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LGHL ‘Burning Question’: Will TreVeyon look like his freshman year self this season?
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‘Burning Question’: Will TreVeyon look like his freshman year self this season?
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
A healthy Tre is scary....
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
2022 was a highly unusual year for the running back position. TreVeyon Henderson was expected to follow up his monstrous freshman campaign with a Heisman-like year, but couldn’t stay healthy. Neither could Miyan Williams. Ultimately, six different guys rotated in the RB position, but Henderson is still the clear No. 1. What will this year look like for him?
Let’s take a moment and remember just how phenomenal Henderson played in 2021. On 183 carries, he rushed for 1,248 yards, averaging 6.8 yards/carry and scored 15 touchdowns. He burst onto the scene and no defense could figure out how to stop him. He was so fun to watch.
Last season was a bit of a sophomore slump for him, but that wasn’t entirely his fault. He battled injuries all season long that prevented him for being his best. He rushed for 571 yards on 107 carries, scoring six touchdowns. He ended up getting foot surgery in the offseason, which is huge. Running backs need healthy feet to run — duh.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24737841/usa_today_19519491.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
However, he has since been cleared for football activities which is great news! Ryan Day isn’t going to rush him back into anything, but now with a full offseason to get healthy, barring any setbacks, he should be back at full strength for the start of the season.
So, what could a 100% healthy Henderson do for this team? A lot. I think it’s actually crucial that this team has a strong, reliable RB1 this year, just like he was two years ago. With a new starting quarterback, opposing teams defenses trying to contain Marvin Harrison Jr. (I’d like to see them try, though) and a new offensive line, it would be extremely helpful to have a Swiss Army Knife like Henderson in the back field.
Don’t forget, he had 312 receiving yards on 27 receptions in 2021 as well. He is a great pass-catcher and obviously can break free for those long runs. He is such an unbelievable weapon to have when he is fully healthy. We know that Ohio State is WRU, but so does the rest of the country. Therefore, defenses will be putting a lot of their attention on Marv, Emeka Egbuka, etc.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24737842/usa_today_19466322.jpg "NCAA Football: Ohio State at Maryland")
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
I’m also excited to see how newly minted offensive coordinator Brian Hartline uses Henderson this year. Being the former wide receivers’ coach, I’m curious to see how much that’ll play into Henderson’s game, and how many receiving plays he will draw up for him. Either way, that is certainly something to keep an eye on.
So, to answer the burning question of will he look like his freshman year self, only time will tell. If he stays healthy, I don’t see any reason why he can’t match or surpass his first-year stats. He is such an important part of this team’s success, so let’s all hope for a healthy and successful junior campaign for him.
Continue reading...
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
A healthy Tre is scary....
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
2022 was a highly unusual year for the running back position. TreVeyon Henderson was expected to follow up his monstrous freshman campaign with a Heisman-like year, but couldn’t stay healthy. Neither could Miyan Williams. Ultimately, six different guys rotated in the RB position, but Henderson is still the clear No. 1. What will this year look like for him?
Let’s take a moment and remember just how phenomenal Henderson played in 2021. On 183 carries, he rushed for 1,248 yards, averaging 6.8 yards/carry and scored 15 touchdowns. He burst onto the scene and no defense could figure out how to stop him. He was so fun to watch.
Last season was a bit of a sophomore slump for him, but that wasn’t entirely his fault. He battled injuries all season long that prevented him for being his best. He rushed for 571 yards on 107 carries, scoring six touchdowns. He ended up getting foot surgery in the offseason, which is huge. Running backs need healthy feet to run — duh.
However, he has since been cleared for football activities which is great news! Ryan Day isn’t going to rush him back into anything, but now with a full offseason to get healthy, barring any setbacks, he should be back at full strength for the start of the season.
So, what could a 100% healthy Henderson do for this team? A lot. I think it’s actually crucial that this team has a strong, reliable RB1 this year, just like he was two years ago. With a new starting quarterback, opposing teams defenses trying to contain Marvin Harrison Jr. (I’d like to see them try, though) and a new offensive line, it would be extremely helpful to have a Swiss Army Knife like Henderson in the back field.
