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LGHL Buckeye Heroes: Chris Olave’s legacy serves as a reminder that stars don’t define the recruit
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Buckeye Heroes: Chris Olave’s legacy serves as a reminder that stars don’t define the recruit
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Whether it was in No. 17 or No. 2, Chris Olave defined an offensive generation at Ohio State.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
In the modern era of college football, recruiting rankings hold a highly regarded place in the minds of fans. The college football recruiting world is built on a rating system: five-stars are the best of the best, and if you have them your team will win a lot of games. In a world where stars matter – sometimes too much – there are players who rise above any preordained rankings.
Those players are the ones who come to a place like Ohio State. They aren’t talked about by fans, but they quietly grind in the shadows of the Woody Hayes Athletic center vying their time. The thing about recruiting rankings — they don’t matter once the player is inside the building. Everybody can play football at programs like Ohio State, that is why it is so special when one of the more unheralded players in any class steps up.
In my time at Ohio State (2017-2019), there was one player who showed up around the same time. That player was 247sports Composite 399th ranked player, Chris Olave from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Coming into a room with players like Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin, Austin Mack, Parris Campbell, and K.J. Hill, there were quite a few players who made huge plays for the Buckeyes. The floor was set incredibly high with that group, but in the following classes until Olave came to school, there were some misses for a multitude of reasons.
Trevon Grimes was the highest ranked receiver the Buckeyes landed, but he transferred after one year in the program. Other elite recruit Kamryn Babb had an injury-riddled career, and the others in those classes proceeding the 2018 group fell a bit short in regards to the level of recruit the Buckeyes were obtaining. That made the importance of a fateful day in San Diego County that much more important.
Olave is the reason the Ohio State receiver room began to build the reputation it did, and all the five-stars the Buckeyes have can be traced back to a three-star recruit from California.
How he got to Ohio State
The main history here is pretty straight forward. Ohio State still had some room in their recruiting class, and the Buckeyes were still searching for a quarterback who could fit into Ryan Day’s system as Ohio State began their offensive evolution. This took Ryan Day to Mission Hills High to recruit their quarterback, Jack Tuttle — the No. 7 Pro Style quarterback in the country for the 2018 class.
At the time of his recruitment, Mission Hills coach Chris Hauser was trying to sell Olave to programs after missing his junior year in high school. Without any PAC-12 offers from California schools, there was no reason Ohio State would have had their eyes on a player who was ineligible and had no junior tape. The only reason Olave was recruited by Ohio State is because he caught the eye of the Buckeye staff when they were watching someone else.
Olave only had offers from the Boston College, Washington State, and Boise State before Ohio State made their offer. Michigan followed next and then Tennessee, after that he finally received two offers from local schools in UCLA and USC. The lateness of the California offers opened up the door for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes sent Ryan Day to meet with him twice to lock up the commitment according to 247Sports.
All this for a three-star recruit, but the few times rankings are wrong, it is usually due to outstanding circumstances. For the Buckeyes, this was a huge win, and Olave went on to set the tone for the receiver room immediately.
The illustrious career of the California kid
Olave came to Ohio State under the radar, but immediately began to make a name for himself as a player who was standing out in Fall Camp. Olave was the sixth player to lose his black stripe on campus, he was also the lowest-ranked recruit and second offensive player to shed the stripe in the 2018 class. After that came the history we were all familiar with, as a legend was born.
To begin the 2018 season, Olave found the field sparingly mostly in mop up duty, but in all the pressers he was routinely mentioned as the player on offense from the 2018 class standing out. This all culminated into one of the best ends to a freshman season of all time. Olave recorded two catches against Michigan for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns opened the scoring for the Buckeyes in a 62-39 route over the Wolverines. He also blocked a punt that led to another score, highlighting his versatility.
He followed up that iconic debut performance with five catches and a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship game against Northwestern. The reputations for a big game player was born, and this was the first step in Olave’s legend — his first step in becoming a Buckeye hero. This was continued the following year when the kid from California truly broke out.
Olave entered his sophomore year with high expectations; not the regular expectations you’d expect from a three-star recruit. After his coming out party against that Team Up North and in the Big Ten Championship game, Olave was expected to lead the way in the explosive aspect of the offense.
