calibuck said:

And has the expectations that come with such a HS pedigree. I'd be happy with him getting meaningful minutes, and making an impact when he's on the floor. There appears to be a good recruited base to this team, and flavored with rented players to fill in the gaps. So we'll see how well, Diebs plays his pieces. Here's to W's! Go Bucks!

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Well this team is going to need a heck of a lot more from Anthony Thompson than to just play meaningful minutes and make an impact. For this team to reach its potential, Thompson needs to take over the Alpha role. With his height, length and agility, he's practically unguardable - the question-mark is how efficient he will be.

pnuts34 said:

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Ohio State football predicted to land a major recruiting win with an NFL bloodline over multiple major college programs​

Ohio State needs some good news on the recruiting trail with spring commitments happening left and right. Latest news has the Buckeyes on the ropes of a big time addition for Matt Patricia’s defense.

Larry Johnson predicted to land a real difference maker for Ohio State in 2027 ​

Steam is picking up for Ohio State to be the school four-star St. Thomas Aquinas EDGE Wyatt Smith commits to. Smith has picked up several predictions from both On3 and 247 Sports recently to pick Ohio State over Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana, and Notre Dame amongst others. Smith is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals and San Franco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith, who was a five-time Pro Bowler.

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The 2027 EDGE is listed at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds and is the No. 11 player at the position, per 247 Sports Composite. Coach Johnson is leading the charge in Smith’s recruitment and it’s playing a large part in Ohio State being a top school since they offered him in March.

Five-star EDGE DJ Jacobs is the headliner of the class for the Buckeyes and Smith would be an excellent running mate to pair with. Landing a top 100 player would give the Buckeyes a nice boost on the trail and a decision is expected to be made rather soon.

Ohio State has had good luck recruiting at St. Thomas Aquinas over the years with Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa being the most popular. Damon Arnette is another notable name from STA and Smith could be the next in line for the Buckeyes as a key part of the 2027 class.

Former Ohio State basketball player Mike Conley wants to return next year​

Conley is 38 years old, but he wants to keep playing. He is a free agent, but he said that his strong offensive play during the playoffs proves to him that he can still do it. That is why he wants to play at least one more year in the league. Quite frankly, he can still be of service to a team out there.

At this point in his career, Conley could decide to sign a veteran minimum contract to chase a ring. He has never made the NBA Finals, let alone won a championship. If that is what is most important to him, he could sign a cheap deal with a contending team. His veteran leadership would certainly be welcome.

Conley could also decide to return to Minnesota, which is where he has found a home the last few years. He provided them with some much-needed shot-making in the postseason. Without him, they might have been eliminated sooner than they were.

Ohio State basketball fans need to celebrate Mike Conley more

When thinking about Ohio State basketball legends, Conley isn't immediately thought of as one. That should change. He has proven that he is one of the best players to ever come through the program. In his one season with the Buckeyes, Conley was first-team All-Big Ten.

His accomplishments in the NBA would be greater if he had played in the Eastern Conference. He is just a one-time All-Star, but that is because he has played in a loaded Western Conference his entire career. The guard spot was loaded over the last few years, so that hurt his resume a bit.

Still, Conley needs to be celebrated more by fans of the Buckeyes. He's one of the few Ohio State basketball players in the league, and he has clearly been the best one over the past few years. He was one of the best players that Thad Matta ever brought to Columbus, and fans need to enjoy him before he calls it quits.

Ohio State won’t give up its efforts to steal a 5-star WR from Curt Cignetti​

This is a big one for Cortez Hankton.



During Brian Hartline’s eight years as Ohio State’s wide receiver coach, the Buckeyes landing one of the top wide receivers, if not the No. 1 overall receiver in the country, almost seemed pre-ordained. Hartline is one of the best recruiters in the country, and his track record for developing WR talent is virtually unblemished, but he’s taken those talents to USF.

