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LGHL Ohio State leapfrogs Michigan for No. 2 class in 2024 with pair of big Glenville commits
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Ohio State leapfrogs Michigan for No. 2 class in 2024 with pair of big Glenville commits
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 Ohio State commit Bryce West | 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up two major BOOOOMs over the weekend.
What was already expected to be a massive recruiting weekend in Columbus got even larger on Saturday when the Buckeyes earned a pair of stellar commitments out of Cleveland Glenville. The Ohio high school pipeline that produced Ted Ginn Jr., Marshon Lattimore, Donte Whitner, Troy Smith, Cardale Jones and most recently 2023 linebacker Arvell Reese has once again provided Ohio State with some premiere talent at two positions of need.
First up, a move that had felt like a long time coming but was by no means a guarantee, the Buckeyes got a major boost to their defensive secondary with the commitment of cornerback Bryce West.
West immediately becomes the highest-rated defensive player in Ohio State’s 2024 class as the No. 4 CB and No. 49 overall player in the country per the 247Sports Composite. The No. 1 player in Ohio in this cycle, it was imperative that the Buckeyes beat out rival Michigan for his pledge, as West was highly considering the Wolverines in addition to schools like Oregon and Georgia also remaining in the mix, albeit less so than the two B1G programs.
Comparing his play to that of Darius Slay, a five-time NFL Pro-Bowl corner, here is what 247Sports’ Allen Trieu has to say of West’s abilities:
West was nothing short of a lockdown corner for the Tarblooders as a junior, not allowing a single touchdown in coverage and intercepting four passes for a team that finished 15-0 and won a state title. He was named a Junior All-American by MaxPreps for his efforts. Needless to say, he was an absolute must-have for Ohio State in this cycle, and landing him six months before signing day allows for Tim Walton and Perry Eliano to continue chasing their other top targets at the position in what will likely be a three or four corner class.
As previously mentioned, West is the highest-ranked defensive player in the Buckeyes’ 2024 group thus far and the fourth defensive player overall, joining linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce as well as safety Jaylen McCLain. As the top in-state player in the cycle, Ohio State now holds commitments from five of the top 12 prospects in Ohio, one of which we will get to in a moment. They will hope to make it six of the top 12 if they can seal the deal with corner Aaron Scott Jr., the No. 2 in-state player in the class.
The other big addition on Saturday came on offense, as Ohio State was able to land its second tight end pledge in 2024 with the commitment of Damarion Witten.
The 6-foot-4 Glenville product currently ranks as the No. 19 TE in the country and the No. 11 player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. He joins Max LeBlanc as the Buckeyes finally are able to put together a two tight end class — something Ohio State has not done since 2016, when they landed three tight ends. If both LeBlanc and Witten do end up officially signing with OSU, it will be the fifth time since 1996 the program has scored multiple tight ends in a single recruiting class.
Witten is a big get for new position coach Keenan Bailey as the top in-state target at the position. Former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was actually the one who offered Witten back in September, but Bailey made sure to keep the Cleveland native in high regard. Ultimately he was able to get the job done, beating out schools among the likes of Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas and others for his services.
With Witten and West now in the fold, Ohio State has passed over Michigan for the No. 2 class in the country, even despite holding only 16 commitments to the Wolverines’ 23. The Buckeyes’ player average of 93.31 is nearly three points higher than TTUN’s (90.63), and is only 0.12 behind No. 1 Georgia’s (93.43). Off to a fantastic start, there is still a long way to go for Ryan Day and his staff as they look for their first defensive line commitment of the cycle as well as further additions in other key areas.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 Ohio State commit Bryce West | 247Sports
The Buckeyes picked up two major BOOOOMs over the weekend.
What was already expected to be a massive recruiting weekend in Columbus got even larger on Saturday when the Buckeyes earned a pair of stellar commitments out of Cleveland Glenville. The Ohio high school pipeline that produced Ted Ginn Jr., Marshon Lattimore, Donte Whitner, Troy Smith, Cardale Jones and most recently 2023 linebacker Arvell Reese has once again provided Ohio State with some premiere talent at two positions of need.
First up, a move that had felt like a long time coming but was by no means a guarantee, the Buckeyes got a major boost to their defensive secondary with the commitment of cornerback Bryce West.
West immediately becomes the highest-rated defensive player in Ohio State’s 2024 class as the No. 4 CB and No. 49 overall player in the country per the 247Sports Composite. The No. 1 player in Ohio in this cycle, it was imperative that the Buckeyes beat out rival Michigan for his pledge, as West was highly considering the Wolverines in addition to schools like Oregon and Georgia also remaining in the mix, albeit less so than the two B1G programs.
