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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Ohio State women’s basketball on impressive night for Walker, responding to a loss
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Uncut Podcast: Ohio State women’s basketball on impressive night for Walker, responding to a loss
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State University athletic department
Head coach Kevin McGuff, forward Eboni Walker and guard Diana Collins discuss Friday night victory at Northwestern
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
It was a difficult end to the 2023 calendar, as the Ohio State women’s basketball team fell to the Michigan Wolverines in a lackluster display. Friday night, the Buckeyes turned the calendar to 2024, and left the bad form with the discarded 2023 pages, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 90-60.
Following the 30-point victory, head coach Kevin McGuff, forward Eboni Walker and guard Diana Collins spoke with the media.
Up first was Coach McGuff, discussing what went right for Ohio State, namely taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers. Plus, the late illness scratch for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková forced a lineup change for the first time this season, with Walker taking the Slovakian’s place. McGuff talks about the key performance for Walker who scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and created six assists. Plus, no turnovers.
After McGuff was the duo of Walker and Collins. Walker talked about her mentality of doing whatever it is the team needs in a game, stepping in the lineup when necessary. Also, the improved performance after the defeat to the Wolverines. Collins, who played limited minutes as a second half substitution, talked about her 10 points in only 13 minutes on the court.
That and more on the latest Land-Grant Uncut.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State University athletic department
Head coach Kevin McGuff, forward Eboni Walker and guard Diana Collins discuss Friday night victory at Northwestern
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
It was a difficult end to the 2023 calendar, as the Ohio State women’s basketball team fell to the Michigan Wolverines in a lackluster display. Friday night, the Buckeyes turned the calendar to 2024, and left the bad form with the discarded 2023 pages, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 90-60.
Following the 30-point victory, head coach Kevin McGuff, forward Eboni Walker and guard Diana Collins spoke with the media.
Up first was Coach McGuff, discussing what went right for Ohio State, namely taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers. Plus, the late illness scratch for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková forced a lineup change for the first time this season, with Walker taking the Slovakian’s place. McGuff talks about the key performance for Walker who scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and created six assists. Plus, no turnovers.
After McGuff was the duo of Walker and Collins. Walker talked about her mentality of doing whatever it is the team needs in a game, stepping in the lineup when necessary. Also, the improved performance after the defeat to the Wolverines. Collins, who played limited minutes as a second half substitution, talked about her 10 points in only 13 minutes on the court.
That and more on the latest Land-Grant Uncut.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL What will Ohio State’s offense look like with Will Howard at quarterback?
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What will Ohio State’s offense look like with Will Howard at quarterback?
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here’s what I envision a Howard-led Ohio State offense will look like.
Now that the dust has settled from the fallout of Kyle McCord’s decision to leave Columbus, thoughts turn to the upcoming season and what the offense might look like given the current quarterback room. Clearly Will Howard would not have committed to Ohio State out of the transfer portal without a good feeling about starting in 2024, as the former Kansas State Wildcat has only one season of eligibility remaining.
Howard will battle with Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, and incoming freshman Air Noland for the right to lead the Buckeyes on offense. He’ll likely arrive with plenty of confidence. After all, he has a lot more snaps of live game action under his belt than the entirety of his competition. He attempted 357 passes last season alone, which is 307 more than Brown and Kienholz combined for in their careers, and of course Noland has yet to take a collegiate snap.
While Howard’s 2023 numbers don’t compare favorably to McCord’s, the two signal callers were pretty close and McCord was surrounded with far more riches on offense than Howard was. It’s not unreasonable to assume the passing game won’t look too much different for Ohio State in 2024. The Buckeyes will still take their shots downfield and run both inside and outside routes to keep the defense off balance. There will still likely be plenty of maddeningly ineffective wide receiver screens, too.
