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LGHL As focus shifts to Ohio State women’s basketball, team looks further inward
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As focus shifts to Ohio State women’s basketball, team looks further inward
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
What’s fueling the protective shell built around the No. 2 Buckeyes?
Thursday, the NCAA selection committee announced its first top-16 ranking, as the regular season inches closer to its finale. In it, Ohio State women’s basketball earned a No. 3 ranking, meaning a likely No. 1 seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Combine that with a No. 2 ranking in the country by the Associated Press and it’s an exciting time for the Buckeyes — if they cared about that kind of stuff.
The scarlet and gray are on a 12-game winning streak, defeating the likes of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and seemingly looking stronger each time the team takes the court. Wednesday, it was a 33-point victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a team coming off a win over the then-No. 2 ranked Hawkeyes.
It would be easy for players to be swept up in the excitement, but the Buckeyes have been in a spot like this before, and it is just a quick trip down memory lane to January 2023.
Starting the 2023 calendar year, Ohio State was on a 19-game winning streak, creating a program record for the best opening of a season. Then it all crumbled down. Ohio State lost on a triple-double day for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, followed by a loss in Assembly Hall to the Hoosiers, then it was a home defeat to the Purdue Boilermakers.
All in all, the lack of success started a chain reaction of subpar performances that weren’t fully recovered from until the Buckeyes found their form again at the end of the regular season, carrying it to the Elite Eight.
During last season’s build-up, players and coaches all said the right things, about focusing on the next game. Still, when losses turned into more losses, and performances continually slumping, it was hard to believe it in hindsight.
Before Ohio State faced the Michigan State Spartans, on Sunday, the Hawkeyes let go of a 14-point deficit to fall to the Cornhuskers. That was 45 minutes before the scarlet and gray tipped off in East Lansing, Michigan.
Buckeyes’ graduate senior guard Celeste Taylor was completely unaware.
“We played probably when they were still playing. So we didn’t find out until after the fact,” said Taylor. “We’re not focused on the outside noise. A lot of things are internal here and things that we want to keep together as a unit, a family, and keep it inside.”
OSU’s on-court performances in 2024 have made these kinds of comments more believable. Ohio State went on to win 86-71 against Sparty, a win sandwiched between two defensive showings holding Big Ten opponents to 47 points. The Buckeyes’ victories have shown a hungrier defensive side compared to past seasons. How are the scarlet and gray able to protect themselves from a place of comfort that an abundance of praise can often create?
“I think just having this tight-knit group and having so many people who wanna win,” said graduate senior guard Jacy Sheldon. “Everybody here wants to win, everybody wants to see everyone do well. I think that’s rare in a group and especially a group that’s talented, so it’s exciting.”
After coming back from 12 points down to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Jan. 21, a deficit the Buckeyes weren’t aware of until asked about it after the game, Ohio State had a bit of a big-win hangover, but saw it through the other side to start playing its best basketball of the season.
Following two close calls in away games against the Illinois Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers, the Scarlet and Gray are overwhelming opponents. Against the then No. 10 ranked Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State held a 14-point lead in the second half. The next game, against the Wisconsin Badgers, was a record-tying 39-point third quarter of scoring for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side.
In the last five games alone, the Buckeyes outscored opponents 139-59 in the third quarter. It isn’t only offense. In February, three of Ohio State’s five wins ended with opponents scoring less than 50 points. The Buckeyes are reaching impressive numbers not only with its starting five but a deep bench.
“We’re getting really positive contributions from a lot of people, and I think it’s going to be important,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “Given our style of play, we want to be really fresh in March, and I think our bench is going to have to be a big part of that.”
Against the Cornhuskers, multiple players took their turns impacting the game as substitutes. Guard Rikki Harris went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, scoring 11 points. Forward Taiyier Parks grabbed three rebounds against Nebraska’s interior presence of center Alexis Markowski and forward Natalie Potts.
Now, on a break until Thursday, Feb. 22, Ohio State takes its “next game” focus into the final four games of the season, with fate sitting in the team’s hands alone. Win three of the next four and a piece of the Big Ten regular season title belongs to the Buckeyes. Win all four and the hardware is the Scarlet and gray’s alone.
