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LGHL Ohio State makes the cut for a top 2026 RB, likely to miss out on another EDGE
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Ohio State makes the cut for a top 2026 RB, likely to miss out on another EDGE
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Derrek Cooper keeps Ohio State in the mix ahead of his July 20 commitment date.
Not hosting recruits on campus right now, it’s a more quiet time surrounding Ohio State recruiting in regards to in-person efforts. It’s decision season for several guys on the big board for the Buckeyes, and the 2026 class is really starting to take shape for programs across the country.
Still an impressive class, Ohio State sits at sixth with 21 commitments, with hopes to land additional top guys sooner rather than later. Likely not going north of 25 players, it’s unlikely Ohio State finishes in the top three of the rankings purely based on quantity, but looking at a handful of realistic options should present the chance at finishing in the top five when all is said and done.
Results to soon follow, Ohio State’s coaching staff will see where they’ve won and where they need to pivot as they look to fill important pieces before signing day.
Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn have long presented the desire to take two running backs in the 2026 class. One in the fold thanks to Ohio native Favoir Akih, the Buckeyes have still hunted a list of names and over the course of this cycle. Several of those names have come and gone in terms of being real possibilities.
An ever-changing landscape that is recruiting, Ohio State has had some mainstay guys they’re after, but in July there’s just a small few remaining they can look to as potential additions. Florida native and familiar prep Chaminade-Madonna product Derrek Cooper has been a common theme this recruiting class, and fortunately for the Buckeyes he will continue to be.
The No. 30 player nationally and second-ranked athlete in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Cooper took to social media on Thursday to share the latest news in his recruitment as he narrowed it down to just five remaining schools he is still considering before making his commitment.
In addition to Ohio State, four southern schools in Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Texas were left with a chance. From that list, Texas is the only program listed that doesn’t have a true running back already committed, so they have the ability to prioritize him as the guy. Still, this can be anyone’s race if they put their money with their mouth is.
The Buckeyes are still recruiting the top running back in the class in Savion Hiter, but with Michigan and Tennessee reportedly offering more money in the NIL aspects, Ohio State may not be as much of a threat down the stretch. Regardless, Ohio State is in the top schools list for both Cooper and Hiter. If they really want a second back in this class, they’re going to have to pony up it seems.
Cooper’s commitment coming July 20. Ohio State won’t have to wait long to see their fate and whether or not they need to pivot elsewhere, but this late into the summer the options are coming off the board.
The position in this class facing the most scrutiny for Ohio State’s 2026 class is edge rusher. Just one player committed thanks to Khary Wilder, the Buckeyes have missed out thus far on basically all of their top targets they’ve put a ton of time and effort into. NIL amounts being the main reason for finishing runner-up many times, it’s a tough place to be in whether or not these deals end up panning out or not.
Ohio State’s options are wearing thin, and Texas native KJ Ford is in many aspects the last true big name player the Buckeyes are chasing in this cycle before having to reassess where to go if they are to miss out. Making his top three schools list just last week, Ford kept the Buckeyes in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M, but with his planned commitment coming later today, Thursday that sent a major change to his recruitment if the predictions hold true.
Coming out of left field, Alabama was pegged as the landing spot by On3’s Steve Wiltfong. Similar to the Felix Ojo’s recruitment to Texas Tech, it’s another instance where a program not originally in the running makes a late push and becomes a real threat. The No. 116 player nationally and 15th best edge rusher per the 247Sports Composite, it’s easy to see why bigger offers are coming late in the game with not many of these caliber guys left.
Learning their fate today, it’s not likely Ohio State wins this recruitment, and it will be another blow to the cycle that hasn’t been real kind at the edge rusher position. A spot that’s thin on the current roster thanks to similar recruiting cycles the last couple of years, the Buckeyes have some major work to do to reload this group of importance following this season.
Whether that’s now or through the transfer portal, Larry Johnson and Ohio State need to adjust and do so quickly.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Derrek Cooper keeps Ohio State in the mix ahead of his July 20 commitment date.
Not hosting recruits on campus right now, it’s a more quiet time surrounding Ohio State recruiting in regards to in-person efforts. It’s decision season for several guys on the big board for the Buckeyes, and the 2026 class is really starting to take shape for programs across the country.
Still an impressive class, Ohio State sits at sixth with 21 commitments, with hopes to land additional top guys sooner rather than later. Likely not going north of 25 players, it’s unlikely Ohio State finishes in the top three of the rankings purely based on quantity, but looking at a handful of realistic options should present the chance at finishing in the top five when all is said and done.
