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LGHL Ohio State currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country
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Ohio State currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Following a pair of weekend commitments and a Monday Georgia de-commitment, Ohio State now sits atop the recruiting rankings. The men’s basketball Buckeyes also earn a transfer BOOM!
There may not be a hotter team in the nation than Ohio State when it comes to college football recruiting. Since the turn of the month, the Buckeyes have earned verbal commitments from six of the nation’s top recruits, including a pair that committed this past weekend following the Spring Game.
The Buckeyes now hold 12 commitments in the class, and since April Ohio State has seen five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham, four-star quarterback Air Noland, four-star running back James Peoples, four-star linebacker Payton Pierce, four-star tight end Max LeBlanc, and three-star running back Sam Williams-Dixon all commit to the team.
The weekend additions of both LeBlanc and Williams-Dixon put the Buckeyes at the No. 2 position in the recruiting rankings, trailing only Georgia by 13 points. This didn’t last long though, as the Bulldogs saw five-star tight end Landen Thomas decommit from the team in favor of Florida State. The end result is Ohio State sitting atop the 247Sports’ national rankings and the On3.com recruiting rankings — albeit narrowly.
However, Ohio State will not be able to hold onto the top spot without adding more talent to the class, and the way the current recruits are acting a commitment may not be too far off.
There is no indication who the next commitment could be in the 2024 class, but the Buckeyes have seen their stock increase lately with recruits such as five-star cornerback Charles Lester III, four-star defensive end Booker Pickett Jr., four-star cornerback Corian Gipson and three-star defensive end Darien Mayo. For what it is worth, the Buckeyes are also picking up steam for multiple 2025 recruits as well.
The Ohio State football team is not the only one gaining recruiting momentum, as the men’s basketball Buckeyes are also producing recruiting wins. On Monday, the Buckeyes earned a transfer commitment from former Baylor shooting guard Dale Bonner.
Bonner, who played high school ball for Shaker Heights in Cleveland Ohio, originally played college basketball at the Division II level with Fairmont State. Bonner was unranked coming out of high school and redshirted his freshman year. However, he did not let this adversity get him down.
Instead, Bonner went on to average 17.8 points per game as a redshirt freshman before transferring to Baylor to play at the Division I level. At Baylor, his offensive statistics dropped, as he mainly came off the bench for depth at guard. However, he remained consistent from behind the three-point line and his skill on the defensive side of the ball cannot be argued.
Bonner is not the first transfer the Buckeyes have picked up this offseason, as former Minnesota forward Jamison Battle transferred to Ohio State earlier this month.
Bonner should have one year remaining and it will be interesting to see what kind of a role he can make for himself on a squad that definitely wants to see an improvement upon last season.
For more information on Bonner and what he will be bringing to Ohio State, check out this Twitter thread by Joe Jackson.
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Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Following a pair of weekend commitments and a Monday Georgia de-commitment, Ohio State now sits atop the recruiting rankings. The men’s basketball Buckeyes also earn a transfer BOOM!
There may not be a hotter team in the nation than Ohio State when it comes to college football recruiting. Since the turn of the month, the Buckeyes have earned verbal commitments from six of the nation’s top recruits, including a pair that committed this past weekend following the Spring Game.
The Buckeyes now hold 12 commitments in the class, and since April Ohio State has seen five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham, four-star quarterback Air Noland, four-star running back James Peoples, four-star linebacker Payton Pierce, four-star tight end Max LeBlanc, and three-star running back Sam Williams-Dixon all commit to the team.
The weekend additions of both LeBlanc and Williams-Dixon put the Buckeyes at the No. 2 position in the recruiting rankings, trailing only Georgia by 13 points. This didn’t last long though, as the Bulldogs saw five-star tight end Landen Thomas decommit from the team in favor of Florida State. The end result is Ohio State sitting atop the 247Sports’ national rankings and the On3.com recruiting rankings — albeit narrowly.
However, Ohio State will not be able to hold onto the top spot without adding more talent to the class, and the way the current recruits are acting a commitment may not be too far off.
They don’t even know what we got in store for em bro…
— Devontae Armstrong (@Devontae_440) April 17, 2023
There is no indication who the next commitment could be in the 2024 class, but the Buckeyes have seen their stock increase lately with recruits such as five-star cornerback Charles Lester III, four-star defensive end Booker Pickett Jr., four-star cornerback Corian Gipson and three-star defensive end Darien Mayo. For what it is worth, the Buckeyes are also picking up steam for multiple 2025 recruits as well.
Basketball transfer BOOM!
The Ohio State football team is not the only one gaining recruiting momentum, as the men’s basketball Buckeyes are also producing recruiting wins. On Monday, the Buckeyes earned a transfer commitment from former Baylor shooting guard Dale Bonner.
Bonner, who played high school ball for Shaker Heights in Cleveland Ohio, originally played college basketball at the Division II level with Fairmont State. Bonner was unranked coming out of high school and redshirted his freshman year. However, he did not let this adversity get him down.
Instead, Bonner went on to average 17.8 points per game as a redshirt freshman before transferring to Baylor to play at the Division I level. At Baylor, his offensive statistics dropped, as he mainly came off the bench for depth at guard. However, he remained consistent from behind the three-point line and his skill on the defensive side of the ball cannot be argued.
Bonner is not the first transfer the Buckeyes have picked up this offseason, as former Minnesota forward Jamison Battle transferred to Ohio State earlier this month.
Bonner should have one year remaining and it will be interesting to see what kind of a role he can make for himself on a squad that definitely wants to see an improvement upon last season.
For more information on Bonner and what he will be bringing to Ohio State, check out this Twitter thread by Joe Jackson.
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which young player impressed you the most during Ohio State’s spring game?
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You’re Nuts: Which young player impressed you the most during Ohio State’s spring game?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Many young Bucks got a chance to show their stuff on Saturday.
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: Which young player impressed you the most during Ohio State’s spring game?
Ohio State held its annual spring game Saturday and uh, I think it’s fair to say that this year’s version was a bit of a snoozer — at least if you’re a fan of points and offense, which have typically been the Buckeyes’ calling card(s) under Ryan Day.
But Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage featured a ton of new faces playing pivotal positions, while most proven commodities observed from the sideline, so the end result and general lack of fireworks should not have come as some huge surprise. OSU also kept everything very vanilla and frankly, very boring.
While there were not a ton of explosive plays during this game, fans still got to see a number of explosive playERs. Specifically, Scarlet and Gray stars of the future, many of whom were suiting up in The Shoe for the first time. And those are the guys we decided to write about for this edition of You’re Nuts — the “youngins” or true breakout candidates.
You, the reader, are probably thinking of a few names right now, which puts you in the same company as Gene and I, the writers (of just this piece, nothing special). My former co-host and I wanted to weigh in with our standout freshman or sophomore from Saturday, and it honestly took me more than one viewing of the spring game to narrow it down. Because despite the sometimes-ugly play and rhythm of the game, I feel like a handful of young guys really did show out. But rules is rules. And you know me, Gene... I had to go with a deep cut.
The young gun who really stood out to me is not even likely to play a ton of meaningful minutes this season. Not if last year’s pecking order remains the same. But depth is a necessity, injuries happen, and Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson love to rotate on the defensive line. So step right up, Hero Kanu!