Ohio State has replaced Hartline with Cortez Hankton, a former Georgia and LSU wide receivers coach. Now, it’s Hankton who is tasked with leading the Buckeyes’ pursuit of the top wideout in the 2027 class, Monshun Sales, and he has an uphill battle to pull it off.

Sales, who grew up in Alabama and played his high school football at Lawrence North High School in Indiana, has been predicted to commit to Curt Cignetti’s reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers. Hankton is looking to change his mind, and Mick Walker of Letterman Row has reported that those efforts included a trip to Indianapolis to visit the No. 7 overall recruit in the country.

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Cortez Hankton could use a win like Sales​

Ohio State was able to hold onto Jeremiah Smith, Quincy Porter Jr., and 2026 five-star Chris Henry Jr. after Hartline left to become a first-time head coach. And in the 2027 class, Ohio State already has a commitment from the No. 4 WR in the country, Jamier Brown. So, while Sales would be a massive addition, the Buckeyes aren’t desperate at the wide receiver position. Hankton, though, could use a win like this to boost his stock with the program, along with keeping him out of Cignetti’s hands.

Alabama seems to still be in the mix, but Sales’ recruitment has quickly become the top story on the recruiting trail in the Big Ten, especially with the quarterback movement seemingly settled.

And has the expectations that come with such a HS pedigree. I'd be happy with him getting meaningful minutes, and making an impact when he's on the floor. There appears to be a good recruited base to this team, and flavored with rented players to fill in the gaps. So we'll see how well, Diebs plays his pieces. Here's to W's! Go Bucks!

Hurry up and get here.... Seems to be a place for you in the two-deep, although maybe not such a splash as Bynum made.

CBS Sports clearly overlooks the Ohio State football team's defense in a major snub​

The Ohio State Buckeyes' defensive turnover has many questioning the team's place in the College Football hierarchy ahead of the 2026 season. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford seems to think they won't be answered by anyone who will establish themselves as one of the most feared players in the country.

In a top 26 list, not a single Buckeye showed up. The worst part? Several players from a number of Ohio State's opponents this fall made the list, including the Texas Longhorns (EDGE Collin Simmons, LB Rasheem Biles), the Oregon Ducks (NT A'Mauri Washington, CB Brandon Finney Jr., S Koi Perich, LB Teitum Tuioti), TTUN (EDGE John Henry Daley), and the Indiana Hoosiers (DT Tyrique Tucker).

Luckily, there are also legitimate playmakers who could step up and prove they always deserved to be in this preseason discussion. Here's just a few...

Kenyatta Jackson Jr., EDGE
The rest of the defensive front holding up will boost Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who has all the talent in the world but hasn't fully shown what he's capable of. Should Eddrick Houston and the rest of the interior defensive linemen plug holes in opponents' run games, Jackson should have ample opportunities to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

Jackson is aiming to improve himself against the run, but the most important thing for Jackson is to increase an already impressive 6.5 sack total. He is the most Buckeye to get Crawford to eat crow with a total Scarlet and Gray exclusion, with Matt Patricia likely to do the most to maximize his abilities.

Jaylen McClain, safety
Jaylen McClain is already getting some early All-Big Ten predictions, and with good reason. Ohio State's safety room was hands down the best last season. And you have to hand it to Downs for that.

McClain is expected to be as versatile as Downs was, with a focus on the free safety position. He's also expected to be a vocal leader deep in the secondary, and he'll have opportunities to shine against the Longhorns' Arch Manning, the Ducks' Dante Moore, the Hoosiers' Josh Hoover, and the USC Trojans' Jayden Maiava.

Christian Alliegro, OLB/EDGE
Wisconsin Badgers transfer Christian Alliegro will be playing Reese's role in the defense this coming season. It's hard not to be excited about the idea of Patricia having one of the top pass-rushers in the country from the 2025 season at his disposal.

Alliegro is one of the most exciting transfers, though realistically, we could see former Alabama Crimson Tide EDGE Qua Russaw and DT James Smith enter this conversation by next January as well.

