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LGHL Ohio State wrestling caps off strong season with 4th-place finish at NCAA Championships
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Ohio State wrestling caps off strong season with 4th-place finish at NCAA Championships
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Five Buckeyes earned All-American status, helping to secure the program’s best NCAA finish since 2018-19.
For the first time since 2019, Ohio State wrestling is back among the sport’s elite. The Buckeyes took fourth in this past weekend’s NCAA Championships, just missing out on a Big Ten “medal sweep” (Penn State and Iowa finished 1-2). Regardless, it was an impressive end to the 2022-23 season for an OSU program that had sort of over-promised and under-delivered in recent years.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, Tom Ryan’s squad(s) had rattled off five consecutive top-3 finishes at these NCAAs, in addition to three Big Ten titles and a national championship in 2015. But the past few seasons did not go according to plan, with certain veterans struggling to take that next big step and very few underclassmen pushing the incumbent talent.
Ohio State maintained relevancy during their lean(ish) years, but there are just higher expectations for a Ryan-coached team. This program wants to compete for NCAA wrestling supremacy and push both Penn State and Iowa within their own conference. So although the Buckeyes finished fourth in back-to-back B1G Championships and well back of now-10x champion PSU this past weekend, the 2023 postseason did prove to be a major success for OSU, as well as a reminder to the wrestling world that Ryan’s Scarlet and Gray are still a force to be reckoned with.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24525929/023_JJ__6216.jpg)
Ohio State Athletics / ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Ohio State saw five grapplers earn All-American status at the NCAA Championships, ultimately leading to a tournament-ending battle for third place among teams. OSU’s 149-pounder Sammy Sasso took on Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell in the last match of the entire weekend, with only a few points separating the Buckeyes and the Big Red. Unfortunately, Diakomihalis once again proved to be Sasso’s kryptonite, defeating him for a third time and becoming just the fifth NCAA wrestler ever to win four individual D1 titles.
It was still a hell of a tournament for Sasso, who dominated most of his other opponents. He now has two NCAA runner-up finishes in his career, to go with two Big Ten titles. If Sasso chooses to return, he would likely begin next season as the odds-on favorite to win that elusive 149 title. So here’s hoping The Savage considers one more run in Columbus.
Sasso was far from the only standout of the weekend, as many other Buckeyes achieved career-best results on the national stage. Kaleb Romero was perhaps the best feel-good story among them, as he punctuated his six-year Ohio State odyssey with a hard-fought third-place finish at 184 pounds. OSU’s spiritual leader of sorts went 6-1 over the course of the tournament, only dropping a match to Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, who would go on to win his third consecutive NCAA title. Romero will now likely ride off into the sunset, but if he has any interest in coaching... I’m just sayin’.
Jesse Mendez, Dylan D’Emilio, and Ethan Smith rounded out the Buckeyes’ impressive group of All-Americans, with Mendez doing so as a true freshman and D’Emilio as an unlikely 17-seed. The latter was especially impressive throughout his NCAA weekend, nearly defeating 1-seed Real Woods of Iowa before successfully taking down 3-seed Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh. D’Emilio wrestled a ton of close matches against top-tier competition this season and his hard work ultimately paid off with a well-earned All-American nod.
Ohio State will head into this offseason with quite a few question marks, but also tons of talent in the Scarlet and Gray pipeline. Romero, Smith, Malik Heinselman (125), and Tate Orndorff (HWT) are moving on, to be replaced by younger, potentially inexperienced wrestlers. But among that group of eventual replacements are four top-50 recruits from the 2022 class, including No. 2 and No. 3 overall... No. 1 in that class just so happened to be Mendez, the Buckeyes’ true freshman All-American.
D’Emilio, Paddy Gallagher (NCAA qualifier at 157 this year), and Carson Kharchla (2x NCAA qualifier at 165) should all be back, hopefully joined by Sasso. But regardless of whether or not the latter returns, OSU will still hit the mats with a very talented group next season. Until then, Go Bucks!