This second year defensive lineman from California was pushing the pile Saturday, and reminded me of Cam Heyward on more than one occasion. Granted, the latter plays outside and is a bit longer than Kanu, but just from a body composition standpoint, they pop off the screen in a similar manner. At 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, Kanu appeared to be in great physical condition and quite literally stood out among the other, shorter interior defenders.
Kanu was credited with five total tackles on Saturday, with two TFL and one sack. Whether he was going against backups or not, he displayed impressive gap penetration and plenty of speed for a player his size. And I don’t want to keep harping on size, but Kanu is just a monster out there, Gene! At least compared to most of his DL brethren. Mike Hall Jr. and Tyleik Williams are both listed at 6-foot-2, 290ish. Ty Hamilton is 6-foot-3, 295. Kanu has them all beat, and for at least one scrimmage, showed the same sort of versatility those other guys have.
When I say versatility, I am referring to the size, skill and movement required to defend against both the run and the pass. And in Kanu’s case, I believe he’s got “it”. I don’t think he will be reduced to a run-stuffer, which tends to happen to 300+ pounders. But my guy was movin’ during the spring game. He displayed legit speed and/or quickness. Certainly more than I thought he had in him.
Which means I am all-in on the concept of what Kanu could theoretically be: a massive space eater with pass-rushing chops. I know it’s early, and I know he (likely) has a ways to go before he even cracks the gameday rotation, but we’re essentially talking first impressions here — first real playing time in The Shoe for many of these guys. And based solely off Saturday’s spring game, Hero Kanu has all the makings of a future stud.
Like Josh said, this year’s Ohio State spring game was certainly nothing special. Of course, it was great to see the Buckeyes back on the football field for the first time since New Year’s Eve, but there really wasn’t a whole bunch to gleam from it. One of the two quarterbacks in contention did not play, the scheme was very basic on both sides, and the two-hand touch aspect of it makes it feel much less like an actual football game than the scrimmage it truly is.
However, that is not to say there is nothing to take away from the game. I still think it was nice to see a bunch of the young guys making plays on both sides of the ball. On defense, I was excited to see a newcomer like Davison Igbinosun out there as well as of course the former five-stars C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles. I expect all three of those guys to make a significant impact for Ohio State this upcoming season, but my biggest takeaway came on the offense.
We pretty much know what the starting offense will look like outside of the offensive line, who will almost certainly need to add a transfer tackle when the portal re-opens. Kyle McCord will likely get the nod at quarterback, the same three starters at wide receiver from last year all return, headlined of course by Marvin Harrison Jr., and a hopefully healthy stable of running backs will include all the familiar faces from last season — including Chip Trayanum, who balled out in the spring game after functioning as the Buckeyes’ lead back against Michigan.
Wide receiver is far and away the toughest room to earn playing time in, with Harrison Jr. leading the group alongside Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Xavier Johnson as the four players who will see the most snaps, and Jayden Ballard certainly in the mix as well. I think this is a pivotal year for the guys from the 2022 recruiting class to make a move or risk being passed up. That stems from what I've heard of and now seen from Carnell Tate.
Tate came to Ohio State as the No. 9 WR prospect in the 2023 class. He was one of the premier players in a stellar recruiting cycle for Brian Hartline that also includes five-star Brandon Inniss (who is not yet on campus), Noah Rogers and Bryson Rodgers. The 6-foot-2 Tate has reportedly been putting on a show during the Buckeyes’ spring practices, and he did so again with three catches for 45 yards — including a long 37-yard TD catch — in the spring game. The aforementioned Rogers had a day as well, with three catches for 64 yards and a long TD of his own.
All this is to say that time is ticking for the receivers from the 2022 cycle. None of the four players at the position among that group are slouches by any means, with Kaleb Brown, Kyion Grayes, Caleb Burton and Kojo Antwi all being four-star prospects and top-150 overall recruits. However, with Tate and Rogers already making a name for themselves and Inniss still to come, they have to make a move on the depth chart soon or risk being passed over entirely — especially with five-stars Jeremiah Smith, who is by all accounts one of the best WR prospects in quiet some time, as well as Mylan Graham coming to town in 2024.
Ohio State will likely need to replace all three starters going into the 2024 season, with Harrison Jr. and Egbuka virtually locks to be first round draft picks and Fleming with a chance to enter that conversation this year. Inniss, Tate and Smith are going to be eyeing those spots, and with the recruiting profiles those three players possess, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them as the three starting receivers for the Buckeyes in a year if the 2022 guys don’t make some sort of significant impact soon.
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Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Many young Bucks got a chance to show their stuff on Saturday.
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: Which young player impressed you the most during Ohio State’s spring game?
Josh’ Take
Ohio State held its annual spring game Saturday and uh, I think it’s fair to say that this year’s version was a bit of a snoozer — at least if you’re a fan of points and offense, which have typically been the Buckeyes’ calling card(s) under Ryan Day.
But Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage featured a ton of new faces playing pivotal positions, while most proven commodities observed from the sideline, so the end result and general lack of fireworks should not have come as some huge surprise. OSU also kept everything very vanilla and frankly, very boring.
While there were not a ton of explosive plays during this game, fans still got to see a number of explosive playERs. Specifically, Scarlet and Gray stars of the future, many of whom were suiting up in The Shoe for the first time. And those are the guys we decided to write about for this edition of You’re Nuts — the “youngins” or true breakout candidates.
You, the reader, are probably thinking of a few names right now, which puts you in the same company as Gene and I, the writers (of just this piece, nothing special). My former co-host and I wanted to weigh in with our standout freshman or sophomore from Saturday, and it honestly took me more than one viewing of the spring game to narrow it down. Because despite the sometimes-ugly play and rhythm of the game, I feel like a handful of young guys really did show out. But rules is rules. And you know me, Gene... I had to go with a deep cut.
The young gun who really stood out to me is not even likely to play a ton of meaningful minutes this season. Not if last year’s pecking order remains the same. But depth is a necessity, injuries happen, and Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson love to rotate on the defensive line. So step right up, Hero Kanu!
This second year defensive lineman from California was pushing the pile Saturday, and reminded me of Cam Heyward on more than one occasion. Granted, the latter plays outside and is a bit longer than Kanu, but just from a body composition standpoint, they pop off the screen in a similar manner. At 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, Kanu appeared to be in great physical condition and quite literally stood out among the other, shorter interior defenders.
Kanu was credited with five total tackles on Saturday, with two TFL and one sack. Whether he was going against backups or not, he displayed impressive gap penetration and plenty of speed for a player his size. And I don’t want to keep harping on size, but Kanu is just a monster out there, Gene! At least compared to most of his DL brethren. Mike Hall Jr. and Tyleik Williams are both listed at 6-foot-2, 290ish. Ty Hamilton is 6-foot-3, 295. Kanu has them all beat, and for at least one scrimmage, showed the same sort of versatility those other guys have.
When I say versatility, I am referring to the size, skill and movement required to defend against both the run and the pass. And in Kanu’s case, I believe he’s got “it”. I don’t think he will be reduced to a run-stuffer, which tends to happen to 300+ pounders. But my guy was movin’ during the spring game. He displayed legit speed and/or quickness. Certainly more than I thought he had in him.
Which means I am all-in on the concept of what Kanu could theoretically be: a massive space eater with pass-rushing chops. I know it’s early, and I know he (likely) has a ways to go before he even cracks the gameday rotation, but we’re essentially talking first impressions here — first real playing time in The Shoe for many of these guys. And based solely off Saturday’s spring game, Hero Kanu has all the makings of a future stud.