Ohio State Spring Recap: Beau Atkinson’s Improvement, Qua Russaw’s Strong Start Elevate Defensive End Competition Opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr.​

Spring Standouts

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.​

Jackson was Ohio State’s most consistently dominant player in the trenches throughout the spring. The only returning starter on Ohio State’s defensive line, Jackson regularly won one-on-one matchups off the edge during the spring game and other practices open to the media, especially when going up against the likes of Carter Lowe and other backup offensive tackles after Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels underwent surgeries that sidelined them for the second half of spring.

Going into last season, multiple Ohio State players said Jackson was looking like a future first-round NFL draft pick in offseason workouts. He didn’t quite play up to that level, especially early in the season, which Jackson said this spring was partially due to injuries. But after a strong second half of last season, Jackson looked this spring like a player who’s capable of living up to those lofty expectations and emerging as an elite defensive end as a fifth-year senior in 2026.

Beau Atkinson​

Atkinson started the spring as a bit of an afterthought in the competition to be Ohio State’s other starting defensive end. He had a disappointing first year as a Buckeye last season, recording just 11 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack after transferring in from North Carolina.

This spring, however, Atkinson looked like the player Ohio State thought it was getting a year ago. Being able to go through winter workouts at Ohio State went a long way for the fifth-year senior, who was a summer enrollee in 2025 after transferring to Ohio State in the now-defunct spring portal window, and he showed plenty of pass-rush acumen, quickness and power during March and April practices, giving him a real chance to be OSU’s No. 2 defensive end – even if Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson still wants to see him prove it in game action this fall.

“I think he's done a 360 so far, but we haven't played a game yet,” Johnson said this spring. “I think I like where he's at. He's much better, he's more flexible right now, where we'd like him to be. And again, he's a transition guy coming from the University of North Carolina and trying to play this way, and how do we do it, it's different. It really is, and I think he embraced it. Never had a dull moment, never fought away from it, not even shied away from what we're doing. Now, it's his moment, his time.”

Qua Russaw​

This year’s transfer addition at defensive end also had an impressive spring. Russaw, a fourth-year Alabama transplant, drew praise throughout the spring from the likes of Johnson and Jackson for the power, explosiveness and versatility he demonstrated in practice.

“I think he's very physically strong,” Johnson said. “He’s strong at the point of attack with his hands and body, which is amazing, a guy 245 can set the edge the way he does. And he brings great speed to the table. So he can do a lot of things for us. He can play end, he can play what we call the ‘Buck’ position, do some things out of there. But I think the thing that jumps off the videotape is how hard he plays, and he really has physical strength.”

At only 6-foot-2, Russaw is smaller than the typical defensive end, and he played primarily as a standup outside linebacker at Alabama. But his performance this spring showed he is capable of being impactful as both a pass rusher and run stopper as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Preseason might bring more clarity on how exactly Ohio State will use him, as he could also be used as a hybrid linebacker, but he appears more likely than not to see regular playing time for the Buckeyes this fall based on how he performed in his first 15 practices as a Buckeye.

Projected Depth Chart​

Defensive End​

1. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
2. Zion Grady
3. Khary Wilder
4. Darryus McKinley

Defensive End​

1. Beau Atkinson
2. Qua Russaw
3. Epi Sitanilei
4. Dre Quinn

Post-Spring Outlook​

Ohio State’s outlook at defensive end starts with Jackson realizing his full potential in his final season as a Buckeye and becoming a consistently disruptive force off the edge. Based on what we saw from Jackson this spring, that looks like a standard he’s ready to meet.

Beyond Jackson, Ohio State doesn’t have any sure-fire stars at the position. But Atkinson and Russaw did what they needed to do this spring to generate belief that they can lead Ohio State’s defensive end unit alongside Jackson as upperclassmen, while Grady is another potential breakout star on the edge and Sitanilei and Wilder shouldn’t be overlooked as possible young contributors at the position.