That is exactly what he did, averaging 17.5 yards per catch on 48 catches, Olave led the Buckeyes in yards with 840 and receiving touchdowns with 12. Olave had the same success in big moments, and was leading the way for the Buckeyes again as they approached the college football playoff. Despite scoring in 10 out of 14 games, Olave’s sophomore year will be remembered for him turning the wrong way against Clemson.
Olave did not let this hold him back, and in a battle of resiliency through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Californian showed why he transcended his recruiting ranking. As an unquestioned leader on the offensive side of the ball, Olave scored in five out of seven games, going for over 100 yards in five games as well. He exalted his revenge against Clemson, scoring two touchdowns and the dagger to put the Tigers to bed.
This was not his end though, and this is where he went from a hero to an all-time legend in the eyes of the Buckeye faithful. Looking at his career, there was not a smoother or more consistent wide receiver that comes to mind in recent memory.
Why he is a Buckeye hero like no other
When it comes to recruiting rankings, players meet expectations to those numbers at quite a high clip. In those rare instances where a player completely transcends his initial ranking, it winds up in a place of folklore among fans. This is exactly how Chris Olave’s career played out.
From an unlikely beginning at Ohio State given his bizarre recruiting path to Columbus, came an unlikely program centerpiece. From the catches against Michigan to start his career, the dagger against Clemson, and many other moments sprinkled in between, a legend was truly born.
What makes him a true Buckeye Hero — and this is not something to hold all players to — he chose to come back for his senior season in hopes of winning a national championship. Foregoing the draft was a risky decision. He was a projected first round pick, but that projection was not a guarantee. So he opted to return, he provided a safety net for C.J. Stroud in year one and set the tone for the rest of the receivers in the room young and old.
That quiet leadership brought out the best in Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and set the standard for the young guys following him. If not for the level and development of Olave, there might not be a Marvin Harrison Jr., there might not be Emeka Egbuka, and there might not be the next recruits in line trying to make their name at Ohio State.
Olave brought a quiet swagger to Ohio State. His legacy lives on through the no nonsense approach to approving every day. He truly embodied every aspect of what it took to become an all-time great receiver at Ohio State. This resulted in him getting drafted in the first round, and the Buckeyes setting the standard for having the best damn receivers in the land.
Of all the Buckeye heroes, Olave may be a little unheralded due to the recency of his career, but as his record setting legacy lives on, he outshined his recruiting ranking. When it was all said and done at Ohio State, the kid from San Marcos, Calif. truly embodied what it meant to be a Buckeye.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Whether it was in No. 17 or No. 2, Chris Olave defined an offensive generation at Ohio State.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
In the modern era of college football, recruiting rankings hold a highly regarded place in the minds of fans. The college football recruiting world is built on a rating system: five-stars are the best of the best, and if you have them your team will win a lot of games. In a world where stars matter – sometimes too much – there are players who rise above any preordained rankings.
Those players are the ones who come to a place like Ohio State. They aren’t talked about by fans, but they quietly grind in the shadows of the Woody Hayes Athletic center vying their time. The thing about recruiting rankings — they don’t matter once the player is inside the building. Everybody can play football at programs like Ohio State, that is why it is so special when one of the more unheralded players in any class steps up.
In my time at Ohio State (2017-2019), there was one player who showed up around the same time. That player was 247sports Composite 399th ranked player, Chris Olave from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Coming into a room with players like Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin, Austin Mack, Parris Campbell, and K.J. Hill, there were quite a few players who made huge plays for the Buckeyes. The floor was set incredibly high with that group, but in the following classes until Olave came to school, there were some misses for a multitude of reasons.
Trevon Grimes was the highest ranked receiver the Buckeyes landed, but he transferred after one year in the program. Other elite recruit Kamryn Babb had an injury-riddled career, and the others in those classes proceeding the 2018 group fell a bit short in regards to the level of recruit the Buckeyes were obtaining. That made the importance of a fateful day in San Diego County that much more important.
Olave is the reason the Ohio State receiver room began to build the reputation it did, and all the five-stars the Buckeyes have can be traced back to a three-star recruit from California.