Gene’s Take
Like Josh said, this year’s Ohio State spring game was certainly nothing special. Of course, it was great to see the Buckeyes back on the football field for the first time since New Year’s Eve, but there really wasn’t a whole bunch to gleam from it. One of the two quarterbacks in contention did not play, the scheme was very basic on both sides, and the two-hand touch aspect of it makes it feel much less like an actual football game than the scrimmage it truly is.
However, that is not to say there is nothing to take away from the game. I still think it was nice to see a bunch of the young guys making plays on both sides of the ball. On defense, I was excited to see a newcomer like Davison Igbinosun out there as well as of course the former five-stars C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles. I expect all three of those guys to make a significant impact for Ohio State this upcoming season, but my biggest takeaway came on the offense.
We pretty much know what the starting offense will look like outside of the offensive line, who will almost certainly need to add a transfer tackle when the portal re-opens. Kyle McCord will likely get the nod at quarterback, the same three starters at wide receiver from last year all return, headlined of course by Marvin Harrison Jr., and a hopefully healthy stable of running backs will include all the familiar faces from last season — including Chip Trayanum, who balled out in the spring game after functioning as the Buckeyes’ lead back against Michigan.
Wide receiver is far and away the toughest room to earn playing time in, with Harrison Jr. leading the group alongside Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Xavier Johnson as the four players who will see the most snaps, and Jayden Ballard certainly in the mix as well. I think this is a pivotal year for the guys from the 2022 recruiting class to make a move or risk being passed up. That stems from what I've heard of and now seen from Carnell Tate.
Tate came to Ohio State as the No. 9 WR prospect in the 2023 class. He was one of the premier players in a stellar recruiting cycle for Brian Hartline that also includes five-star Brandon Inniss (who is not yet on campus), Noah Rogers and Bryson Rodgers. The 6-foot-2 Tate has reportedly been putting on a show during the Buckeyes’ spring practices, and he did so again with three catches for 45 yards — including a long 37-yard TD catch — in the spring game. The aforementioned Rogers had a day as well, with three catches for 64 yards and a long TD of his own.
All this is to say that time is ticking for the receivers from the 2022 cycle. None of the four players at the position among that group are slouches by any means, with Kaleb Brown, Kyion Grayes, Caleb Burton and Kojo Antwi all being four-star prospects and top-150 overall recruits. However, with Tate and Rogers already making a name for themselves and Inniss still to come, they have to make a move on the depth chart soon or risk being passed over entirely — especially with five-stars Jeremiah Smith, who is by all accounts one of the best WR prospects in quiet some time, as well as Mylan Graham coming to town in 2024.
Ohio State will likely need to replace all three starters going into the 2024 season, with Harrison Jr. and Egbuka virtually locks to be first round draft picks and Fleming with a chance to enter that conversation this year. Inniss, Tate and Smith are going to be eyeing those spots, and with the recruiting profiles those three players possess, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them as the three starting receivers for the Buckeyes in a year if the 2022 guys don’t make some sort of significant impact soon.
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PG Dale Bonner (Official Thread)
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Alumni
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Ohio State Lands Baylor Transfer Guard Dale Bonner
Ohio State lands its second transfer portal prospect of the past two weeks as former Baylor guard Dale Bonner commits to the Buckeyes.
Former Baylor guard Dale Bonner, a Shaker Heights, Ohio, native who averaged 4.7 points per game in 29 appearances with the Bears in 2022-23, announced that he will join the Buckeye roster for his final year of eligibility in 2023-24.
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The 6-foot-2 guard began his college career at Division II Fairmont State in 2018, where he redshirted as a true freshman and spent the subsequent two seasons before transferring to Baylor in 2021-22. Bonner appeared in 60 games for Baylor over the past two years, starting six of them while averaging 3.9 points and 2.1 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.
Bonner had six games with double-digit scoring numbers this past year. A 44.1% shooter from the floor, Bonner knocked down 37.2% of his 3-point attempts in 2022-23 and hit 74.5% of his free throws. Bonner also averaged 1.2 rebounds per game for the Bears this past season.
LGHL Column: Ohio State’s Spring Game offers glimpses of team’s potential, leaves important questions unanswered
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Column: Ohio State’s Spring Game offers glimpses of team’s potential, leaves important questions unanswered
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 Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes still have a long way to go as they head into the summer.
Spring football concluded for the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday after the annual Spring Game went final, with Team Gray (Defense) coming out on top over Team Scarlet (Offense) 40-31. The Buckeyes took a while to get going offensively, and the rhythm they found was later in the day as the defense dominated much of the first half.
In front of a record crowd for an Ohio State Spring Game of 75,422 people in attendance, the Buckeye fans were treated to some explosive plays and a defense flying all over the field. One of the more exciting moments was Chip Trayanum’s touchdown, which got Team Scarlet their first TD of the day. Freshman receiver Carnell Tate also showed he was not your average freshman with his touchdown later in the game.
Despite, the few individual moments of brilliance by offensive players, the defense was dominant for the majority of the day. The defensive line created issues, the linebackers flowed well, and the secondary seemed much more comfortable in Jim Knowles’ scheme in year two.
The question that arises — and one that won’t be answered until the Buckeyes play a real opponent — was the defense dominant because the offensive line was not ready and the inexperienced quarterback play was apparent? There were questions answered, but after the spring, Ohio State is still a long way away from being where it needs to be to compete for a title.
The offensive side of the football should not raise cause for concern despite a pedestrian showing. Junior quarterback Kyle McCord was sharp in his progressions, but overall did not wow spectators with his performance. The injuries to the receivers opened up some opportunities for younger guys who did step up with some huge second half plays, but the overall feel was Ohio State’s offense struggled.
In the first half, they only managed 10 points, and outside of a few big plays never found consistent ability in sustaining drives. It felt like having Miyan Williams playing touch football was disadvantageous to the ones offense, forcing a lot of unmanageable second and third downs. The Buckeyes struggled in pass protection, forcing the quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Tristan Gebbia to get rid of the ball quickly.
Overall, the Buckeyes offense wasn’t what we’ve become accustomed to seeing. There is a long way to go, and a few questions that need to be answered were not, leading to more questions as we head into the summer.
Quarterback battle far from over
The first takeaway is the fact the quarterback battle is far from over. McCord had an opportunity with Devin Brown out with a finger injury to run away with the job in the eyes of the Buckeye faithful. He showed flashes, like the 37-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Tate, and he showed comfort in moving through his progressions to find the correct receiver when given time.
These moments were not enough to lock up the starting spot, and were not even enough to win over a crowd that long presumed he was the front runner. Day in the post game presser aired the same thoughts he’s had the entire spring — there were sparks, but overall the quarterbacks lacked the consistency he is looking for.
The 6th-year senior Gebbia had some nice moments, but definitely looked the part of a back up quarterback. He was apart of arguably the most exciting play of the day to freshman receiver Noah Rogers.
More Chip Trayanum than many expect coming in 2023
Where the quarterbacks didn’t play consistently, Trayanum was a spring game star. Carrying 235 pounds of weight, he out-ran the entire defense for Ohio State’s first touchdown. His explosiveness and comfortability in Ohio State’s stretch and outside zone schemes made him incredibly dangerous. Combining that feel with a rare size and burst, many defenders were making spring business decisions.
Being unable to get a read on Miyan Williams with him being non-contact, he looked healthy, and had a bit of burst at the line of scrimmage. This led to Traynum being the lead back on the day in a relatively direct matchup against Dallan Hayden. Hayden was not bad by any means, but there was just different level of explosiveness from Trayanum.
