Ask LGHL: Who is Ohio State’s most important player other than C.J. Stroud?
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.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

We are back with the results from last week’s LGHL SBNation Reacts survey in which we asked you one question about the Ohio State football team and another about the Big Ten’s reported media deal.

Question No. 1: Other than C.J. Stroud, who will have the biggest impact on the OSU team this year?


Perhaps this one wasn’t worded as well as it could have been, but these numbers surprise me a little bit. What we were trying to get at is something along the lines of “Other than Stroud, who will need to have the best season for OSU to reach its goals this season?”

So, that L was on us for the wording, but in terms of impact, it is tough to argue against Jaxson Smith-Njigba. During his sophomore season, while sharing the field with two top-11 NFL Draft pick wide receivers, he broke records and became the breakout star of the campaign.

Back for what will almost certainly be his last go-'round in the scarlet and gray, JSN will look to lead a restocked wide receiver room. So, with the way that the question was worded, Smith-Njigba and what will likely be a bunch of gaudy numbers make sense.

But I am a little surprised that the three defensive options on the list didn’t even combine to equal half of the receiver’s total. With all due respect to JSN, with the video game-level talent that Brian Hartline has assembled in the WR room, if No. 11 never took the field this year, I think that Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Julian Fleming, Jayden Ballard, or some combination of WRs would be able to fill in the gap.

On the other hand, the defense was borderline atrocious last season — at least by Ohio State standards — and if the Buckeyes want to beat their rivals, win the Big Ten, get back to the College Football Playoff, and legitimately contend for a National Championship, the improvements will need to come on the defensive side of the ball.

Generally when discussing defense, things work from front to back. A strong line takes pressure off of the linebacking corps and the secondary. While I think that the d-line in 2021 was significantly better than the other two units, there was certainly room for improvement. While the Buckeyes collected a respectable-ish 36 sacks on the year and ranked in the top-25 for pressure according to Pro Football Focus, collectively the line always felt a step slow.

Whether that was because of individual player shortcomings or mismanagement by the previous defensive coaching staff, who can say (I can, I think it was primarily because of the latter). But, with Jim Knowles reconfiguring the defense, hopefully he will be able to get the most of his most talented players, including J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.

If the defensive line, and especially the edge rushers, can up their game in 2022, that will make life much easier for the linebackers and defensive backs who are adapting to the bulk of the changes in the new defensive scheme.


Question No. 2: How do you feel about the Big Ten ending its ESPN deal?


I am on the record that the conspiracy theories of [ESPN] being out to undermine Ohio State are silly. While of course, the network has a vested interest in the SEC and ACC, the Buckeyes are arguably the biggest brand in college football, so it would be counterproductive to purposely alienate the fanbase.

However, I seem to be outside of the Buckeye Nation mainstream on this, because a plurality of respondents think that the B1G’s reported exit from the worldwide leader is “great” because of the network’s perceived animosity towards the league.

Now don’t get me wrong, I also think that this will ultimately be a good thing, but more because of the added exposure being on three different broadcast networks will bring. I am still slightly concerned about what it means to not have a presence on the casual fans’ go-to sports hub, but in the long run, I am in favor of conferences and broadcasters doing different things, upsetting the apple cart, shirking the status quo.

It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Kevin Warren and the Big Ten to stick with ESPN, because it was the safest thing to do. Earlier this year, Formula One decided to remain with the network despite being offered more money by multiple streaming services. The racing circuit’s decision is different than that of the B1G since the league’s games will remain on linear channels while the races would have been harder to stumble across on streaming.

But I still think that it is commendable that the B1G was willing to turn its back on what has been a long and profitable relationship in order to embrace the latest and most exciting options available.



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Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Roddy Gayle Jr.
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Gayle has possibly the highest ceiling of anyone in the 2022 class

As the basketball offseason continues and we move into the fall, Land-Grant Holy Land will put out our basketball player and team previews. There will be two previews a week leading all the way into the start of the season, starting with player previews.

Last time we went with big man and freshman Felix Okpara. This time around, we are taking a look at fellow freshman Roddy Gayle Jr.


Name: Roddy Gayle Jr.
Height: 6’4
Weight: 195 pounds
High School: Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah
Class: Freshman
2021-22 stats: N/A

Outlook


Before the rise of Bruce Thornton and Brice Sensabaugh, Roddy Gayle was the diamond in the Buckeyes’ sixth-ranked 2022 recruiting class. Even though he is the third highest-ranked recruit coming into Columbus, the hype is still high and very real for the shooting guard.

Gayle comes into Columbus as the 45th-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, the second overall shooting guard, and the second-ranked player in the state of Utah.

According to Jerry Meyer, the 247 Sports Director of Basketball Scouting, Gayle “has a college ready body with good length (long arms) and great strength. Is a powerful athlete who thrives in traffic.”

Meyer added he “handles contact extremely well and loves to dish out the contact. Shoots the ball well off the catch with an efficient and smooth low release,” Meyer said. “Also scores with pull up jumpers where he elevates and can also score at the rim. Most notably, he has a niche as a potent post-up player. Ball handling is solid and efficient.

“Has the ability to deliver to the open man. Rebounds his position quite well and can ignite the fast break. Has potential to be a formidable and versatile defender. Overall has a well-rounded game that impacts a game in virtually all facets.”

Expectation


Gayle lives in the space that most of the freshmen coming into Ohio State live in. Development is key because he isn’t a one-and-done, but he will likely play valuable minutes for Chris Holtmann and his staff right away, especially once the Buckeyes hit their conference schedule.

Depth will be key and because of injuries, the Buckeyes struggled with that last season. It will be up to the freshmen coming in to help sure up the depth chart and make sure the Buckeyes have a deep bench.

Gayle is a high-level scorer who can come in and make an immediate impact off the bench. He can score in bunches and is extremely athletic, using that to every advantage he can find.

