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2025 IN TE Brock Schott (Miami, Fl. Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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Class: 2025 (high school)
Position: Tight End
School: Leo (IN) Leo
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 215 lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025 (high school)
Position: Tight End
School: Leo (IN) Leo
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 215 lbs
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LGHL You’re Nuts: After impressive run of transfer additions, what comes next for Ohio State?
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You’re Nuts: After impressive run of transfer additions, what comes next for Ohio State?
Josh Dooley 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
What else must the Buckeyes do to become undisputed national title favorites in 2024?
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.
As if it were not painfully obvious before — painful for fans of other teams, that is — the Ohio State football program further cemented its status as the winner of the 2024 offseason this past weekend, thanks to the addition of three (more) blue-chip prospects, including Freshman All-American and All-SEC safety Caleb Downs.
Formerly of Alabama, Downs joined a crimson-tinted mass exodus that followed Nick Saban’s retirement and was expected by many to land at Georgia. Julian Sayin, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, was also part of said exodus, and transferred to OSU despite the presence of fellow class of ‘24 QB Air Noland. And the third weekend addition – listed in no particular order – was four-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks, a former Washington commit who just so happens to play a position of significant future need for the Buckeyes.
Ho hum, not a bad little weekend of adding impact players in mid-January...
These most recent moves followed a flurry of activity earlier in the month that saw Ryan Day and Ohio State retain the services of several draft-eligible Buckeyes, add the likes of Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins via the transfer portal, and make changes to the coaching staff, including the hiring of Bill O’Brien as the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback(s) coach.
Not every move made by OSU garnered the same level of excitement. However, there is simply no denying that the totality of these moves is or was a big, big, big net positive. I mean, hanging on to nearly all of their draft-eligible players, while also adding supreme talents such as Judkins and Downs and a coach with the resume of O’Brien!? Are you kidding me?
This 2024 offseason might already be the best in program history, and it is only January. Who knows, maybe Saban will change his mind and come to Columbus as an analyst! After all, he did bleed Scarlet and Gray for a brief period in the 1980s.
Jokes aside – unless Mr. Saban is reading this and interested – there are still moves for Ohio State to make, if they choose to do so. There are still holes on both the roster and the coaching staff, even after Day decided to go SICKO MODE as part of his new year’s resolutions.
And that is what Gene and I are discussing today: What else should be done or needs to be done, in order for OSU to roll into the 2024 season as CFB’s unquestioned favorite?
For me, any list of remaining priorities starts and ends with the offensive line. Sure, the Buckeyes added another former Bama player in Seth McLaughlin, but did you see that unit last year? They could use any and all help available. Especially (or maybe specifically?) at right tackle.
Currently, all signs point to Josh Simmons starting at left tackle for Ohio State next season again next to Donovan Jackson, with whom the former has obvious and improved chemistry. So the left side is covered. With McLaughlin set to take over at center, that leaves the entire right side open for competition. And we can argue about whether one position takes priority over another, but for me, tackle is always going to be listed ahead of guard.
Last season it was Josh Fryar who manned the right tackle position, and simply put, his performance or level of play was substandard. After flashing potential in 2022, he seemed to plateau or possibly even regress as the 2023 season went along, and OSU just can’t have a repeat of that in 2024. Which is why Day and Co. should scour the transfer portal for an OT or two, if for no other reason than to create competition.
Other internal candidates to fill the RT position are Tegra Tshebola and Luke Montgomery, however, both are unproven. And while there may be hesitancy within The Woody to add “too many” transfers, this Ohio State program is seemingly all-in on the 2024 season. Meaning there is no reason to stop now. It’s not like we’re talking about Colorado’s method of roster building here, either. The Buckeyes have only added six transfers, one of which is an incoming freshman. So spare me any mercenary talk.
OSU has been hyper aggressive in retaining and adding both players and coaches, now the staff owes it to all within the program to finish the job. Add a RT, let the big boys compete, and may the best man win. The Buckeyes will be even better if or when they do.
