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LGHL Buckeyes receive both good and bad news ahead of a major recruiting weekend

Buckeyes receive both good and bad news ahead of a major recruiting weekend
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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Jahkeem Stewart | 247Sports

Two recruits highlight the latest rumblings surrounding this weekend’s guest list.

Ohio State getting back on the gridiron is exactly what the program and fanbase needs. All of the talk for the past two weeks has been about the 32-31 loss on the road to Oregon; and by now, everybody is essentially beating a dead horse. While there are certainly things to be concerned about and no loss is ever ideal, in this new world of an expanded playoff, if the Buckeye take care of what they need to for the next six weeks, they still have all of their goals ahead of them.

Not only is Saturday’s matchup against Nebraska a chance to improve on the Buckeyes’ shortcomings, but it is also the first home game in three weeks, which affords Ohio State with a major recruiting opportunity.

Stewart heading to Columbus this weekend


There may not be a player more talented in the country than defensive lineman, Jahkeem Stewart. A 6-foot-6, 270-pound athlete, Stewart is certainly not a new name on the recruiting scene, but knowing that he should be just a high school junior makes his resume that much more impressive as he is currently the No. 16 player nationally and third-best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades in the 2025 class following his reclassification.

Moving from the 2026 cycle to the current 2025 class just a few short weeks ago, Stewart’s recruitment immediately got that much more intense, and Ohio State is a major part of that with a real shot of being the five-star recruit’s final destination.

Yesterday, Stewart’s visit plans for this weekend went public and he will be in Columbus this weekend to see Ohio State host Nebraska. This a huge development for the chances of landing his eventual decision and the Buckeyes know how important this visit is, so they will be pulling out the stops to ensure that he leaves Columbus with a vision of how he fits into the program in the long run.

With six current commits along the defensive line for this 2025 haul, Stewart is a player you take regardless of how many people are already committed. A game-changer and potential Day 1 starter, you do everything it takes to get him to Columbus. Knowing that multiple Ohio State defensive line commits have had visits elsewhere, this staff knows that there’s a possibility that some current commits might end up elsewhere.

At any rate, Jahkeem will be on site Saturday and that’s a big win for the Buckeyes. Family included, Stewart will have the scarlet carpet treatment all weekend long and, hopefully, this is a major step in the direction of landing his pledge when all is said and done.


Five-star DL Jahkeem Stewart will visit Ohio State this weekend. In addition to his future official visits, also has a return trip to Oregon set. The latest here: https://t.co/7LczAN5KK9 pic.twitter.com/oV4xGNaYQT

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) October 23, 2024

Buckeyes no longer hosting one of their own


There’s arguably not been an Ohio State commit this cycle that has been talked about as much as five-star defensive back Na’eem Offord. The Alabama native is the No. 10 player nationally and third-best cornerback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite grades as well as the third highest-ranked player in Ohio State’s class. Simply put, he means a ton to this haul and is a player that the staff wants to hold onto badly, especially as he is being recruited hard by several other programs.

Multiple trips to Auburn have sparked a bit of worry from Ohio State’s fans, and then seeing him on the Oregon sideline two weeks ago certainly didn’t help the sting of the loss. Shortly after his trip to Eugene, he went on his social media vocalizing that he’s not going to flip and, while he’s said and done all of the right things, the trips to other schools do raise a bit of concern. However, if he was to get back to Ohio State it would go a long way to easing the concerns that he may be looking elsewhere.

If he does make it back to Columbus this season, it won’t be for the Nebraska game. A visit was planned for this weekend since Offord’s prep team plays tonight which would allow plenty of travel time for him to get to Columbus for a 12 noon kickoff. However, those plans have changed as yesterday it was reported that Offord will no longer be making the trek from Alabama. Instead, he will be staying home to see family play.

An unfortunate development to say the least, and doesn’t help to ease the worry about a potential flip. Seeing Penn State going hard after Oregon commit, Brandon Finney and looking more and more likely that they will flip his commitment doesn’t help knowing that the Ducks would in turn go extra hard for Offord to replace him.