The big difference in what Day calls on offense will be that Howard will likely be asked to use his legs. That’ll mean more run-pass options and zone reads to utilize Howard’s ability to run. He’s not only a big kid at 6-foot-5 and just a tick over 240 pounds, but he can also move. I figure Howard and Brown are universal fits in the same kind of offense, while Kienholz is more of a pocket passer type of quarterback.
Howard will have more designed runs or options to run than McCord, but he’ll also be more likely to scramble if the play breaks down than McCord was, and he’ll have the green light to do that. Day will want him to keep his eyes downfield as long as possible, but Howard will be able to keep plays alive with his legs and also won’t be afraid to tuck and run — and he’s got the experience to know when to do that.
The offense shouldn’t look drastically different with Howard at the helm, assuming he beats out the competition in camp for the job. There will merely be more yards there on the ground for the quarterback. That’s a good thing, as it should make for more positive results when plays break down, but also it will help keep defenses a bit more off balance. To account for quarterback runs, it could open up more deep throws, and the Buckeyes can lean on the run with a bit more variety if teams keep their safeties deep.
The most interesting thing will be to see what kind of routes get called repeatedly, as that’ll be an indicator of what Howard is most comfortable throwing, especially on critical downs.
There were other quarterbacks in the portal that many Ohio State fans wanted more than Howard, but his skill set might be what the Buckeyes need. Here’s a look at what he can do:
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here’s what I envision a Howard-led Ohio State offense will look like.
Now that the dust has settled from the fallout of Kyle McCord’s decision to leave Columbus, thoughts turn to the upcoming season and what the offense might look like given the current quarterback room. Clearly Will Howard would not have committed to Ohio State out of the transfer portal without a good feeling about starting in 2024, as the former Kansas State Wildcat has only one season of eligibility remaining.
Howard will battle with Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, and incoming freshman Air Noland for the right to lead the Buckeyes on offense. He’ll likely arrive with plenty of confidence. After all, he has a lot more snaps of live game action under his belt than the entirety of his competition. He attempted 357 passes last season alone, which is 307 more than Brown and Kienholz combined for in their careers, and of course Noland has yet to take a collegiate snap.
While Howard’s 2023 numbers don’t compare favorably to McCord’s, the two signal callers were pretty close and McCord was surrounded with far more riches on offense than Howard was. It’s not unreasonable to assume the passing game won’t look too much different for Ohio State in 2024. The Buckeyes will still take their shots downfield and run both inside and outside routes to keep the defense off balance. There will still likely be plenty of maddeningly ineffective wide receiver screens, too.
The big difference in what Day calls on offense will be that Howard will likely be asked to use his legs. That’ll mean more run-pass options and zone reads to utilize Howard’s ability to run. He’s not only a big kid at 6-foot-5 and just a tick over 240 pounds, but he can also move. I figure Howard and Brown are universal fits in the same kind of offense, while Kienholz is more of a pocket passer type of quarterback.
Howard will have more designed runs or options to run than McCord, but he’ll also be more likely to scramble if the play breaks down than McCord was, and he’ll have the green light to do that. Day will want him to keep his eyes downfield as long as possible, but Howard will be able to keep plays alive with his legs and also won’t be afraid to tuck and run — and he’s got the experience to know when to do that.
The offense shouldn’t look drastically different with Howard at the helm, assuming he beats out the competition in camp for the job. There will merely be more yards there on the ground for the quarterback. That’s a good thing, as it should make for more positive results when plays break down, but also it will help keep defenses a bit more off balance. To account for quarterback runs, it could open up more deep throws, and the Buckeyes can lean on the run with a bit more variety if teams keep their safeties deep.
The most interesting thing will be to see what kind of routes get called repeatedly, as that’ll be an indicator of what Howard is most comfortable throwing, especially on critical downs.
There were other quarterbacks in the portal that many Ohio State fans wanted more than Howard, but his skill set might be what the Buckeyes need. Here’s a look at what he can do:
Continue reading...