With that size, speed, and skillset, even with Treveyon Henderson and Williams healthy, it’ll be hard to not get Trayanum his touches.
Freshman receivers will have an impact this year
This will be a short section, but this has been a common talking point on the Buck Off Podcast. The incoming freshman receiver class at Ohio State is built different, which was incredibly evident on Saturday.
The Buckeyes had two true freshman early enrollees score two long touchdowns. The first of the two was a long fade ball to Carnell Tate for 37-yard score. The play was a well run route to create separation and a well placed ball by McCord to give the Buckeyes their first passing touchdown of the day.
The most incredible play of the day though was Noah Rogers taking a slant to the house on this RPO concept. Gebbia is doing a half-field read. Once the linebackers commit to the run, he knows the back side slant has off-man coverage. Rogers catches the ball, breaks a bunch of tackles, and has one of the most memorable spring game touchdowns in recent memory.
If this is any evidence for future production, buy stock in this freshman class of receivers because they will be on the field making these plays against opponents before you know it.
The offensive line is not close
There should be no expectation that the offensive line would be a finished product at this point. The group will have three new starters with two competitions very much still in full swing. Not to mention, Ohio State’s defensive line has the talent to be one of the best units in the country. This was not a recipe for success on Saturday.
The first unit struggled to get consistent push in the run game, especially in short yardage, and the first unit of pass-rushers racked up early points for Team Gray, getting a few sacks. It could have been worse, but the offensive line has a long way to go until they are game ready.
The bright side is for a true sophomore Carson Hinzmann held his own, and left tackle Josh Fryar did not look lost on that side despite playing against two of the more talented, veteran defensive linemen in the country. Justin Frye has decisions to make, and until the Buckeyes play somebody else, it will be hard for us to get a real feel of how good this group can be.
Ryan Day said the defense was vanilla on Saturday and they stayed away from blitzing. A huge reason for that is so they can evaluate the players on individual responsibility in a more clear manner.
The Corners got their hands on a lot of footballs
Denzel Burke had his confidence back. He was locked in early, making multiple plays on the football and giving little room for receivers to breathe. The health of Jordan Hancock was a site to see, and the Buckeyes looked significantly deeper. The addition of Davison Igbinosun has not only created competition in the room, but has brought the best in himself and his fellow corner mates.
Looking at the game as a whole, there were a few big plays the defense would like to have back, but the overall feel of the game was that the corners were much more comfortable in the techniques required to play in Knowles’ defense. The group was also whole and healthy, which gave the Buckeyes a ton of depth — something that wasn’t the case at this time last season.
Defensive line made it hard to evaluate offensive line
The defensive line has so much talent. The names include J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Mike Hall, Ty Hamilton, and Tyliek Williams. This group had their way with the offensive line, making plays at and behind the line of scrimmage. They were responsible for the early points the defense scored on that side.
The older guys took care of business with sacks early. They also showed a consistency in the run game that shows a point of emphasis this offseason was emphasizing the line of scrimmage. After the way last season ended, this group will define 2023’s level of success.
Last year, the defensive line had dominant stretches, but never maintained a dominant level for extended periods of time. With the current level of talent emerging behind the starting four, the step back in upside will be significantly less than in previous years, and the recent work Larry Johnson did on the recruiting trail is starting to rear its head. Jackson is next in line, and if his classmates can develop with him, this defensive line can be scary.
Young linebackers shined, but showed they’re still raw
C.J. Hicks got to start due to the spring injury to Steele Chambers, and Reid Carrico played a ton of snaps. These two young backers probably won’t carve out a consistent role with both Tommy Eichenberg and Chambers likely being healthy in the fall, but they showed that the development process is in the works.
Hicks made some plays in the passing game that flashed his athleticism, even almost coming up with a pick. And after Carrico got run over to start a series, he showed he has sideline to sideline linebacker ability. This group would not be complete without talking about Sonny Styles, who is not a linebacker, but will definitely play in certain packages.
Styles is the ideal player in Knowles’ defense to be utilized in a variety of ways. This group will not be asked to do a lot this year, but showed they have the makeup for future success. Much like the rest of the defense, this was an impressive showing form the group.
Spring is now concluded. The rest of the week will be filled with conversations about what the spring game can tell us about the Buckeyes this fall. Ohio State is now on to the next steps, with a quarterback competition, an offensive line that has a ways to go, a defense that looks to have gotten comfortable in Knowles’ scheme and young group of receivers that will fuel the rest of the Big Ten with future nightmares.
Overall, Ohio State is a college football team who lost a No. 1 overall pick at the quarterback position and multiple first round pick scattered across the rest of the roster. They were never going to be a finished product after 15 practices, but there were enough positives to fully believe that the Buckeyes will get this figured out.
The competitions will drive the remainder of the offseason, but the Buckeyes look like they’re going to take another step forward defensively. If they can answer the offensive line questions and the most deserving quarterback wins the job, this team will have a national championship ceiling.
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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 Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The Buckeyes still have a long way to go as they head into the summer.
Spring football concluded for the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday after the annual Spring Game went final, with Team Gray (Defense) coming out on top over Team Scarlet (Offense) 40-31. The Buckeyes took a while to get going offensively, and the rhythm they found was later in the day as the defense dominated much of the first half.
In front of a record crowd for an Ohio State Spring Game of 75,422 people in attendance, the Buckeye fans were treated to some explosive plays and a defense flying all over the field. One of the more exciting moments was Chip Trayanum’s touchdown, which got Team Scarlet their first TD of the day. Freshman receiver Carnell Tate also showed he was not your average freshman with his touchdown later in the game.
Despite, the few individual moments of brilliance by offensive players, the defense was dominant for the majority of the day. The defensive line created issues, the linebackers flowed well, and the secondary seemed much more comfortable in Jim Knowles’ scheme in year two.
The question that arises — and one that won’t be answered until the Buckeyes play a real opponent — was the defense dominant because the offensive line was not ready and the inexperienced quarterback play was apparent? There were questions answered, but after the spring, Ohio State is still a long way away from being where it needs to be to compete for a title.
Offense
The offensive side of the football should not raise cause for concern despite a pedestrian showing. Junior quarterback Kyle McCord was sharp in his progressions, but overall did not wow spectators with his performance. The injuries to the receivers opened up some opportunities for younger guys who did step up with some huge second half plays, but the overall feel was Ohio State’s offense struggled.
In the first half, they only managed 10 points, and outside of a few big plays never found consistent ability in sustaining drives. It felt like having Miyan Williams playing touch football was disadvantageous to the ones offense, forcing a lot of unmanageable second and third downs. The Buckeyes struggled in pass protection, forcing the quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Tristan Gebbia to get rid of the ball quickly.
Overall, the Buckeyes offense wasn’t what we’ve become accustomed to seeing. There is a long way to go, and a few questions that need to be answered were not, leading to more questions as we head into the summer.
Quarterback battle far from over
The first takeaway is the fact the quarterback battle is far from over. McCord had an opportunity with Devin Brown out with a finger injury to run away with the job in the eyes of the Buckeye faithful. He showed flashes, like the 37-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Tate, and he showed comfort in moving through his progressions to find the correct receiver when given time.
