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LGHL Players to Watch: Duke transfer guard Diana Collins looks to solidify Ohio State backcourt
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Players to Watch: Duke transfer guard Diana Collins looks to solidify Ohio State backcourt
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes its tough to break into women’s college basketball as a freshman, but this Buckeyes guard might not have that problem
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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Following the end of the 2022-23 Ohio State women’s basketball season, the guard position for the Buckeyes changed drastically. In last season’s Big Ten Co-Championship season and a 2023 NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, it was the likes of Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell, and Rikki Harris who led the way in the backcourt.
At the end of the 22-23 season, that picture changed drastically. The scarlet and gray lost a combination of existing star talent and players looking to find a way into the starting lineup. Mikesell left for the WNBA and three guards all transferred out of the program in Hevynne Bristow, Mya Perry, and Kaitlyn Costner.
Ohio State solidified at guard following those announcements, adding graduate senior and 2022-23 National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor from the Duke Blue Devils. Also, Kennedy Cambridge left the University of Kentucky after one season to don scarlet with three more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Taylor has all the makings of a star and Cambridge brings talent that could be unlocked by head coach Kevin McGuff, but the most intriguing player to watch this season is someone who hasn’t set foot into an NCAA game: Freshman Diana Collins.
In the past two seasons, it hasn’t been easy to get consistent minutes as a freshman guard for Ohio State. It’s led to departures like Perry, Costner, and now LSU Tiger Kateri Poole. Collins is going to be different.
Collins plays a game that looks similar to the graduate senior Sheldon. The 5-foot-10 guard moves quickly up the court, disrupts opponents on defense, and scores in bunches. Collins both shoots from deep and uses her crossover and dribbling ability to create separation and pull up with midrange efforts.
It’s no surprise to see Collins break down a defender and go to the basket too, or know where her teammates are on the court to find an open look.
With Brookwood High School, 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Collins averaged 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals a game. A point total that’s slightly down from a 22 points per-game average as a junior, but Collins made up for it in team hardware.
After scoring six points in the first half of the Georgia High School Association 7A title game, Collins scored 15 points, including the final three from the free throw line following a steal in the closing moments of the game. Collins’ nine fourth-quarter points led Brookwood to their first state title in school history.
Here are highlights from the game, with Collins in the No. 20 jersey.
Sheldon isn’t the only person Collins resembles on the court. The incoming freshman also has similarities to forward Cotie McMahon. Namely, the amount of experience playing against strong talent even before seeing an NCAA court.
Prior to the 22-23 season, McMahon cut her teeth against some of the best prospects in college basketball’s 2022 recruiting class with Team USA in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship. Coach McGuff applauded that work, saying it gave her an advantage over other incoming freshmen, leading to McMahon’s 22-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
Collins, who plays for Sweden internationally, has her fair share of competitive experience outside of high school too. Collins played in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship, averaging 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 28.8 average minutes.
Against Finland, Collins had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, putting Sweden into the Round of 16 before falling to France. Sweden ended the tournament in 11th place overall and won’t play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, like McMahon’s Team USA, but Collins showed her ability to play the best in her age group in Europe.
Domestically, Collins featured in multiple camps and top prospect competitions. This April, Collins played for the World Team against Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit. In May, Collins played in the Overtime WBB Takeover event in Atlanta, Georgia too.
It looks like Collins knows what it takes to compete early in the NCAA, taking advantage of all the opportunities coming her way before arriving on campus.
With both Sheldon and Taylor playing in their final seasons, the Buckeyes can’t afford to not let Collins adjust to the college game quickly. That means, expect Collins to come into games, mostly off the bench, to bring depth to the trio of Sheldon, Taylor and Harris, especially during smaller non-conference games.
Last season, the Buckeyes looked like they had depth but the injury bug bit hard. Sheldon missed most of the season with a foot injury and point guard Madison Greene sustained another knee injury that took her out for the rest of the season.
That meant Ohio State went down to two guards, with only one or two able to add brief minutes off the bench.