Comparing his play to that of Darius Slay, a five-time NFL Pro-Bowl corner, here is what 247Sports’ Allen Trieu has to say of West’s abilities:
West was nothing short of a lockdown corner for the Tarblooders as a junior, not allowing a single touchdown in coverage and intercepting four passes for a team that finished 15-0 and won a state title. He was named a Junior All-American by MaxPreps for his efforts. Needless to say, he was an absolute must-have for Ohio State in this cycle, and landing him six months before signing day allows for Tim Walton and Perry Eliano to continue chasing their other top targets at the position in what will likely be a three or four corner class.
As previously mentioned, West is the highest-ranked defensive player in the Buckeyes’ 2024 group thus far and the fourth defensive player overall, joining linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce as well as safety Jaylen McCLain. As the top in-state player in the cycle, Ohio State now holds commitments from five of the top 12 prospects in Ohio, one of which we will get to in a moment. They will hope to make it six of the top 12 if they can seal the deal with corner Aaron Scott Jr., the No. 2 in-state player in the class.
The other big addition on Saturday came on offense, as Ohio State was able to land its second tight end pledge in 2024 with the commitment of Damarion Witten.
The 6-foot-4 Glenville product currently ranks as the No. 19 TE in the country and the No. 11 player in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite. He joins Max LeBlanc as the Buckeyes finally are able to put together a two tight end class — something Ohio State has not done since 2016, when they landed three tight ends. If both LeBlanc and Witten do end up officially signing with OSU, it will be the fifth time since 1996 the program has scored multiple tight ends in a single recruiting class.
Witten is a big get for new position coach Keenan Bailey as the top in-state target at the position. Former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was actually the one who offered Witten back in September, but Bailey made sure to keep the Cleveland native in high regard. Ultimately he was able to get the job done, beating out schools among the likes of Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas and others for his services.
With Witten and West now in the fold, Ohio State has passed over Michigan for the No. 2 class in the country, even despite holding only 16 commitments to the Wolverines’ 23. The Buckeyes’ player average of 93.31 is nearly three points higher than TTUN’s (90.63), and is only 0.12 behind No. 1 Georgia’s (93.43). Off to a fantastic start, there is still a long way to go for Ryan Day and his staff as they look for their first defensive line commitment of the cycle as well as further additions in other key areas.
Quick Hits
- Witten and West weren’t the only high-profile names on campus this past weekend. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Justin Scott, a pair of top-100 defenders, were also in Columbus on their official visits, and appear to have enjoyed what they saw during their trip. Scott, a five-star, is the No. 3 DL and No. 14 overall player in the 2024 class, while Viliamu-Asa is the No. 7 LB in the country, all per the 247Sports Composite.
- Of course, the other name to keep a close eye on from this past weekend was none other than Aaron Scott Jr., whom the Buckeyes would love to pair with West as the two top players in the state in this cycle. Ohio State continues to battle it out with Michigan for the nation’s No. 5 CB and No. 53 overall prospect, but seem to have the inside track as things currently stand with all three Crystal Ball predictions in favor of OSU.
Continue reading...
LGHL LGHL Asks: Troy Smith is Ohio State fans’ favorite 21st Century quarterback
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LGHL Asks: Troy Smith is Ohio State fans’ favorite 21st Century quarterback
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
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 taking sides in head-to-head debates. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”This or That” articles here.
While this week, LGHL was focused on Burning Questions for our theme week, last week was all about picking “This” or “That.” So, for our weekly fan survey, we put a trio of questions to Ohio State fans to gauge their thoughts on recent Buckeye football history and their preferences for what’s next on the gridiron and hardwood.
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Man, I came up with this question, and even I can’t imagine picking just one. As you can see by the distribution of votes, a lot of guys got some love in this week’s survey. However, I want to call out a guy who fell into the “Other” category and that is the late, great Dwayne Haskins Jr.
Not only was Haskins an obviously gifted passer, but he ushered in a standard of quarterback play in Columbus. Obviously, he was not the first quarterback that Ryan Day worked with at Ohio State — that honor would go to J.T. Barrett in 2017 — but Simba certainly feels like the first Day Era QB, given his record-breaking performance in 2018.
He still owns the single-season marks for passing yards (4,831) and passing touchdowns (50). He also holds the single-game, regular-season record for passing yards in a game with 499 against Northwestern.