Results to soon follow, Ohio State’s coaching staff will see where they’ve won and where they need to pivot as they look to fill important pieces before signing day.
Buckeyes in the top five for Cooper ahead of decision
Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn have long presented the desire to take two running backs in the 2026 class. One in the fold thanks to Ohio native Favoir Akih, the Buckeyes have still hunted a list of names and over the course of this cycle. Several of those names have come and gone in terms of being real possibilities.
An ever-changing landscape that is recruiting, Ohio State has had some mainstay guys they’re after, but in July there’s just a small few remaining they can look to as potential additions. Florida native and familiar prep Chaminade-Madonna product Derrek Cooper has been a common theme this recruiting class, and fortunately for the Buckeyes he will continue to be.
The No. 30 player nationally and second-ranked athlete in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Cooper took to social media on Thursday to share the latest news in his recruitment as he narrowed it down to just five remaining schools he is still considering before making his commitment.
In addition to Ohio State, four southern schools in Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Texas were left with a chance. From that list, Texas is the only program listed that doesn’t have a true running back already committed, so they have the ability to prioritize him as the guy. Still, this can be anyone’s race if they put their money with their mouth is.
The Buckeyes are still recruiting the top running back in the class in Savion Hiter, but with Michigan and Tennessee reportedly offering more money in the NIL aspects, Ohio State may not be as much of a threat down the stretch. Regardless, Ohio State is in the top schools list for both Cooper and Hiter. If they really want a second back in this class, they’re going to have to pony up it seems.
Cooper’s commitment coming July 20. Ohio State won’t have to wait long to see their fate and whether or not they need to pivot elsewhere, but this late into the summer the options are coming off the board.
Not looking good for Ohio State to land four-star edge rusher
The position in this class facing the most scrutiny for Ohio State’s 2026 class is edge rusher. Just one player committed thanks to Khary Wilder, the Buckeyes have missed out thus far on basically all of their top targets they’ve put a ton of time and effort into. NIL amounts being the main reason for finishing runner-up many times, it’s a tough place to be in whether or not these deals end up panning out or not.
Ohio State’s options are wearing thin, and Texas native KJ Ford is in many aspects the last true big name player the Buckeyes are chasing in this cycle before having to reassess where to go if they are to miss out. Making his top three schools list just last week, Ford kept the Buckeyes in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M, but with his planned commitment coming later today, Thursday that sent a major change to his recruitment if the predictions hold true.
Coming out of left field, Alabama was pegged as the landing spot by On3’s Steve Wiltfong. Similar to the Felix Ojo’s recruitment to Texas Tech, it’s another instance where a program not originally in the running makes a late push and becomes a real threat. The No. 116 player nationally and 15th best edge rusher per the 247Sports Composite, it’s easy to see why bigger offers are coming late in the game with not many of these caliber guys left.
Learning their fate today, it’s not likely Ohio State wins this recruitment, and it will be another blow to the cycle that hasn’t been real kind at the edge rusher position. A spot that’s thin on the current roster thanks to similar recruiting cycles the last couple of years, the Buckeyes have some major work to do to reload this group of importance following this season.
Whether that’s now or through the transfer portal, Larry Johnson and Ohio State need to adjust and do so quickly.
Continue reading...
LGHL National champion Buckeyes nominated for ESPY Award
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National champion Buckeyes nominated for ESPY Award
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 Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team nominated for an ESPY
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Why does Ohio State have fake players in new EA Sports game?
Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch
Projecting starting unit for talented, deep Ohio State offensive line
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
What did Caleb Downs say about the 2025 OSU defense’s potential?
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Bold Predictions: Ohio State players will win the next 3 NFL Rookie of the Year awards
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grand Holy Land
Breaking down Ohio State’s position battles before fall camp
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State’s 2022 Recruiting Class Looks to Make Mark in 2025 Even Though Two-Thirds of Class is Gone
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Making the case for Jaylen McClain to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Making the case for Malik Hartford to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State commit Alex Smith discusses transfer to Prolific Prep: ‘It was not an easy decision’
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
How Ohio State’s Kary Hollenbaugh became one of the nation’s top golfers
Dave Purpura, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Gymnastics: Kameron Nelson Named CSC Academic All-America
Ohio State Athletics
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 Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team nominated for an ESPY
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Why does Ohio State have fake players in new EA Sports game?
Brian Hedger, The Columbus Dispatch
Projecting starting unit for talented, deep Ohio State offensive line
Austin Ward, Lettermen Row
What did Caleb Downs say about the 2025 OSU defense’s potential?