Like Josh, I think the only real roster-related question that needs to be answered is focused on the offensive line. As my counterpart laid out, the left side of the line and center are virtually set in stone with Josh Simmons, Donovan Jackson and Seth McLaughlin, from left to right. That leaves two spots still up for grabs at both right tackle and right guard, and while one of last year’s starters at those position returns in Josh Fryar — Matthew Jones being the offensive line’s lone NFL Draft entrant — it remains to be seen whether he will remain atop the depth chart in 2024.
Personally, if Ohio State does not elect to add at least one more offensive lineman via the portal — which to be clear: they should — the Buckeyes do have a number of intriguing options in-house that they could look to that would likely provide improvements over last season.
I think Fryar is a prime candidate to take over at right guard, a position that better suits his skillset than being on the outside. The Indiana native was originally recruited as an interior lineman, and I think you can benefit from his starting experience while also improving his level of play by shifting him inside as a more natural fit at guard. I think Carson Hinzman also stands to compete at guard, with McLaughlin likely taking his job at center, but the former may be too far in the dog house to have a legit chance at significant playing time in 2024.
You also have a guy in Tegra Tshabola who could play either position on the right side. A highly-touted offensive tackle coming out of high school as the No. 6 OT and No. 36 overall player per 247Sports’ rankings, like Fryar I also think Tshabola would be more effective as a guard, leaving someone like Luke Montgomery, a former high four-star recruit in the 2023 class, as your potential answer at tackle. Montgomery is a talented player, but it would be a lot to ask a young, inexperienced lineman to take over as the Buckeyes’ right tackle.
So, while there are options already on the roster, I still think the transfer portal is the best bet for this upcoming season.
All that is to say that since Josh already snagged offensive line as his subject for this edition of You’re Nuts, I'm going to pivot to a less clear problem that needs to be solved before we crown Ohio State the offseason champs. For the Buckeyes to truly cap off a terrific offseason, Ryan Day has to solve the feud between Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson.
One of the pillars of Knowles’ impressive defenses at Oklahoma State was the use of the JACK position, a stand-up edge rusher/linebacker hybrid. Unfortunately, we have yet to see that become of part of his defenses at Ohio State, as Johnson is stuck in his ways and refuses to move away from a four-down front, even though the Buckeyes’ sack numbers over the past few seasons have suffered mightily.
With the players Ohio State has at its disposal going into the 2024 season, it makes more sense than ever for the Silver Bullets to employ the JACK position.
With Caleb Downs’ addition allowing Sonny Styles to move down into the box, it could be a potentially game-changing scheme to have Styles and C.J. Hicks both on the field alternating between linebacker and the JACK. On any given snap, either of the tremendous athletes could be rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage, and the opponent would never known which guy’s assignment was which. With a trio of returning defensive linemen in J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer, Knowles could employ a three-down front with Styles and Hicks at LB/JACK, getting all of your most talented players on the field at once and adding an element of confusion for opposing offenses.
There is no reason why Ryan Day should allow his coaching staff to go into yet another season with opposing ideologies. You brought in Jim Knowles to be the defensive coordinator, and he should be allowed to run whatever he would like on that side of the ball. Johnson is nearing the end of his coaching career, and his unit has underperformed for the last several years. It is time for him to adapt to a changing landscape of college football, and if Knowles wants to mix things up along the defensive line, it should be well within his power to do so without opposition from an antiquated position coach.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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
What else must the Buckeyes do to become undisputed national title favorites in 2024?
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: After impressive run of transfer additions, what comes next for Ohio State?
Josh’s Take
As if it were not painfully obvious before — painful for fans of other teams, that is — the Ohio State football program further cemented its status as the winner of the 2024 offseason this past weekend, thanks to the addition of three (more) blue-chip prospects, including Freshman All-American and All-SEC safety Caleb Downs.
Formerly of Alabama, Downs joined a crimson-tinted mass exodus that followed Nick Saban’s retirement and was expected by many to land at Georgia. Julian Sayin, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, was also part of said exodus, and transferred to OSU despite the presence of fellow class of ‘24 QB Air Noland. And the third weekend addition – listed in no particular order – was four-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks, a former Washington commit who just so happens to play a position of significant future need for the Buckeyes.