After years of Barrett’s incredibly effective — but not exactly exciting — brand of QB play, seeing a guy who could seemingly sling it anywhere on the field was eye-opening and served as an excellent introduction to what Day could do with a uniquely talented athlete under center.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24736475/OhioState_2_061623.png)
The graphic is worded a little oddly, but the options were Michigan go 4-8 or Ohio State win the Big Ten, but not make the College Football playoff. If you would have asked me this anytime over the past two decades before late November 2021, I would have probably gone with adding another trophy to the case at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
But now that the Wolverines have won two straight rivalry games, I am going with the slight majority of fans on this one. Anything to see TTUN humiliated is fine with me, and besides, I’d prefer Michigan go 4-8 AND Ohio State win the B1G and make the CFP, but that wasn’t an option.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24736476/OhioState_3_061623.png)
The major knock against Chris Holtmann’s tenure as Ohio State’s men’s basketball coach has been his inability to get his team into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. So, we gave fans the option to pick whether they would prefer to see his squad make a run to the Final Four, but struggle for three years, or be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament, but never reaching true title contention.
What’s interesting is that almost 2⁄3 of respondents opted for the more perennially competitive team that doesn’t reach its highest heights. I could argue that — save 2022-23 — that’s effectively what they’ve gotten since Holtmann took over. Yes, the survey prompt probably assumed a slightly better showing in conference, but Holtmann’s teams have finished 2nd, 8th, 5th, 5th, and 4th in the B1G prior to last season. That’s not too bad.
If that was 2nd, 6th, 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd, I do wonder if the perception of Holtmann’s postseason shortcomings would be different than it is today.
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
Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
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 taking sides in head-to-head debates. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”This or That” articles here.
While this week, LGHL was focused on Burning Questions for our theme week, last week was all about picking “This” or “That.” So, for our weekly fan survey, we put a trio of questions to Ohio State fans to gauge their thoughts on recent Buckeye football history and their preferences for what’s next on the gridiron and hardwood.
Question 1: Who is your favorite 21st Century Ohio State quarterback?
Man, I came up with this question, and even I can’t imagine picking just one. As you can see by the distribution of votes, a lot of guys got some love in this week’s survey. However, I want to call out a guy who fell into the “Other” category and that is the late, great Dwayne Haskins Jr.
Not only was Haskins an obviously gifted passer, but he ushered in a standard of quarterback play in Columbus. Obviously, he was not the first quarterback that Ryan Day worked with at Ohio State — that honor would go to J.T. Barrett in 2017 — but Simba certainly feels like the first Day Era QB, given his record-breaking performance in 2018.
He still owns the single-season marks for passing yards (4,831) and passing touchdowns (50). He also holds the single-game, regular-season record for passing yards in a game with 499 against Northwestern.
After years of Barrett’s incredibly effective — but not exactly exciting — brand of QB play, seeing a guy who could seemingly sling it anywhere on the field was eye-opening and served as an excellent introduction to what Day could do with a uniquely talented athlete under center.
Question 2: Question 2: Would you rather (football edition)
The graphic is worded a little oddly, but the options were Michigan go 4-8 or Ohio State win the Big Ten, but not make the College Football playoff. If you would have asked me this anytime over the past two decades before late November 2021, I would have probably gone with adding another trophy to the case at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
But now that the Wolverines have won two straight rivalry games, I am going with the slight majority of fans on this one. Anything to see TTUN humiliated is fine with me, and besides, I’d prefer Michigan go 4-8 AND Ohio State win the B1G and make the CFP, but that wasn’t an option.
Question 3: Question 3: Would you rather (men’s basketball edition)
The major knock against Chris Holtmann’s tenure as Ohio State’s men’s basketball coach has been his inability to get his team into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. So, we gave fans the option to pick whether they would prefer to see his squad make a run to the Final Four, but struggle for three years, or be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament, but never reaching true title contention.
What’s interesting is that almost 2⁄3 of respondents opted for the more perennially competitive team that doesn’t reach its highest heights. I could argue that — save 2022-23 — that’s effectively what they’ve gotten since Holtmann took over. Yes, the survey prompt probably assumed a slightly better showing in conference, but Holtmann’s teams have finished 2nd, 8th, 5th, 5th, and 4th in the B1G prior to last season. That’s not too bad.
If that was 2nd, 6th, 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd, I do wonder if the perception of Holtmann’s postseason shortcomings would be different than it is today.
Continue reading...