How he got to Ohio State
The main history here is pretty straight forward. Ohio State still had some room in their recruiting class, and the Buckeyes were still searching for a quarterback who could fit into Ryan Day’s system as Ohio State began their offensive evolution. This took Ryan Day to Mission Hills High to recruit their quarterback, Jack Tuttle — the No. 7 Pro Style quarterback in the country for the 2018 class.
At the time of his recruitment, Mission Hills coach Chris Hauser was trying to sell Olave to programs after missing his junior year in high school. Without any PAC-12 offers from California schools, there was no reason Ohio State would have had their eyes on a player who was ineligible and had no junior tape. The only reason Olave was recruited by Ohio State is because he caught the eye of the Buckeye staff when they were watching someone else.
Olave only had offers from the Boston College, Washington State, and Boise State before Ohio State made their offer. Michigan followed next and then Tennessee, after that he finally received two offers from local schools in UCLA and USC. The lateness of the California offers opened up the door for Ohio State, and the Buckeyes sent Ryan Day to meet with him twice to lock up the commitment according to 247Sports.
All this for a three-star recruit, but the few times rankings are wrong, it is usually due to outstanding circumstances. For the Buckeyes, this was a huge win, and Olave went on to set the tone for the receiver room immediately.
The illustrious career of the California kid
Olave came to Ohio State under the radar, but immediately began to make a name for himself as a player who was standing out in Fall Camp. Olave was the sixth player to lose his black stripe on campus, he was also the lowest-ranked recruit and second offensive player to shed the stripe in the 2018 class. After that came the history we were all familiar with, as a legend was born.
To begin the 2018 season, Olave found the field sparingly mostly in mop up duty, but in all the pressers he was routinely mentioned as the player on offense from the 2018 class standing out. This all culminated into one of the best ends to a freshman season of all time. Olave recorded two catches against Michigan for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns opened the scoring for the Buckeyes in a 62-39 route over the Wolverines. He also blocked a punt that led to another score, highlighting his versatility.
He followed up that iconic debut performance with five catches and a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship game against Northwestern. The reputations for a big game player was born, and this was the first step in Olave’s legend — his first step in becoming a Buckeye hero. This was continued the following year when the kid from California truly broke out.
Olave entered his sophomore year with high expectations; not the regular expectations you’d expect from a three-star recruit. After his coming out party against that Team Up North and in the Big Ten Championship game, Olave was expected to lead the way in the explosive aspect of the offense.
That is exactly what he did, averaging 17.5 yards per catch on 48 catches, Olave led the Buckeyes in yards with 840 and receiving touchdowns with 12. Olave had the same success in big moments, and was leading the way for the Buckeyes again as they approached the college football playoff. Despite scoring in 10 out of 14 games, Olave’s sophomore year will be remembered for him turning the wrong way against Clemson.
Olave did not let this hold him back, and in a battle of resiliency through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Californian showed why he transcended his recruiting ranking. As an unquestioned leader on the offensive side of the ball, Olave scored in five out of seven games, going for over 100 yards in five games as well. He exalted his revenge against Clemson, scoring two touchdowns and the dagger to put the Tigers to bed.
This was not his end though, and this is where he went from a hero to an all-time legend in the eyes of the Buckeye faithful. Looking at his career, there was not a smoother or more consistent wide receiver that comes to mind in recent memory.
Why he is a Buckeye hero like no other
When it comes to recruiting rankings, players meet expectations to those numbers at quite a high clip. In those rare instances where a player completely transcends his initial ranking, it winds up in a place of folklore among fans. This is exactly how Chris Olave’s career played out.
From an unlikely beginning at Ohio State given his bizarre recruiting path to Columbus, came an unlikely program centerpiece. From the catches against Michigan to start his career, the dagger against Clemson, and many other moments sprinkled in between, a legend was truly born.
What makes him a true Buckeye Hero — and this is not something to hold all players to — he chose to come back for his senior season in hopes of winning a national championship. Foregoing the draft was a risky decision. He was a projected first round pick, but that projection was not a guarantee. So he opted to return, he provided a safety net for C.J. Stroud in year one and set the tone for the rest of the receivers in the room young and old.