Don’t forget, he had 312 receiving yards on 27 receptions in 2021 as well. He is a great pass-catcher and obviously can break free for those long runs. He is such an unbelievable weapon to have when he is fully healthy. We know that Ohio State is WRU, but so does the rest of the country. Therefore, defenses will be putting a lot of their attention on Marv, Emeka Egbuka, etc.
I’m also excited to see how newly minted offensive coordinator Brian Hartline uses Henderson this year. Being the former wide receivers’ coach, I’m curious to see how much that’ll play into Henderson’s game, and how many receiving plays he will draw up for him. Either way, that is certainly something to keep an eye on.
So, to answer the burning question of will he look like his freshman year self, only time will tell. If he stays healthy, I don’t see any reason why he can’t match or surpass his first-year stats. He is such an important part of this team’s success, so let’s all hope for a healthy and successful junior campaign for him.
Continue reading...
Jack Hanna (Official Thread)
- By Dryden
- Open Discussion (Work-safe)
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Jack Hanna's long goodbye: How Alzheimer's is stripping away the man the world once knew
In an exclusive interview, The Dispatch traveled to Montana to profile Jack Hanna and his family's fight against advanced Alzheimer's disease.
www.dispatch.com
Jack Hanna's long goodbye: How Alzheimer's is stripping away the man the world once knew
Mike Wagner
The Columbus Dispatch
Bigfork, Montana — As a sunset paints the sky pink on his Montana family farm, Jack Hanna sneaks a chunk of pizza to his golden retriever when a man approaches to greet him.
“Hi Jack,” the family guest says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The longtime zookeeper’s famous smile fades into curiosity.
“Where are you from?” Hanna asks between bites.
“Columbus, Ohio,” the family guest says.
Hanna built the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium into one of the nation's best. He then captivated national audiences on David Letterman’s late-night talk show, "Good Morning America" and a number of his own Emmy-winning animal series that still run in syndication. He traveled the globe as a leading animal conservationist promoting Columbus. It was his home for decades. It’s even where he once said he wanted his ashes spread whenever he passes away.
But in this moment, none of that history feels familiar.
Hanna pauses, then asks a question.
“Have I ever been to Columbus, Ohio?”
The Jack Hanna the world once knew is gone.
At age 76, Alzheimer’s disease has stripped away his memory and the life he led in the public eye for almost a half century. He was first diagnosed in the fall of 2019 with early Alzheimer's but now the disease has advanced to the point where he doesn't know most of his own family.
Cont'd ...
LGHL Ohio State makes offers to 2025 edge rusher, 2026 wide receiver; 2025 QB makes unexpected return
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Ohio State makes offers to 2025 edge rusher, 2026 wide receiver; 2025 QB makes unexpected return
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Tom Loy, 247Sports
The Buckeyes are wrapping up camp season as they hope that hope the fireworks start popping off.
The Ohio State football team wrapped up its one-day camps on Tuesday and to celebrate the occasion, the Buckeye staff issued a passed out a pair of offers to future prospects.
The first offer went to Chris Burgess, the No. 255 player in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Ratings. The Chicago native is the No. 22 edge rusher in his cycle and the fifth-rated player from the state of Illinois. The Buckeyes became the 27th team to offer Burgess, joining such teams as Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Tennessee, USC, and others.
The 6-foot-4 and 230-pound defensive end received the offer from both head coach Ryan Day and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
The other offer was extended to 2026 wide receiver Brody Keefe. Due to the fact that he just finished his freshman year, Keefe does not have any recruiting rankings yet, but he does have other scholarship offers, but the Buckeyes are by far the biggest program on his list.