LGHL An Ohio State backfield of Henderson, Judkins would be the best in the country
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An Ohio State backfield of Henderson, Judkins would be the best in the country
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports | Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Nothing is official, but it’s pretty exciting to imagine what OSU could do if both Henderson and Judkins were Buckeyes next fall.
I know that there has been a ton of consternation surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes’ football team over the past month and a half, and things seemed to hit something approaching rock bottom at the Cotton Bowl in what would generously be considered an embarrassing performance by the team and especially the coaches. There were rumors of squandered practices and a coaching staff asleep at the wheel, but, my fellow Buckeye fans, in the immortal words of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, “It’s alive... It’s ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!”
From landing the All-Big 12 second-team quarterback in Kansas State’s Will Howard to picking up a pair of future starters in Alabama center Seth McLaughlin and Ohio tight end Will Kacmarek, things appear to be picking up. The Buckeyes also secured the commitment of the No. 1 cornerback and No. 4 player in the country in Devin Sanchez. And with rumors swirling about a bit of a staff overhaul, it seems like head coach Ryan Day is approaching this month as one that could make or break his tenure at Ohio State.
Well, over the weekend, it at least seems like the Buckeyes took one more step to reestablish their offense as a multi-faceted attack complete with top-line depth at every skill position. While nothing has been confirmed as of this writing, it appears that former Ole Miss Rebel and two-time first-team All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins is set to transfer to Ohio State; that announcement could come at any time.
Naturally, that raises questions about the Buckeyes’ incumbent back TreVeyon Henderson, who has yet to make an announcement about whether or not he will be returning for a fourth season in Columbus, or if he will opt for the NFL Draft instead. However, Henderson had long been believed to be one of the Buckeyes planning to run it back; so, does Judkins' impending commitment mean that Henderson is on his way to the pros? Or is there a chance that Ohio State could be on the verge of securing the best backfield in the country as they head into the first season of the expanded College Football Playoff?
Now, I know that many of you think that this blog is overly hard against Day, and while I would contend that we are appropriately hard on a coach who has failed to live up to any of his own publicly stated goals for the past three seasons, we actually really like Ohio State’s head coach and think he is capable of getting the Buckeyes to the top of the college football mountain. But, if you are a parent, you understand what it’s like to love someone and think that they are capable of incredible things, but also be disappointed in their performance. That’s where we have been with Day over the last few years, but he sure seems to be attempting to remedy many of our concerns.
While we don’t yet know the 2024 plans for players like Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Ty Hamilton, Jordan Hancock, Donovan Jackson, J.T. Tuimoloau, or Henderson, there seems to be varying levels of optimism around each returning for another year in scarlet and gray. The Buckeyes are still efforting to add offensive and defensive linemen, and perhaps other players via the portal, but the potential pledge of Judkins ahead of the spring semester starting on Monday is exciting for a number of reasons.
Obviously, landing arguably the best running back in the SEC is always going to be exciting. In his two collegiate seasons, Judkins has rushed for 2,7,25 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also catching three TDs as well. Admittedly, Judkins did see a fairly significant decline in efficiency from his freshman to sophomore seasons, going from averaging 5.7 to 4.3 yards per carry, but with 271 carries in 2023 (sixth most in FBS) and 274 in 2022 (eighth most) you can understand how those numbers could be impacted by the wear and tear sustained by a back. But to me, that’s the reason that I am increasingly optimistic about both Judkins and Henderson being on the Buckeyes’ roster in the fall.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin primarily used Judkins on inside zone plays, with counters and power runs in the mix as well. This past season, 740 of his 1,158 rushing yards came between the tackles, while Henderson on the other hand, picked up 660 of his 926 yards outside of the tackles. So, it would seem that their specific skill sets and usages would complement each other, thus potentially lessening the load on each before they both could be headed to the NFL in 2025.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to believe that Judkins coming to Columbus means that Henderson has already made his plans to move on known to the coaching staff, but if that’s the case, it is curious that he hasn’t made those plans public. Perhaps it is my perpetually optimistic nature and the scarlet and gray colored glasses permanently affixed to my head, but I think that this backfield pairing makes a lot of sense for both guys.
