Oakland and SDSU G and Buckeye transfer Micah Parrish is trying to recruit his former teammate Trey Townsend to Ohio State.

The two played together for Oakland for two seasons from 2020-22.

Townsend would be the final addition to the Buckeyes’ roster for next year. pic.twitter.com/tLFwE5xCVN

— Buckeye Hoop Alerts (@buckeyehoops) April 20, 2024​
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  • Speaking of the college basketball transfer portal, Ohio State received a visit on Saturday from former Alabama forward Sam Walters. Playing in a reserve role with the Tide as a freshman this past season, averaging a little over 12 minutes per game, Walters shot just under 40% from beyond the arc on nearly 100 attempts. A big man at 6-foot-10, Walters averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

Go Buckeyes?? #notcommitted pic.twitter.com/GT4ND2nFue

— Sam Walters (@SamWalters2023) April 20, 2024​
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LGHL Predicting Ohio State’s 2024 rushing statistics

Predicting Ohio State’s 2024 rushing statistics
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 13 Ohio State Spring Game

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With a pair of stud co-starting running backs and a new offensive coordinator, 2024 will be an interesting year for the Buckeyes’ rushing game.

Trying to predict a college football team’s statistics in April is a fool’s errand, so with that in mind: challenge accepted.

Ohio State has its best one-two punch at tailback since J.K. Dobbins split time with Mike Weber (and, later, Master Teague), and this year’s tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins could be much better than either of those other pairings.

Both have already managed to be featured, 1,000-yard backs. Injuries and snap management prevented Henderson from doing it multiple times, but he set a career mark in 2021 with 1,255 yards on 184 carries across 13 games, scoring 15 touchdowns.

Judkins is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he’s been a lot more involved in the offense at Mississippi than Henderson has been in Columbus. On 274 carries, Judkins ran for 1,565 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2022 across 13 games. In 2023, Judkins carried 271 times in 13 tames for 1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns.

In order to make any predictions, I’m going to have to start with some assumptions. The first of those is that the backfield stays healthy enough to get a normal number of snaps. The second is that the running game will get a boost for two main reasons: the ability to go to two different top-notch running threats, and the presence of Chip Kelly, who should help the running back room with a combination of inside and outside zone runs

The Buckeyes will also benefit from additional concepts that can be used a bit more sparingly, and, more than likely, a quarterback who can be included in the base run game. That might not happen if Julian Sayin wins the job, but another assumption I’m going to make is that either Will Howard or Devin Brown will claim the job. I think it will be Howard.

Expanded playoffs may also play a role, but it’s best not to get too far into the weeds. Knowing how much Ryan Day likes to throw the football, take shots, and have his quarterback be the focal point of the offense, I’ll stick with a number of carries that is comparable over the course of the season.

The Buckeyes’ leading ball carrier under Ryan Day has averaged 164 attempts. Admittedly, this is not strictly true, because I am doing two unorthodox things. First, I’m throwing out the outlier of 301 carries by Dobbins in 2019, because that was the only season under Day where there was a clear workhorse back dominating the carries. Secondly, I had to extrapolate a season mark of 188 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season (the high mark for carries was 116, but in only eight games).

This seems about right, because I expect Henderson and Judkins to get a similar number of carries, with perhaps Judkins finishing with slightly more due to the likelihood that he’ll be the short-yardage and goal-line option, while also getting more of the fourth quarter carries to see out games and, let’s be honest, to better protect Henderson.

I think the first-half snaps for the running backs will be somewhat evenly distributed, including some sets with both Henderson and Judkins on the field together. Having both in the formation would help disguise whether the run is more likely to be inside or outside, although I expect Kelly to keep defenses honest by giving Henderson some inside runs and getting Judkins out on the edge at times.

Where things might get interesting is that I don’t see the third and fourth backs getting quite as many carries in 2024 unless there are some injuries. I would not have predicted that had Dallan Hayden decided to stay in Columbus, but here we are.

Based on all of the above, here is how I see the numbers shaking out by the end of the 2024 season:

  1. Judkins — I think the bulk of the carries in 2024 will go to Judkins, but he’ll still be far below his average of 270+ attempts in each of the last two years. I expect Judkins to get around 185 carries, and average around 5.5 yards per attempt. That would place Judkins at the top of the yardage leaderboard with about 1,017 yards.

I also think he’ll score about a dozen rushing touchdowns.

  1. Henderson — Having Judkins as a stable mate will keep Henderson’s legs fresh in 2024, and having Kelly running a wider variety of inside and outside runs, combined with some misdirection, will help Henderson have a big year. That said, I think he falls a little shy of giving Ohio State two 1,000-yard rushers in 2024.

I’ll predict about 145 attempts for Henderson this fall, but I expect him to maximize those and break several long runs. I’ll look for an average of about 6.8yards per carry because of some of those explosion plays which will put him at 986 rushing yards. Of course, if the coaching staff sees Henderson approaching 1,000 yards, they might give him a few extra attempts late in the season.

As far as touchdowns, I’ll give Henderson the same 11 that he had in 2023. He’ll have to get in from further out, because Judkins seems more likely to get the nod in the red zone.

  1. Howard — The quarterback hasn’t been asked to run a lot in Day’s tenure at Ohio State, although Justin Fields surpassed 350 yards twice in that span, including the shortened COVID season of 2020.

Howard doesn’t have Fields’ wheels, but he’s a smart runner and he has a knack for knowing when to take off and get a key first down. Kelly will use quarterback designed runs and RPOs, with the former keeping the defense honest. Additionally, Howard will scramble at times. I don’t expect him to rack up the 137 carries Fields had in 2019 — which was second most on the team that year — but I expect him to at least double the 32 attempts Kyle McCord had in 2023.

I’m going to predict about 72 carries for Howard. Sacks will affect his yardage, of course, but I still think he finishes third on the team in rushing yards for the season. Because I expect more designed quarterback runs in 2024 and for Howard to be more likely to take off when a pass play breaks down, I’m going to give him more than the 2.3 yards per carry average that C.J. Stroud had in 2022. I will also put Howard’s yards per carry below Fields’ numbers in 2019 and 2020, which were 3.53 and 4.72, respectively.

I will go with a solid 3.1 yards per carry (when figuring in sacks), for a 2024 season total of 223 yards. He’ll probably chip in a few rushing touchdowns as well.

After the top three, I would expect James Peoples, Sam Williams-Dixon, and TC Caffey to get most of the remaining carries, along with whoever is the backup quarterback, followed by Emeka Egbuka, who will get his usual jet sweep opportunities. Peoples seems the likely third choice at this point, but that may still be yet to be decided.

I’ll say this trio of running backs will end up in the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots in the final rushing charts, The leader of those three will approach Howard’s numbers, and finish with around 215 yards, with the next running back around 200 yards, and the third with 178.

That’s how I see the split in playing time, the distribution of the carries, the averages per carry, and the final totals for the 2024 season playing out. Feel free to tell me where you agree/disagree in the comments below.

Speculation is fun!

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