Prediction


I have been saying this for a while now, and I am sticking to it as we head into the season: I think Roddy Gayle has the highest ceiling of anyone in the Buckeyes’ 2022 class. Thornton and Sensabaugh will likely play more minutes than Gayle and have larger roles, especially early on, but Gayle comes in as an absolute bucket-getter who can score at all three levels and is one of the more athletic players to come through Columbus since Sam Thompson.

Evidence attached:


If he does more things like that and can defend multiple positions, it is going to be hard to keep him on the bench, even as a freshman. He will likely start the season playing 10-15 minutes off of the bench, providing that spark on offense and if he plays well, those minutes could rise to 15-20 minutes per game.

Also, the play of Eugene Brown will be important to Gayle’s playing time. And how the Buckeyes plan to use Tanner Holden and Justice Sueing will play into what they use Gayle for as well. With the season’s roster looking like it is “plug and play” with versatile guys who can play multiple positions, we could see Gayle playing anything from the 1 to the 3, helping his usage rate.

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You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 team captains?
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 Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.


On Saturday, Ohio State announced their team captains for the 2022 football season. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Kamryn Babb, tight end Cade Stover, defensive end Tyler Friday, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and safety Kourt Williams were selected by a team vote. Six seems to be a preferred number of late for Ohio State team captains, as head coach Ryan Day has had six team captains in three of his four years as head coach of the Buckeyes.

There are a few notable players that aren’t included as team captains. Last year defensive end Zach Harrison and linebacker Teradja Mitchell were both team captains, but this year they weren’t selected by their teammates as a team captains. Even though Ohio State is desperate to change the culture on defense after a couple of rough seasons, it’s a surprise that Harrison and Mitchell weren’t elected to return to their captain roles this season.

Obviously in the election process there is going to be somebody that always gets left out. What we want to know today is which Buckeye do you think should have been named a captain. That doesn’t mean that those named as captains this year don’t deserve to be captains, this is just meant as of those not named captain, which player would you like to see join the current captain.

Today’s question: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 football team captains?

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: Dawand Jones


Just imagine the fear that would fill your body if you were a member of the Ohio State football team and you had to answer to Dawand Jones. At 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds, Jones is a massive human being. While I’m sure actual football players might not be quite as fearful of Jones, but I know I’d probably be on a way to another country if I messed up and knew that I was going to have to face the wrath of Jones.

Being a team captain isn’t all about fear though. You have to be personable as well and care about your teammates. Jones seems like a fun guy to hang out with but he also seems like a guy that means business when it comes down to it. If Jones comes back to Ohio State for another season following this year, I would have to imagine that he would be a serious contender amongst his teammates to be a captain next year.

A big reason I thought Jones would have been a captain this year is because he is a returning starter on the offensive line that lost a couple starters from last year’s team. If there was going to be a captain from the offensive line, my money would have been on Jones. Then again, you can’t have a captain from every position group or else the number of team captains would start looking like a few of the Urban Meyer squads when the number of team captains were close to double-digits.

Meredith’s answer: Paris Johnson Jr.


I’m also going to go with an offensive lineman for this one. It feels weird that there wasn’t an O-lineman among the five captains for this season already, so I’m going to go with Paris Johnson Jr.

Widely hailed as one of the greatest offensive line recruits Ohio State has seen in years, Johnson has never had a chance to truly shine, but he has been a starter on the offensive line for the better part of two seasons. He’s also finally moving to the position he was recruited for, but brings experience that could help the guards on the line find their footing. And with a new position coach, the younger linemen will certainly be looking to Johnson for his leadership.

Johnson happens to be a scholar athlete and, in addition to being second team All-Big Ten last season, was also Academic All-Big Ten last season. He’s well-rounded, high-profile and entering his third fall camp as a team veteran and experienced member of the offensive line.

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Freshman Cotie McMahon on choosing Ohio State, the upcoming Buckeyes season and smoothies
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Cotie McMahon in summer practice with the Ohio State Women’s Basketball team | Ohio State University

No. 23 ranked high school prospect Cotie McMahon is building a foundation that’ll help her go pro on and off the court.

In the world of college sports recruiting, sometimes it feels like forever between the time an athlete commits to a school and finally plays — especially in the world of basketball. With much smaller rosters than football teams, players are recruited young. In incoming Ohio State women’s basketball freshman Cotie McMahon’s case, it was seventh grade.

Cincinnati, Ohio’s Xavier University came first, but was followed up by offers from teams in the SEC, ACC and Big Ten, but on Dec. 3, 2020, four years after the initial recruitment attempt, McMahon chose Ohio State. Choosing Scarlet & Gray wasn’t part of the equation, it was like it chose McMahon.

“I knew from the jump that I wanted to be close to home,” said McMahon. “I have a lot of family, very family oriented. I knew that was going to be a major factor for me. Visiting Ohio State, it was like ‘when you know, you know.’”

Now, almost two years after making the Buckeye commitment, McMahon’s first season is calling with expectation and excitement. Expectation based on what the wing has in her skillset. Ranked 23rd in the 2022 class on ESPN’s high school ranking, McMahon brings both scoring and rebounding to an Ohio State side entering the 2022-23 season as the defending conference co-champions.

Before graduating high school early in the fall of 2021, McMahon amassed an impressive high school career in Centerville, Ohio. Playing at Centerville High School, a short 20-minute trip south of Dayton, Ohio, McMahon averaged 15.8 points per game as a freshman, and increased it to 20.2 by the time her time as a Centerville Elk ended at the end of the 2021 season.

This summer, McMahon played in the FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship, in Argentina. Playing and starting every game, McMahon finished the tournament second on Team USA in points (85), points (14.2), rebounds (45) and rebounds per game (7.5).

FIBA Basketball
Cotie McMahon competing against the Puerto Rico U18 women’s basketball team

In the gold medal game, against Canada, McMahon led the Red, White & Blue to their 10th straight U18 Americas Championship victory with 22 points, 3 steals, 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Outscoring UConn commit Isuneh Brady and UCLA commit Kiki Rice, while leading the team in efficiency.