Judkins has played two collegiate seasons and has wracked up over 582 touches in that time. Henderson, who just completed his third year in Columbus, has not played a full season since his freshman campaign, playing in eight games in 2022 and 10 in 2023.
While Henderson had an impressive four-game run from late-October to mid-November that saw him accumulate 499 yards, he could be concerned about NFL teams not viewing him as durable enough to draft as highly as he would like. So, returning to college for another season where he doesn’t have to be the only bell cow could be attractive.
Similarly, Judkins has worn a lot of tread on his proverbial tires in just two seasons and might be concerned that next spring, NFL franchises could think that his body has already taken too much of a beating to spend an early-round pick on.
In both cases, teaming up with another potential All-American level back could prove beneficial. Of course, this would be something of a risk for both, and honestly, a bit of an experiment for the team. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but in this new era of the transfer portal, I can’t recall a back of Judkins’ caliber choosing to join a team that also featured a player like Henderson; but 2024 would be the perfect time to give it a try.
As we all know, tonight marks the final game of the four-team College Football Playoff, so starting next season, it is possible for the Buckeyes to play 16 games and for a team that has to grind it out against Big Ten defenses — including the two featured in the national championship game tonight — having two top-line backs could make a huge difference; not to mention Dallan Hayden, who I believe could be a dynamic back in the Buckeye offense if given the opportunity. However, if both Henderson and Judkins are on the roster in 2024, I could see Hayden entering the portal following spring practice.
College football fans have seen both Judkins and Henderson at their best. When they are healthy, they are two of the top backs in the country and could contend for the Heisman Trophy. But the days of a single running back leading a team to a national title are mostly behind us. With the potential for four postseason games looming, it makes sense for a team like Ohio State who is trying to rediscover its offensive identity, to look to bring in as many elite weapons as possible.
And with the devaluation of running backs from the NFL’s perspective, it would also make sense for both Henderson and Judkins to find a situation where they could have moments to shine on a team that would invariably play on the biggest stages in the sport without having to carry the entire load.
Personally, if I were Henderson, I think I would be opting to start my NFL career now, coming off of a strong back half of the season. While you could potentially move up even higher on NFL draft boards, as a Day 2 pick, you are still going to get a contract worth up to $6 million, and it gets you closer to signing your second NFL contract, which is where the real money is made.
Nonetheless, I would certainly not be disappointed if he opted to return. I think that pairing a between-the-tackles back like Judkins with a running QB threat like Howard could go a long way to fixing OSU’s red zone issues — although the offensive line is still the biggest culprit in that crime as far as I’m concerned — but I also think that Howard’s willingness to keep it on designed QB runs would open things up outside for Henderson as well.
As almost all football coaches do, Day has always preached wanting to be balanced between the run and the pass. And while the number of attempts have been relatively equal during his tenure, there is no denying that OSU’s offense has always been pass-first. However, if they do end up with Judkins and Henderson (and Hayden and true freshman James Peoples) on the roster next year, this could be the first time under Day that the running attack could be as potentially explosive as the passing game and I, for one, am ready to see how that would work out.
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
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports | Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Nothing is official, but it’s pretty exciting to imagine what OSU could do if both Henderson and Judkins were Buckeyes next fall.
I know that there has been a ton of consternation surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes’ football team over the past month and a half, and things seemed to hit something approaching rock bottom at the Cotton Bowl in what would generously be considered an embarrassing performance by the team and especially the coaches. There were rumors of squandered practices and a coaching staff asleep at the wheel, but, my fellow Buckeye fans, in the immortal words of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, “It’s alive... It’s ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!”