That quiet leadership brought out the best in Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and set the standard for the young guys following him. If not for the level and development of Olave, there might not be a Marvin Harrison Jr., there might not be Emeka Egbuka, and there might not be the next recruits in line trying to make their name at Ohio State.
Olave brought a quiet swagger to Ohio State. His legacy lives on through the no nonsense approach to approving every day. He truly embodied every aspect of what it took to become an all-time great receiver at Ohio State. This resulted in him getting drafted in the first round, and the Buckeyes setting the standard for having the best damn receivers in the land.
Of all the Buckeye heroes, Olave may be a little unheralded due to the recency of his career, but as his record setting legacy lives on, he outshined his recruiting ranking. When it was all said and done at Ohio State, the kid from San Marcos, Calif. truly embodied what it meant to be a Buckeye.
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeye Heroes: The Golden Age of Linebackers
- News
- 0 Replies
Buckeye Heroes: The Golden Age of Linebackers
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
For a decade Ohio State was linebacker university with three all-world linebackers patrolling the sidelines.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
From 2003-2013 Ohio State had three of the best linebackers in program history roaming the sidelines for the Silver Bullets. AJ Hawk commanded the middle of the defense from 2003-2005, and was immediately followed by James Laurinaitis from 2006-2008. In 2012 Ryan Shazier burst into the scenes, leading the Silver Bullets from 2012-2013.
Together in eight seasons as starting linebackers for the Buckeyes, they combined for 992 tackles, 102 tackles for loss, 36.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 15 interceptions. For a decade the Silver Bullets had a game-changing linebacker rewriting the history books.
Hawk, according to Laurinitis, is on the Ohio State linebacking Mount Rushmore. Hawk led the Silver Bullets from 2003-2005 as a dominant force who struck fear in his opponents. Hawk finished his career with 394 tackles — the most by any linebacker after 1992.
When you look at the Ohio State defensive record books, you’ll notice that most of the record holders played in the 70s and 80s. The 2000s were the beginning of the end for offenses who relied on multiple tight ends and a bevy of running backs. Since 2000, every year the passing game has become more and more valuable, and yet Hawk was able to replicate some of the dominance from the 70s, solidifying himself as the best linebacker of the last 23 years.
Hawk is 2x All-American and 3x All Big Ten. In 2005 he won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Lombardi Award and the Jack Lambert Trophy. In 2005 Hawk totaled 141 tackles which are tied for 14th all-time with “Pepper” Johnson and Tom Consineau. There are 16 players listed in the Ohio State record book, due to ties, and Hawk’s 141 are the 2nd highest total by anyone who played after the 80s.
Despite all the great linebackers in Ohio State history, there have only been two players who have totaled more than 140 tackles in a season between 1987 when Chris Spielman had 156 tackles, following the 1986 season when he has 205.
Hawk was taken with the fifth pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, it’s unimaginable for a team to take a linebacker that high in the NFL Draft anymore. Hawk spent 11 seasons in the NFL, nine with the Green Bay Packers. He has over 900 career tackles in the NFL and helped Green Bay win Super Bowl XLV.
Hawk currently is a member of the Pat McAfee Show, and he is well known through the sports world for leading the Green Bay defense. While not a major contributor, Hawk was also on the 2002 National Championship Team. AJ Hawk is one of the greatest linebackers in Ohio State history.
James Laurinatis, or Coach Laurinatis, as he decided to grab a whistle and join the coaching staff, is a future College Football Hall of Famer. If the College Football Hall of Fame weren’t a joke, he would probably already be in, but no one really knows the criteria or the voting process for the Hall. Laurinaitis finished his Ohio State with 375 tackles, or an average of 125 per year for his three seasons as the starting middle linebacker.
He left Columbus for the NFL Draft as one of the most decorated players in Ohio State history. He finished his career a 3x Consensus All-American, 3x First Team All Big Ten, and 2x Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In all three seasons as a starter, he won postseason awards, winning the Bronko Nargurski Trophy in 2006, Butkus Award in 2007, and the Lott Trophy in 2007.
Laurinaitis was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft, spending eight seasons in the NFL and racking up over 800 career tackles. Laurinaitis was a tackling machine, with him in your starting lineup you were guaranteed a middle linebacker who opponents would have to game plan for. He was an annual 100+ tackles per year and a leader of the defense.