Expectations built off impressive play at the amateur and international levels makes an already tough environment like being a new college student that much tougher. Not only do you have to find your classes, get used to your roommates and get acquainted with a new city, but as a student-athlete McMahon adds practice, team events and doing what she can to compete for minutes in her first year.

Through it all, McMahon is thriving before even stepping on the court for a game. A big part is the team itself. McMahon graduated early to join the team at the beginning of 2022. Although the forward couldn’t play, McMahon could get to know her teammates.

“We have a lot of different personalities, which is awesome,” said McMahon of her Buckeyes teammates. “We all love the game, and it makes it 10 times easier when we’re all on the same page.”

Another way McMahon grew comfort in her new surroundings is by doing something all college athletes get the chance to do in today’s NCAA landscape: financially benefit off her talent and hard work. McMahon established herself with a marketing firm early. With aspirations of playing professionally, with eyes set on the WNBA, McMahon recognized early that women’s sports athletes don’t have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

To help change that narrative, McMahon turned a regular habit of grabbing a smoothie into another brick in the foundation of establishing herself on the basketball stage. After only a few months on campus, McMahon already became a regular at BerryBlendz, the only Ohio-based location of the Colorado smoothie franchise. A lightbulb went off.

When McMahon and her representative from Curran Media Co. contacted about forming an NIL partnership, it was an easy yes. Nicole Young, the store’s manager, already knew McMahon from her daily visits and together they worked on creating McMahon’s signature “Cotie Crossover” smoothie. They even brought in ingredients they didn’t regularly have in the store for McMahon.

McMahon’s never set a foot into an NCAA basketball game. So, a local partnership does more than just put extra money in the Buckeye’s pocket, with McMahon receiving a portion of sales on every “Cotie Crossover” purchased.

“For me, coming into college, your whole life starts over,” said McMahon. “It definitely helped get my name out there on the next level and get started on a good note.”

Although the Ohio State women’s basketball and hockey teams were the only ones in the school’s major sports to win trophies last school year, building name recognition is tough at a school where football sits atop the throne.

Now, any time one of Ohio State’s 44,000 in-person Columbus students grab a smoothie or even walk past the store, they get to know Cotie McMahon and hopefully bring more attention to not only her but the women’s basketball team. A team that sees this year as a major program steppingstone.

Curran Media Co. & BerryBlendz

While the Buckeyes lifted the Big Ten regular season conference title, shared with the Iowa Hawkeyes, they entered the NCAA tournament as only a six seed and were never ranked higher than 13th in the Associated Press weekly poll. In part because of the Scarlet & Gray’s non-conference schedule.

In the 2021-22 season, Ohio State only played one team from a power five conference, losing to Syracuse University of the ACC on Dec. 1, 2021. The 22-23 season takes away any criticism of an easy non-conference slate.

So far this summer, the Buckeyes have three confirmed non-conference games against the University of Tennessee, Boston College and the University of Louisville. Those are only the team-confirmed matchups. There are also tentative games against Virginia Tech and either the Oregon Ducks or Arkansas Razorbacks, with Arkansas announcing an in-season, four-team, tournament on July 27, although the Buckeyes haven’t confirmed the matchups as of publishing.

Win or lose, the Buckeyes have a difficult road leading into an already difficult Big Ten conference. It’s a natural progression from last season, when Ohio State made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Louisiana State University and a close defeat to Big 12 Tournament Champions, the Texas Longhorns. McMahon is unphased by the opponents in her first season.

“I feel like this year its going to be our year,” said McMahon. “We’re feeling good about this season. Playing these good teams is a true test and I feel like we’re going to do really good.”

If this year, and future seasons, go the way McMahon and the Buckeyes are hoping, McMahon’s name will move from the mouths of local students and Ohio State-specific sports coverage and start entering the mouths of national commentators and WNBA scouts. Smoothies are the beginning.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 16, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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Ask LGHL


Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Ask LGHL: What percentage of defensive snaps will Ohio State bring some form of pressure?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grnt Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Ohio State Checks in at No. 2 in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Five things to know about Ohio State’s No. 2 ranking in AP Poll
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

Videos: Kevin Wilson, Cade Stover, Mitch Rossi, Joe Royer Gee Scott Jr., Sam Hart, Bennett Christian
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Can he do three this year?


Kevin Wilson, Buckeyes offense working to hang banners, earn big rings (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Three Takeaways as Kevin Wilson evaluates Ohio State offense (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Kevin Wilson Not Satisfied with Ohio State’s Short-Yardage Run Game: “(It’s) Not What It Needs to Be”
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Column: Kam Babb 100% deserves to receive the Block O jersey
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land

Cade Stover Steps into Larger Leadership Role as Captain
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

‘We have a chance to go for it’; Kevin Wilson looks to win a national title at Ohio State in 2022
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Nice to see good things happening to good people!


You’re Nuts: Biggest overreactions to first week of Ohio State camp
Gene Ross and Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

Kourt Williams, Lathan Ransom give Jim Knowles options vs. physical Big Ten
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Kevin Wilson, Ohio State Tight Ends Impressed by Defense in Scrimmage: “You Just Feel the Defensive Presence”
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Practice Report: How intriguing tight ends give Buckeyes offensive versatility
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row


Cade Stover, Gee Scott Jr. rave about Ohio State football’s defense following Saturday scrimmage
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

Palaie Gaoteote “Floating Around” at Different Linebacker Positions as Role at Ohio State Still Seems Uncertain
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

On the Hardwood


Column: Bronny James committing to Ohio State seems unlikely, but not impossible
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

He would look good in scarlet and gray:

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Olympic Recap: Women’s Volleyball Ranked Seventh in Preseason Poll, Wrestling Set for U20 World Championships
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Women’s Volleyball: Ohio State Ranked Seventh in AVCA Preseason Poll
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Soccer: Barnett, Fischer and Jones Named B1G Players to Watch
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


Literally nobody is surprised:


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Silver Bullets Podcast: 2022 Big Ten West Predictions
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

After a little Ohio State preseason camp news, we walk through how we think the West will play out.