From landing the All-Big 12 second-team quarterback in Kansas State’s Will Howard to picking up a pair of future starters in Alabama center Seth McLaughlin and Ohio tight end Will Kacmarek, things appear to be picking up. The Buckeyes also secured the commitment of the No. 1 cornerback and No. 4 player in the country in Devin Sanchez. And with rumors swirling about a bit of a staff overhaul, it seems like head coach Ryan Day is approaching this month as one that could make or break his tenure at Ohio State.
Well, over the weekend, it at least seems like the Buckeyes took one more step to reestablish their offense as a multi-faceted attack complete with top-line depth at every skill position. While nothing has been confirmed as of this writing, it appears that former Ole Miss Rebel and two-time first-team All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins is set to transfer to Ohio State; that announcement could come at any time.
Naturally, that raises questions about the Buckeyes’ incumbent back TreVeyon Henderson, who has yet to make an announcement about whether or not he will be returning for a fourth season in Columbus, or if he will opt for the NFL Draft instead. However, Henderson had long been believed to be one of the Buckeyes planning to run it back; so, does Judkins' impending commitment mean that Henderson is on his way to the pros? Or is there a chance that Ohio State could be on the verge of securing the best backfield in the country as they head into the first season of the expanded College Football Playoff?
Now, I know that many of you think that this blog is overly hard against Day, and while I would contend that we are appropriately hard on a coach who has failed to live up to any of his own publicly stated goals for the past three seasons, we actually really like Ohio State’s head coach and think he is capable of getting the Buckeyes to the top of the college football mountain. But, if you are a parent, you understand what it’s like to love someone and think that they are capable of incredible things, but also be disappointed in their performance. That’s where we have been with Day over the last few years, but he sure seems to be attempting to remedy many of our concerns.
While we don’t yet know the 2024 plans for players like Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Ty Hamilton, Jordan Hancock, Donovan Jackson, J.T. Tuimoloau, or Henderson, there seems to be varying levels of optimism around each returning for another year in scarlet and gray. The Buckeyes are still efforting to add offensive and defensive linemen, and perhaps other players via the portal, but the potential pledge of Judkins ahead of the spring semester starting on Monday is exciting for a number of reasons.
Obviously, landing arguably the best running back in the SEC is always going to be exciting. In his two collegiate seasons, Judkins has rushed for 2,7,25 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also catching three TDs as well. Admittedly, Judkins did see a fairly significant decline in efficiency from his freshman to sophomore seasons, going from averaging 5.7 to 4.3 yards per carry, but with 271 carries in 2023 (sixth most in FBS) and 274 in 2022 (eighth most) you can understand how those numbers could be impacted by the wear and tear sustained by a back. But to me, that’s the reason that I am increasingly optimistic about both Judkins and Henderson being on the Buckeyes’ roster in the fall.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin primarily used Judkins on inside zone plays, with counters and power runs in the mix as well. This past season, 740 of his 1,158 rushing yards came between the tackles, while Henderson on the other hand, picked up 660 of his 926 yards outside of the tackles. So, it would seem that their specific skill sets and usages would complement each other, thus potentially lessening the load on each before they both could be headed to the NFL in 2025.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to believe that Judkins coming to Columbus means that Henderson has already made his plans to move on known to the coaching staff, but if that’s the case, it is curious that he hasn’t made those plans public. Perhaps it is my perpetually optimistic nature and the scarlet and gray colored glasses permanently affixed to my head, but I think that this backfield pairing makes a lot of sense for both guys.
Judkins has played two collegiate seasons and has wracked up over 582 touches in that time. Henderson, who just completed his third year in Columbus, has not played a full season since his freshman campaign, playing in eight games in 2022 and 10 in 2023.
While Henderson had an impressive four-game run from late-October to mid-November that saw him accumulate 499 yards, he could be concerned about NFL teams not viewing him as durable enough to draft as highly as he would like. So, returning to college for another season where he doesn’t have to be the only bell cow could be attractive.
Similarly, Judkins has worn a lot of tread on his proverbial tires in just two seasons and might be concerned that next spring, NFL franchises could think that his body has already taken too much of a beating to spend an early-round pick on.