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
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Five Buckeyes earned All-American status, helping to secure the program’s best NCAA finish since 2018-19.
For the first time since 2019, Ohio State wrestling is back among the sport’s elite. The Buckeyes took fourth in this past weekend’s NCAA Championships, just missing out on a Big Ten “medal sweep” (Penn State and Iowa finished 1-2). Regardless, it was an impressive end to the 2022-23 season for an OSU program that had sort of over-promised and under-delivered in recent years.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, Tom Ryan’s squad(s) had rattled off five consecutive top-3 finishes at these NCAAs, in addition to three Big Ten titles and a national championship in 2015. But the past few seasons did not go according to plan, with certain veterans struggling to take that next big step and very few underclassmen pushing the incumbent talent.
Ohio State maintained relevancy during their lean(ish) years, but there are just higher expectations for a Ryan-coached team. This program wants to compete for NCAA wrestling supremacy and push both Penn State and Iowa within their own conference. So although the Buckeyes finished fourth in back-to-back B1G Championships and well back of now-10x champion PSU this past weekend, the 2023 postseason did prove to be a major success for OSU, as well as a reminder to the wrestling world that Ryan’s Scarlet and Gray are still a force to be reckoned with.
Ohio State saw five grapplers earn All-American status at the NCAA Championships, ultimately leading to a tournament-ending battle for third place among teams. OSU’s 149-pounder Sammy Sasso took on Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell in the last match of the entire weekend, with only a few points separating the Buckeyes and the Big Red. Unfortunately, Diakomihalis once again proved to be Sasso’s kryptonite, defeating him for a third time and becoming just the fifth NCAA wrestler ever to win four individual D1 titles.
It was still a hell of a tournament for Sasso, who dominated most of his other opponents. He now has two NCAA runner-up finishes in his career, to go with two Big Ten titles. If Sasso chooses to return, he would likely begin next season as the odds-on favorite to win that elusive 149 title. So here’s hoping The Savage considers one more run in Columbus.
Sasso was far from the only standout of the weekend, as many other Buckeyes achieved career-best results on the national stage. Kaleb Romero was perhaps the best feel-good story among them, as he punctuated his six-year Ohio State odyssey with a hard-fought third-place finish at 184 pounds. OSU’s spiritual leader of sorts went 6-1 over the course of the tournament, only dropping a match to Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, who would go on to win his third consecutive NCAA title. Romero will now likely ride off into the sunset, but if he has any interest in coaching... I’m just sayin’.
THATS TWOOOO#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/KDWgeLE433
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 18, 2023
Jesse Mendez, Dylan D’Emilio, and Ethan Smith rounded out the Buckeyes’ impressive group of All-Americans, with Mendez doing so as a true freshman and D’Emilio as an unlikely 17-seed. The latter was especially impressive throughout his NCAA weekend, nearly defeating 1-seed Real Woods of Iowa before successfully taking down 3-seed Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh. D’Emilio wrestled a ton of close matches against top-tier competition this season and his hard work ultimately paid off with a well-earned All-American nod.
Ohio State will head into this offseason with quite a few question marks, but also tons of talent in the Scarlet and Gray pipeline. Romero, Smith, Malik Heinselman (125), and Tate Orndorff (HWT) are moving on, to be replaced by younger, potentially inexperienced wrestlers. But among that group of eventual replacements are four top-50 recruits from the 2022 class, including No. 2 and No. 3 overall... No. 1 in that class just so happened to be Mendez, the Buckeyes’ true freshman All-American.