Ho hum, not a bad little weekend of adding impact players in mid-January...
These most recent moves followed a flurry of activity earlier in the month that saw Ryan Day and Ohio State retain the services of several draft-eligible Buckeyes, add the likes of Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins via the transfer portal, and make changes to the coaching staff, including the hiring of Bill O’Brien as the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback(s) coach.
Not every move made by OSU garnered the same level of excitement. However, there is simply no denying that the totality of these moves is or was a big, big, big net positive. I mean, hanging on to nearly all of their draft-eligible players, while also adding supreme talents such as Judkins and Downs and a coach with the resume of O’Brien!? Are you kidding me?
This 2024 offseason might already be the best in program history, and it is only January. Who knows, maybe Saban will change his mind and come to Columbus as an analyst! After all, he did bleed Scarlet and Gray for a brief period in the 1980s.
Jokes aside – unless Mr. Saban is reading this and interested – there are still moves for Ohio State to make, if they choose to do so. There are still holes on both the roster and the coaching staff, even after Day decided to go SICKO MODE as part of his new year’s resolutions.
And that is what Gene and I are discussing today: What else should be done or needs to be done, in order for OSU to roll into the 2024 season as CFB’s unquestioned favorite?
For me, any list of remaining priorities starts and ends with the offensive line. Sure, the Buckeyes added another former Bama player in Seth McLaughlin, but did you see that unit last year? They could use any and all help available. Especially (or maybe specifically?) at right tackle.
Currently, all signs point to Josh Simmons starting at left tackle for Ohio State next season again next to Donovan Jackson, with whom the former has obvious and improved chemistry. So the left side is covered. With McLaughlin set to take over at center, that leaves the entire right side open for competition. And we can argue about whether one position takes priority over another, but for me, tackle is always going to be listed ahead of guard.
Last season it was Josh Fryar who manned the right tackle position, and simply put, his performance or level of play was substandard. After flashing potential in 2022, he seemed to plateau or possibly even regress as the 2023 season went along, and OSU just can’t have a repeat of that in 2024. Which is why Day and Co. should scour the transfer portal for an OT or two, if for no other reason than to create competition.
Other internal candidates to fill the RT position are Tegra Tshebola and Luke Montgomery, however, both are unproven. And while there may be hesitancy within The Woody to add “too many” transfers, this Ohio State program is seemingly all-in on the 2024 season. Meaning there is no reason to stop now. It’s not like we’re talking about Colorado’s method of roster building here, either. The Buckeyes have only added six transfers, one of which is an incoming freshman. So spare me any mercenary talk.
OSU has been hyper aggressive in retaining and adding both players and coaches, now the staff owes it to all within the program to finish the job. Add a RT, let the big boys compete, and may the best man win. The Buckeyes will be even better if or when they do.
Gene’s Take
Like Josh, I think the only real roster-related question that needs to be answered is focused on the offensive line. As my counterpart laid out, the left side of the line and center are virtually set in stone with Josh Simmons, Donovan Jackson and Seth McLaughlin, from left to right. That leaves two spots still up for grabs at both right tackle and right guard, and while one of last year’s starters at those position returns in Josh Fryar — Matthew Jones being the offensive line’s lone NFL Draft entrant — it remains to be seen whether he will remain atop the depth chart in 2024.
Personally, if Ohio State does not elect to add at least one more offensive lineman via the portal — which to be clear: they should — the Buckeyes do have a number of intriguing options in-house that they could look to that would likely provide improvements over last season.
I think Fryar is a prime candidate to take over at right guard, a position that better suits his skillset than being on the outside. The Indiana native was originally recruited as an interior lineman, and I think you can benefit from his starting experience while also improving his level of play by shifting him inside as a more natural fit at guard. I think Carson Hinzman also stands to compete at guard, with McLaughlin likely taking his job at center, but the former may be too far in the dog house to have a legit chance at significant playing time in 2024.