In both cases, teaming up with another potential All-American level back could prove beneficial. Of course, this would be something of a risk for both, and honestly, a bit of an experiment for the team. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but in this new era of the transfer portal, I can’t recall a back of Judkins’ caliber choosing to join a team that also featured a player like Henderson; but 2024 would be the perfect time to give it a try.
As we all know, tonight marks the final game of the four-team College Football Playoff, so starting next season, it is possible for the Buckeyes to play 16 games and for a team that has to grind it out against Big Ten defenses — including the two featured in the national championship game tonight — having two top-line backs could make a huge difference; not to mention Dallan Hayden, who I believe could be a dynamic back in the Buckeye offense if given the opportunity. However, if both Henderson and Judkins are on the roster in 2024, I could see Hayden entering the portal following spring practice.
College football fans have seen both Judkins and Henderson at their best. When they are healthy, they are two of the top backs in the country and could contend for the Heisman Trophy. But the days of a single running back leading a team to a national title are mostly behind us. With the potential for four postseason games looming, it makes sense for a team like Ohio State who is trying to rediscover its offensive identity, to look to bring in as many elite weapons as possible.
And with the devaluation of running backs from the NFL’s perspective, it would also make sense for both Henderson and Judkins to find a situation where they could have moments to shine on a team that would invariably play on the biggest stages in the sport without having to carry the entire load.
Personally, if I were Henderson, I think I would be opting to start my NFL career now, coming off of a strong back half of the season. While you could potentially move up even higher on NFL draft boards, as a Day 2 pick, you are still going to get a contract worth up to $6 million, and it gets you closer to signing your second NFL contract, which is where the real money is made.
Nonetheless, I would certainly not be disappointed if he opted to return. I think that pairing a between-the-tackles back like Judkins with a running QB threat like Howard could go a long way to fixing OSU’s red zone issues — although the offensive line is still the biggest culprit in that crime as far as I’m concerned — but I also think that Howard’s willingness to keep it on designed QB runs would open things up outside for Henderson as well.
As almost all football coaches do, Day has always preached wanting to be balanced between the run and the pass. And while the number of attempts have been relatively equal during his tenure, there is no denying that OSU’s offense has always been pass-first. However, if they do end up with Judkins and Henderson (and Hayden and true freshman James Peoples) on the roster next year, this could be the first time under Day that the running attack could be as potentially explosive as the passing game and I, for one, am ready to see how that would work out.
Continue reading...
LGHL Five-star 2025 cornerback Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State, Buckeyes land Alabama transfer OL
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Five-star 2025 cornerback Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State, Buckeyes land Alabama transfer OL
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Five-star 2025 CB Devin Sanchez | Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up a huge BOOOOOM over the weekend from a top-10 national prospect and added a transfer offensive lineman.
While the month of December was largely bad for Ohio State football as a whole, the start of 2024 has been much kinder to the Buckeyes. After just the first week of January, Ryan Day’s group has managed to land a five-star cornerback in the 2025 class, as well as one of the nation’s top transfer offensive linemen. In addition, there seems to be some smoke towards a star running back potentially joining the mix, but only time will tell...
Ohio State and position coach Tim Walton picked up a major BOOOOOM on Saturday afternoon, as five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez announced his committment to the Buckeyes at halftime of the All-American Bowl. The No. 2 CB and No. 6 player overall in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-2 Texas native chose Ohio State over Alabama and Texas A&M.
“An Ohio State cornerback, he’s good at everything,” Sanchez told Eleven Warriors. “You can press, play off, that’s what they like to do. If you can do all of that and be great at it, you’ve got a chance to be on that cornerback wall and you’ve got a chance to be DBU here. There’s not that many schools where you can call it DBU, but Ohio State’s probably the No. 1 school. Just look at the guys in the league. It speaks for itself.”