Should Ohio State continue its winning ways, especially in a rematch against the Hawkeyes on March 3, it’ll be increasingly more difficult for the inner sanctum of the Buckeyes to hold off the noise.
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
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
What’s fueling the protective shell built around the No. 2 Buckeyes?
Thursday, the NCAA selection committee announced its first top-16 ranking, as the regular season inches closer to its finale. In it, Ohio State women’s basketball earned a No. 3 ranking, meaning a likely No. 1 seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Combine that with a No. 2 ranking in the country by the Associated Press and it’s an exciting time for the Buckeyes — if they cared about that kind of stuff.
The scarlet and gray are on a 12-game winning streak, defeating the likes of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, and seemingly looking stronger each time the team takes the court. Wednesday, it was a 33-point victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a team coming off a win over the then-No. 2 ranked Hawkeyes.
It would be easy for players to be swept up in the excitement, but the Buckeyes have been in a spot like this before, and it is just a quick trip down memory lane to January 2023.
Starting the 2023 calendar year, Ohio State was on a 19-game winning streak, creating a program record for the best opening of a season. Then it all crumbled down. Ohio State lost on a triple-double day for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, followed by a loss in Assembly Hall to the Hoosiers, then it was a home defeat to the Purdue Boilermakers.
All in all, the lack of success started a chain reaction of subpar performances that weren’t fully recovered from until the Buckeyes found their form again at the end of the regular season, carrying it to the Elite Eight.
During last season’s build-up, players and coaches all said the right things, about focusing on the next game. Still, when losses turned into more losses, and performances continually slumping, it was hard to believe it in hindsight.
Before Ohio State faced the Michigan State Spartans, on Sunday, the Hawkeyes let go of a 14-point deficit to fall to the Cornhuskers. That was 45 minutes before the scarlet and gray tipped off in East Lansing, Michigan.
Buckeyes’ graduate senior guard Celeste Taylor was completely unaware.
“We played probably when they were still playing. So we didn’t find out until after the fact,” said Taylor. “We’re not focused on the outside noise. A lot of things are internal here and things that we want to keep together as a unit, a family, and keep it inside.”
OSU’s on-court performances in 2024 have made these kinds of comments more believable. Ohio State went on to win 86-71 against Sparty, a win sandwiched between two defensive showings holding Big Ten opponents to 47 points. The Buckeyes’ victories have shown a hungrier defensive side compared to past seasons. How are the scarlet and gray able to protect themselves from a place of comfort that an abundance of praise can often create?
“I think just having this tight-knit group and having so many people who wanna win,” said graduate senior guard Jacy Sheldon. “Everybody here wants to win, everybody wants to see everyone do well. I think that’s rare in a group and especially a group that’s talented, so it’s exciting.”
After coming back from 12 points down to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Jan. 21, a deficit the Buckeyes weren’t aware of until asked about it after the game, Ohio State had a bit of a big-win hangover, but saw it through the other side to start playing its best basketball of the season.
Following two close calls in away games against the Illinois Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers, the Scarlet and Gray are overwhelming opponents. Against the then No. 10 ranked Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State held a 14-point lead in the second half. The next game, against the Wisconsin Badgers, was a record-tying 39-point third quarter of scoring for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side.
In the last five games alone, the Buckeyes outscored opponents 139-59 in the third quarter. It isn’t only offense. In February, three of Ohio State’s five wins ended with opponents scoring less than 50 points. The Buckeyes are reaching impressive numbers not only with its starting five but a deep bench.
“We’re getting really positive contributions from a lot of people, and I think it’s going to be important,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “Given our style of play, we want to be really fresh in March, and I think our bench is going to have to be a big part of that.”
Against the Cornhuskers, multiple players took their turns impacting the game as substitutes. Guard Rikki Harris went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, scoring 11 points. Forward Taiyier Parks grabbed three rebounds against Nebraska’s interior presence of center Alexis Markowski and forward Natalie Potts.