You also have a guy in Tegra Tshabola who could play either position on the right side. A highly-touted offensive tackle coming out of high school as the No. 6 OT and No. 36 overall player per 247Sports’ rankings, like Fryar I also think Tshabola would be more effective as a guard, leaving someone like Luke Montgomery, a former high four-star recruit in the 2023 class, as your potential answer at tackle. Montgomery is a talented player, but it would be a lot to ask a young, inexperienced lineman to take over as the Buckeyes’ right tackle.
So, while there are options already on the roster, I still think the transfer portal is the best bet for this upcoming season.
All that is to say that since Josh already snagged offensive line as his subject for this edition of You’re Nuts, I'm going to pivot to a less clear problem that needs to be solved before we crown Ohio State the offseason champs. For the Buckeyes to truly cap off a terrific offseason, Ryan Day has to solve the feud between Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson.
One of the pillars of Knowles’ impressive defenses at Oklahoma State was the use of the JACK position, a stand-up edge rusher/linebacker hybrid. Unfortunately, we have yet to see that become of part of his defenses at Ohio State, as Johnson is stuck in his ways and refuses to move away from a four-down front, even though the Buckeyes’ sack numbers over the past few seasons have suffered mightily.
With the players Ohio State has at its disposal going into the 2024 season, it makes more sense than ever for the Silver Bullets to employ the JACK position.
With Caleb Downs’ addition allowing Sonny Styles to move down into the box, it could be a potentially game-changing scheme to have Styles and C.J. Hicks both on the field alternating between linebacker and the JACK. On any given snap, either of the tremendous athletes could be rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage, and the opponent would never known which guy’s assignment was which. With a trio of returning defensive linemen in J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams and Jack Sawyer, Knowles could employ a three-down front with Styles and Hicks at LB/JACK, getting all of your most talented players on the field at once and adding an element of confusion for opposing offenses.
There is no reason why Ryan Day should allow his coaching staff to go into yet another season with opposing ideologies. You brought in Jim Knowles to be the defensive coordinator, and he should be allowed to run whatever he would like on that side of the ball. Johnson is nearing the end of his coaching career, and his unit has underperformed for the last several years. It is time for him to adapt to a changing landscape of college football, and if Knowles wants to mix things up along the defensive line, it should be well within his power to do so without opposition from an antiquated position coach.
Continue reading...
Ohio State at Nebraska, Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 7 PM ET, Peacock
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Basketball
- 75 Replies
Buckeyes Head to Nebraska for First of Two Road Games This Week - Ohio State
Ohio State at Nebraska
Buckeyes Head to Nebraska for First of Two Road Games This Week
Ohio State at NebraskaDate: January 23, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Neb.
Watch: Peacock....
Ohio State hits the road this week for a pair of games in what is turning out to be two of the tougher road venues in the conference. First up is a trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska on Tues-day night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. Jac Collingsworth and Stephen Bardo will call the action.
- The Buckeyes are 20-6 all-time against Nebraska and 16-4 since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference prior to the 2011-12 season. Two of Nebraska's six wins have come in the last two meetings but the Buckeyes have won five of the last six games in Lincoln.
- In last year's lone meeting, Sean McNeil's three-pointer at the buzzer rattled out and Nebraska held on for a 63-60 victory in Lincoln on Jan. 18. Brice Sensabaugh had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
- Ohio State snapped its three-game losing skid with a 79-67 wire-to-wire victory over Penn State last Saturday. The Buckeyes scored the first 16 points of the game and the Nittany Lions didn't get the deficit into singles digits until the waning moments of the contest. Penn State transfer Evan Mahaffey scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting the lead the Buckeyes. Felix Okpara scored eight points and grabbed 14 rebounds to go along with three blocks.
- The Buckeyes are 12-1 this season when hitting the 70-point mark and 8-0 when holding their opponent to fewer than 70 points.
- The Buckeyes have taken care of the basketball as of late. They have notched their two lowest turnover games each of the last two games, committing a season-low four turnovers at Michigan on Jan. 15 and just six vs. Penn State on Jan. 20. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in turnovers forced and averaged nearly 16 opponent turnovers per game over its previous four games leading into Saturday.