The Buckeyes initially offered Sanchez last January, and he got to work with Walton in June at a recruiting camp. The talented DB returned to Columbus in October for the Penn State game, and while he continued exploring his options during his recruitment, Sanchez admitted that he has actually been a silent commit to Ohio State since Nov. 2.
“It feels good. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Sanchez said after his commitment. “I’ve (been) quitely committed since November 2. I feel good about my decision. I feel good about what I am doing. The people at Ohio State, the coaches and what they’ve done the last few years. Winning is a big part of it. I don’t like losing. That’s a big part of my decision. I want to beat the team up north for sure and get to the playoffs. Beating the team up north is No. 1.”
Sanchez’s relationship with Walton and the chance to go up against Ohio State’s elite wide receivers were two of the biggest factors in his decision. His family also played a role, and while he will be a bit farther from home than they would probably like, his parents Deetra and Daniel — both of whom were former college athletes at UTEP — are very happy with his decision to commit to the Buckeyes.
“It started with building a relationship with whoever Devin was going to be around,” his mother Deetra told 247Sports. “We wanted him at a place he was going to be safe, be OK. I didn’t want to have sleepless nights. We wanted him to be around people who care about him, not just football. With Ohio State, it is a family atmosphere and the coaches are very respectful. I think it’s a great fit with coach Walton. He has a ton of experience and I really like the path, the trajectory he’s given us.”
Walton is on one heck of a recruiting run right now. After landing a trio of talented corners in the 2024 class in Aaron Scott, Bryce West and Miles Lockhart, he has already secured a pair of top-100 players at the position in 2025 with Sanchez and Blake Woodby. With a loaded position room in Columbus right now, Walton is doing a fantastic job in his quest to bring ‘BIA’ back to Ohio State.
While Sanchez will have to wait a bit before rising to the college football ranks, the Buckeyes also brought in a guy who can help them on the field next season when former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin committed to Ohio State out of the transfer portal. A three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, McLaughlin was ranked as the No. 1 IOL transfer and No. 5 offensive lineman transfer overall, per 247Sports.
McLaughlin’s name was obviously front and center recently for his less-than-stellar performance against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but the 6-foot-4, 305-pound center started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide in 2023, and had started in 25 games total for Nick Saban over the last three seasons. A product of Buford High School in Georgia, McLaughlin hails from the same prep program as former OSU offensive lineman Harry Miller — whose job he took over once Miller graduated — as well as incoming freshman defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.
McLaughlin had some issues snapping the ball against the Wolverines, but has graded out well as a blocker over the course of his career, posting grades of 73.2 in 2021 and 74.3 in 2022. That number did curiously drop to 59.4 in 2023, but regardless McLaughlin brings with him experience as a multi-year starter in the SEC at an area of need for Ohio State. While he is likely to compete for the Buckeyes’ starting center job alongside Carson Hinzman and Joshua Padilla, he could also potentially move over to guard if needed.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Five-star 2025 CB Devin Sanchez | Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up a huge BOOOOOM over the weekend from a top-10 national prospect and added a transfer offensive lineman.
While the month of December was largely bad for Ohio State football as a whole, the start of 2024 has been much kinder to the Buckeyes. After just the first week of January, Ryan Day’s group has managed to land a five-star cornerback in the 2025 class, as well as one of the nation’s top transfer offensive linemen. In addition, there seems to be some smoke towards a star running back potentially joining the mix, but only time will tell...
Five-star 2025 CB Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State
Ohio State and position coach Tim Walton picked up a major BOOOOOM on Saturday afternoon, as five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez announced his committment to the Buckeyes at halftime of the All-American Bowl. The No. 2 CB and No. 6 player overall in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-2 Texas native chose Ohio State over Alabama and Texas A&M.
“An Ohio State cornerback, he’s good at everything,” Sanchez told Eleven Warriors. “You can press, play off, that’s what they like to do. If you can do all of that and be great at it, you’ve got a chance to be on that cornerback wall and you’ve got a chance to be DBU here. There’s not that many schools where you can call it DBU, but Ohio State’s probably the No. 1 school. Just look at the guys in the league. It speaks for itself.”