Laurinaitis was the quintessential linebacker, now he’s tasked with reviving a stagnant linebacker room which had been a weakness for the past couple of seasons until 2022. Laurinaitis returned at the perfect time, as he gets the chance to coach Tommy Eichenberg, a throwback middle linebacker who reminds me of his coach.
Shazier was the last in a line of dominant linebackers. It’s a tough act to follow legends like Hawk and Laurinits, who made 100 tackle seasons seem regular. In the three seasons between Laurinitis leaving and Shazier taking the reigns, Ross Homan had 108 tackles, but in 2010 and 2011 the leader tackler only had 76 and 75 tackles respectively.
In 2012, Shazier took over the reins. In his first season as a starter, he totaled 115 tackles. In 2013, he became the second linebacker since Chris Speilman in the 1980s to have over 140 tackles in a season. Shazier finished 2012 with 143 tackles, which is tied for the 12th-highest season in Ohio State history. That season solidified Shazier as a Buckeye legend, as he had 101 solo tackles which are the 3rd most solo tackles in a season. He’s also tied with Tom Cousineau for 1st place with 16 solo tackles in a game.
Shazier is 14th all-time with 315 total tackles in his career. He is a 2x All-American, 2x All Big Ten, and was named on the 2nd team Big Ten All-Decade team. Shazier was drafted with the 15th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft and was an instant contributor for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was voted to the 2016 and 2017 Pro Bowl teams before his career was cut short due to a catastrophic injury that left him paralyzed in 2017. He finished his NFL career with 299 tackles, and is one of the biggest what-ifs in the NFL as he was entering his prime and becoming the dominant linebacker he showed at Ohio State.
Shazier is walking now, and although he will never play football again, he is a major inspiration for players and fans. Shazier ended one of the most dominant decades in modern-day Ohio State History. We may never see a run of talented linebackers as we saw from 2003-2013 in AJ Hawk, James Laurinaitis, and Ryan Shazier.
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
For a decade Ohio State was linebacker university with three all-world linebackers patrolling the sidelines.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
From 2003-2013 Ohio State had three of the best linebackers in program history roaming the sidelines for the Silver Bullets. AJ Hawk commanded the middle of the defense from 2003-2005, and was immediately followed by James Laurinaitis from 2006-2008. In 2012 Ryan Shazier burst into the scenes, leading the Silver Bullets from 2012-2013.
Together in eight seasons as starting linebackers for the Buckeyes, they combined for 992 tackles, 102 tackles for loss, 36.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 15 interceptions. For a decade the Silver Bullets had a game-changing linebacker rewriting the history books.
AJ Hawk
Hawk, according to Laurinitis, is on the Ohio State linebacking Mount Rushmore. Hawk led the Silver Bullets from 2003-2005 as a dominant force who struck fear in his opponents. Hawk finished his career with 394 tackles — the most by any linebacker after 1992.
When you look at the Ohio State defensive record books, you’ll notice that most of the record holders played in the 70s and 80s. The 2000s were the beginning of the end for offenses who relied on multiple tight ends and a bevy of running backs. Since 2000, every year the passing game has become more and more valuable, and yet Hawk was able to replicate some of the dominance from the 70s, solidifying himself as the best linebacker of the last 23 years.
Hawk is 2x All-American and 3x All Big Ten. In 2005 he won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Lombardi Award and the Jack Lambert Trophy. In 2005 Hawk totaled 141 tackles which are tied for 14th all-time with “Pepper” Johnson and Tom Consineau. There are 16 players listed in the Ohio State record book, due to ties, and Hawk’s 141 are the 2nd highest total by anyone who played after the 80s.
Despite all the great linebackers in Ohio State history, there have only been two players who have totaled more than 140 tackles in a season between 1987 when Chris Spielman had 156 tackles, following the 1986 season when he has 205.
Hawk was taken with the fifth pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, it’s unimaginable for a team to take a linebacker that high in the NFL Draft anymore. Hawk spent 11 seasons in the NFL, nine with the Green Bay Packers. He has over 900 career tackles in the NFL and helped Green Bay win Super Bowl XLV.