D’Emilio, Paddy Gallagher (NCAA qualifier at 157 this year), and Carson Kharchla (2x NCAA qualifier at 165) should all be back, hopefully joined by Sasso. But regardless of whether or not the latter returns, OSU will still hit the mats with a very talented group next season. Until then, Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
LGHL LGHL Asks: Help us predict the future of Ohio State football, men’s basketball rosters
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- 0 Replies
LGHL Asks: Help us predict the future of Ohio State football, men’s basketball rosters
Matt Tamanini 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
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State Buckeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s a weird time of year, the men’s basketball season just ended, the women’s hockey team fell just short of back-to-back national titles, and the football team comes back from break today for the remaining 13 spring practices. All of this is going on while the women’s basketball team is prepping for a trip to Seattle for the Sweet Sixteen and the rest of the spring sports are in full swing.
So, today, we want to see where Buckeye fans’ heads are when it comes to both the football and MBB teams. Take a look at the questions we are asking today and answer in the survey at the bottom of the page.
Perhaps because recruiting is such a major part of college football these days, or because everybody loves the shiny new thing filled with potential and not burdened by a few years reality, we often spend far more time talking about the “young,” “up-and-coming” players who have the potential to breakout for the Buckeyes.
Of course, in an era where the best talent is often onto the NFL after three seasons, and players often hit the transfer portal if they aren’t in the mix early on, there are fewer opportunities for “old guys” to make an impact, but that doesn’t mean that juniors and seniors who haven’t had made a sizable impact on the team can’t do it. We have seen countless veteran Buckeyes seemingly come out of nowhere to have incredible seasons, despite being counted out by many.
That will undoubtedly happen this season, so let’s take a look at a handful of options that could get some buzz coming out of spring.
I know that the vibe around the men’s basketball team was rightfully pretty horrific for much on January and February, but man, the little bit of March that they got to experience sure was exciting. The #FireHoltmann refrain on Twitter — while still pretty prevalent in certain corners of the Buckeyeverse — seems to have accepted the fact that the coach will be back for the 2023-24 campaign.
So, with OSU’s run of five wins in its final seven games, has the play of the younger players changed how you look at the future of the program? Or, was the damage done by the nearly two months of consecutive losing irreparable?
We will see what happens when it comes to transfers and the NBA, but — for me at least — seeing the team stick together and freshmen step up was pretty encouraging, what about you?
This one is fun, especially because we still aren’t sure who will actually be on the team next year. Will Brice Sensabaugh be back after his Big Ten Tournament injury? Will Bruce Thornton ride his hot postseason into the NBA? Heck, I could have included Bronnie James on this list if I really wanted to get spicy.
The great thing is that it appears that the team has a lot of really compelling options to score the ball next season. If they can put that together with some of the defence we saw late in the year, they could be an exciting team come fall.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State Buckeyes fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s a weird time of year, the men’s basketball season just ended, the women’s hockey team fell just short of back-to-back national titles, and the football team comes back from break today for the remaining 13 spring practices. All of this is going on while the women’s basketball team is prepping for a trip to Seattle for the Sweet Sixteen and the rest of the spring sports are in full swing.
So, today, we want to see where Buckeye fans’ heads are when it comes to both the football and MBB teams. Take a look at the questions we are asking today and answer in the survey at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: Which football upperclassman will have a breakout spring?
Perhaps because recruiting is such a major part of college football these days, or because everybody loves the shiny new thing filled with potential and not burdened by a few years reality, we often spend far more time talking about the “young,” “up-and-coming” players who have the potential to breakout for the Buckeyes.
Of course, in an era where the best talent is often onto the NFL after three seasons, and players often hit the transfer portal if they aren’t in the mix early on, there are fewer opportunities for “old guys” to make an impact, but that doesn’t mean that juniors and seniors who haven’t had made a sizable impact on the team can’t do it. We have seen countless veteran Buckeyes seemingly come out of nowhere to have incredible seasons, despite being counted out by many.
That will undoubtedly happen this season, so let’s take a look at a handful of options that could get some buzz coming out of spring.
Question 2: Following the Big Ten Tournament run, how do you feel about the men’s basketball team moving forward?