The Buckeyes initially offered Sanchez last January, and he got to work with Walton in June at a recruiting camp. The talented DB returned to Columbus in October for the Penn State game, and while he continued exploring his options during his recruitment, Sanchez admitted that he has actually been a silent commit to Ohio State since Nov. 2.
“It feels good. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Sanchez said after his commitment. “I’ve (been) quitely committed since November 2. I feel good about my decision. I feel good about what I am doing. The people at Ohio State, the coaches and what they’ve done the last few years. Winning is a big part of it. I don’t like losing. That’s a big part of my decision. I want to beat the team up north for sure and get to the playoffs. Beating the team up north is No. 1.”
Sanchez’s relationship with Walton and the chance to go up against Ohio State’s elite wide receivers were two of the biggest factors in his decision. His family also played a role, and while he will be a bit farther from home than they would probably like, his parents Deetra and Daniel — both of whom were former college athletes at UTEP — are very happy with his decision to commit to the Buckeyes.
“It started with building a relationship with whoever Devin was going to be around,” his mother Deetra told 247Sports. “We wanted him at a place he was going to be safe, be OK. I didn’t want to have sleepless nights. We wanted him to be around people who care about him, not just football. With Ohio State, it is a family atmosphere and the coaches are very respectful. I think it’s a great fit with coach Walton. He has a ton of experience and I really like the path, the trajectory he’s given us.”
Walton is on one heck of a recruiting run right now. After landing a trio of talented corners in the 2024 class in Aaron Scott, Bryce West and Miles Lockhart, he has already secured a pair of top-100 players at the position in 2025 with Sanchez and Blake Woodby. With a loaded position room in Columbus right now, Walton is doing a fantastic job in his quest to bring ‘BIA’ back to Ohio State.
Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin commits to Ohio State
While Sanchez will have to wait a bit before rising to the college football ranks, the Buckeyes also brought in a guy who can help them on the field next season when former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin committed to Ohio State out of the transfer portal. A three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, McLaughlin was ranked as the No. 1 IOL transfer and No. 5 offensive lineman transfer overall, per 247Sports.
McLaughlin’s name was obviously front and center recently for his less-than-stellar performance against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but the 6-foot-4, 305-pound center started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide in 2023, and had started in 25 games total for Nick Saban over the last three seasons. A product of Buford High School in Georgia, McLaughlin hails from the same prep program as former OSU offensive lineman Harry Miller — whose job he took over once Miller graduated — as well as incoming freshman defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.
McLaughlin had some issues snapping the ball against the Wolverines, but has graded out well as a blocker over the course of his career, posting grades of 73.2 in 2021 and 74.3 in 2022. That number did curiously drop to 59.4 in 2023, but regardless McLaughlin brings with him experience as a multi-year starter in the SEC at an area of need for Ohio State. While he is likely to compete for the Buckeyes’ starting center job alongside Carson Hinzman and Joshua Padilla, he could also potentially move over to guard if needed.
Quick Hits
- Rumors have been swirling that one of the biggest names in the transfer portal is heavily considering a move to Ohio State. Former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins saw his name first connected to the Buckeyes when he began following numerous current players on Instagram, including fellow transfer Will Howard. On Sunday, those rumors gained even more traction when it was reported that Judkins was visiting Columbus. Rated as the No. 4 overall player in the transfer portal and No. 1 RB, the Alabama native rushed for over 2,700 yards and 31 TDs in his two seasons with the Rebels.
- While nearly all of the news surrounding Ohio State since the turn of the calendar has been positive, the Buckeyes did miss on one of their transfer portal targets over the weekend when former Troy offensive tackle Derrick Graham committed to Texas A&M. Graham visited Ohio State on Wednesday, and also made trips to Pittsburgh and Missouri before landing with the Aggies.
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