. @TaiyierParks fans rise uppic.twitter.com/Gt1pJOY4qP
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) February 15, 2024
Now, on a break until Thursday, Feb. 22, Ohio State takes its “next game” focus into the final four games of the season, with fate sitting in the team’s hands alone. Win three of the next four and a piece of the Big Ten regular season title belongs to the Buckeyes. Win all four and the hardware is the Scarlet and gray’s alone.
Should Ohio State continue its winning ways, especially in a rematch against the Hawkeyes on March 3, it’ll be increasingly more difficult for the inner sanctum of the Buckeyes to hold off the noise.
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which coaches would not be a good hire for the Ohio State men’s basketball team?
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You’re Nuts: Which coaches would not be a good hire for the Ohio State men’s basketball team?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
There’s plenty of lists of good candidates on the internet already. Here’s who we think wouldn’t be good hires for this program.
Well, here we are. Ohio State has officially parted ways with head coach Chris Holtmann during his seventh season, as the Buckeyes are currently 14-11 overall and 4-10 in the Big Ten.
Now that Holtmann is out of the picture, incoming athletic director Ross Bjork will spearhead the search for the next leader of the Ohio State men’s basketball program once he begins in March.
Last week, Connor and Justin looked ahead on the Buckeyes’ schedule, and tried to predict if this team will play spoiler to anyone in the Big Ten who needs to avoid a bad loss — since Ohio State is once again considered a bad loss. 84% of people sided with Connor, saying the Buckeyes would either lose all of their games, or if they beat anyone, it wouldn’t be a win that would impact anyone’s tounament chances. The other 16% sided with Justin, who for some reason is adamant Ohio State is going to beat Michigan State at Breslin in a few weeks.
Connor- 67
There are dozens of names floating around the internet who could be candidates for the position. Most are sitting power conference coaches. Some are former Ohio State assistants. Others are retired Hall of Famers who are now working for CBS. Plenty of good options.
But who isn’t a good option?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25288848/usa_today_11617653.jpg "Syndication: Cincinnati")
Sam Greene
Let’s start with the good things about Mick Cronin. He’s a strong recruiter both domestically and internationally, even if some of the international recruits haven’t quite panned out this season. He’s shown the capability to win with both offensively and defensively-minded teams. He also spent 13 seasons at Cincinnati, where he went to the NCAA Tournament in each of his last nine seasons. So... he’s not not familiar with the midwest. In addition to Ohio State, he’s also been rumored to be a candidate for the Louisville job if it opens up once the season ends.
My hesitance with Cronin doesn’t have nearly as much to do with the credentials as it does his demeanor on the court and with the media, as well as his hefty buyout at UCLA. Throughout his career, Cronin has established a reputation as a hard-nosed, fiery coach who isn’t afraid to tell off his players and the officials. From the outside looking in, he doesn’t exactly look like a “player’s coach” even if he wins games. There’s been multiple times this season after UCLA losses where Cronin has either demeaned or embarassed media members, or just skipped the press conference altogether.
It doesn’t matter if you loved or hated Chris Holtmann, everyone agrees that the now-former head coach ran a program where players felt like they were part of a family. Holtmann treated his players like his own sons, and recruited kids who were easy to root for. He was almost always kind and thoughtful with the media, and made voluntarily extra appearances during the off-season. Something tells me Cronin doesn’t roll that way.
On top of that, Cronin has a $20 million-dollar buyout if he leaves before April 1. Since Ohio State is already paying Holtmann $12.8 million, it would be tough to pay multiple buyouts and then pay Cronin whatever his yearly salary would be. I do not see Ohio State doing that.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25288900/usa_today_22393961.jpg "NCAA Basketball: North Texas at Florida Atlantic")
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
I want to preface my answer by saying this really has nothing to do with his coaching ability. May is an awesome head coach with a proven track record and recent success in the NCAA Tournament, which is obviously a big deal to Ohio State fans.
For some background, if you are unfamiliar with the Florida Atlantic head coach, May is 120-65 as a head coach with an impressive 4-1 record in the NCAA Tournament. That is just one appearance, but it was a heck of a run in 2023.