These moments were not enough to lock up the starting spot, and were not even enough to win over a crowd that long presumed he was the front runner. Day in the post game presser aired the same thoughts he’s had the entire spring — there were sparks, but overall the quarterbacks lacked the consistency he is looking for.
The 6th-year senior Gebbia had some nice moments, but definitely looked the part of a back up quarterback. He was apart of arguably the most exciting play of the day to freshman receiver Noah Rogers.
More Chip Trayanum than many expect coming in 2023
Where the quarterbacks didn’t play consistently, Trayanum was a spring game star. Carrying 235 pounds of weight, he out-ran the entire defense for Ohio State’s first touchdown. His explosiveness and comfortability in Ohio State’s stretch and outside zone schemes made him incredibly dangerous. Combining that feel with a rare size and burst, many defenders were making spring business decisions.
Being unable to get a read on Miyan Williams with him being non-contact, he looked healthy, and had a bit of burst at the line of scrimmage. This led to Traynum being the lead back on the day in a relatively direct matchup against Dallan Hayden. Hayden was not bad by any means, but there was just different level of explosiveness from Trayanum.
With that size, speed, and skillset, even with Treveyon Henderson and Williams healthy, it’ll be hard to not get Trayanum his touches.
Freshman receivers will have an impact this year
This will be a short section, but this has been a common talking point on the Buck Off Podcast. The incoming freshman receiver class at Ohio State is built different, which was incredibly evident on Saturday.
The Buckeyes had two true freshman early enrollees score two long touchdowns. The first of the two was a long fade ball to Carnell Tate for 37-yard score. The play was a well run route to create separation and a well placed ball by McCord to give the Buckeyes their first passing touchdown of the day.
The most incredible play of the day though was Noah Rogers taking a slant to the house on this RPO concept. Gebbia is doing a half-field read. Once the linebackers commit to the run, he knows the back side slant has off-man coverage. Rogers catches the ball, breaks a bunch of tackles, and has one of the most memorable spring game touchdowns in recent memory.
If this is any evidence for future production, buy stock in this freshman class of receivers because they will be on the field making these plays against opponents before you know it.
The offensive line is not close
There should be no expectation that the offensive line would be a finished product at this point. The group will have three new starters with two competitions very much still in full swing. Not to mention, Ohio State’s defensive line has the talent to be one of the best units in the country. This was not a recipe for success on Saturday.
The first unit struggled to get consistent push in the run game, especially in short yardage, and the first unit of pass-rushers racked up early points for Team Gray, getting a few sacks. It could have been worse, but the offensive line has a long way to go until they are game ready.
The bright side is for a true sophomore Carson Hinzmann held his own, and left tackle Josh Fryar did not look lost on that side despite playing against two of the more talented, veteran defensive linemen in the country. Justin Frye has decisions to make, and until the Buckeyes play somebody else, it will be hard for us to get a real feel of how good this group can be.
Defense
Ryan Day said the defense was vanilla on Saturday and they stayed away from blitzing. A huge reason for that is so they can evaluate the players on individual responsibility in a more clear manner.
The Corners got their hands on a lot of footballs
Denzel Burke had his confidence back. He was locked in early, making multiple plays on the football and giving little room for receivers to breathe. The health of Jordan Hancock was a site to see, and the Buckeyes looked significantly deeper. The addition of Davison Igbinosun has not only created competition in the room, but has brought the best in himself and his fellow corner mates.
Looking at the game as a whole, there were a few big plays the defense would like to have back, but the overall feel of the game was that the corners were much more comfortable in the techniques required to play in Knowles’ defense. The group was also whole and healthy, which gave the Buckeyes a ton of depth — something that wasn’t the case at this time last season.
Defensive line made it hard to evaluate offensive line
The defensive line has so much talent. The names include J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Mike Hall, Ty Hamilton, and Tyliek Williams. This group had their way with the offensive line, making plays at and behind the line of scrimmage. They were responsible for the early points the defense scored on that side.
The older guys took care of business with sacks early. They also showed a consistency in the run game that shows a point of emphasis this offseason was emphasizing the line of scrimmage. After the way last season ended, this group will define 2023’s level of success.
Last year, the defensive line had dominant stretches, but never maintained a dominant level for extended periods of time. With the current level of talent emerging behind the starting four, the step back in upside will be significantly less than in previous years, and the recent work Larry Johnson did on the recruiting trail is starting to rear its head. Jackson is next in line, and if his classmates can develop with him, this defensive line can be scary.
Young linebackers shined, but showed they’re still raw
C.J. Hicks got to start due to the spring injury to Steele Chambers, and Reid Carrico played a ton of snaps. These two young backers probably won’t carve out a consistent role with both Tommy Eichenberg and Chambers likely being healthy in the fall, but they showed that the development process is in the works.
Hicks made some plays in the passing game that flashed his athleticism, even almost coming up with a pick. And after Carrico got run over to start a series, he showed he has sideline to sideline linebacker ability. This group would not be complete without talking about Sonny Styles, who is not a linebacker, but will definitely play in certain packages.
Styles is the ideal player in Knowles’ defense to be utilized in a variety of ways. This group will not be asked to do a lot this year, but showed they have the makeup for future success. Much like the rest of the defense, this was an impressive showing form the group.
Spring is now concluded. The rest of the week will be filled with conversations about what the spring game can tell us about the Buckeyes this fall. Ohio State is now on to the next steps, with a quarterback competition, an offensive line that has a ways to go, a defense that looks to have gotten comfortable in Knowles’ scheme and young group of receivers that will fuel the rest of the Big Ten with future nightmares.
Overall, Ohio State is a college football team who lost a No. 1 overall pick at the quarterback position and multiple first round pick scattered across the rest of the roster. They were never going to be a finished product after 15 practices, but there were enough positives to fully believe that the Buckeyes will get this figured out.
The competitions will drive the remainder of the offseason, but the Buckeyes look like they’re going to take another step forward defensively. If they can answer the offensive line questions and the most deserving quarterback wins the job, this team will have a national championship ceiling.
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LGHL Head coach Kevin McGuff on 10 years leading Ohio State women’s basketball
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Head coach Kevin McGuff on 10 years leading Ohio State women’s basketball
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Weeks after his deepest Buckeyes postseason run, coach McGuff talks transfer portal, NIL and the future of the Scarlet & Gray
Time, as we know it, lives in cell phones, watches and revolutions around the sun. Its measured in seconds, minutes and up to centuries and millenniums. Outside of the measurable, data-measured version, time is often times stark and hits the hardest looking into the past.
It sends shockwaves the most when looking into the past. When a glance at an old pet or now-teenage child sends you back to the moments from years past. The mundane seconds that tick behind the scenes of life add up quickly.
Milestones like when your child becomes a teenager. Looking at them and your brain rushes back to the day they were born, took their first steps or talked back to you the first time.
On April 16, 2013, the Ohio State women’s basketball team took a moment in time to announce the hiring of then University of Washington head coach Kevin McGuff to lead the Buckeyes’ program.
Coach McGuff admits he’s not the nostalgic type, thinking back on his 10-year anniversary with the Scarlet & Gray. However, he has a good way of measuring his time with the Buckeyes. Back in April 2013, the McGuff family wasn’t celebrating the move to Ohio State. They were a little busy raising a newborn.
“Our youngest son, Leks, was born on April 3, 10 years ago,” said McGuff. “I had a week old and I had to hop on a plane to come out here. Not only a week old but the youngest of six, so I was leaving a whole bunch of people back in Seattle to come start this job.”