Ohio State shouldn’t be bad at defensive end this season, but there’s a lot that needs to come together for the Buckeyes to be elite on the edge. Where they ultimately fall on the spectrum between good and great and whether they can give Ohio State an effective outside pass-rush will go a long way toward determining whether the Buckeyes have one of the nation’s top defenses once again.

Great question. Am not a fashion expert, simply iconoclastic, so will let the more learned folk on this site decide. Just so they show up and scare the opponents.

bigdog3300 said:

I believe it....you think he's staying there next year?

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Not at 125. Davino has 133. I don't see him being effective at 141...

Ja'Marley Riddle arrested on speeding, felony drug charges (May 8)

Chris Cole, Darren Ikinnagbon arrested on driving-related charges (February 2026)

Nyler Daniels arrested on multiple driving charges (November 2025)

Two Georgia commits and one player arrested (July 2025)

In July 2025, Jahzare Jackson (a sophomore offensive lineman) was arrested and charged with felony marijuana possession over one ounce. In his first season with Georgia, Jackson appeared in every game for the Bulldogs.

Nitro Tuggle arrested for reckless driving, suspended from team (March 2025)

Colbie Young arrested, suspended from team (October 2024)

The senior wide receiver was arrested for a battery and assault misdemeanor on an unborn child on Oct. 8, 2024. He allegedly assaulted his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

Daniel Harris arrested for reckless driving (September 2024)

Rodarius 'Rara' Thomas arrested, dismissed from team (July 2024)

The senior wide receiver was arrested for multiple family-violence charges. Thomas was charged with cruelty to children-family violence, a second-degree felony, and two misdemeanor counts of battery-family violence July 26, 2024.

Smael Mondon, Demello Jones arrested for racing, reckless driving (July 2024)

Bo Hughley arrested for reckless driving (July 2024)

Sacovie White arrested for reckless driving (May 2024)

Trevor Etienne charged with DUI, reckless driving (March 2024)

David Daniel-Sisavanh charged with reckless driving (February 2024)

Jarvis Jones arrested for reckless driving (September 2023)

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins stopped for speeding (July 2023)

Samuel M'Pemba stopped for speeding (July 2023)

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint stopped three times for speeding (May 2023)

calibuck said:

Sounds like Notre Dame's green jerseys. Bring them out occasionally. I'm an old guy, so believe the football team should/must be attired in scarlet jerseys and gray pants. Of course gray/silver helmets adorned with buckeye leaves. At home. Maybe wear these black things on a road trip? Unless play Iowa etc.

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So…..should those buckeye leaves be black, green or red?

Zippercat said:

National awards, 60 Minutes feature story, documentary made about him and much more! More a celebrity than many who only can claim their 15 minutes of fame!

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It became a punchline for women with unendowed partners

Aaron Rodgers to sign 1-year deal with Steelers​

Aaron Rodgers isn't done yet.

After another prolonged decision-making process, the four-time MVP is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth up to $25 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday night. The deal is expected to include a base salary between $22 million and $23 million, with up to a few million more in incentives, according to sources.

Rodgers, 42, recently returned to the Pittsburgh area ahead of Monday's OTAs and was seen getting ice cream with several teammates at a local shop Friday night.

SEREbuckeye said:

This would go crazy at night! I don’t care what the traditionalists say, marketing and branding is key to being king.

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I'm a traditionalist who understands that this helps recruiting, so I'm more than ok with it. The only time I've ever been annoyed by alt unis and such is for the Game.

Any of the home games vs former Pac 10 schools are the perfect time for alternates.

Jagdaddy said:

Maybe not exactly a celebrity, but an interesting dude from Ohio: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/....ilA.kdVC.LqQaebe8-PFh&smid=nytcore-ios-share

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National awards, 60 Minutes feature story, documentary made about him and much more! More a celebrity than many who only can claim their 15 minutes of fame!

Yep officially playing in Omaha! Face Washington 10pm Tuesday

GAME SEVEN

Love that the recruiting department is keeping our name and relationship out there.

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This would go crazy at night! I don’t care what the traditionalists say, marketing and branding is key to being king.

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