The ability of Collins added to the fold for 23-24 will give starters rest and set coach McGuff and the Buckeyes up for the future.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes its tough to break into women’s college basketball as a freshman, but this Buckeyes guard might not have that problem
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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Following the end of the 2022-23 Ohio State women’s basketball season, the guard position for the Buckeyes changed drastically. In last season’s Big Ten Co-Championship season and a 2023 NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, it was the likes of Jacy Sheldon, Taylor Mikesell, and Rikki Harris who led the way in the backcourt.
At the end of the 22-23 season, that picture changed drastically. The scarlet and gray lost a combination of existing star talent and players looking to find a way into the starting lineup. Mikesell left for the WNBA and three guards all transferred out of the program in Hevynne Bristow, Mya Perry, and Kaitlyn Costner.
Ohio State solidified at guard following those announcements, adding graduate senior and 2022-23 National Defensive Player of the Year finalist Celeste Taylor from the Duke Blue Devils. Also, Kennedy Cambridge left the University of Kentucky after one season to don scarlet with three more seasons of eligibility remaining.
Taylor has all the makings of a star and Cambridge brings talent that could be unlocked by head coach Kevin McGuff, but the most intriguing player to watch this season is someone who hasn’t set foot into an NCAA game: Freshman Diana Collins.
In the past two seasons, it hasn’t been easy to get consistent minutes as a freshman guard for Ohio State. It’s led to departures like Perry, Costner, and now LSU Tiger Kateri Poole. Collins is going to be different.
Collins plays a game that looks similar to the graduate senior Sheldon. The 5-foot-10 guard moves quickly up the court, disrupts opponents on defense, and scores in bunches. Collins both shoots from deep and uses her crossover and dribbling ability to create separation and pull up with midrange efforts.
It’s no surprise to see Collins break down a defender and go to the basket too, or know where her teammates are on the court to find an open look.
With Brookwood High School, 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Collins averaged 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals a game. A point total that’s slightly down from a 22 points per-game average as a junior, but Collins made up for it in team hardware.
After scoring six points in the first half of the Georgia High School Association 7A title game, Collins scored 15 points, including the final three from the free throw line following a steal in the closing moments of the game. Collins’ nine fourth-quarter points led Brookwood to their first state title in school history.
Here are highlights from the game, with Collins in the No. 20 jersey.
Sheldon isn’t the only person Collins resembles on the court. The incoming freshman also has similarities to forward Cotie McMahon. Namely, the amount of experience playing against strong talent even before seeing an NCAA court.
Prior to the 22-23 season, McMahon cut her teeth against some of the best prospects in college basketball’s 2022 recruiting class with Team USA in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship. Coach McGuff applauded that work, saying it gave her an advantage over other incoming freshmen, leading to McMahon’s 22-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
Collins, who plays for Sweden internationally, has her fair share of competitive experience outside of high school too. Collins played in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship, averaging 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 28.8 average minutes.
Against Finland, Collins had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, putting Sweden into the Round of 16 before falling to France. Sweden ended the tournament in 11th place overall and won’t play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, like McMahon’s Team USA, but Collins showed her ability to play the best in her age group in Europe.
Domestically, Collins featured in multiple camps and top prospect competitions. This April, Collins played for the World Team against Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit. In May, Collins played in the Overtime WBB Takeover event in Atlanta, Georgia too.
It looks like Collins knows what it takes to compete early in the NCAA, taking advantage of all the opportunities coming her way before arriving on campus.
With both Sheldon and Taylor playing in their final seasons, the Buckeyes can’t afford to not let Collins adjust to the college game quickly. That means, expect Collins to come into games, mostly off the bench, to bring depth to the trio of Sheldon, Taylor and Harris, especially during smaller non-conference games.
Last season, the Buckeyes looked like they had depth but the injury bug bit hard. Sheldon missed most of the season with a foot injury and point guard Madison Greene sustained another knee injury that took her out for the rest of the season.
That meant Ohio State went down to two guards, with only one or two able to add brief minutes off the bench.
The ability of Collins added to the fold for 23-24 will give starters rest and set coach McGuff and the Buckeyes up for the future.
Continue reading...
LGHL Players to Watch: Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun ready to compete at corner
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Players to Watch: Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun ready to compete at corner
Josh Dooley 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
Already more experienced than most other Buckeyes at his position, this true sophomore should play a big and important role for Ohio State in 2023.