Hawk currently is a member of the Pat McAfee Show, and he is well known through the sports world for leading the Green Bay defense. While not a major contributor, Hawk was also on the 2002 National Championship Team. AJ Hawk is one of the greatest linebackers in Ohio State history.
James Laurinaitis
James Laurinatis, or Coach Laurinatis, as he decided to grab a whistle and join the coaching staff, is a future College Football Hall of Famer. If the College Football Hall of Fame weren’t a joke, he would probably already be in, but no one really knows the criteria or the voting process for the Hall. Laurinaitis finished his Ohio State with 375 tackles, or an average of 125 per year for his three seasons as the starting middle linebacker.
He left Columbus for the NFL Draft as one of the most decorated players in Ohio State history. He finished his career a 3x Consensus All-American, 3x First Team All Big Ten, and 2x Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In all three seasons as a starter, he won postseason awards, winning the Bronko Nargurski Trophy in 2006, Butkus Award in 2007, and the Lott Trophy in 2007.
Laurinaitis was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft, spending eight seasons in the NFL and racking up over 800 career tackles. Laurinaitis was a tackling machine, with him in your starting lineup you were guaranteed a middle linebacker who opponents would have to game plan for. He was an annual 100+ tackles per year and a leader of the defense.
Laurinaitis was the quintessential linebacker, now he’s tasked with reviving a stagnant linebacker room which had been a weakness for the past couple of seasons until 2022. Laurinaitis returned at the perfect time, as he gets the chance to coach Tommy Eichenberg, a throwback middle linebacker who reminds me of his coach.
Ryan Shazier
Shazier was the last in a line of dominant linebackers. It’s a tough act to follow legends like Hawk and Laurinits, who made 100 tackle seasons seem regular. In the three seasons between Laurinitis leaving and Shazier taking the reigns, Ross Homan had 108 tackles, but in 2010 and 2011 the leader tackler only had 76 and 75 tackles respectively.
In 2012, Shazier took over the reins. In his first season as a starter, he totaled 115 tackles. In 2013, he became the second linebacker since Chris Speilman in the 1980s to have over 140 tackles in a season. Shazier finished 2012 with 143 tackles, which is tied for the 12th-highest season in Ohio State history. That season solidified Shazier as a Buckeye legend, as he had 101 solo tackles which are the 3rd most solo tackles in a season. He’s also tied with Tom Cousineau for 1st place with 16 solo tackles in a game.
Shazier is 14th all-time with 315 total tackles in his career. He is a 2x All-American, 2x All Big Ten, and was named on the 2nd team Big Ten All-Decade team. Shazier was drafted with the 15th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft and was an instant contributor for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was voted to the 2016 and 2017 Pro Bowl teams before his career was cut short due to a catastrophic injury that left him paralyzed in 2017. He finished his NFL career with 299 tackles, and is one of the biggest what-ifs in the NFL as he was entering his prime and becoming the dominant linebacker he showed at Ohio State.
Shazier is walking now, and although he will never play football again, he is a major inspiration for players and fans. Shazier ended one of the most dominant decades in modern-day Ohio State History. We may never see a run of talented linebackers as we saw from 2003-2013 in AJ Hawk, James Laurinaitis, and Ryan Shazier.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State looking to have BOOMing July after hot start
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Ohio State looking to have BOOMing July after hot start
Dan Hessler 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
Ohio State saw a four-star DE commit elsewhere Monday, but the Buckeyes are hoping for fireworks from elsewhere in July.
Ohio State may not be playing host to dozens of recruits a week, but July will not see a slowdown in the Buckeyes making the recruiting headlines. Ohio State made multiple headlines heading into the 4th, and the Buckeyes could see a BOOMing July.
Coming off the heals of the Buckeyes shocking the recruiting landscape when five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott committed to Ohio State on Sunday, many believed entering Monday Ohio State would bring in another blue-chip defensive lineman.
This time, it was supposed to be 2024 four-star defensive end Marquise Lightfoot (Chicago, IL / Kenwood Academy). However, when Lightfoot announced his commitment Monday evening, it was Miami that won his services instead of the Buckeyes.