- Roddy Gayle Jr. matched Mahaffey with 16 points in the win over Penn State. He's struggled from deep recently, missing his last 15 three-point attempts. But he has made 16 of his last 17 free throws. Turnovers have also been an issue for him this season and he has had just one in each of the last two games and his 5-assist to 1-turnover game vs. Penn State was just his second Big Ten game this season with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Devin Royal has made the most of his time off the bench in the last two games. In those games, he has combined to score 15 points in 12:16 of action on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-of-3 from the line.
- Nebraska knocked-off No. 1 Purdue at home on Jan. 9 and then dropped a pair of road games before rebounding with a solid 75-69 victory over Northwestern on Saturday. Four Cornhuskers average in double figures, led by Keisei Tominaga at 14.5 ppg. He is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc this season.
Ohio State vs. Nebraska Predictions, College Basketball BetMGM Promo Codes, & Picks - January 23
Predictions for the Ohio State vs. Nebraska game with odds and picks on the spread and total.
www.fox19.com
Ohio State vs. Nebraska Predictions & Picks
Tuesday's contest features the Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) clashing at Pinnacle Bank Arena in what should be a close matchup, with a projected 74-72 win for Nebraska according to our computer prediction. Game time is at 7:00 PM ET on January 23.Ohio State vs. Nebraska Score Prediction
- Prediction: Nebraska 74, Ohio State 72
Spread & Total Prediction for Ohio State vs. Nebraska
- Computer Predicted Spread: Nebraska (-2.1)
- Computer Predicted Total: 145.7
LGHL Cotie McMahon wins Naismith Player of the Week
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Cotie McMahon wins Naismith Player of the Week
ThomasCostello 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
The Buckeyes’ huge game Sunday marks the first time the award’s gone to the scarlet and gray since 2017
Ohio State women’s basketball grabbed the basketball world’s attention Sunday, defeating the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in front of a record-breaking 18,860 in the Schottenstein Center. Rising to the occasion for the Buckeyes was forward Cotie McMahon, who was awarded for her achievements on the week Monday by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. McMahon is the first Ohio State player since Kelsey Mitchell in 2017 to win the honor.
McMahon had a career day against the Hawkeyes, scoring 33 points, a new career high, and grabbing 12 rebounds and two blocks. The stat sheet is impressive, but when the points came in set them apart.
“We just did not have an answer for Cotie McMahon inside,” said Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder. “She’s really really hard to guard. She’s a great basketball player.”
With the Buckeyes down 12 points in the fourth quarter, McMahon led the Buckeyes in the comeback, scoring 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter. All coming inside the paint, earning additional shots from the free throw line. McMahon went 3-for-4 on those bonus opportunities after entering Sunday shooting 60.8% from the free throw line.
It's a performance reflective of a sophomore rising above already high expectations set in her freshman season. Especially considering a lull for the forward at the end of the 2023 calendar year, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in the final three games of December, starting with seven points in a home defeat to then No. 2 ranked UCLA Bruins.
“Going back to prior to Christmas, she wasn’t playing really well,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She has practiced extremely hard and extremely well every single day since we came out of the Christmas break. And so I’m really happy to see her be able to apply that to the game today.”
The Buckeye was back in a big way, combining that hard work with the motivation of Ohio State struggling against the Hawkeyes twice during the 22-23 season. However, it isn’t only Sunday’s performance that set McMahon apart from her NCAA peers.
On Wednesday, in a tough away trip to the Maryland Terrapins, a place where the Buckeyes haven’t since since 2016, McMahon willed the Buckeyes to a victory with a strong fourth quarter performance.
McMahon applied herself off the ball. Still scoring seven points, McMahon also grabbed three offensive rebounds, had a block and assist.
“I didn’t want to lose this game,” said McMahon after the victory.
Both performances indicative of a McMahon who’s focused and growing individually as the Ohio State team grows in confidence this season. McMahon’s 33 points were a team high for the Buckeyes in Sunday’s win, capping off a five-game winning streak for the scarlet and gray.