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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
After a disappointing 2022 season that saw defensive backs roasted, toasted, and bullied at the catch point, Ohio State’s secondary was in desperate need of bodies, experience, and talent — especially on the outside.
Cam Brown, Ronnie Hickman, and Tanner McCalister all departed for the NFL, leaving cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Lathan Ransom as the only returning full-time starters. Other DBs, including Josh Proctor, Cam Martinez, Jordan Hancock, and Jyaire Brown received reps and/or filled in as a spot starter at some point last year but failed to inspire much confidence heading into the offseason.
So Ryan Day, Tim Walton, and Perry Eliano got aggressive in the transfer portal, something OSU fans had long been advocating for. Enter Davison Igbinosun.
Igbinosun, a 2022 Freshman All-American while playing for Ole Miss, put his name into the portal on Jan. 18 (2023), was contacted by Ohio State roughly a week later, and signed with the Buckeyes on Jan. 31. His commitment gave OSU secondary a much-needed infusion of talent and experience, at a CB position where the staff had many questions but very few answers.
The team’s safety room at least had players such as Proctor, Martinez, and Syracuse transfer Ja’Had Carter to fall back on, with 82 total appearances between them — not to mention five-star sensation Sonny Styles. Their CB group, on the other hand, “boasted” Burke, Hancock, Brown, and not much else, at least in terms of experience.
Interestingly enough, Igbinosun could have been playing in Columbus all this time (2022 included) if it were only up to him. As a four-star recruit out of New Jersey, he had serious interest in playing for Ohio State, even calling it the place he wanted to be since he was a kid. But for whatever reason, OSU never made a real effort to land him, which is frustrating if you look at the Buckeyes’ 2022 (defensive) recruiting class. However, I am not here to reopen old wounds. Igbinosun is wearing scarlet and gray now, and the present is all that matters.
The former Ole Miss Rebel was one of the top transfers available this offseason, and it is easy to see why. Listed at 6-foot-2, 185-200 pounds depending on where you look, Igbinosun boasts impressive physical traits and Power Five starting experience. Even better, he was bringing three years of eligibility to whichever school landed his services. And on top of everything else, Igibinosun also earned academic honors at Ole Miss. Seemingly the total package, on-field and off.
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Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Igbinosun registered 37 total tackles as a true freshman, showing both an ability to wrap up (nice for certain November rivalry games) and a willingness to get his hands dirty. Those same hands were unable to come down with an interception in 2022, but Igbinosun was credited with five pass breakups and generally held opposing wide receivers in check.
College Football News named him one of their Freshman All-Americans, and once in the portal, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 4 transfer CB available. They (247) also recognized Igbinosun as the 17th most impactful transfer of the entire offseason.
Now Igbinosun will compete for Ohio State’s starting CB role opposite Burke, and evidence points toward him being the early frontrunner. He has been one of the team’s standout players this spring, consistently garnering praise and performing especially well in practice. And he literally stands out among his peers, providing the size OSU has not had at their CB position since Jeff Okudah, a player Igbinosun has referenced and been complimentary of on multiple occasions. The latter is listed at 6-foot-2, but I am dubious to say the least. He looks more like a strong safety.
Fortunately, Igbinosun has high-end CB skills trapped inside that safety-esque body. His game is not predicated on “bully ball”. Sure, he can body opposing wide receivers, but he is also more than capable of turning and running with them.
It remains to be seen if Igbinousun will lock down a starting CB job in the fall, but things seem to be trending in that direction. The physical tools are all there, his experience gives him an advantage over other Buckeyes, and his alpha, business-like attitude may ultimately be the deciding factor. Igbinosun is definitely a player to watch for the Buckeyes and don’t be surprised if he is in the CB1 conversation sooner rather than later.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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
Already more experienced than most other Buckeyes at his position, this true sophomore should play a big and important role for Ohio State in 2023.
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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
After a disappointing 2022 season that saw defensive backs roasted, toasted, and bullied at the catch point, Ohio State’s secondary was in desperate need of bodies, experience, and talent — especially on the outside.
Cam Brown, Ronnie Hickman, and Tanner McCalister all departed for the NFL, leaving cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Lathan Ransom as the only returning full-time starters. Other DBs, including Josh Proctor, Cam Martinez, Jordan Hancock, and Jyaire Brown received reps and/or filled in as a spot starter at some point last year but failed to inspire much confidence heading into the offseason.