OSU was the 10th team to offer the Waxhaw, N.C. native, joining Arkansas, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and a bunch of Group of 5 schools. However, if WR coach Brian Hartline is willing to make a scholarship offer to a rising sophomore, you know there has to be some talent there. And I would venture to guess that by the time his class gets its rankings, he will be fairly high.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Tom Loy, 247Sports
The Buckeyes are wrapping up camp season as they hope that hope the fireworks start popping off.
The Ohio State football team wrapped up its one-day camps on Tuesday and to celebrate the occasion, the Buckeye staff issued a passed out a pair of offers to future prospects.
Buckeyes Looking Toward the Future
The first offer went to Chris Burgess, the No. 255 player in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Ratings. The Chicago native is the No. 22 edge rusher in his cycle and the fifth-rated player from the state of Illinois. The Buckeyes became the 27th team to offer Burgess, joining such teams as Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Tennessee, USC, and others.
The 6-foot-4 and 230-pound defensive end received the offer from both head coach Ryan Day and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
After an amazing workout I am BEYOND excited to announce that I have received an offer from THE Ohio State University@R2X_Rushmen1 @ryandaytime @EDGYTIM @AllenTrieu @Rivals_Clint @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @LemmingReport @SimeonNation @OhioStateRivals #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/pV0PMnKcI8
— Christopher Burgess Jr (@ChrisBurgessJr) June 20, 2023
The other offer was extended to 2026 wide receiver Brody Keefe. Due to the fact that he just finished his freshman year, Keefe does not have any recruiting rankings yet, but he does have other scholarship offers, but the Buckeyes are by far the biggest program on his list.
OSU was the 10th team to offer the Waxhaw, N.C. native, joining Arkansas, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and a bunch of Group of 5 schools. However, if WR coach Brian Hartline is willing to make a scholarship offer to a rising sophomore, you know there has to be some talent there. And I would venture to guess that by the time his class gets its rankings, he will be fairly high.
Quick Hits
- Jeremiah Smith is taking advantage of all of those frequent flyer opportunities this summer. According to On3’s Miami site CanSport, the No. 2 player in the 2024 class and Ohio State commit will not be taking his official visit to Penn State this weekend and instead will be taking his talents to South Beach... or Coral Gables. On Monday and Tuesday, he was on an unofficial visit on the other side of the Sunshine State with the Florida State Seminoles.
- The Buckeyes’ top 2025 quarterback prospect Tavien St. Clair unexpectedly showed back up at camp on Tuesday. The Bellefontaine native was in town late last week and wasn’t publicly expected to return so quickly. However, according to Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic, he really enjoys working with quarterback coach Corey Dennis. Kurelic and 247Sports’ Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong both have crystal balls in Ohio State’s favor for the QB.
Continue reading...
2025 IL DE Christopher Burgess (Notre Dame Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 25 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DE
School: Chicago(IL) Simeon
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 240lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: DE
School: Chicago(IL) Simeon
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 240lbs
Login to view embedded media
2026 NC WR Brody Keefe (Duke Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 14 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
School: Waxhaw(NC) Myers Park
Position: WR
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
School: Waxhaw(NC) Myers Park
Position: WR
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which college football coach is on the hot seat this year?
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You’re Nuts: Which college football coach is on the hot seat this year?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
One area of college football that Ohio State rarely has to worry about is the coaching hot seat. Since 2001, Ohio State has had just three head coaches, four if you count the 2011 season where the Buckeyes were led by interim head coach Luke Fickell. The hiring of Jim Tressel in 2001 was the last time Ohio State was truly part of the coaching carousel. Urban Meyer was an obvious hire to take over for Fickell following 2011, and the Buckeyes kept things in-house when Meyer retired, hiring offensive assistant Ryan Day.
Even though some Ohio State fans have turned up the heat on Ryan Day, it’s hard to believe that Day truly is on the “hot seat”. Despite Day’s inability to lead his team to victory over Michigan the last two years, Ohio State won the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2021 season, and made it to the playoff last year for the third time under Day. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams next year, it’ll likely take a lot to go wrong for the Buckeyes to part ways with Day.