Along with McMahon’s individual award, the Buckeyes moved up to No. 12 in the AP Poll. The six-spot jump is the largest in the week.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes’ huge game Sunday marks the first time the award’s gone to the scarlet and gray since 2017
Ohio State women’s basketball grabbed the basketball world’s attention Sunday, defeating the then No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in front of a record-breaking 18,860 in the Schottenstein Center. Rising to the occasion for the Buckeyes was forward Cotie McMahon, who was awarded for her achievements on the week Monday by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. McMahon is the first Ohio State player since Kelsey Mitchell in 2017 to win the honor.
McMahon had a career day against the Hawkeyes, scoring 33 points, a new career high, and grabbing 12 rebounds and two blocks. The stat sheet is impressive, but when the points came in set them apart.
“We just did not have an answer for Cotie McMahon inside,” said Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder. “She’s really really hard to guard. She’s a great basketball player.”
With the Buckeyes down 12 points in the fourth quarter, McMahon led the Buckeyes in the comeback, scoring 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter. All coming inside the paint, earning additional shots from the free throw line. McMahon went 3-for-4 on those bonus opportunities after entering Sunday shooting 60.8% from the free throw line.
It's a performance reflective of a sophomore rising above already high expectations set in her freshman season. Especially considering a lull for the forward at the end of the 2023 calendar year, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in the final three games of December, starting with seven points in a home defeat to then No. 2 ranked UCLA Bruins.
“Going back to prior to Christmas, she wasn’t playing really well,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “She has practiced extremely hard and extremely well every single day since we came out of the Christmas break. And so I’m really happy to see her be able to apply that to the game today.”
The Buckeye was back in a big way, combining that hard work with the motivation of Ohio State struggling against the Hawkeyes twice during the 22-23 season. However, it isn’t only Sunday’s performance that set McMahon apart from her NCAA peers.
On Wednesday, in a tough away trip to the Maryland Terrapins, a place where the Buckeyes haven’t since since 2016, McMahon willed the Buckeyes to a victory with a strong fourth quarter performance.
McMahon applied herself off the ball. Still scoring seven points, McMahon also grabbed three offensive rebounds, had a block and assist.
“I didn’t want to lose this game,” said McMahon after the victory.
Both performances indicative of a McMahon who’s focused and growing individually as the Ohio State team grows in confidence this season. McMahon’s 33 points were a team high for the Buckeyes in Sunday’s win, capping off a five-game winning streak for the scarlet and gray.
Along with McMahon’s individual award, the Buckeyes moved up to No. 12 in the AP Poll. The six-spot jump is the largest in the week.
Continue reading...
LGHL Dominic Kirks, Julian Sayin commit to Ohio State, Buckeyes host Junior Day
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Dominic Kirks, Julian Sayin commit to Ohio State, Buckeyes host Junior Day
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Five-star 2024 QB Julian Sayin | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
It was another BOOOOOMing weekend for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s momentum in 2024 kept on trucking over the weekend, as news for the Buckeyes seemingly gets better and better with each passing day. With the dust not even settled from the tremendous addition of star safety Caleb Downs via the transfer portal on Friday, Ryan Day’s program added another pair of big time players in just the last 48 hours.
That doesn’t even include what looked to be a very successful Junior Day for Ohio State, with many of the nation’s top prospects in the next two cycles making the trek to Columbus for the recruiting event. But more on that later...
On Saturday, the Buckeyes managed to add one more name late in the game to their 2024 recruiting class, flipping four-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks from Washington.
Kirks, a native of Plainesville, Ohio, did not sign his NLI with the Huskies during the Early Signing Period. Despite not having an Ohio State offer in hand until Jan. 14, rumors began circling even before Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama job that Kirks was interested in the Buckeyes. Once DeBoer left, Kirks announced his de-commitment from Washington, and after earning that elusive offer on a visit to Columbus last weekend, it wasn’t long before the 6-foot-4 lineman officially made his commitment to Ohio State.