So Ryan Day, Tim Walton, and Perry Eliano got aggressive in the transfer portal, something OSU fans had long been advocating for. Enter Davison Igbinosun.
Igbinosun, a 2022 Freshman All-American while playing for Ole Miss, put his name into the portal on Jan. 18 (2023), was contacted by Ohio State roughly a week later, and signed with the Buckeyes on Jan. 31. His commitment gave OSU secondary a much-needed infusion of talent and experience, at a CB position where the staff had many questions but very few answers.
The team’s safety room at least had players such as Proctor, Martinez, and Syracuse transfer Ja’Had Carter to fall back on, with 82 total appearances between them — not to mention five-star sensation Sonny Styles. Their CB group, on the other hand, “boasted” Burke, Hancock, Brown, and not much else, at least in terms of experience.
Interestingly enough, Igbinosun could have been playing in Columbus all this time (2022 included) if it were only up to him. As a four-star recruit out of New Jersey, he had serious interest in playing for Ohio State, even calling it the place he wanted to be since he was a kid. But for whatever reason, OSU never made a real effort to land him, which is frustrating if you look at the Buckeyes’ 2022 (defensive) recruiting class. However, I am not here to reopen old wounds. Igbinosun is wearing scarlet and gray now, and the present is all that matters.
The former Ole Miss Rebel was one of the top transfers available this offseason, and it is easy to see why. Listed at 6-foot-2, 185-200 pounds depending on where you look, Igbinosun boasts impressive physical traits and Power Five starting experience. Even better, he was bringing three years of eligibility to whichever school landed his services. And on top of everything else, Igibinosun also earned academic honors at Ole Miss. Seemingly the total package, on-field and off.
Igbinosun registered 37 total tackles as a true freshman, showing both an ability to wrap up (nice for certain November rivalry games) and a willingness to get his hands dirty. Those same hands were unable to come down with an interception in 2022, but Igbinosun was credited with five pass breakups and generally held opposing wide receivers in check.
College Football News named him one of their Freshman All-Americans, and once in the portal, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 4 transfer CB available. They (247) also recognized Igbinosun as the 17th most impactful transfer of the entire offseason.
Now Igbinosun will compete for Ohio State’s starting CB role opposite Burke, and evidence points toward him being the early frontrunner. He has been one of the team’s standout players this spring, consistently garnering praise and performing especially well in practice. And he literally stands out among his peers, providing the size OSU has not had at their CB position since Jeff Okudah, a player Igbinosun has referenced and been complimentary of on multiple occasions. The latter is listed at 6-foot-2, but I am dubious to say the least. He looks more like a strong safety.
Fortunately, Igbinosun has high-end CB skills trapped inside that safety-esque body. His game is not predicated on “bully ball”. Sure, he can body opposing wide receivers, but he is also more than capable of turning and running with them.
It remains to be seen if Igbinousun will lock down a starting CB job in the fall, but things seem to be trending in that direction. The physical tools are all there, his experience gives him an advantage over other Buckeyes, and his alpha, business-like attitude may ultimately be the deciding factor. Igbinosun is definitely a player to watch for the Buckeyes and don’t be surprised if he is in the CB1 conversation sooner rather than later.
Continue reading...
2023 tOSU Special Teams
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Football
- 67 Replies
Quick Hits: Mickey Marotti Discusses Summer Workouts and Injury Prevention, Parker Fleming Talks Kicker Battle and Punt Returner Options
Mickey Marotti says Ohio State analyzes every year what it can do better to prevent injuries and Parker Fleming feels the kicker competition is “in a good place.”
QUICK HITS: MICKEY MAROTTI DISCUSSES SUMMER WORKOUTS AND INJURY PREVENTION, PARKER FLEMING TALKS KICKER BATTLE AND PUNT RETURNER OPTIONS
PARKER FLEMING
Login to view embedded media- “I feel like we’re in a good place,” Fleming said when asked about the kicker competition. He said the biggest thing he’s looking for is consistency. He said “it depends on the guys” whether one of Fielding or Lewis will handle both field goals and kickoffs or whether they will split those responsibilities.