Just look at last year in college football, where Auburn, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and a number of other Power 5 schools decided a change was needed at head coach. This year will feature some more programs looking to shake things up, and the cycle will continue year after year. What we want to know today is what coach is on college football’s hot seat this year?
I know Northwestern isn’t an easy place to win at, and it’s not an attractive job. Pat Fitzgerald has been great for his alma mater. Not only did Fitzgerald step up when head coach Randy Walker passed away, but he has led the Wildcats to some strong seasons. In his 17 seasons as head coach in Evanston, Fitzgerald has a 110-101 record, and led the Wildcats to 10 bowl games, posting a 5-5 record in those contests.
Things have started to go downhill for Northwestern over the last few years, though. Following the 2017 and 2018 seasons where the Wildcats were a combined 19-8, over the past four years Northwestern has gone 14-31. Half of those wins came in the COVID-shortened 2020 season where the Wildcats were 7-2. Last season Northwestern was 1-11, with their only win coming in the season opener against Nebraska in Ireland.
Standards around college football are being raised as conferences are negotiating higher television contracts. As new, expensive facilities are being built, program budgets are going up, and spots in the CFP are expanding, more is being expected out of programs. Northwestern isn’t immune to all of this. A $260 million dollar football facility opened on the lakeshore in 2018, and it sounds like a new football stadium at the school is in the works.
Fitzgerald can certainly be credited with helping the school to be competitive enough to bring in the donations needed for the football facility to be built, as well as there to be plans for a new stadium. Northwestern can’t allow the results of the last couple seasons to become the norm. It feels like Fitzgerald isn’t one that is welcoming to change, either. Lately it seems like whenever Fitzgerald is criticized for anything, it isn’t his fault, but instead the fault of social media or it’s because the work ethic of student-athletes isn’t like it was when he was in college.
Sometimes it is hard for those that have been together for so long to separate. If Northwestern finds itself in the basement of the Big Ten West again this year, it could be time for the Wildcats to rip off the band-aid. Better than prolonging the inevitable.
While I was tempted to go with a Big Ten name, just to keep it in the conference (I was leaning towards Indiana’s Tom Allen), I didn’t think his seat was hot enough just yet. I then thought about maybe going with former Ohio State defensive coordinator (who probably could have had a much bigger job had he stayed another year) Jeff Hafley at Boston College.
However, I am going to go with a guy whose seat I think is hot, but also who has one of the weirdest trajectories in recent years; that guy is Syracuse head coach Dino Babers. Now, I am old enough to remember when the Orange were ranked as high as No. 14 in the country. In fact, you are also old enough to remember that, because if you are reading this, certainly you were alive following Week 7 of the 2022 college football season.
Babers’ squad won its first six games of the campaign, climbing into the top-15. However, they lost their next five, beat Hafley’s BC Eagles in the regular season finale, and then fell to Minnesota in Pinstripe Bowl to finish 7-6. That marked only the team’s second winning season since Babers got to town in 2016, following its 10-3 mark in 2018.
I know that the ‘Cuse is not nearly the football factory that it once was, but there have been moments over Dino’s seven seasons when it felt like the team was turning a corner. They’ve played Clemson incredibly well, including in 2017 when they knocked off the then-No. 2 Tigers in the Carrier Dome. That is what Syracuse fans demand of their team, and with an ACC that currently has no quality teams north of (or even near) the Mason-Dixon line (I’m not counting you, Notre Dame), there is room for a program to carve itself a little niche on that side of the conference.
Babers is 36-49 during his tenure at Syracuse, meaning he’s averaging a 5-7 season. That’s certainly not going to cut it long term, even if the school has essentially given up on being competitive. I think there’s an opening in the ACC, and if Syracuse wants to get back even a modicum of relevance in the sport, bringing in a new coach now to turn things around could be the best way to do it.
I personally like Dino. I think he’s fun and charismatic and he was considered to be Ohio State’s next head coach before Gene Smith decided to give the reins to Ryan Day, but, unless he can figure out a way to be more consistently competent this year, I think he will end up being an offensive analyst at Alabama next season (if Saban would even have him).