I know that the vibe around the men’s basketball team was rightfully pretty horrific for much on January and February, but man, the little bit of March that they got to experience sure was exciting. The #FireHoltmann refrain on Twitter — while still pretty prevalent in certain corners of the Buckeyeverse — seems to have accepted the fact that the coach will be back for the 2023-24 campaign.
So, with OSU’s run of five wins in its final seven games, has the play of the younger players changed how you look at the future of the program? Or, was the damage done by the nearly two months of consecutive losing irreparable?
We will see what happens when it comes to transfers and the NBA, but — for me at least — seeing the team stick together and freshmen step up was pretty encouraging, what about you?
Question 3: Who will be the men’s basketball team’s leading scorer in 2023-24?
This one is fun, especially because we still aren’t sure who will actually be on the team next year. Will Brice Sensabaugh be back after his Big Ten Tournament injury? Will Bruce Thornton ride his hot postseason into the NBA? Heck, I could have included Bronnie James on this list if I really wanted to get spicy.
The great thing is that it appears that the team has a lot of really compelling options to score the ball next season. If they can put that together with some of the defence we saw late in the year, they could be an exciting team come fall.
Share your thoughts here:
Continue reading...
Dakoda Fields (CB Oregon, transfer to ???)
- By pnuts34
- College Football
- 2 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: CB
School: Gardena(CA) Junipero Serra
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: CB
School: Gardena(CA) Junipero Serra
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
Login to view embedded media
LGHL Ohio State offers trio of elite 2025 prospects
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Ohio State offers trio of elite 2025 prospects
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star cornerback Jett White via @G6Arron on Twitter
Fresh off spring break, Ohio State offers three blue-chip prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.
Ohio State is fresh off of spring break, which means the coaching staff and the players are back to spring practices. But current Ohio State players and coaches are not the only ones excited for spring ball to be back, as the Buckeyes will be playing host to dozens of recruits over the next month and a half.
With these visits, expect the Buckeyes to also be offering scholarships to those players they feel best fit the mold of a Buckeye.
Ohio State played host to a number of highly-talented recruits this past weekend, including a large group of players from the West Coast. The group of blue-chip visitors included recruits both already offered to play college football for Ohio State and recruits hoping to receive a scholarship offer.
On Monday, Ohio State dished out official scholarships to a trio of 2025 prospects, including two five-stars and one four-star. Below we will break down those offers:
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-2 / 175-pounds
Hometown: Pittsburg, CA / Pittsburg
Recruiting Update: Hudson is one of the top recruits in all of the 2025 class. He is viewed as the No. 3 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 15 overall prospect. Hudson is also the No. 2 prospect from the talent-rich state of California. Hudson also holds dozens of scholarship offers from the likes of Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, USC, Oklahoma, Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, Penn State and now Ohio State.
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-2 / 195-pounds
Hometown: Mission Hills, CA / Bishop Alemany
Recruiting Update: Bell was the only offensive player to receive a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes on Monday, but he plays at a position Ohio State is known for producing talent at — wide receiver. With Brian Hartline on the staff, Ohio State will seemingly be involved in any recruitment for a WR they desire.
Bell is considered the No. 5 WR in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 20 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 recruit from California. Like Hudson, he holds dozens of scholarship offers from programs like Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Miami, Notre Dame, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and now Ohio State.
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-1.5 / 160-pounds
Hometown: Los Alamitos, CA / Los Alamitos
Recruiting Update: White is a talented cornerback, and Ohio State has made the position one of importance in the 2025 class, already offering seven CB’s and the program’s lone verbal commit in the class plays at the position in Jontae Gilbert.
White was at one time committed to play for USC, but decommitted from the Trojans in January. Since re-opening his recruitment, he has added to his already impressive offer sheet holding offers from the likes of Alabama. Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and now Ohio State.
White is viewed as the No. 5 CB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 64 overall prospect. He is also the No. 11 recruit out of California.