- Fleming thought Arizona State transfer long snapper John Ferlmann “had a really good spring.” He indicated that Ferlmann is in line to be the starter with Max Lomonico as his backup.
- Fleming mentioned Jayden Ballard and Carnell Tate as other candidates to return punts along with Egbuka. He acknowledged that “the Internet went crazy” when Harrison was returning punts during spring practice, but he said “we want to have a bunch of guys ready to do that.” He said Lorenzo Styles could potentially be an option on returns too, but Fleming has to see how he does in practice first.
- He said Jake Seibert is “a really good kicker” and that there wasn‘t a lot of separation between Noah Ruggles and Seibert in their competition two years ago, but that Ohio State is always going to bring in competition as it looks for the best possible players. He wished Seibert the best of luck at Northern Illinois.
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which non-starter from last year’s Ohio State team are you most looking forward to watching this year?
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You’re Nuts: Which non-starter from last year’s Ohio State team are you most looking forward to watching 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 Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via 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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Ohio State doesn’t rebuild, they reload. There’s a reason why the Buckeyes are a fixture in the top-five, and always in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. Whenever a star that wore the scarlet and gray in college heads off to the NFL, often there is someone that is just as talented to fill their spot. We saw it after Justin Fields was a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. Ohio State handed the keys to C.J. Stroud, who was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and broke numerous school passing records.
With the evolution of the internet, social media, and recruiting services, fans are a lot more familiar with recruits even before they step foot in Columbus. The hardcore fans have watched games that recruits played in high school and saw their highlight tapes of, so we already have an idea of what they bring to the table. The only question is are they able to take the next step and still impress when the level of competition is raised when they take the field in college?
Since it is “Players to Watch” week, today we want to know what Ohio State players that weren’t starters last year are you most excited to watch this year? In the 2023 NFL Draft, there were six Ohio State players drafted, and a number of other players signed as undrafted free agents, which means there are some spots open in the starting lineup, most notably on the offensive line and defensive secondary.
While Josh Proctor is back at safety for Ohio State this year, Tanner McCallister and Ronnie Hickman signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. A prime candidate to take one over at one of the safety spots is Sonny Styles. After playing zero snaps as a true freshman, Styles played the second-most snaps of any Buckeye in the spring game, with his 61 snaps played falling one short of the 62 snaps C.J. Hicks played.
As if Styles wasn’t feeling good about how he performed in the spring game, he’ll have a familiar face playing with him in the secondary, as his brother Lorenzo transferred to Ohio State from Notre Dame. Not that Sonny needed any extra motivation after coming from Pickerington as a two-sport standout, but the addition of his brother will give him some familiarity on the team, as well as someone to push him even harder than his teammates will.
The question is how much will we see Sonny Styles on the field this season? Do you use him as a starter or do you use him in more of a specialized role where he can go all out with his amazing athletic ability? Also, where do you use Styles most? While he can definitely play safety, will he be used at times in a hybrid safety/linebacker role? All these questions are why I think Styles is going to be one of the most interesting Buckeye players to watch this year and see how his role on defense evolves as the coaching staff figures out how best to utilize him.
The obvious answer here is Kyle McCord. While he did start a single game during the 2021 season, he is not a returning starter, and will undoubtedly be QB1 heading into the fall. However, that seems like a cop-out, so would picking either TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Williams who essentially split starter’s reps in the backfield last season.
Instead, I’m going to join Brett on the defensive side of the equation and go with defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. In 2022, he had the third most snaps by any Buckeye interior defensive lineman and lodged the best pressure grades of any d-tackle according to Pro Football Focus. Despite having 60 fewer snaps, Hall tied Jack Sawyer for the team lead with 4.5 sacks and was fourth behind starters Tommy Eichenberg, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Zach Harrison with 7.5 tackles for loss.
However, while those numbers are certainly solid, they are even more impressive when you factor in that he played hurt during the last month of the regular season. In the final four games in November, Hall averaged just over 16 snaps, a total he replicated against Georgia. Hall reportedly had the option to shut it down at the end of the season, but opted to keep playing instead.
Coming into his third year in the program, Hall now seems to be firmly entrenched as the man in the middle of the Buckeye defensive line. And, if he remains healthy, he has proven that he has the explosion and game-changing ability to make a difference. If that happens, both Sawyer and Tuimoloau should be able to have a bigger impact on the outside.