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

With the 2022 college football season looming larger and larger, it’s time for us to do our annual predictions shows. As usual, we start with the Big Ten West while we’re saving the Big Ten best for next week’s show. Chip Minnich and I had to inspect the transfer portal, check the injury reports, and come up with some kind of order in what could be a chaotic Big Ten West this season.

Before we get into that, we discuss some of the more timely news of import to Ohio State fans. We start with the removal of the black stripes. It’s always fun to track which players are getting their helmet stripes removed and becoming “official” Buckeyes. It doesn’t always portend how a player’s college career will play out, but it’s an interesting curiosity and it at least shows how that player is displaying his wares to the coaching staff.

We’ve also got our responses to Kamryn Babb getting this year’s Block 0 jersey. The young man has been plagued with injury issues since his arrival and we’re hoping he finally gets to show what he can do at some point this season.

The offensive players interviewed this week were raving about the OSU defense. Was that some savvy media training in action? An honest barometer of what we can expect from Jim Knowles’ group? Both? Neither? We have our thoughts.

And we also had some news this week about Ohio State’s first opponent. We now know that Notre Dame will be down a starting wide receiver. We also know who will be under center for the Fighting Irish this season.

After the news segment, we run through our predictions for the B1G West, starting at the bottom. Chip and I were in lockstep for the three teams we think will finish in or near the cellar, but then we had some minor disagreements before once again coming together at the top. In all honesty, it was a difficult exercise because the West could go in a lot of different directions this season and that could ride on how healthy teams stay, which quarterbacks improve, and how teams fill the holes left by their departing starters.

We hope you enjoy our takes on the “other” Big Ten division and we welcome your thoughts. Hit us up on Twitter (@SilvrBulletsPod) or email us, and let us know where you’ve got the Purdue Boilermakers, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Wisconsin Badgers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Northwestern Wildcats finishing this season.

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Ohio State four-star DE target to commit this month
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 four-star DE Desmond Umeozulu via 247Sports

Buckeyes hoping a four-star DE will commit to the program in two weeks, and an update on a four-star athlete target could soon be on the way.

College football is quickly approaching. In just a matter of weeks, the now No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will be playing host to now No. 5 Notre Dame in an atmosphere that is sure to be electric. While most of the focus is rightfully on Sept. 3, don’t expect there to be a decline in Ohio State making the college football recruiting headlines. Monday was more of the same as the team is hoping to continue to add to this year’s class.

Umeozulu to commit in 2 weeks


Ohio State has once again built an impressive recruiting class in 2023. The haul currently sits at No. 4 in the 247Sports Team Rankings, and the Buckeyes are not done adding to the class. However, just a few short weeks ago, things felt on the brink of collapse on the defensive front.

As is to be expected with a passionate fan base, it — thankfully — appears that Buckeye Nation was overreacting a bit. Since the turn of the month, the Buckeyes have added two blue-chip defenders to the class in four-star linebacker Arvell Reese (Cleveland, OH) and four-star safety Jayden Bonsu (Jersey City, NJ) and they are hoping August continues to be kind to them.

Four-star defensive end and Ohio State target Desmond Umeozulu (Upper Marlboro, MD) is set to announce his decision Aug. 29 and the Buckeyes are among his final four schools.


Alongside Ohio State, Umeozulu included Pitt, UNC and South Carolina in his final four, but the Buckeyes have been the favorites to land him ever since he officially visited the program for a summer recruiting camp in June. Days after the visit, 247Sports Director of Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, submitted a Crystal Ball prediction favoring the Buckeyes and this is still the only prediction submitted.

While Umeozulu is far from a guarantee to become a Buckeye in two weeks, the team should be more than thrilled with where they sit with him. He is also not the only blue-chip target at the DE position for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are still heavily involved in recruiting five-star Matayo Uiagalelei (Bellflower, CA). He has not yet set a commitment date, but the Buckeyes have been looked at as the favorites for Uiagalelei as well.

If the Buckeyes can add both Umeozulu and Uiagalelei to its 2023 class, all concerns regarding Ohio State’s ability to recruit on the defensive side of the ball show should go away, albeit probably slowly.

Four-star ATH target could soon make an announcement


Ohio State does not have many commitments in its 2024 recruiting class, but the one they have in five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola (Chandler, AZ) has the class off in the right step. Raiola is not only the top-ranked QB in next year’s class, he is also the No. 1 overall recruit.

The Buckeyes are still putting a lot of focus on finishing out the 2023 class, the team is also heavily involved in recruiting future classes as well. This early work will hopefully pay off for the Buckeyes soon as four-star athlete Kylan Fox (Loganville, GA) hinted Monday that he will be releasing an update of some sort sometime soon — yes, we realize this is a lot of uncertainties, but that’s college football recruiting for ya.

Fox mentioned well-known college football recruiting Twitter editor Hayes Fawcett which, if you read into it, means he should be releasing some sort of recruiting update soon.


If Fox does release an update soon, it will likely be a top-schools list. If this is the case, expect Ohio State to make the cut. The Buckeyes offered Fox in June and have been discussed as contenders for his services. Alongside the Buckeyes, programs such as NC State, Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M have all offered him.

Fox is already viewed as one of the top recruits in next year’s class. He is the No. 22 ATH in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is the No. 162 overall prospect. He is also the No. 29 recruit from the talent-rich state of Georgia.

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Ask LGHL: What percentage of defensive snaps will Ohio State bring some form of pressure?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

Question:


This is a great question, Mike, because it ties in nicely to Friday’s Ask LGHL question about the usage rate for Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. Unfortunately, I am not sure exactly what Ohio State’s blitz rate was last season; I tried to find a legitimate source for that data, but alas, I was unsuccessful.