May served as a student manager at Indiana under Bob Knight as an undergraduate from 1996 to 2000. He had video and administrative roles with both USC and Indiana before landing his first assistant coaching job at Eastern Michigan, where he was on staff for the 2005-06 season.
May followed Mike White to take an assistant coaching job at Florida, where he served from 2015 to 2018. He took the Florida Atlantic job in 2018, and it is his only head coaching job so far in his career.
The reason I am skeptical about going all in on May is the Indiana Hoosiers.
I fear he could be in Columbus for a short time. He is an Indiana guy who was born in the Hoosier State and learned under Bob Knight. If the Mike Woodson era would come to an end soon, May would be the first call Indiana makes. And no matter where he is or how long he has been there, I think there is merit to May leaving and going to Indiana.
So, if you hire him, I truly think there is a chance you could be doing a head coaching search again in a year or two. Similar to Mario Cristobal when he went from Oregon to Miami.
Maybe Woodson will turn it around at Indiana, or maybe May will not leave after a couple of years, but there are other coaches out there that have a similar resume or even better that you will not have this concern with.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
There’s plenty of lists of good candidates on the internet already. Here’s who we think wouldn’t be good hires for this program.
Well, here we are. Ohio State has officially parted ways with head coach Chris Holtmann during his seventh season, as the Buckeyes are currently 14-11 overall and 4-10 in the Big Ten.
Now that Holtmann is out of the picture, incoming athletic director Ross Bjork will spearhead the search for the next leader of the Ohio State men’s basketball program once he begins in March.
Last week, Connor and Justin looked ahead on the Buckeyes’ schedule, and tried to predict if this team will play spoiler to anyone in the Big Ten who needs to avoid a bad loss — since Ohio State is once again considered a bad loss. 84% of people sided with Connor, saying the Buckeyes would either lose all of their games, or if they beat anyone, it wouldn’t be a win that would impact anyone’s tounament chances. The other 16% sided with Justin, who for some reason is adamant Ohio State is going to beat Michigan State at Breslin in a few weeks.
After 139 weeks:
Connor- 67
Justin- 53
Other- 15
(There have been four ties)
There are dozens of names floating around the internet who could be candidates for the position. Most are sitting power conference coaches. Some are former Ohio State assistants. Others are retired Hall of Famers who are now working for CBS. Plenty of good options.
But who isn’t a good option?
Today’s Question: Which coach would not be good hire for Ohio State?
Connor: Mick Cronin
Let’s start with the good things about Mick Cronin. He’s a strong recruiter both domestically and internationally, even if some of the international recruits haven’t quite panned out this season. He’s shown the capability to win with both offensively and defensively-minded teams. He also spent 13 seasons at Cincinnati, where he went to the NCAA Tournament in each of his last nine seasons. So... he’s not not familiar with the midwest. In addition to Ohio State, he’s also been rumored to be a candidate for the Louisville job if it opens up once the season ends.
My hesitance with Cronin doesn’t have nearly as much to do with the credentials as it does his demeanor on the court and with the media, as well as his hefty buyout at UCLA. Throughout his career, Cronin has established a reputation as a hard-nosed, fiery coach who isn’t afraid to tell off his players and the officials. From the outside looking in, he doesn’t exactly look like a “player’s coach” even if he wins games. There’s been multiple times this season after UCLA losses where Cronin has either demeaned or embarassed media members, or just skipped the press conference altogether.
It doesn’t matter if you loved or hated Chris Holtmann, everyone agrees that the now-former head coach ran a program where players felt like they were part of a family. Holtmann treated his players like his own sons, and recruited kids who were easy to root for. He was almost always kind and thoughtful with the media, and made voluntarily extra appearances during the off-season. Something tells me Cronin doesn’t roll that way.
On top of that, Cronin has a $20 million-dollar buyout if he leaves before April 1. Since Ohio State is already paying Holtmann $12.8 million, it would be tough to pay multiple buyouts and then pay Cronin whatever his yearly salary would be. I do not see Ohio State doing that.