Leaving his family in Washington with wife Letitia, whose grace knows no bounds, McGuff arrived in Columbus to begin a trek that’s now at the double-digit mark.
In the decade that followed, Ohio State’s seen the highs of deep tournament runs and the lows of sanctioned seasons. Also, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness, which didn’t exist in 2013, now dominate off-the-court conversation.
Suffice to say a lot’s changed in the past 10 years. Here are coach McGuff’s thoughts on all of it.
Back in 2023, on April 10, the WNBA held its annual draft, bringing the best of college basketball players to the top domestic league in the United States. McGuff was in attendance in New York, watching former Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell wait for her name to be called.
With the first pick of the second round, the sharpshooter from Massillon, Ohio went to the Indiana Fever. Coach McGuff shared the moment across social media, showing support and excitement for the Ohio kid who became the Buckeyes’ first WNBA draft pick since Kelsey Mitchell and Stepahnie Mavunga each went to the Fever in 2018.
Mikesell wasn’t the only player McGuff was supporting that night. It took only three picks for another McGuff-recruited player to hear their name: UConn forward Dorka Juhász. Mikesell and Juhász are perfect representations of the NCAA transfer portal.
On one side of the conversation is Juhász. Coming to the United States from Hungary, McGuff recruited the big who played three seasons in Columbus, leading the team in rebounding and sitting second in scoring when her third season was said and done in 20-21.
McGuff and Juhász alike featured a barrage of questions in Seattle, Washington before the Buckeyes and Huskies battled in the Sweet Sixteen. The Buckeyes coach and UConn graduate senior had brief moments to chat in the weekend. As much as fans of universities go after players who enter into the portal, thinking of it as a perceived slight against the school and its supporters, its a different story behind the scenes.
“She (Juhász) was here three years, she graduated, she did a good job for us. She moved on to a program in Connecticut. It wasn’t very contentious at all,” said McGuff. “I saw her in New York and she gave me a big hug and I was happy for her.”
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Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Dorka Juhász drafted in the 2023 WNBA Draft
On the other side is Mikesell. Unlike Juhász, McGuff recruited Mikesell but couldn’t land the star shooting guard from Jackson High School. Instead, after two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins, and one with the Oregon Ducks, McGuff landed the guard he’d hope to get in 2018.
The results of Mikesell’s arrival in Columbus for the 21-22 season are clear. In two seasons, the Buckeyes won a regular season conference championship in 2022 and made it to the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years.
In that stretch, Mikesell started all 68 games for Ohio State, leading the team with 17.9 points per game across the two seasons. When teammates went down with injury, Mikesell continued the form that made her such a prized recruit five years prior.
“Taylor Mikesell is a great example of, man, she came in and she impacted us in such a positive way,” said McGuff. “And I think we provided a great environment for her to grow and get drafted.”
Even with the transfer portal, and the success of stories like Mikesell and Juhász, McGuff sees the portal as situational. In today’s game, high school recruiting doesn’t go out the window.
The portal’s garnered a lot of attention since it rolled out in 2018, but this season especially put more eyes on its effectiveness with the LSU Tigers. Head coach Kim Mulkey’s side added nine players from the transfer portal on their way to an NCAA Championship, led by the biggest transfer of them all in forward Angel Reese who moved from Maryland to Louisiana.
McGuff credits coach Mulkey for the expert transfer portal work, but also knows that selecting nine athletes was a means to fill holes in her second season leading the Tigers. The focus for the Buckeyes, even with the addition of more talent from the portal, is clear.
“The core of our recruiting will always be high school kids,” said McGuff. “I enjoy the development part of it, to get kids in and have a plan for them to reach their potential and grow and develop in our program.”
The Scarlet & Gray’s proven their acumen with recruiting names like Kelsey Mitchell, Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon but it was recruiting that also led to problems within the Buckeyes program.
In August 2019, former associate coach Patrick Klein resigned from the Buckeyes program. Within his resignation were confessions of breaking recruiting rules by offering to pay for non-scholarship player’s books, loaning money for rental cars and more. That led to vacated victories, a playoff ban and the basketball program on probation with the NCAA.
After the playoff ban ended at the end of the 20-21 season, the Buckeyes won their 21-22 regular season Big Ten title, made it to the Sweet Sixteen, 2023 Big Ten Tournament title game and Elite Eight. That’s good for the best two-year stretch of non-vacated games.
Coach McGuff doesn’t credit himself for changes within the program that turned the ship around. It goes back to the players.
“It’s because the character of the kids we have in the program right now,” said McGuff.
For much of McGuff’s time with the Buckeyes, the focus has been on getting the most talented recruits and build the strongest teams. Ohio State’s still building strong teams but now instead of going constantly for the top tier, its about finding the players that fit the program the best and putting together a group of coaches and support staff who are all on the same page.
“I know I’m really confident and comfortable in how we’re doing things and I think that’s helped attract the right kids,” said McGuff. “And maybe we haven’t gotten certain kids who don’t feel comfortable here, but I also think we’ve got great alignment with the staff.”
That’s what the Scarlet & Gray have right now, building a team of coaches who each help raise the level of the Buckeyes on and off the court.
In the five years before McGuff became head coach of the Washington Huskies, he was taking the Xavier Musketeers deep in the NCAA Tournament. Part of his staff in Cincinnati, Ohio was former Tulsa star Carla Morrow. Following a stint as Director of Basketball Operations, McGuff hired Morrow to the Xavier staff as an assistant coach.
Following three years in the WNBA, as an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky, Morrow returned to coach McGuff’s staff, this time with the Buckeyes.
“It’s one thing for assistant coaches to say ‘I have a great relationship with a player,’” said McGuff. “I always look at it like “can you influence their behavior or can you steer them in the right direction of where we want them to go?’ She does that and I think its really important.”
On top of the trust of building relationships, Morrow is the mind behind game plans for Ohio State. McGuff credits her vast knowledge of the Xs and Os of the game, often getting game plans close to complete before even getting together with McGuff.
That’s only one example. Coach Wes Brooks, who’s an important piece of the Buckeyes’ recruiting, is on the road more than most coaches but also with the team game-in and game-out. “The kids like him, he’s easy to like.”
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Jalen Powell, Wes Brooks and Carla Morrow on the sideline alongside coach McGuff and the Buckeyes
Also, former Arkansas and Florida A&M assistant, now Buckeye assistant coach, Jalen Powell. Someone who’s like a big sister to the team but also brings a strong basketball mind.
Former managers for McGuff, Ryan Murray and Reid Guzdanski, handle pieces of scouting and recruiting and Director of Operations Beth Howe makes sure everything within the team is taken care of. That includes travel and everything that goes along with playing in a Power Five conference.
Lining all the shining recommendations from McGuff are his coach’s ability to build relationships with players. Help players learn the game and grow in all facets of basketball and life. With results like Ohio State’s 73-61 win over the UConn Huskies and 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, some coaches won’t be assistants for long.
“If you’re doing it right and you’re hiring good people, then they’re going to be looked at for head coaching jobs and I look at that certainly as part of my role,” said McGuff. “I think Wes and Carla will both be looked at this year, next year, in the coming years for head coaching jobs and they’re worthy of it.”
The work of the coaching staff, and mission of developing players, also reaches into name, image and likeness, another thing McGuff and the world of NCAA basketball wasn’t working with in 2013.