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Bold Predictions: Ohio State players will win the next 3 NFL Rookie of the Year awards
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grand Holy Land
Breaking down Ohio State’s position battles before fall camp
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State’s 2022 Recruiting Class Looks to Make Mark in 2025 Even Though Two-Thirds of Class is Gone
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Making the case for Jaylen McClain to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Making the case for Malik Hartford to start at safety for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
On the Hardwood
Ohio State commit Alex Smith discusses transfer to Prolific Prep: ‘It was not an easy decision’
Mick Walker, Lettermen Row
Outside the Shoe and Schott
How Ohio State’s Kary Hollenbaugh became one of the nation’s top golfers
Dave Purpura, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Gymnastics: Kameron Nelson Named CSC Academic All-America
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Ohio schools, get ready! Fitness challenge coming soon….. pic.twitter.com/6gxZVLuQ8j
— Lt. Governor Jim Tressel (@LtGovJimTressel) July 9, 2025
Continue reading...
LGHL Bold Predictions: Devin Royal will be named First Team All-Big Ten this year
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- 0 Replies
Bold Predictions: Devin Royal will be named First Team All-Big Ten 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 Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The Pickerington forward showed tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore year. Now it’s time for Royal to make a huge leap in his junior season at Ohio State.
This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
To say Ohio State men’s basketball has been tough to watch recently is an understatement. The Buckeyes haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2022, and they haven’t made the second weekend of the tournament since 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Over the last two seasons, Ohio State has played .500 basketball, posting a 30-30 record during that time.
Despite their recent struggles, there are reasons to be excited about the upcoming Buckeye basketball season. While Bruce Thornton will receive a lot of the headlines as the season opener in the fall inches closer, I’ll be focused on another player who I think will have a strong season.
Devin Royal made a noticeable improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons, and I think he is going to make another leap in his junior season.
So just how good do I think Royal is going to be this year? I don’t think it’s crazy to expect Royal to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors when the all-conference teams are announced ahead of the Big Ten Tournament in March.
After averaging 11.2 minutes per game, 4.7 points per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, last year Royal saw a significant uptick in playing time, averaging nearly 29 minutes per game. With his expanded role, Royal finished his sophomore season with 13.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Royal started off his season like a house of fire as a sophomore, reaching double figures in scoring in 10 of the first 13 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points against Valparaiso. During that span, Royal also pulled down at least 10 rebounds in three of those games.
While Royal would only have one other game the rest of the season where he reached double figures in rebounds, he wasn’t non-existent on the glass in those contests, recording at least four rebounds in each of the final 18 games.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26052001/2196471398.jpg "Iowa v Ohio State")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
What I’m banking on is Royal continuing to improve on the offensive end and his scoring this coming season will be closer to 20 points per game. Last season saw Royal’s role increase on the floor, which resulted in increased scoring. Heading into his third season with the program, the Pickerington product will show more consistency as the season moves along.
Last year during conference play, there was a stretch where Royal failed to score more than eight points in five of six games. The only game during that span where he did reach double figures came against Michigan when he scored 26 points. At times it was truly boom or bust for Royal.
Heading into last season there was optimism about the Buckeyes because of the size they brought in from the transfer portal with Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart. Unfortunately both Bradshaw and Stewart were largely ineffective, meaning Royal was shouldering more of the load than expected.
This season Ohio State is going in a different direction with their bigs, as Bradshaw and Stewart have transferred out of the program, while Santa Clara’s Christoph Tilly is joining the program.
With Tilly in the frontcourt with Royal, the transfer should be able to take some of the attention away from the third-year Buckeye forward. Also, Royal will be a favorite target of Bruce Thornton, who has shown he can make plays by driving the lane and dishing the rock to an open teammate.
Since Thornton and Royal will be entering their third year together, there will be a lot of comfort between the two, and they have all the makings of not only being one of the best guard/forward combos in the Big Ten, they could also hold their own against a lot of the top duos in the country.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26052003/1945186983.jpg "Ohio State v Michigan")
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
I’m not saying Ohio State’s men’s basketball team is going to match how the football team performed in the face of adversity following their loss to Michigan which kicked off their magical title run, but I do think Thornton and Royal are tired of hearing the negativity surrounding the program. As upperclassmen, expect them to set the tone this season as they go to bat for their head coach and prove that Jake Diebler is the right guy for the job.
It’s not going to be easy for Royal to make the Big Ten’s first team since not only the likes of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Brice Williams, and Nick Martinelli returning this season, Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB transferred to Michigan to bolster the depth in the front court in the Big Ten this season.