Leading into Monday, Ohio State was believed to be the favorite. But with just hours remaining in his recruitment, rumblings and then predictions for Miami began floating around the internet. When the dust settled, it was in fact the Hurricanes that Lightfoot chose to continue his football career with.
The loss certainly stings for the Buckeyes, but perhaps it coming immediately following Scott’s commitment, the sting is somewhat less than it would’ve been just hours ago. That is especially true with Ohio State trending for another five-star player at the position, but more on that later.
Additionally, the Buckeyes are preparing for what could be a busy and very successful July. We have discussed this last week how July would bring in commitments from those recruits that took official and unofficial visits in June and on Monday, those thoughts became true as multiple Buckeye targets also announced commitment dates.
The Buckeyes may have missed out on Lightfoot Monday, but do not expect July to be more of the same. On Monday, multiple elite-level Ohio State targets scheduled commitment dates and narrowed down their list of schools they are considering. The updates were plenty and were kind to the Buckeyes.
Class: 2024
Hometown: Buford, GA / Buford
Size: 6-foot-1, 185 lbs.
Commitment date: Aug. 5
Schools in contention: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State
Ohio State’s chances: 45%
Bolden has long been believed to be a Georgia lean. However, following an official visit to Ohio State in June, the Buckeyes established themselves as legitimate contenders for his services. Before this visit, I would’ve given the Buckeyes a 25% chance to land Bolden — at best — but the visit really has some believing the Buckeyes are now the team to beat.
There is still a month remaining before Bolden has to make a decision, but the Buckeyes certainly have a chance to land the No. 1 safety in 2024, with Georgia still having a slight edge.
Class: 2024
Hometown: Santa Ana, CA / Mater Dei
Size: 6-foot, 180 lbs.
Commitment date: July 9
Schools in contention: Alabama, Ohio State, USC
Ohio State’s chances: 15%
Ohio State was named a finalist for Brown, and if he wants to commit to Ohio State the Buckeyes will certainly take a player of his caliber. But, Ohio State is on the heels of a commitment from Bryce West and is the odds-on favorite to land Aaron Scott. While Scott is still considering Michigan and could easily end up there, the writing on the wall is spelling Ohio State, and it appears much more likely for the Buckeyes to end up with the two top corners out of Ohio and then adding a smaller target to the defensive backfield for depth.
If the Buckeyes feel like Scott is favoring Michigan, they may try to make one last push for Brown, but USC is the likely choice in this one.
Class: 2024
Hometown: Bellflower, CA / St. John Bosco
Size: 6-foot-3, 230 lbs.
Commitment date: July 23
Schools in contention: Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC
Ohio State’s chances: 70%
Villiamu-Asa did not release a final schools list with his commitment date Monday, but the above three schools were the only ones he took official visits to, with Ohio State being the most recent. He also took an unofficial visit to Miami, but things have seemingly slowed down on that front. There are also no crystal ball predictions for Viliamu-Asa submitted as of yet, so the 65 percent is rather high.
That being said, Ohio State has seemingly been the favorites to land the top-10 linebacker since his visit to Columbus, and with his commitment now less than a week away, it would be surprising if he were to choose anyone but the Buckeyes. Notre Dame has done a great job in his recruitment and are also strong contenders for his commitment. If not for his relationship with Notre Dame, the Buckeyes chances would be even greater.
These predictions are not guarantees but Ohio State has to love where it sits. Stewart has not yet announced a commitment date, but one would expect it to be in the coming month or two.
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Ohio State saw a four-star DE commit elsewhere Monday, but the Buckeyes are hoping for fireworks from elsewhere in July.
Ohio State may not be playing host to dozens of recruits a week, but July will not see a slowdown in the Buckeyes making the recruiting headlines. Ohio State made multiple headlines heading into the 4th, and the Buckeyes could see a BOOMing July.
Four-star DE spurns Ohio State
Coming off the heals of the Buckeyes shocking the recruiting landscape when five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott committed to Ohio State on Sunday, many believed entering Monday Ohio State would bring in another blue-chip defensive lineman.
This time, it was supposed to be 2024 four-star defensive end Marquise Lightfoot (Chicago, IL / Kenwood Academy). However, when Lightfoot announced his commitment Monday evening, it was Miami that won his services instead of the Buckeyes.