What I found instead was Pro Football Focus’ “rush percentage,” which they define as “the percentage of pass rush snaps per passing snap played.” So, I took those numbers and eliminated the interior defensive lineman, because by default they are rushing on every pass play and therefore wouldn’t really be considered “blitzing.”

Now before I get into these numbers, I want to make it clear that I am not a statistician, and I am honestly only barely literate when it comes to numbers. So if I screw this up, please know that it was done in good faith and that it was not done out of a lack of effort or attention, but rather a lack of intellect and basic cognitive understanding on how percentages and statistics work.

Anyway, according to PFF, Ohio State defenders rushed on 437 of a possible 1,576 passing opportunities. Now, keep in mind that this includes many redundant passing plays since nine defenders have the ability to rush on every pass once the defensive tackles are taken out of the equation. That brought the Buckeyes out to a 27.7% rush percentage on the season.

For comparison, new OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ squad at Oklahoma State last season rushed on 572 of their opponents’ 1,739 pass plays for a rush percentage of 32.9%; so 5.2% more often than Ohio State.

Now, obviously, there are a lot of variables that come into play here — the differences between Big Ten and Big 12 offenses, how likely teams were to rush while leading late in games (how likely the two teams were to be leading late in games), how many players actually rushed on a given play, etc — so this isn’t apples-to-apples, but 5.2% is still not something to turn your nose up at.

Again, PFF’s numbers are by player, not by play, but if we assume that the percentage is fairly consistent across the two, that means that if the 2021 Buckeyes had rushed 5.2% more than they actually did, they would have brought pressure on an additional 24 passing plays throughout the course of the season — or nearly two per game. Not nearly as much as I could have anticipated.

Since arriving in Columbus, Knowles has talked about wanting to increase the aggressiveness of the Buckeye defense, and I think a lot of that will come from trying to get pressure on the quarterback; something that OSU has struggled with since Chase Young was destroying passers in 2019.

Even without a dominant edge rusher, Ohio State has done moderately well at getting sacks in recent years, finishing 34th nationally with 36 last season and coming in as PFF’s 23rd-rated defense when it came to pressure in 2021. Those numbers aren’t horrible, but given the significant talent advantages that the Buckeyes have against nearly every team that they play, they are pretty disappointing.

So, to answer your question, Mike, I think that there will be a statistical increase in how often OSU blitzes in 2022, but will it be noticeable? I’m not so sure. To use the parlance of the stats I discussed earlier, I could see them crossing the 33% mark in terms of rush percentage. An increase, sure, but not a significant enough of a jump to knock your socks off.

However, what I think will bring the noticeable difference is the creativity and intensity of the pressure that Knowles dials up. The new d-cor’s entire career has been built upon trying to get the most out of moderately talented players. With all due respect to the dudes that he’s coached along the way, Knowles is now leading a defensive room with more collective stars than Orion’s belt and both Dippers combined.

So I am excited to see what he draws up and how he puts his otherworldly athletes in positions to wreak as much havoc as possible for opposing offenses.

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You’re Nuts: Biggest overreactions to first week of Ohio State camp
Gene Ross 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

Surely we already have all the answers about the 2022 Buckeyes.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: Biggest overreactions to the first week of Ohio State camp.

Gene’s Take: Ohio State’s offensive line will be dominant


It’s rare that I get to take the first crack at it in these things, so I'm excited to get out ahead of my podcast co-host on this one. That being said, I'm not going to steal either of the topics Josh floated out when planning to write this edition of You’re Nuts this week. In addition, while I find that I'm usually the more negative of the two of us when it comes to almost all things Ohio State, I'm actually going to overreact in this positive this time around. Maybe you're all just catching me at a good time, but I really hope I’m right about this one.

With one week of the Buckeyes’ preseason camp having come and gone, I can confidently (not confidently) say that Ohio State’s offensive line is going to dominate this season and fix all of the issues that plagued them a year ago.

I didn’t think it would be a big enough overreaction to say that they would improve from a season ago, as the unit wasn’t exactly stellar for Ryan Day’s offense in 2021. The all-tackles offensive line was a questionable decision from the jump under former offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, and it performed about how you would expect. The blocking was solid when it came to the passing game, ranking No. 15 in FBS in sacks allowed with 17 total on the year. However, with no guards on the field in a purely zone running game, they consistently failed in the run blocking department. The Buckeyes ranked 52nd in power success rate, per Football Outsiders, which in large part led to their struggles on 3rd-and-short.

With Justin Frye now at the helm of the unit, Ohio State will return back to a traditional line formation with two tackles, two guards and a center — which, in itself, should lead to significant improvement. Starting in those spots include a pair of former five-star prospects in Paris Johnson Jr. at tackle and Donovan Jackson at guard, returning starter Luke Wypler at center, a player with experience all over the line in Matthew Jones at the other guard position, and a 6-foot-8 mountain of a man in Dawand Jones rounding out the five at tackle. Having the correct personnel on the field is a great place to start, but that is an incredibly solid group of guys to man down the front.

Personally, I’m excited to see both Johnson and Jackson on the field this season. Coming out of high school, Paris Johnson Jr. was drawing lofty comparisons as the next Orlando Pace. It is not exactly fair to expect Johnson to emulate one of the best to ever do it at the position in the history of the sport, but after performing admirably at guard last season, the nation’s No. 1 OT in the 2020 class will now get to dominate on the outside for Ohio State where he belongs. Jackson is certainly no slouch either, as the Texas native came to Columbus as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2021 class. Having a pair of five-star caliber players on the line at the same time should pay dividends for the Buckeyes.