I believe that iron sharpens iron, so Royal is not only going to be better because of his battles with those who have already made a name for themselves in the conference already, but he’ll also be ready for the new blood that will be entering the Big Ten.
Who knows, maybe I’m getting a little too bold by overestimating just how much of a leap Royal is going to make this year. Then again, there hasn’t been a ton of excitement around the men’s basketball program recently so I figure I might as well set the bar high in what I’m expecting out of Royal this year since there isn’t a lot to lose.
No matter what happens this year with Royal and the basketball team, we can all agree on one thing... Go Bucks!
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 Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The Pickerington forward showed tremendous improvement from his freshman to sophomore year. Now it’s time for Royal to make a huge leap in his junior season at Ohio State.
This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
To say Ohio State men’s basketball has been tough to watch recently is an understatement. The Buckeyes haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2022, and they haven’t made the second weekend of the tournament since 2013, when they lost in the Elite Eight to Wichita State. Over the last two seasons, Ohio State has played .500 basketball, posting a 30-30 record during that time.
Despite their recent struggles, there are reasons to be excited about the upcoming Buckeye basketball season. While Bruce Thornton will receive a lot of the headlines as the season opener in the fall inches closer, I’ll be focused on another player who I think will have a strong season.
Devin Royal made a noticeable improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons, and I think he is going to make another leap in his junior season.
So just how good do I think Royal is going to be this year? I don’t think it’s crazy to expect Royal to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors when the all-conference teams are announced ahead of the Big Ten Tournament in March.
After averaging 11.2 minutes per game, 4.7 points per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, last year Royal saw a significant uptick in playing time, averaging nearly 29 minutes per game. With his expanded role, Royal finished his sophomore season with 13.7 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Royal started off his season like a house of fire as a sophomore, reaching double figures in scoring in 10 of the first 13 games, which included scoring a career-high 31 points against Valparaiso. During that span, Royal also pulled down at least 10 rebounds in three of those games.
While Royal would only have one other game the rest of the season where he reached double figures in rebounds, he wasn’t non-existent on the glass in those contests, recording at least four rebounds in each of the final 18 games.
What I’m banking on is Royal continuing to improve on the offensive end and his scoring this coming season will be closer to 20 points per game. Last season saw Royal’s role increase on the floor, which resulted in increased scoring. Heading into his third season with the program, the Pickerington product will show more consistency as the season moves along.
Last year during conference play, there was a stretch where Royal failed to score more than eight points in five of six games. The only game during that span where he did reach double figures came against Michigan when he scored 26 points. At times it was truly boom or bust for Royal.
Heading into last season there was optimism about the Buckeyes because of the size they brought in from the transfer portal with Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart. Unfortunately both Bradshaw and Stewart were largely ineffective, meaning Royal was shouldering more of the load than expected.
This season Ohio State is going in a different direction with their bigs, as Bradshaw and Stewart have transferred out of the program, while Santa Clara’s Christoph Tilly is joining the program.
With Tilly in the frontcourt with Royal, the transfer should be able to take some of the attention away from the third-year Buckeye forward. Also, Royal will be a favorite target of Bruce Thornton, who has shown he can make plays by driving the lane and dishing the rock to an open teammate.
Since Thornton and Royal will be entering their third year together, there will be a lot of comfort between the two, and they have all the makings of not only being one of the best guard/forward combos in the Big Ten, they could also hold their own against a lot of the top duos in the country.
I’m not saying Ohio State’s men’s basketball team is going to match how the football team performed in the face of adversity following their loss to Michigan which kicked off their magical title run, but I do think Thornton and Royal are tired of hearing the negativity surrounding the program. As upperclassmen, expect them to set the tone this season as they go to bat for their head coach and prove that Jake Diebler is the right guy for the job.
It’s not going to be easy for Royal to make the Big Ten’s first team since not only the likes of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Brice Williams, and Nick Martinelli returning this season, Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB transferred to Michigan to bolster the depth in the front court in the Big Ten this season.
I believe that iron sharpens iron, so Royal is not only going to be better because of his battles with those who have already made a name for themselves in the conference already, but he’ll also be ready for the new blood that will be entering the Big Ten.
Who knows, maybe I’m getting a little too bold by overestimating just how much of a leap Royal is going to make this year. Then again, there hasn’t been a ton of excitement around the men’s basketball program recently so I figure I might as well set the bar high in what I’m expecting out of Royal this year since there isn’t a lot to lose.
No matter what happens this year with Royal and the basketball team, we can all agree on one thing... Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