Leading into Monday, Ohio State was believed to be the favorite. But with just hours remaining in his recruitment, rumblings and then predictions for Miami began floating around the internet. When the dust settled, it was in fact the Hurricanes that Lightfoot chose to continue his football career with.
The loss certainly stings for the Buckeyes, but perhaps it coming immediately following Scott’s commitment, the sting is somewhat less than it would’ve been just hours ago. That is especially true with Ohio State trending for another five-star player at the position, but more on that later.
Additionally, the Buckeyes are preparing for what could be a busy and very successful July. We have discussed this last week how July would bring in commitments from those recruits that took official and unofficial visits in June and on Monday, those thoughts became true as multiple Buckeye targets also announced commitment dates.
Ohio State targets announce commitment dates
The Buckeyes may have missed out on Lightfoot Monday, but do not expect July to be more of the same. On Monday, multiple elite-level Ohio State targets scheduled commitment dates and narrowed down their list of schools they are considering. The updates were plenty and were kind to the Buckeyes.
Five-star safety KJ Bolden
Class: 2024
Hometown: Buford, GA / Buford
Size: 6-foot-1, 185 lbs.
Commitment date: Aug. 5
Schools in contention: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State
Ohio State’s chances: 45%
Bolden has long been believed to be a Georgia lean. However, following an official visit to Ohio State in June, the Buckeyes established themselves as legitimate contenders for his services. Before this visit, I would’ve given the Buckeyes a 25% chance to land Bolden — at best — but the visit really has some believing the Buckeyes are now the team to beat.
There is still a month remaining before Bolden has to make a decision, but the Buckeyes certainly have a chance to land the No. 1 safety in 2024, with Georgia still having a slight edge.
Four-star CB Zabien Brown
Class: 2024
Hometown: Santa Ana, CA / Mater Dei
Size: 6-foot, 180 lbs.
Commitment date: July 9
Schools in contention: Alabama, Ohio State, USC
Ohio State’s chances: 15%
Ohio State was named a finalist for Brown, and if he wants to commit to Ohio State the Buckeyes will certainly take a player of his caliber. But, Ohio State is on the heels of a commitment from Bryce West and is the odds-on favorite to land Aaron Scott. While Scott is still considering Michigan and could easily end up there, the writing on the wall is spelling Ohio State, and it appears much more likely for the Buckeyes to end up with the two top corners out of Ohio and then adding a smaller target to the defensive backfield for depth.
If the Buckeyes feel like Scott is favoring Michigan, they may try to make one last push for Brown, but USC is the likely choice in this one.
Four-star LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Class: 2024
Hometown: Bellflower, CA / St. John Bosco
Size: 6-foot-3, 230 lbs.
Commitment date: July 23
Schools in contention: Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC
Ohio State’s chances: 70%
Villiamu-Asa did not release a final schools list with his commitment date Monday, but the above three schools were the only ones he took official visits to, with Ohio State being the most recent. He also took an unofficial visit to Miami, but things have seemingly slowed down on that front. There are also no crystal ball predictions for Viliamu-Asa submitted as of yet, so the 65 percent is rather high.
That being said, Ohio State has seemingly been the favorites to land the top-10 linebacker since his visit to Columbus, and with his commitment now less than a week away, it would be surprising if he were to choose anyone but the Buckeyes. Notre Dame has done a great job in his recruitment and are also strong contenders for his commitment. If not for his relationship with Notre Dame, the Buckeyes chances would be even greater.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State missed out on Lightfoot Monday, but the Buckeyes have become the perceived leaders for 2024 five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart (Washington, DC / Friendship Collegiate Academy). There had been some rumblings over the weekend that the Buckeyes had left a good impression on Stewart following his June official visit, and on Monday those rumblings transitioned into Crystal Ball predictions.
These predictions are not guarantees but Ohio State has to love where it sits. Stewart has not yet announced a commitment date, but one would expect it to be in the coming month or two.
- Ohio State made the cut for 2025 four-star LB DJ McClary (Jersey City, NJ / Henry Snyder) on Monday. McClary announced a top-eight schools list, and the Buckeyes were among those included. Alongside Ohio State, Rutgers, UCS, Tennessee, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina and Michigan made his top schools.
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