Justin: Dusty May
I want to preface my answer by saying this really has nothing to do with his coaching ability. May is an awesome head coach with a proven track record and recent success in the NCAA Tournament, which is obviously a big deal to Ohio State fans.
For some background, if you are unfamiliar with the Florida Atlantic head coach, May is 120-65 as a head coach with an impressive 4-1 record in the NCAA Tournament. That is just one appearance, but it was a heck of a run in 2023.
May served as a student manager at Indiana under Bob Knight as an undergraduate from 1996 to 2000. He had video and administrative roles with both USC and Indiana before landing his first assistant coaching job at Eastern Michigan, where he was on staff for the 2005-06 season.
May followed Mike White to take an assistant coaching job at Florida, where he served from 2015 to 2018. He took the Florida Atlantic job in 2018, and it is his only head coaching job so far in his career.
The reason I am skeptical about going all in on May is the Indiana Hoosiers.
I fear he could be in Columbus for a short time. He is an Indiana guy who was born in the Hoosier State and learned under Bob Knight. If the Mike Woodson era would come to an end soon, May would be the first call Indiana makes. And no matter where he is or how long he has been there, I think there is merit to May leaving and going to Indiana.
So, if you hire him, I truly think there is a chance you could be doing a head coaching search again in a year or two. Similar to Mario Cristobal when he went from Oregon to Miami.
Maybe Woodson will turn it around at Indiana, or maybe May will not leave after a couple of years, but there are other coaches out there that have a similar resume or even better that you will not have this concern with.
Continue reading...
LGHL Top linebacker targets react to Laurinaitis promotion, Ohio State gets another Crystal Ball for five-star safety
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- 0 Replies
Top linebacker targets react to Laurinaitis promotion, Ohio State gets another Crystal Ball for five-star safety
Caleb Houser 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 promotion of James Laurinaitis is a great thing for Ohio State in multiple areas, one of which being recruiting.
It’s been a busy offseason for Ohio State thus far, but it’s been an extremely successful one to say the least. Recruiting wins in the transfer portal own must of the luster and rightfully so. Still, other areas of the program have seen just as much success thanks to the aggressive approach this coaching staff is taking.
High school recruiting seems to be at an all-time high, and keeping the coaches in Columbus who are helping fuel that success is a major priority for Ryan Day. Fortunately, Thursday proved that this staff is locked in for the next few years, showing that good things are still to come.
Ohio State made a few moves for its 2024 coaching staff on Thursday. Most notably, the promotion of James Laurinaitis to the full-time linebackers coach is finally official.
A move that may have been coming for a while now, this is a major win for the program, as he brings a wealth of talent to the spot. Sure, the Buckeyes have already benefitted from him being a GA, but being in a more permanent role means he’s here for the long haul and gives him more responsibilities.
Of those responsibilities, recruiting is right at the front of the them. Already showing he’s capable of being a force on the trail, being a full-time position coach now means James has the ability to go out on the road recruiting rather than just doing so when prospects are on campus. Having done this the last couple of months thanks to the departure of Parker Fleming, Ohio State has seen the rewards of sending him all over the country, and odds are his success in this area is a big factor as to why the promotion came.
Looking to bring in multiple linebackers in this 2025 class, Laurinaitis already impresses Ohio State’s top targets because of his overall knowledge at the position. Having played at Ohio State and in the NFL for as long as he did, recruits respect a guy who’s been there and done that, and certainly shared their thoughts on why they too believe this was the right call.
Twitter being filled with stamps of approval from some of their top rated players is exactly why this was the right call for Ohio State, and why the Buckeyes should be in contention for some of the top players at this spot not only in 2025, but for years to come.
The recruiting wins for the defensive secondary the past two years may be close to the best in program history. In the 2024 class, Ohio State brought in three cornerbacks that each were huge additions and proved that Walton was really starting to figure things out on the recruiting trail as one of the better recruiters on this staff.
Now in 2025, Walton is not only one of the best on staff, but in the country as well as he currently has the top two cornerbacks nationally already committed in Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord. While these two-five stars would be enough in any recruiting class, the Buckeyes aren’t done yet, and are still in great shape to add more defensive backs for this cycle — one of which continues to see his named pegged to the Buckeyes.