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
One area of college football that Ohio State rarely has to worry about is the coaching hot seat. Since 2001, Ohio State has had just three head coaches, four if you count the 2011 season where the Buckeyes were led by interim head coach Luke Fickell. The hiring of Jim Tressel in 2001 was the last time Ohio State was truly part of the coaching carousel. Urban Meyer was an obvious hire to take over for Fickell following 2011, and the Buckeyes kept things in-house when Meyer retired, hiring offensive assistant Ryan Day.
Even though some Ohio State fans have turned up the heat on Ryan Day, it’s hard to believe that Day truly is on the “hot seat”. Despite Day’s inability to lead his team to victory over Michigan the last two years, Ohio State won the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2021 season, and made it to the playoff last year for the third time under Day. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams next year, it’ll likely take a lot to go wrong for the Buckeyes to part ways with Day.
Just look at last year in college football, where Auburn, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and a number of other Power 5 schools decided a change was needed at head coach. This year will feature some more programs looking to shake things up, and the cycle will continue year after year. What we want to know today is what coach is on college football’s hot seat this year?
Today’s question: What college football head coach is on the hot seat this year?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald
I know Northwestern isn’t an easy place to win at, and it’s not an attractive job. Pat Fitzgerald has been great for his alma mater. Not only did Fitzgerald step up when head coach Randy Walker passed away, but he has led the Wildcats to some strong seasons. In his 17 seasons as head coach in Evanston, Fitzgerald has a 110-101 record, and led the Wildcats to 10 bowl games, posting a 5-5 record in those contests.
Things have started to go downhill for Northwestern over the last few years, though. Following the 2017 and 2018 seasons where the Wildcats were a combined 19-8, over the past four years Northwestern has gone 14-31. Half of those wins came in the COVID-shortened 2020 season where the Wildcats were 7-2. Last season Northwestern was 1-11, with their only win coming in the season opener against Nebraska in Ireland.
Standards around college football are being raised as conferences are negotiating higher television contracts. As new, expensive facilities are being built, program budgets are going up, and spots in the CFP are expanding, more is being expected out of programs. Northwestern isn’t immune to all of this. A $260 million dollar football facility opened on the lakeshore in 2018, and it sounds like a new football stadium at the school is in the works.
Fitzgerald can certainly be credited with helping the school to be competitive enough to bring in the donations needed for the football facility to be built, as well as there to be plans for a new stadium. Northwestern can’t allow the results of the last couple seasons to become the norm. It feels like Fitzgerald isn’t one that is welcoming to change, either. Lately it seems like whenever Fitzgerald is criticized for anything, it isn’t his fault, but instead the fault of social media or it’s because the work ethic of student-athletes isn’t like it was when he was in college.
Sometimes it is hard for those that have been together for so long to separate. If Northwestern finds itself in the basement of the Big Ten West again this year, it could be time for the Wildcats to rip off the band-aid. Better than prolonging the inevitable.
Matt’s answer: Syracuse’s Dino Babers
While I was tempted to go with a Big Ten name, just to keep it in the conference (I was leaning towards Indiana’s Tom Allen), I didn’t think his seat was hot enough just yet. I then thought about maybe going with former Ohio State defensive coordinator (who probably could have had a much bigger job had he stayed another year) Jeff Hafley at Boston College.
However, I am going to go with a guy whose seat I think is hot, but also who has one of the weirdest trajectories in recent years; that guy is Syracuse head coach Dino Babers. Now, I am old enough to remember when the Orange were ranked as high as No. 14 in the country. In fact, you are also old enough to remember that, because if you are reading this, certainly you were alive following Week 7 of the 2022 college football season.
Babers’ squad won its first six games of the campaign, climbing into the top-15. However, they lost their next five, beat Hafley’s BC Eagles in the regular season finale, and then fell to Minnesota in Pinstripe Bowl to finish 7-6. That marked only the team’s second winning season since Babers got to town in 2016, following its 10-3 mark in 2018.