For the Scarlet & Gray, different players have different levels of participation and success within the NIL space. Individually, players like forward Cotie McMahon are building far-reaching relationships with companies to financially benefit off the hard work they put on the court and in the classroom.
When it comes to the team as a whole, the Buckeyes went a different direction than other teams with their NIL relationship, opting to work with the LandOn A Cure.
Ohio State works with the non-profit that works on funding research and treatment for rare genetic diseases. Named after Landon, a boy with a genetic disorder called TBCD, has had his story in the news, in the sea of signs at ESPN’s College Gameday and across the internet but this basketball season they teamed up with the Ohio State women’s basketball team.
“There’s a lot of pressure at Ohio State to win and win big and that’s why I came here to try to do that and have a program that can compete at a high level,” said McGuff. “But if that’s the only thing we did I think we’d be short changing what we’re capable of accomplishing and I love that our kids embraced the idea of having an impact in the community.”
Landon was honored at halftime this season on Jan. 8, in a second half 17-point comeback by the Buckeyes against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Also, he’s made multiple appearances at Buckeyes practices throughout the season.
All season, Big Ten women’s basketball, and the sport as a whole, saw popularity skyrocket. Teams across the conference saw unprecedented success. In Columbus, Ohio State saw an attendance increase of 2,674 fans per game, the largest increase in all of NCAA women’s basketball.
In the Sweet Sixteen, Ohio State vs. UConn was the most viewed Sweet Sixteen game in tournament history with over 2.4 million people watching the historic Buckeyes win in Seattle.
Each are off court reasons to brag about the state of the program, but what’s happening on the court is matching the added attention. Ohio State’s 19-0 start to the season was the best start for the Scarlet & Gray in team history. For McGuff and the Buckeyes, it’s only the beginning.
“I don’t look too far into the future but I really like where we are and we have some great stuff coming,” said McGuff.
In the Sweet Sixteen, at the NCAA Seattle Regional, coach McGuff joked about trying to match UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s 29-straight Sweet Sixteen, saying “that’s going to be the next coach at Ohio State’s job.”
It wasn’t a sly way of saying McGuff is on his way out of the Scarlet & Gray’s program. Coach McGuff doesn’t get nostalgic for the past and doesn’t look too far ahead. A basketball coach, especially in a highly competitive Big Ten conference, doesn’t have a lot of time for retrospection.
All of that time is spent either finding the next players in high school or the portal, getting that next future head coach in his group of assistant coaches or in-season making sure that the Scarlet & Gray are prepared for the next game on the schedule.
However, in those 10 years, McGuff’s kids are reminders. His oldest daughter, Kilyn, just finished her sophomore season at Belmont University. His second oldest daughter, Keiryn, is about to finish high school at Dublin Coffman High School before heading to Bowling Green to continue her basketball journey. On April 3, the McGuff family celebrated Leks’ 10th birthday.
“It’s really gone very quickly. It’s been a great high: Some extreme highs, some lows, but its been a great ride,” said McGuff. “But seeing my family grow has been the biggest measuring stick.”
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1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Weeks after his deepest Buckeyes postseason run, coach McGuff talks transfer portal, NIL and the future of the Scarlet & Gray
Time, as we know it, lives in cell phones, watches and revolutions around the sun. Its measured in seconds, minutes and up to centuries and millenniums. Outside of the measurable, data-measured version, time is often times stark and hits the hardest looking into the past.
It sends shockwaves the most when looking into the past. When a glance at an old pet or now-teenage child sends you back to the moments from years past. The mundane seconds that tick behind the scenes of life add up quickly.
Milestones like when your child becomes a teenager. Looking at them and your brain rushes back to the day they were born, took their first steps or talked back to you the first time.
On April 16, 2013, the Ohio State women’s basketball team took a moment in time to announce the hiring of then University of Washington head coach Kevin McGuff to lead the Buckeyes’ program.
Coach McGuff admits he’s not the nostalgic type, thinking back on his 10-year anniversary with the Scarlet & Gray. However, he has a good way of measuring his time with the Buckeyes. Back in April 2013, the McGuff family wasn’t celebrating the move to Ohio State. They were a little busy raising a newborn.
“Our youngest son, Leks, was born on April 3, 10 years ago,” said McGuff. “I had a week old and I had to hop on a plane to come out here. Not only a week old but the youngest of six, so I was leaving a whole bunch of people back in Seattle to come start this job.”
Leaving his family in Washington with wife Letitia, whose grace knows no bounds, McGuff arrived in Columbus to begin a trek that’s now at the double-digit mark.
In the decade that followed, Ohio State’s seen the highs of deep tournament runs and the lows of sanctioned seasons. Also, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness, which didn’t exist in 2013, now dominate off-the-court conversation.
Suffice to say a lot’s changed in the past 10 years. Here are coach McGuff’s thoughts on all of it.
McGuff on the Transfer Portal
Back in 2023, on April 10, the WNBA held its annual draft, bringing the best of college basketball players to the top domestic league in the United States. McGuff was in attendance in New York, watching former Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell wait for her name to be called.
With the first pick of the second round, the sharpshooter from Massillon, Ohio went to the Indiana Fever. Coach McGuff shared the moment across social media, showing support and excitement for the Ohio kid who became the Buckeyes’ first WNBA draft pick since Kelsey Mitchell and Stepahnie Mavunga each went to the Fever in 2018.
Mikesell wasn’t the only player McGuff was supporting that night. It took only three picks for another McGuff-recruited player to hear their name: UConn forward Dorka Juhász. Mikesell and Juhász are perfect representations of the NCAA transfer portal.
On one side of the conversation is Juhász. Coming to the United States from Hungary, McGuff recruited the big who played three seasons in Columbus, leading the team in rebounding and sitting second in scoring when her third season was said and done in 20-21.
McGuff and Juhász alike featured a barrage of questions in Seattle, Washington before the Buckeyes and Huskies battled in the Sweet Sixteen. The Buckeyes coach and UConn graduate senior had brief moments to chat in the weekend. As much as fans of universities go after players who enter into the portal, thinking of it as a perceived slight against the school and its supporters, its a different story behind the scenes.
“She (Juhász) was here three years, she graduated, she did a good job for us. She moved on to a program in Connecticut. It wasn’t very contentious at all,” said McGuff. “I saw her in New York and she gave me a big hug and I was happy for her.”
Dorka Juhász drafted in the 2023 WNBA Draft
On the other side is Mikesell. Unlike Juhász, McGuff recruited Mikesell but couldn’t land the star shooting guard from Jackson High School. Instead, after two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins, and one with the Oregon Ducks, McGuff landed the guard he’d hope to get in 2018.
The results of Mikesell’s arrival in Columbus for the 21-22 season are clear. In two seasons, the Buckeyes won a regular season conference championship in 2022 and made it to the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years.
In that stretch, Mikesell started all 68 games for Ohio State, leading the team with 17.9 points per game across the two seasons. When teammates went down with injury, Mikesell continued the form that made her such a prized recruit five years prior.
“Taylor Mikesell is a great example of, man, she came in and she impacted us in such a positive way,” said McGuff. “And I think we provided a great environment for her to grow and get drafted.”
Even with the transfer portal, and the success of stories like Mikesell and Juhász, McGuff sees the portal as situational. In today’s game, high school recruiting doesn’t go out the window.
The portal’s garnered a lot of attention since it rolled out in 2018, but this season especially put more eyes on its effectiveness with the LSU Tigers. Head coach Kim Mulkey’s side added nine players from the transfer portal on their way to an NCAA Championship, led by the biggest transfer of them all in forward Angel Reese who moved from Maryland to Louisiana.