On top of the level of talent from a player perspective along this year’s line, I'm excited to see what Frye brings to the mix as the new man in charge. Studrawa’s coaching had gotten old and stale over time, and his replacement was likely long overdue. Frye previously spent time at Boston College and UCLA, which both saw improvement in the run game after he arrived. As a Chip Kelly disciple, hopefully Frye is able to bring some much needed juice to Ohio State’s ground attack, which became far too predictable at times last season. New players and better coaching up front could pay dividends for what was already an explosive Buckeye offense a year ago, especially if they can supplement that air attack with the ground and pound.

Josh’s Take: Julian Fleming will be a starter


Roughly a week into fall camp, this is the perfect time to have some overreactions! Don’t you agree, Gene? One or two practices in? Seems too early. Waiting until the team has had a chance to develop chemistry and gel? That’s amateur hour, and much too late in the game. Yep, this feels like the absolute sweet spot to make snap judgements regarding the 2022 Ohio State football season.

Media outlets and beat reporters – and as a direct result, fans – have had limited access to practice sessions thus far, cutting down on the amount of substantial news that has come out pertaining to players, position battles, new coaches, etc. Brief glimpses of a controlled setting(s) don’t typically provide a ton of information, but fortunately, the staff has been generous with their time and occasionally forthcoming with information.

The curtain was thrown back last Thursday, when a full practice was opened up, and those in attendance had a field day giving us their keen observations. There is plenty to learn from press conferences and media availability, but nothing can replicate a live practice. Between those early pressers and recent, in-person observations, we have started to gain just a little bit of insight into the Buckeye and their preparation for the upcoming season.

What has stood out to me, and what I am completely willing to overreact to, is the praise being heaped upon Julian Fleming — as well as his presence among the starters. Now, this is not to say Fleming will be in the starting lineup come Sept. 3, because a lot could change in three weeks. But there are good vibes and positive momentum propelling the former five-star recruit and top-ranked WR in his class, and I could not be more excited.

Because I am on the board of trustees in Flemingtown. I purchased a small condo on Fleming Island nearly three years ago, and I’ve been forced to watch my property value tank ever since. But this is our season. Comeback SZN. 2022 will be the year of Fleming, as all reports indicate an impending breakout for the oft-injured and terribly unlucky wideout. I legitimately believe in his talent, and it finally seems like things are beginning to go his way.

In my opinion, it was never about talent with Fleming. A multi-sport stud in high school, he came to Columbus with the pedigree, the skills, and the work ethic. He just couldn’t stay healthy. Even when he has been on the field, he rarely seemed to be playing at 100 percent. Not doing him any favors, was the fact that he shared a position room with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and others. While iron sharpens iron, and I’m sure Fleming learned a great deal, his odds of earning playing time were low. Then Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out, and he became a bit of an afterthought.

Olave and Wilson chose to protect their investment and sat out of the 2022 Rose Bowl, but Fleming did not shine in their absence(s). He played in the game, but Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka put up better stats. It seemed as if Fleming would be no higher than fourth on the depth chart heading into the 2022 season, but I was still not ready to step down from the board and/or put up a For Sale sign. Indications are that Fleming still has a chance to shine, and might do so sooner than later.

The third-year wideout recently earned the status of Iron Buckeye — a name and honor given to those who had the most outstanding summer from a training standpoint. Fleming was joined by Kamryn Babb, Tommy Eichenberg, Tyler Friday, Ronnie Hickman, Kourt Williams, and Cade Stover... a nice list of players. But offseason awards often mean very little when it comes to playing time. Guys still need to earn it, which is apparently what Fleming is doing right now.

Last Thursday, during the open practice, Fleming took all of the first-team reps at Z receiver. He was on the field with JSN and Harrison Jr., and ahead of Egbuka. While I expect all four to play a ton, there now exists a scenario in with Fleming earns the start against Notre Dame. He also ran as the first-team gunner during punt team work, which might not seem like much, but remember: that was the beginning of the ascent for guys like Terry McLaurin and Chris Olave. Not an apples to apples comparison, but if anything, it proves that Fleming is at least fully healthy.

I don’t expect Fleming to lead the team in receptions or receiving yards. He could finish fourth or fifth in either category, and I would not be shocked. But as of January 2, 2022, I’m not sure any of us expected him to even compete for a starting role... which is exactly what he’s doing. And to that, I am willing to overreact. It has been a long time coming.

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Column: Kam Babb 100% deserves to receive the Block O jersey
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK

The fifth-year senior has had an unbelievably bad run with injuries, yet never wavered as one of the leaders on this team.

This past week, the Ohio State football team announced that Kamryn Babb would be the third recipient of the prestigious ‘Block O’ jersey. This selection made me extremely happy, as I believe there is truly no one more deserving of it than him.

Babb is pretty much the definition of perseverance. The fifth-year receiver has torn his ACL not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR TIMES! The first one ended his senior high school season early. He tore it again his freshman and redshirt-freshman year of college, then a fourth time his redshirt junior year (last year).

The former four-star receiver is still looking for his first collegiate catch. However, the fact that he has only played seven games during his four years hasn’t prevented Babb from being a leader on this team, as this is the second year in a row his teammates voted him as a captain.

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

I feel like this speaks volumes to the type of person Babb is off the field. The fact that his team looks up to him that much and he hasn’t even played a full season yet just shows the amount of respect they have for him. I mean, it would be hard not to. He is showing up for a fifth season, still grinding and keeping a positive attitude after four serious knee injuries. It is extremely admirable.

Babb has previously said that he did think about quitting a couple of times. However, himself and his doctors have remained optimistic after each injury, which keeps him hopeful for a healthy season. Additionally, he credits his faith for allowing him to become a leader and remain a critical part of this team.

Perhaps his most public showing of his leadership took place during the Spring Game this past year. There was a moment of silence to observe the death of former Buckeye QB Dwayne Haskins, and Babb led the team, and basically the entire stadium, in prayer.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Clearly, the super senior has gained the respect of his teammates and coaches. He is definitely someone they can look up to in terms of staying positive and getting through the grind of being an Ohio State football player. If he can put 110% effort into everything he does and he’s torn his ACL four times, then certainly that can motivate his teammates to do their best as well.