I know that the ‘Cuse is not nearly the football factory that it once was, but there have been moments over Dino’s seven seasons when it felt like the team was turning a corner. They’ve played Clemson incredibly well, including in 2017 when they knocked off the then-No. 2 Tigers in the Carrier Dome. That is what Syracuse fans demand of their team, and with an ACC that currently has no quality teams north of (or even near) the Mason-Dixon line (I’m not counting you, Notre Dame), there is room for a program to carve itself a little niche on that side of the conference.
Babers is 36-49 during his tenure at Syracuse, meaning he’s averaging a 5-7 season. That’s certainly not going to cut it long term, even if the school has essentially given up on being competitive. I think there’s an opening in the ACC, and if Syracuse wants to get back even a modicum of relevance in the sport, bringing in a new coach now to turn things around could be the best way to do it.
I personally like Dino. I think he’s fun and charismatic and he was considered to be Ohio State’s next head coach before Gene Smith decided to give the reins to Ryan Day, but, unless he can figure out a way to be more consistently competent this year, I think he will end up being an offensive analyst at Alabama next season (if Saban would even have him).
Continue reading...
LGHL Burning Questions: Rebuilding or fresh start? What’s next for OSU women’s volleyball?
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Burning Questions: Rebuilding or fresh start? What’s next for OSU women’s volleyball?
JamiJurich 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
After losing five starters to the transfer portal, how will the Buckeyes bounce back this fall?
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
The end of last season presented a perfect storm of changes for Ohio State volleyball. The powerhouse team ended the 2022 season with an Elite Eight loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament, but the more devastating loss was the one they knew would follow — the loss of the majority of their roster.
Due to COVID, the NCAA extended player eligibility for one year, and along with the additional year, teams were allowed to exceed their twelve-scholarship limit. But beginning in 2023, the scholarship limit returns, and with four incoming freshmen on the roster, OSU women’s volleyball coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg knew some roster changes would need to be made.
Oldenburg’s decision was not an easy one — ask the incoming freshmen to walk on without scholarships in order to keep her five seniors for an additional year, or part with beloved players.
Oldenburg chose to play the long game. This meant losing five starters — Gabby Gonzales, Jenaisya Moore, Kylie Murr, Mac Podraza, and Adria Powell — to the transfer portal to find schools where they could use their additional year of eligibility.
Returning players opposite hitter Emily Londot (a second-team All-American), middle blocker Rylee Rader, and defensive specialist Sarah Sue Morbitzer are left to lead the team into the 2023 season.
What remains to be seen is whether they will be leading the team through a rebuilding year or a fresh start. But there is good reason to be hopeful.
The returners seem eager to rise to the challenge, and if anyone can be trusted at the helm of a ship, it’s Oldenburg, with Londot’s leadership on the court a key element to this team as well.
Oldenburg knows how to hit the reset button, a skill that will serve this team well heading into the 2023 season.
In fact, heading into the NCAA Tournament in 2022, the team was on a four-game losing streak. But under Oldenburg’s coaching, the team managed sweeps in the first two rounds before upsetting No. 2-seed Minnesota in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight (the fourth Elite Eight appearance in program history).
She’ll need to help this team hit reset again heading into the fall. It’s an entirely new group with far less collegiate experience than the 2022 roster.
But with that comes opportunity. There’s an opportunity for progress. There’s an opportunity to establish this team as one to watch. There’s an opportunity for this team to build something new. rather than live in the shadow of the 2022 team.
And with opportunity comes power.
That’s not to say there won’t be growing pains. Already, the team saw some of these play out in spring ball. Two early enrollees — Mia Tuman and Grace Egan — saw firsthand the difference in pace and level of play in collegiate volleyball.
The Big Ten won’t make it easy, either. The conference is one of the most competitive in women’s volleyball, and it will present a unique challenge for young players trying to gain their footing.