McGuff credits coach Mulkey for the expert transfer portal work, but also knows that selecting nine athletes was a means to fill holes in her second season leading the Tigers. The focus for the Buckeyes, even with the addition of more talent from the portal, is clear.
“The core of our recruiting will always be high school kids,” said McGuff. “I enjoy the development part of it, to get kids in and have a plan for them to reach their potential and grow and develop in our program.”
McGuff on Ohio State’s Post-Sanctions Growth
The Scarlet & Gray’s proven their acumen with recruiting names like Kelsey Mitchell, Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon but it was recruiting that also led to problems within the Buckeyes program.
In August 2019, former associate coach Patrick Klein resigned from the Buckeyes program. Within his resignation were confessions of breaking recruiting rules by offering to pay for non-scholarship player’s books, loaning money for rental cars and more. That led to vacated victories, a playoff ban and the basketball program on probation with the NCAA.
After the playoff ban ended at the end of the 20-21 season, the Buckeyes won their 21-22 regular season Big Ten title, made it to the Sweet Sixteen, 2023 Big Ten Tournament title game and Elite Eight. That’s good for the best two-year stretch of non-vacated games.
Coach McGuff doesn’t credit himself for changes within the program that turned the ship around. It goes back to the players.
“It’s because the character of the kids we have in the program right now,” said McGuff.
For much of McGuff’s time with the Buckeyes, the focus has been on getting the most talented recruits and build the strongest teams. Ohio State’s still building strong teams but now instead of going constantly for the top tier, its about finding the players that fit the program the best and putting together a group of coaches and support staff who are all on the same page.
“I know I’m really confident and comfortable in how we’re doing things and I think that’s helped attract the right kids,” said McGuff. “And maybe we haven’t gotten certain kids who don’t feel comfortable here, but I also think we’ve got great alignment with the staff.”
That’s what the Scarlet & Gray have right now, building a team of coaches who each help raise the level of the Buckeyes on and off the court.
McGuff on Buckeyes’ Coaching Staff
In the five years before McGuff became head coach of the Washington Huskies, he was taking the Xavier Musketeers deep in the NCAA Tournament. Part of his staff in Cincinnati, Ohio was former Tulsa star Carla Morrow. Following a stint as Director of Basketball Operations, McGuff hired Morrow to the Xavier staff as an assistant coach.
Following three years in the WNBA, as an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky, Morrow returned to coach McGuff’s staff, this time with the Buckeyes.
“It’s one thing for assistant coaches to say ‘I have a great relationship with a player,’” said McGuff. “I always look at it like “can you influence their behavior or can you steer them in the right direction of where we want them to go?’ She does that and I think its really important.”
On top of the trust of building relationships, Morrow is the mind behind game plans for Ohio State. McGuff credits her vast knowledge of the Xs and Os of the game, often getting game plans close to complete before even getting together with McGuff.
That’s only one example. Coach Wes Brooks, who’s an important piece of the Buckeyes’ recruiting, is on the road more than most coaches but also with the team game-in and game-out. “The kids like him, he’s easy to like.”
Jalen Powell, Wes Brooks and Carla Morrow on the sideline alongside coach McGuff and the Buckeyes
Also, former Arkansas and Florida A&M assistant, now Buckeye assistant coach, Jalen Powell. Someone who’s like a big sister to the team but also brings a strong basketball mind.
Former managers for McGuff, Ryan Murray and Reid Guzdanski, handle pieces of scouting and recruiting and Director of Operations Beth Howe makes sure everything within the team is taken care of. That includes travel and everything that goes along with playing in a Power Five conference.
Lining all the shining recommendations from McGuff are his coach’s ability to build relationships with players. Help players learn the game and grow in all facets of basketball and life. With results like Ohio State’s 73-61 win over the UConn Huskies and 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, some coaches won’t be assistants for long.
“If you’re doing it right and you’re hiring good people, then they’re going to be looked at for head coaching jobs and I look at that certainly as part of my role,” said McGuff. “I think Wes and Carla will both be looked at this year, next year, in the coming years for head coaching jobs and they’re worthy of it.”
McGuff on the Buckeyes’ NIL Work
The work of the coaching staff, and mission of developing players, also reaches into name, image and likeness, another thing McGuff and the world of NCAA basketball wasn’t working with in 2013.
For the Scarlet & Gray, different players have different levels of participation and success within the NIL space. Individually, players like forward Cotie McMahon are building far-reaching relationships with companies to financially benefit off the hard work they put on the court and in the classroom.
When it comes to the team as a whole, the Buckeyes went a different direction than other teams with their NIL relationship, opting to work with the LandOn A Cure.
Ohio State works with the non-profit that works on funding research and treatment for rare genetic diseases. Named after Landon, a boy with a genetic disorder called TBCD, has had his story in the news, in the sea of signs at ESPN’s College Gameday and across the internet but this basketball season they teamed up with the Ohio State women’s basketball team.
“There’s a lot of pressure at Ohio State to win and win big and that’s why I came here to try to do that and have a program that can compete at a high level,” said McGuff. “But if that’s the only thing we did I think we’d be short changing what we’re capable of accomplishing and I love that our kids embraced the idea of having an impact in the community.”
Landon was honored at halftime this season on Jan. 8, in a second half 17-point comeback by the Buckeyes against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Also, he’s made multiple appearances at Buckeyes practices throughout the season.
McGuff on the Future of Ohio State Basketball
All season, Big Ten women’s basketball, and the sport as a whole, saw popularity skyrocket. Teams across the conference saw unprecedented success. In Columbus, Ohio State saw an attendance increase of 2,674 fans per game, the largest increase in all of NCAA women’s basketball.
In the Sweet Sixteen, Ohio State vs. UConn was the most viewed Sweet Sixteen game in tournament history with over 2.4 million people watching the historic Buckeyes win in Seattle.
Each are off court reasons to brag about the state of the program, but what’s happening on the court is matching the added attention. Ohio State’s 19-0 start to the season was the best start for the Scarlet & Gray in team history. For McGuff and the Buckeyes, it’s only the beginning.
“I don’t look too far into the future but I really like where we are and we have some great stuff coming,” said McGuff.
In the Sweet Sixteen, at the NCAA Seattle Regional, coach McGuff joked about trying to match UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s 29-straight Sweet Sixteen, saying “that’s going to be the next coach at Ohio State’s job.”
It wasn’t a sly way of saying McGuff is on his way out of the Scarlet & Gray’s program. Coach McGuff doesn’t get nostalgic for the past and doesn’t look too far ahead. A basketball coach, especially in a highly competitive Big Ten conference, doesn’t have a lot of time for retrospection.
All of that time is spent either finding the next players in high school or the portal, getting that next future head coach in his group of assistant coaches or in-season making sure that the Scarlet & Gray are prepared for the next game on the schedule.
However, in those 10 years, McGuff’s kids are reminders. His oldest daughter, Kilyn, just finished her sophomore season at Belmont University. His second oldest daughter, Keiryn, is about to finish high school at Dublin Coffman High School before heading to Bowling Green to continue her basketball journey. On April 3, the McGuff family celebrated Leks’ 10th birthday.
“It’s really gone very quickly. It’s been a great high: Some extreme highs, some lows, but its been a great ride,” said McGuff. “But seeing my family grow has been the biggest measuring stick.”
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