The No. 25 player nationally and the top safety in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Faheem Delane has long been the top player on the board for the Buckeyes at the safety spot, and the last couple of weeks have been pretty fun to follow as the momentum for Ohio State looks to be really taking off. Receiving another 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes on Thursday, there’s now multiple national analysts that have Walton and Ohio State as the landing spot for Delane.
An addition that would give Ohio State the top two corners and the top safety overall, the work is not yet finished, but when there’s this much smoke it usually means there is fire. The boom could come at any time, and if it does you can label this defensive back haul as easily the best in the country and one of the best in Ohio State’s history.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The promotion of James Laurinaitis is a great thing for Ohio State in multiple areas, one of which being recruiting.
It’s been a busy offseason for Ohio State thus far, but it’s been an extremely successful one to say the least. Recruiting wins in the transfer portal own must of the luster and rightfully so. Still, other areas of the program have seen just as much success thanks to the aggressive approach this coaching staff is taking.
High school recruiting seems to be at an all-time high, and keeping the coaches in Columbus who are helping fuel that success is a major priority for Ryan Day. Fortunately, Thursday proved that this staff is locked in for the next few years, showing that good things are still to come.
Ohio State keeps Laurinaitis home
Ohio State made a few moves for its 2024 coaching staff on Thursday. Most notably, the promotion of James Laurinaitis to the full-time linebackers coach is finally official.
A move that may have been coming for a while now, this is a major win for the program, as he brings a wealth of talent to the spot. Sure, the Buckeyes have already benefitted from him being a GA, but being in a more permanent role means he’s here for the long haul and gives him more responsibilities.
Of those responsibilities, recruiting is right at the front of the them. Already showing he’s capable of being a force on the trail, being a full-time position coach now means James has the ability to go out on the road recruiting rather than just doing so when prospects are on campus. Having done this the last couple of months thanks to the departure of Parker Fleming, Ohio State has seen the rewards of sending him all over the country, and odds are his success in this area is a big factor as to why the promotion came.
Looking to bring in multiple linebackers in this 2025 class, Laurinaitis already impresses Ohio State’s top targets because of his overall knowledge at the position. Having played at Ohio State and in the NFL for as long as he did, recruits respect a guy who’s been there and done that, and certainly shared their thoughts on why they too believe this was the right call.
Twitter being filled with stamps of approval from some of their top rated players is exactly why this was the right call for Ohio State, and why the Buckeyes should be in contention for some of the top players at this spot not only in 2025, but for years to come.
The good vibes continue on for five-star safety
The recruiting wins for the defensive secondary the past two years may be close to the best in program history. In the 2024 class, Ohio State brought in three cornerbacks that each were huge additions and proved that Walton was really starting to figure things out on the recruiting trail as one of the better recruiters on this staff.
Now in 2025, Walton is not only one of the best on staff, but in the country as well as he currently has the top two cornerbacks nationally already committed in Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord. While these two-five stars would be enough in any recruiting class, the Buckeyes aren’t done yet, and are still in great shape to add more defensive backs for this cycle — one of which continues to see his named pegged to the Buckeyes.
The No. 25 player nationally and the top safety in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Faheem Delane has long been the top player on the board for the Buckeyes at the safety spot, and the last couple of weeks have been pretty fun to follow as the momentum for Ohio State looks to be really taking off. Receiving another 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Buckeyes on Thursday, there’s now multiple national analysts that have Walton and Ohio State as the landing spot for Delane.
An addition that would give Ohio State the top two corners and the top safety overall, the work is not yet finished, but when there’s this much smoke it usually means there is fire. The boom could come at any time, and if it does you can label this defensive back haul as easily the best in the country and one of the best in Ohio State’s history.
Continue reading...
2026 FL S Simeon Caldwell (Verbal Offer)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 3 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: S/LB
School: Jacksonville(FL) The Bolles School
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185lbs
Login to view embedded media
Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: S/LB
School: Jacksonville(FL) The Bolles School
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185lbs
Login to view embedded media