But perhaps baptism by fire will speed up the learning. And diving into the intensity early means there’s also more time for the young players to adapt. Their work is cut out for them, but the incoming freshmen seem eager to rise to the challenge.
There’s also an opportunity for some of the younger returners to step up as leaders on the court, and while lack of experience can be detrimental, Oldenburg is framing this as an opportunity, which is the exact outlook a team trying to hit reset needs.
All-in-all, it might be tough for the women’s volleyball team to replicate last season’s magic this year. But it seems likely that even if that’s the case, Oldenburg and her veterans are laying the foundation for this team to excel in seasons to come.
After all, volleyball is played in five sets, and the most successful teams know progress and victory are always about the long game.
Continue reading...
JamiJurich 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
After losing five starters to the transfer portal, how will the Buckeyes bounce back this fall?
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
The end of last season presented a perfect storm of changes for Ohio State volleyball. The powerhouse team ended the 2022 season with an Elite Eight loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament, but the more devastating loss was the one they knew would follow — the loss of the majority of their roster.
Due to COVID, the NCAA extended player eligibility for one year, and along with the additional year, teams were allowed to exceed their twelve-scholarship limit. But beginning in 2023, the scholarship limit returns, and with four incoming freshmen on the roster, OSU women’s volleyball coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg knew some roster changes would need to be made.
Oldenburg’s decision was not an easy one — ask the incoming freshmen to walk on without scholarships in order to keep her five seniors for an additional year, or part with beloved players.
Oldenburg chose to play the long game. This meant losing five starters — Gabby Gonzales, Jenaisya Moore, Kylie Murr, Mac Podraza, and Adria Powell — to the transfer portal to find schools where they could use their additional year of eligibility.
Returning players opposite hitter Emily Londot (a second-team All-American), middle blocker Rylee Rader, and defensive specialist Sarah Sue Morbitzer are left to lead the team into the 2023 season.
What remains to be seen is whether they will be leading the team through a rebuilding year or a fresh start. But there is good reason to be hopeful.
The returners seem eager to rise to the challenge, and if anyone can be trusted at the helm of a ship, it’s Oldenburg, with Londot’s leadership on the court a key element to this team as well.
Oldenburg knows how to hit the reset button, a skill that will serve this team well heading into the 2023 season.
In fact, heading into the NCAA Tournament in 2022, the team was on a four-game losing streak. But under Oldenburg’s coaching, the team managed sweeps in the first two rounds before upsetting No. 2-seed Minnesota in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight (the fourth Elite Eight appearance in program history).
She’ll need to help this team hit reset again heading into the fall. It’s an entirely new group with far less collegiate experience than the 2022 roster.
But with that comes opportunity. There’s an opportunity for progress. There’s an opportunity to establish this team as one to watch. There’s an opportunity for this team to build something new. rather than live in the shadow of the 2022 team.
And with opportunity comes power.
That’s not to say there won’t be growing pains. Already, the team saw some of these play out in spring ball. Two early enrollees — Mia Tuman and Grace Egan — saw firsthand the difference in pace and level of play in collegiate volleyball.
The Big Ten won’t make it easy, either. The conference is one of the most competitive in women’s volleyball, and it will present a unique challenge for young players trying to gain their footing.
But perhaps baptism by fire will speed up the learning. And diving into the intensity early means there’s also more time for the young players to adapt. Their work is cut out for them, but the incoming freshmen seem eager to rise to the challenge.
There’s also an opportunity for some of the younger returners to step up as leaders on the court, and while lack of experience can be detrimental, Oldenburg is framing this as an opportunity, which is the exact outlook a team trying to hit reset needs.
All-in-all, it might be tough for the women’s volleyball team to replicate last season’s magic this year. But it seems likely that even if that’s the case, Oldenburg and her veterans are laying the foundation for this team to excel in seasons to come.
After all, volleyball is played in five sets, and the most successful teams know progress and victory are always about the long game.
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