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Should semipro/college players be paid, or allowed to sell their stuff? (NIL and Revenue Sharing)
- By Jaxbuck
- College Football
- 1643 Replies
I had an old college football preview from SI, maybe 1988 or 1989 saying the same thing.
Some of this talk about old institutions failing to adapt is correct. I wish OSU was moving "faster" but I am not privy to all the info and constraints they are. My ringside seat it doesn't look like OSU is all that far off the mark and recency bias aside, this "new generation" is going to have to show some staying power before I'll say the king is dead.
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DE Zion Grady (Official Thread)
- By ScriptOhio
- Buckeye Football
- 86 Replies
Zion Grady’s turn: Why Ohio State believes its next breakout defensive end is already here
After flashing as a true freshman, Grady enters 2026 positioned to seize a starting edge role, and Ohio State’s portal restraint suggests the Buckeyes believe their next defensive star is already in the building.
www.landgrantholyland.com
Zion Grady’s turn: Why Ohio State believes its next breakout defensive end is already here
After flashing as a true freshman, Grady enters 2026 positioned to seize a starting edge role, and Ohio State’s portal restraint suggests the Buckeyes believe their next defensive star is already in the building.Zion Grady arrived in Columbus without much fanfare, but by the end of his true freshman season, it was clear Ohio State’s defensive staff saw something bigger coming.
In a year defined by transition and long-term planning along the defensive front, Grady quietly positioned himself as a foundational piece for what comes next. His presence was one of the understated reasons the Buckeyes felt comfortable redshirting CJ Hicks and resisting the urge to overspend in the transfer portal at defensive end. Ohio State believed it already had an answer developing in-house.
As a true freshman, Grady appeared in rotational snaps and finished the season with 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. The raw numbers were modest, but the context mattered. He was asked to play within structure, hold the edge, and learn the physical and mental demands of Big Ten trench play rather than chase production.
When he did flash, it came in the form of burst off the ball, length at the point of attack, and an ability to stay balanced while setting the edge against the run. For a first-year defensive end in Ohio State’s system, that combination is often the precursor to a significant second-year leap.
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Grady’s profile fits the Buckeyes’ long lineage of productive edge defenders. He has the frame to add functional strength without sacrificing explosiveness, and his first step is already good enough to threaten tackles who overset.
With a full offseason in the program and an expanded role, the expectation internally is not just improvement, but impact. If Grady takes the anticipated step forward, Ohio State gains more than a starter. It gains another homegrown defensive end capable of anchoring the edge, creating disruption, and continuing a tradition that has defined the program’s defensive identity.
The path is there. The competition is real. And the confidence from the staff is telling. Zion Grady doesn’t need to be a surprise this season, he just needs to become what Ohio State has been quietly preparing him to be all along.
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