Hailing out of Riverside High School, Kirks is listed as the No. 12 player in Ohio and the No. 251 prospect nationally, per the 247Sports Composite. His addition is a huge one for Larry Johnson’s group, as the Buckeyes only had two other defensive line commits in the cycle in five-star Eddrick Houston and three-star Eric Mensah. Ohio State will still need to bring in a large class at the position in 2025, but Kirks will feature as a super important piece moving forward in a room that will lose likely all four starters after the 2024 season.
Elsewhere, Ohio State made another huge splash in the transfer portal on Sunday — again as the beneficiary of Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama — when 2024 five-star quarterback Julian Sayin announced he is taking his talents to Columbus.
The No. 1 QB and No. 5 overall player in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Sayin signed with the Crimson Tide in December and enrolled in early January, but like many others decided to jump ship with Saban no longer at the helm. Having held Ohio State in high regard during his initial recruitment and with there being a prior relationship to new Buckeyes offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien from when the latter was also at Alabama, everything lined up perfectly for Ryan Day to add Sayin to a now loaded quarterbacks room.
The MVP of last year’s Elite 11 Finals, Sayin was named the Gatorade California Football Player of the Year in 2023 after completing just under 75% of his passes for 2,347 yards with 24 touchdowns and only one interception. During his four years at Carlsbad High School, the 6-foot-1 QB threw for nearly 8,000 yards with 86 TDs and 10 INTs, adding another 600 yards and nine scores with his legs. In his scouting report, 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said that Sayin, “Could be the most ‘ready to play early’ quarterback in this year’s class.”
With Will Howard entering his final year of eligibility, the starting quarterback job will be up for grabs for the 2025 season, and the competition will now include Sayin alongside Air Noland — another five-star QB in the 2024 class — in addition to Lincoln Kienholz and Devin Brown, should one or both decide to stick around past the spring transfer window. However, if there was any thought as to whether it might upset a guy like Noland that Ohio State would bring in a second QB in his class, it sounds like he is ready to compete and let his play do the talking...
The additions of both Kirks and Sayin give Ohio State the No. 2 overall class in 2024, factoring in transfers. In this cycle alone, the Buckeyes have managed to land the No. 1 overall player in Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 QB in Sayin, the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal (Downs) and the No. 1 RB in the portal (Quinshon Judkins). Ohio State’s 93.27 player average is the best in the country.
When the coaching staff wasn’t busy collecting as many blue chip prospects as they could get their hands on, they were hosting a good deal of their top targets on campus for Junior Day. A large number of guys in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance over the weekend, even despite the cold and snowy weather, and it sounds like just more good news for a program that continues to build on enormous momentum.
Here are some of the players who engaged in the festivities (all rankings per the 247Sports Composite):
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Five-star 2024 QB Julian Sayin | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
It was another BOOOOOMing weekend for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s momentum in 2024 kept on trucking over the weekend, as news for the Buckeyes seemingly gets better and better with each passing day. With the dust not even settled from the tremendous addition of star safety Caleb Downs via the transfer portal on Friday, Ryan Day’s program added another pair of big time players in just the last 48 hours.
That doesn’t even include what looked to be a very successful Junior Day for Ohio State, with many of the nation’s top prospects in the next two cycles making the trek to Columbus for the recruiting event. But more on that later...
On Saturday, the Buckeyes managed to add one more name late in the game to their 2024 recruiting class, flipping four-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks from Washington.
Kirks, a native of Plainesville, Ohio, did not sign his NLI with the Huskies during the Early Signing Period. Despite not having an Ohio State offer in hand until Jan. 14, rumors began circling even before Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama job that Kirks was interested in the Buckeyes. Once DeBoer left, Kirks announced his de-commitment from Washington, and after earning that elusive offer on a visit to Columbus last weekend, it wasn’t long before the 6-foot-4 lineman officially made his commitment to Ohio State.
Hailing out of Riverside High School, Kirks is listed as the No. 12 player in Ohio and the No. 251 prospect nationally, per the 247Sports Composite. His addition is a huge one for Larry Johnson’s group, as the Buckeyes only had two other defensive line commits in the cycle in five-star Eddrick Houston and three-star Eric Mensah. Ohio State will still need to bring in a large class at the position in 2025, but Kirks will feature as a super important piece moving forward in a room that will lose likely all four starters after the 2024 season.