What Buckeye fans need to see now is if Na’eem makes the trip to Columbus for the regular season finale against Michigan. If he is there, the hand-wringing should decrease significantly. If he isn’t, the writing may be on the wall that he is likely to commit elsewhere. Offord is a major part of this class and the staff will undoubtedly keep fighting to have him in the fold up until he signs his national letter of intent. Buckle up. This is recruiting in 2024.

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LGHL Jaloni Cambridge feels “right at home” with Ohio State women’s basketball

Jaloni Cambridge feels “right at home” with Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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The Ohio State University Athletic Department

The No. 2 overall 2024 recruit joining the Buckeyes stretches far beyond a familial bond

College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.



There’s a hard truth when it comes to college sports. The student athletes competing on national television, streaming on ESPN and popping up in daily social media scrolling are 18-years-old.

A small percentage of people directly out of high school compete at the NCAA level. Should you be over 18, especially those where it’s been a while since the teens were part of the conversation, it’s hard to remember what it's like to be 18 years old.

Now, imagine you’re one of those rare 18-year-olds who make it to college sports. Narrowing that figure down even more, imagine you’re the only person in the nation listed as the best of a single basketball position in the entire recruiting class.

That’s Ohio State women’s basketball freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge.

Part of a college basketball coach’s responsibility is taking care of their players. Especially considering how much brighter the lights are in the college game over even then top level of elite high school basketball.

For the Buckeyes, that means that freshman aren’t frequently used in the media. Normally, their initiation to a pool of reporters comes after the young player has a breakout game and there’s no choice but to put them in front of the press to hear what they have to say.

“I don’t want to over overhype it because we haven’t played a game yet,” said head coach Kevin McGuff about Cambridge. “And I don’t want to put undue pressure on her, but I do see a bright, bright future ahead for her.”

Even for a tenured coach like McGuff, it’s still hard to hold back on adding to the hype. In the same conversation, the 12-year Ohio State coach said Cambridge has been “as good as advertised.”

Cambridge is quick, decisive and, in high school, showed a unique ability to completely take over a game. The list of suitors was long for the services of second youngest in a family devoted to the sport of basketball.

The Cambridges feature a dad whose exploits at the college level are in NCAA lore, notching 160 steals in a season which is still a record today. All five of Cambridge’s older siblings play or played Division I college basketball.

Buckeye fans know one of them, redshirt sophomore transfer Kennedy Cambridge. The former Kentucky Wildcat joined Ohio State in the summer of 2023, but hasn’t stepped on the court. It’s a transfer built off attention given to the incoming freshman, after Kennedy grabbed the phone from Jaloni when Buckeyes assistant coach Jalen Powell was checking in on the program-shifting recruit, as profiled in a feature on Powell last year on LGHL.

It’s easy to chalk up the youngest Cambridge sister’s choice of Ohio State to wanting to again play with big sister.

“I mean she wasn’t the main reason I came here,” said Cambridge with a smirk. Almost to not let it get to Kennedy’s head, who in a short time at Ohio State is already known for her sense of humor.

The Ohio State University athletic department
Jaloni (left) and Kennedy Cambridge (right)

No, the youngest Cambridge daughter has been the focus of Ohio State recruiting for a couple years now. In November of 2022, Cambridge visited the program. The Buckeyes became one of seven finalists in her search, including the biggest names in the sport like Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers.

It wasn’t a sister that pushed Cambridge to join Ohio State, at least not fully. But, there was a bond that convinced the No. 1 ranked point guard to pick scarlet and gray. The team itself was a family to Cambridge before the program won the recruit lottery when she committed on Dec. 29, 2023.

“It just makes me feel welcome and just so happy to be here,” said Cambridge. “Since I’ve gotten here, since I’ve committed, just everything I’ve just felt so at home even though I’m far away from home.”

After becoming Ohio State’s first McDonald’s All-American since Kierstan Ball in 2019, the bonds within the team have grown stronger. Take for instance the relationship with graduate senior Madison Greene, a player on the opposite side of her college career to Cambridge.

At Media Day, when questions focused on the departure of beloved program star Jacy Sheldon, Greene gave a glowing review of Cambridge.