Both C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba commented on Babb at Big Ten Media Day, supporting the fact that he is a mentor on the team and they seek advice from him. They both were confident in the role that Babb could play this year, with JSN saying, “His ceiling’s really high.”

If the top two offensive players on the team are hyping up Babb, you know he’s done his job well. Now, he did suffer a minor meniscus injury in the spring, but he does appear to be fully healthy at the moment. Let’s all pray that he stays that way for the entirety of the season so that he can show off his highly-touted skills that have been four years in the making. Oh, and we are all going to go absolutely berzerk when he makes his first career reception, right?

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Column: Bronny James committing to Ohio State seems unlikely, but not impossible
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK

If the son of LeBron James really wants to be a Buckeye, I’m sure Ohio State will find a way to make it happen.

A basketball player with the last name James caused quite a stir in the Ohio State Twitter universe over the weekend, but this time it wasn’t LeBron.

No, it was actually LeBron’s oldest son, Bronny, who caused so much commotion among Buckeye fans Friday night, as ESPN’s Paul Biancardi reported that there is a “strong feeling” that James will take the college route — rather than playing one year in the G-League or overseas. It’s no secret that LeBron James wants to play alongside his son for at least one season before he retires, and as the years roll on and he continues to defy Father Time, it looks like LeBron and Bronny could actually overlap in the NBA in 2024 or 2025.

But none of that is breaking news. The #BiancardiBomb was actually the second part of his tweet, where ESPN’s National Recruiting Director listed the five programs that are recruiting him the hardest, “among others”:


That’s right, Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes are in contact with James, as Biancardi listed them specifically as one of the programs pursuing the 2023 guard most aggressively. He listed the Buckeyes next to Michigan, Oregon, USC, and UCLA, “among others” to make sure everyone knows that the list of potential suitors is much larger than just the five frontrunners.

There are so many layers to James’ recruitment, and it is going to be fascinating to follow as it quickly heats up this fall. According to 247Sports, Bronny James is the No. 43 player in the country, the No. 7 shooting guard, and the No. 12 player in the basketball-rich (and just really big) state of California. That places James above every player in Ohio State’s current 2023 recruiting class except the recently-committed Scotty Middleton, who is No. 34 nationally.

Growing up in the shadow of one of — if not the — greatest basketball players ever has without a doubt been a challenge for Bronny. Playing for national powerhouse Sierra Canyon, he has been surrounded by older, more talented players his entire prep career. He’s never been the go-to scorer or the alpha on his team due to guys like BJ Boston and Ziaire Williams being his teammates. But Bronny has played his role well, and his college recruitment has pretty much flown under the radar until this week.


Many people — myself included — assumed James would bypass college and play professionally for one year before entering the 2024 NBA Draft. He could have opted to play in the G-League, like 2022 first-round pick Dyson Daniels, or he could’ve gone overseas like LaMelo Ball did before being taken third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. If the goal was to get to the NBA as quickly as possible to play with his papa, that felt like the most efficient route.

But now we’ve been blessed with the most complicated and entertaining recruitment of any player in the history of college basketball. If LeBron James Jr. wants to play at a big-time college program for one or two years, he will have dozens of scholarship offers to choose from. While he’s not a once-in-a-generation type of player like his father was nearly 20 years ago, James is a very talented guard who is climbing up recruiting rankings as his senior season draws near. And while many of the top 2023 prospects have already committed to schools or are planning to soon, Bronny’s recruitment will be front and center pretty soon, as more and more top recruits make decisions and shut down their recruitment — leaving Bronny as one of the top players still available. Grab the popcorn!

There’s quite a bit to unpack with a recruitment of this magnitude. If a school isn’t Nike or Jordan brand they’ll be out of the running, so we can get that out of the way right now. It’s no coincidence that Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Michigan — all Jordan or Nike programs — are the five schools that leaked as “favorites” this weekend.


Bronny goes to school in Los Angeles and his father plays for the Lakers, so UCLA and USC will be major players thanks to proximity — in addition to the fact that UCLA is rich in college basketball history and will forever be among the “blue bloods” of the sport.

Oregon is Nike’s flagship school, and boasts a top-10 recruiting class already, including five-star forwards Mookie Cook and Kwame Evans Jr. What they don’t have in their 2023 class is a combo guard like James, so he would be able to step in and potentially fight for meaningful minutes right away next to two other one-and-done freshmen.

The idea of LeBron James’ son playing for the University of Michigan seems asinine to Ohio State fans — how could Ohio’s native son send his son to Michigan? James has said numerous times that if “he had gone to college” it would’ve been Ohio State, 100%. Can he turn around and send his kid to play for Ohio State’s biggest rival?

Here’s the thing. Relationships will be important as anything else during Bronny’s recruitment, and the head coach up in Ann Arbor happens to be a former teammate, coach, and very close friend of LeBron’s due to their shared time with the Miami Heat. So while it’s true that LeBron may not love the idea of sending his son to play for “That School Up North,” he certainly trusts Juwan Howard to watch over his son and continue his development as a player — and person — at Michigan for one season.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Additionally, Michigan does not have any commitments in their 2023 class yet — not a single one! The delayed nature of James’ recruitment will likely cause some problems with certain schools that already have their 2023 classes filled and their 2023-2024 scholarships accounted for. Michigan will not have that problem.

And that brings us to the Buckeyes.

Chris Holtmann and his staff have assembled the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation (tied with Michigan State) in the 2023 cycle. The class is made up of four players — Middleton, George Washington III (No. 60 overall), Devin Royal (No. 73 overall), and Austin Parks (No. 105 overall). Assuming that nobody transfers or leaves early, the Buckeyes have already committed 13 scholarships — the maximum amount — to the 2023-2024 team. There is not a scholarship to offer Bronny James, as of now.