As mentioned above, the coming month and a half will be busy for the Ohio State coaching staff as they focus on spring practices and hosting elite prospects weekly. On Monday we learned of more blue-chip prospects that plan to visit with the Buckeyes this spring. Below is a list of some of those recruits:
Continue reading...
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
2024 four-star cornerback Jett White via @G6Arron on Twitter
Fresh off spring break, Ohio State offers three blue-chip prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.
Ohio State is fresh off of spring break, which means the coaching staff and the players are back to spring practices. But current Ohio State players and coaches are not the only ones excited for spring ball to be back, as the Buckeyes will be playing host to dozens of recruits over the next month and a half.
With these visits, expect the Buckeyes to also be offering scholarships to those players they feel best fit the mold of a Buckeye.
Ohio State offers trio of 2025 prospects
Ohio State played host to a number of highly-talented recruits this past weekend, including a large group of players from the West Coast. The group of blue-chip visitors included recruits both already offered to play college football for Ohio State and recruits hoping to receive a scholarship offer.
On Monday, Ohio State dished out official scholarships to a trio of 2025 prospects, including two five-stars and one four-star. Below we will break down those offers:
Five-star safety Jadyn Hudson
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-2 / 175-pounds
Hometown: Pittsburg, CA / Pittsburg
Recruiting Update: Hudson is one of the top recruits in all of the 2025 class. He is viewed as the No. 3 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 15 overall prospect. Hudson is also the No. 2 prospect from the talent-rich state of California. Hudson also holds dozens of scholarship offers from the likes of Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, USC, Oklahoma, Miami, Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, Penn State and now Ohio State.
Five-star WR Phillip Bell III
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-2 / 195-pounds
Hometown: Mission Hills, CA / Bishop Alemany
Recruiting Update: Bell was the only offensive player to receive a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes on Monday, but he plays at a position Ohio State is known for producing talent at — wide receiver. With Brian Hartline on the staff, Ohio State will seemingly be involved in any recruitment for a WR they desire.
Bell is considered the No. 5 WR in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and is the No. 20 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 recruit from California. Like Hudson, he holds dozens of scholarship offers from programs like Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Miami, Notre Dame, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and now Ohio State.
Four-star CB Jett White
Class: 2025
Size: 6-foot-1.5 / 160-pounds
Hometown: Los Alamitos, CA / Los Alamitos
Recruiting Update: White is a talented cornerback, and Ohio State has made the position one of importance in the 2025 class, already offering seven CB’s and the program’s lone verbal commit in the class plays at the position in Jontae Gilbert.
White was at one time committed to play for USC, but decommitted from the Trojans in January. Since re-opening his recruitment, he has added to his already impressive offer sheet holding offers from the likes of Alabama. Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and now Ohio State.
White is viewed as the No. 5 CB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 64 overall prospect. He is also the No. 11 recruit out of California.
Recruits planning upcoming visits to Ohio State
As mentioned above, the coming month and a half will be busy for the Ohio State coaching staff as they focus on spring practices and hosting elite prospects weekly. On Monday we learned of more blue-chip prospects that plan to visit with the Buckeyes this spring. Below is a list of some of those recruits:
Excited to be at Ohio state today#GoBucks @OhioStateFB @ryandaytime @R2X_Rushmen1 pic.twitter.com/X5jNRy9Ssj
— Aydin Breland (@AydinBreland) March 20, 2023
️
— Clint Cosgrove (@Rivals_Clint) March 20, 2023
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2025 CA S Jadyn Hudson (UCLA Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 3 Replies
247
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Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: S
School: Pittsburg(CA) Pittsburg
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
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HudL
Class: 2025
Position: S
School: Pittsburg(CA) Pittsburg
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 175lbs
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WR Phillip Bell III (Official Thread)
- By pnuts34
- Buckeye Football
- 58 Replies
2025 FL CB Jett White (Maryland Decommit)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 10 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: CB
School: Miami (FL) Edison
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 160lbs
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HudL
Class: 2025
Position: CB
School: Miami (FL) Edison
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 160lbs
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