“This past week she’s been doing a lot of really good defense. Like she’s been like running through balls. You know how Jacy does, stealing the ball and doing a lot of great things like that,” said Greene. “And she’s quick off the dribble, has a quick first step, just like Jacy does. So nothing’s changed in practice.”

Hard to hold back the hype with comments like that, but from the outside looking in, it’s not something that’s gotten to Cambridge’s head. The relationship with Greene goes both ways.

Wednesday, sitting next to Greene in her first press conference at Ohio State, sitting in a room with six Big Ten championship trophies lining the conference room table, Cambridge points back to how Greene’s been there for the freshman.

“I mean she has experience. It’s nothing really more from that just experience just to be able to see the type of leader that she is on and off the court,” said Cambridge. “It’s just amazing to you know look up to someone with that type of capability.”

Helping to grow that family is the mindset in practice. Despite the program losing three starting graduate seniors, and two more graduating or transferring who played important roles off the bench, the small upperclassmen group doesn’t get favored by the coaching staff.

Watch a Buckeyes practice and there’s equal attention given to all players, for both praise and punishment. Playing against the practice team, anyone who doesn’t get a rebound or lets their assignment score on transition defense has to run laps.

Then, as the players form a circle and they start playing a box out game against the practice team guys and assistant coaches, the team cheers on their teammates as they have three seconds to stop their opponent from touching the basketball. Three seconds that feels like 10. If the person gets the ball, you guessed it, laps.

The transition for Cambridge has been easier with a sister on the roster, but she’s also played alongside fellow freshman Ava Watson. Both Cambridge and Watson played together in AAU basketball, meaning that bonds were a little easier to create.

Watson and Cambridge represent a potentially lethal backcourt duo in the coming years, with Watson entering Ohio State from a team that loved to press and with her knack for hitting long shots.

The Ohio State University athletic department
Jaloni Cambridge (left) and Ava Watson (right)

After multiple trips to Columbus on visits, knowing her teammates and glowing when she talks about her love of the sport, it truly does feel like family.

“Family is a huge thing to me,” said Cambridge. “I really got here because of my family and you know what I want to be as I keep playing I have to do that with a family environment.”

Within each family there’s always that one. Someone who will keep you humble. That’s junior forward Cotie McMahon.

In 2023, Cambridge made another visit a couple weeks before committing to Ohio State. On Instagram, coach Powell shared a photo of Cambridge standing alongside the whiteboard where she marked her visits.

Jalen Powell on Instagram | @jalenxpowell
Jaloni Cambridge visiting Ohio State

Scrawled between two of those “Jaloni was here” entries was one by McMahon that points to Cambridge’s marks and adds “No one cares.”

There’s always one.

Cambridge was asked who McMahon is in the Buckeyes family.

“Anything you want her to be honestly. She could play all roles, but that’s just love at the end of the day,” said Cambridge. “She’s just such a great person just to have around family or not. She’s just so amazing. That’s her way of acceptance.”

On Nov. 5, when Ohio State plays its first game of the season, against Cleveland State, that acceptance starts to grow out to what the players fondly call Buckeye Nation.

It’ll be difficult to slow down the hype train once it starts going.

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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Adam Jardy joins to discuss the Cincinnati exhibition game, A’mare Bynum

Bucketheads Podcast: Adam Jardy joins to discuss the Cincinnati exhibition game, A’mare Bynum
justingolba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Enquirer

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We preview the season, answer all the burning questions from the exhibition, and discuss the anticipated Oasis Tour.

“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.



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For episode 133 of Bucketheads, we are joined by Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer and Oasis super fan Adam Jardy to talk all things Buckeyes men's hoops.

First of all, since we have 33 percent of the Ohio State media that attended the Cincinnati exhibition on this podcast, Justin played moderator for Connor and Adam as they answered all the questions that the public had coming away from the game since it was unable to be watched.

We also previewed the season as a whole, took stock of where the current team is in terms of development, and you won’t believe where Adam is going to see Oasis.

Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!



Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter:
@BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor:
Twitter:
@lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter:
@justin_golba

Connect with Adam:
Twitter:
@AdamJardy

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