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 Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via 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 players to watch this upcoming season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player to Watch” articles here.
Ohio State doesn’t rebuild, they reload. There’s a reason why the Buckeyes are a fixture in the top-five, and always in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. Whenever a star that wore the scarlet and gray in college heads off to the NFL, often there is someone that is just as talented to fill their spot. We saw it after Justin Fields was a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. Ohio State handed the keys to C.J. Stroud, who was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and broke numerous school passing records.
With the evolution of the internet, social media, and recruiting services, fans are a lot more familiar with recruits even before they step foot in Columbus. The hardcore fans have watched games that recruits played in high school and saw their highlight tapes of, so we already have an idea of what they bring to the table. The only question is are they able to take the next step and still impress when the level of competition is raised when they take the field in college?
Since it is “Players to Watch” week, today we want to know what Ohio State players that weren’t starters last year are you most excited to watch this year? In the 2023 NFL Draft, there were six Ohio State players drafted, and a number of other players signed as undrafted free agents, which means there are some spots open in the starting lineup, most notably on the offensive line and defensive secondary.
Today’s question: Which non-starter from last year’s Ohio State team are you most looking forward to watching 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: Sonny Styles
While Josh Proctor is back at safety for Ohio State this year, Tanner McCallister and Ronnie Hickman signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. A prime candidate to take one over at one of the safety spots is Sonny Styles. After playing zero snaps as a true freshman, Styles played the second-most snaps of any Buckeye in the spring game, with his 61 snaps played falling one short of the 62 snaps C.J. Hicks played.
As if Styles wasn’t feeling good about how he performed in the spring game, he’ll have a familiar face playing with him in the secondary, as his brother Lorenzo transferred to Ohio State from Notre Dame. Not that Sonny needed any extra motivation after coming from Pickerington as a two-sport standout, but the addition of his brother will give him some familiarity on the team, as well as someone to push him even harder than his teammates will.
The question is how much will we see Sonny Styles on the field this season? Do you use him as a starter or do you use him in more of a specialized role where he can go all out with his amazing athletic ability? Also, where do you use Styles most? While he can definitely play safety, will he be used at times in a hybrid safety/linebacker role? All these questions are why I think Styles is going to be one of the most interesting Buckeye players to watch this year and see how his role on defense evolves as the coaching staff figures out how best to utilize him.
Matt’s answer:
The obvious answer here is Kyle McCord. While he did start a single game during the 2021 season, he is not a returning starter, and will undoubtedly be QB1 heading into the fall. However, that seems like a cop-out, so would picking either TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Williams who essentially split starter’s reps in the backfield last season.
Instead, I’m going to join Brett on the defensive side of the equation and go with defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. In 2022, he had the third most snaps by any Buckeye interior defensive lineman and lodged the best pressure grades of any d-tackle according to Pro Football Focus. Despite having 60 fewer snaps, Hall tied Jack Sawyer for the team lead with 4.5 sacks and was fourth behind starters Tommy Eichenberg, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Zach Harrison with 7.5 tackles for loss.
However, while those numbers are certainly solid, they are even more impressive when you factor in that he played hurt during the last month of the regular season. In the final four games in November, Hall averaged just over 16 snaps, a total he replicated against Georgia. Hall reportedly had the option to shut it down at the end of the season, but opted to keep playing instead.
Coming into his third year in the program, Hall now seems to be firmly entrenched as the man in the middle of the Buckeye defensive line. And, if he remains healthy, he has proven that he has the explosion and game-changing ability to make a difference. If that happens, both Sawyer and Tuimoloau should be able to have a bigger impact on the outside.
Continue reading...
Zahir Mathis (DL Maryland)
- By pnuts34
- College Football
- 74 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
School: Philadelphia(PA) Imhotep Institute
Position: DE
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 230lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
School: Philadelphia(PA) Imhotep Institute
Position: DE
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 230lbs
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2025 FL DL Brandon Brown (LSU Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 2 Replies
247
Rivals
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HudL
Class: 2025
School: Palm Bay(FL) Eau Gallie
Position: DT
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 285 lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
School: Palm Bay(FL) Eau Gallie
Position: DT
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 285 lbs
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