Elsewhere, Ohio State made another huge splash in the transfer portal on Sunday — again as the beneficiary of Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama — when 2024 five-star quarterback Julian Sayin announced he is taking his talents to Columbus.
The No. 1 QB and No. 5 overall player in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Sayin signed with the Crimson Tide in December and enrolled in early January, but like many others decided to jump ship with Saban no longer at the helm. Having held Ohio State in high regard during his initial recruitment and with there being a prior relationship to new Buckeyes offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien from when the latter was also at Alabama, everything lined up perfectly for Ryan Day to add Sayin to a now loaded quarterbacks room.
The MVP of last year’s Elite 11 Finals, Sayin was named the Gatorade California Football Player of the Year in 2023 after completing just under 75% of his passes for 2,347 yards with 24 touchdowns and only one interception. During his four years at Carlsbad High School, the 6-foot-1 QB threw for nearly 8,000 yards with 86 TDs and 10 INTs, adding another 600 yards and nine scores with his legs. In his scouting report, 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said that Sayin, “Could be the most ‘ready to play early’ quarterback in this year’s class.”
With Will Howard entering his final year of eligibility, the starting quarterback job will be up for grabs for the 2025 season, and the competition will now include Sayin alongside Air Noland — another five-star QB in the 2024 class — in addition to Lincoln Kienholz and Devin Brown, should one or both decide to stick around past the spring transfer window. However, if there was any thought as to whether it might upset a guy like Noland that Ohio State would bring in a second QB in his class, it sounds like he is ready to compete and let his play do the talking...
The additions of both Kirks and Sayin give Ohio State the No. 2 overall class in 2024, factoring in transfers. In this cycle alone, the Buckeyes have managed to land the No. 1 overall player in Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 QB in Sayin, the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal (Downs) and the No. 1 RB in the portal (Quinshon Judkins). Ohio State’s 93.27 player average is the best in the country.
When the coaching staff wasn’t busy collecting as many blue chip prospects as they could get their hands on, they were hosting a good deal of their top targets on campus for Junior Day. A large number of guys in both the 2025 and 2026 classes were in attendance over the weekend, even despite the cold and snowy weather, and it sounds like just more good news for a program that continues to build on enormous momentum.
Here are some of the players who engaged in the festivities (all rankings per the 247Sports Composite):
- 2025 TE Nate Roberts (No. 4 TE, No. 106 OVR)
- 2025 ATH Trey McNutt (No. 2 S, No. 34 OVR)
- 2025 Ohio State WR commit Jayvan Boggs (No. 27 WR, No. 223 OVR)
- 2025 Ohio State QB commit Tavien St. Clair (No. 4 QB, No. 48 OVR)
Man of the Scarlet and gray#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/n7Idpk62XU
— Tavien St. Clair (@TJSaint_1) January 22, 2024
- 2025 EDGE Justin Hill (No. 13 EDGE, No. 139 OVR)
- 2026 EDGE Cincere Johnson (Class not yet ranked)
- 2025 kicker Alex Crabill (N/A)
- 2026 ATH CJ Newell Jr. (Class not yet ranked)
- 2026 CB Elbert Hill (Class not yet ranked)
- 2025 WR Preston Bowman (No. 117 WR, No. 47 OH)
- 2025 EDGE Cal Thrush (No. 82 EDGE, No. 59 OH)
- 2026 WR Payton Cook (Class not yet ranked)
Quick Hits
- Ohio State also sent out a trio of new offers over the weekend. On the receiving ends included 2025 defensive lineman Mariyon Dye, the No. 24 EDGE and No. 5 player out of his home state of Indiana, 2025 athlete Cody Haddad, the No. 15 player in Ohio in the cycle, and 2026 offensive lineman Will Conroy. Conroy, who does not yet have a ranking as just a high school sophomore, also picked up a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes via Bill Kurelic on Friday afternoon.
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