Assuming there are no transfers or early departures, here are Ohio State’s scholarships for the 2023-2024 season:

• Tanner Holden
• Gene Brown
• Zed Key
• Kalen Etzler
• Bruce Thornton
• Felix Okpara
• Brice Sensabaugh
• Roddy Gayle Jr.
• Bowen Hardman
• Scotty Middleton
• Austin Parks
• Devin Royal
• George Washington III

Those are the numbers assuming nobody transfers. But I’ll let you in on a little secret — someone is going to leave. Last season, only 10 Division-I programs kept their roster intact and avoided losing any players by way of transfer. That translates to roughly 96% of all programs losing at least one player to the transfer portal. With the amount of young talent on this roster and the amount joining next year, someone is bound to seek a new opportunity. However, that does not mean Chris Holtmann will over-commit scholarships and assume one will free up in the spring.

Even with no available scholarships, I still think Bronny James to Ohio State is a possibility. A lack of scholarships doesn’t necessarily equate to a lack of roster space. Unlike most households, $25,000 is nothing to the James family. Similar to the situation at Michigan with Juwan Howard’s son Jace, LeBron could hypothetically pay his son’s tuition and allow him to join the Ohio State men’s basketball program as a walk-on. Clearly, Bronny James would not be a practice player or fill the typical walk-on role — he would play. But to get around the scholarship limit, he could join the program and pay his own way.

It’s a wild and wacky hypothetical, but if LeBron James Jr. really wants to be a Buckeye, he’s going to be a Buckeye. Scholarship, no scholarship, it doesn’t matter — they would figure it out.

If Bronny James joined the Ohio State Basketball program, everything would change. Non-conference games against the likes of Maine, Texas-Arlington, and Niagara would become sell-outs. The price of a ticket to see the Buckeyes play Big Ten foes would spike to levels even I can’t predict. Simply the possibility — even if it’s minute — of LeBron being in the house to watch his son play would turn Buckeye basketball games into a frenzy. Attendance would skyrocket, merchandise sales would skyrocket, and the program would receive national attention it hasn’t seen since the Greg Oden/Mike Conley era.


Not to be overlooked, the pressure on Holtmann and his staff would be immense. Have you ever bought a ticket to watch your favorite professional team play, only to show up and learn that one or more star players aren’t in the lineup? The same conflicting interests would hang over Holtmann and his staff for as long as James was (hypothetically) part of the program.

With Washington and Thornton already on the roster, Bronny James would not show up and play starter’s minutes right away. He would see action off the bench, as most freshmen do under Holtmann. Five seasons in, it’s become quite clear that Chris Holtmann does not want his freshmen to sit and rot on the bench. He wants them to get involved early and have a chance to learn in big games. But make no mistake, Bronny would not be a starter right away or the focal point of that team — from a basketball standpoint.

So while 19,000 people would pack the Schott on a Monday night to see LeBron James Jr. put on a show against Nebraska, he may only wind up playing 10 minutes — much to the chagrin of the thousands of fans who are there to watch Bronny, not Zed Key or Felix Okpara. Holtmann is paid to win basketball games, not satisfy fans’ demands. Maybe it would go off without a hitch, but I could see the high-profile nature of this recruitment causing some tension between the coaching staff, the fan base, and the Ohio State athletic department.

My gut tells me that Bronny James will either end up at Michigan playing for a close family friend in Howard, or at UCLA right in his backyard. But if Bronny really wants to be a Buckeye and call Columbus home for one year, I have a feeling that Chris Holtmann and Gene Smith will do whatever it takes to make that dream become a reality. Buckle up!

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ScriptOhio said:

Login to view embedded media
It still cool to use the internet though.. just don’t let it use you....

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Dont let the Internet use you, as I accept this trophy that looks like an ice dick sculpture behind a podium with a Yahoo! logo on it.

It was who I suspected. Still think there was another involved. Still, nice to have the closure.

BUCKDUBBS007 said:

Seeding again

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Thanks....appreciate you!

Bill Russell's No. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend's death last month

The NBA will honor the legacy of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell by retiring his No. 6 jersey for all 30 teams, the league and the National Basketball Players Association announced Thursday.

Russell becomes the first player in NBA history to have his jersey retired leaguewide.

Additionally, all NBA players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys during the 2022-23 season, and every court will display a shamrock-shaped logo with Russell's No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer's table.

"Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Starting with the 2022-23 season, no NBA team will be allowed to issue No. 6 to any player. Players who currently wear No. 6 -- such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James -- may continue to do so. According to Basketball Reference, 25 players, including James, Kristaps Porzingis, Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, wore No. 6 last season.

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...retired-nba-following-legend-death-last-month

Toby Wilson also saw some second-team reps at center but worked primarily with the third team

Observations from Watching A Full Ohio State Practice for the First Time in 2022 | Eleven Warriors

BROWN, JOHNSON SPLIT FIRST-TEAM REPS AT CORNERBACK
Two days after Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles expressed concerns about the Buckeyes’ cornerback depth, we got a glimpse at why on Thursday.


When Brown wasn’t on the field, redshirt freshman JK Johnson took first-team reps opposite No. 1 cornerback Denzel Burke. True freshman Jyaire Brown and walk-on Lloyd McFarquhar were the second-team cornerbacks on Thursday – and McFarquhar took advantage of the opportunity by intercepting Kyle McCord during 7-on-7.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

• McFarquhar’s interception came in tight coverage on Emeka Egbuka near the line of scrimmage during 7-on-7 drills and was one of the highlights of the day for the defense.

Observations from Watching A Full Ohio State Practice for the First Time in 2022 | Eleven Warriors

gmen6981 said:

If I recall correctly, scUM didn't allow any TEAM to rush for more than 50 yds that season. OSU had two 50+ yd TDs in that 2006 game. The one by Beanie and a 56 yarder by Antonio Pittman.

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Two other teams did manage it, but that was a heckuva run defense in 2006.

Minnesota rushed for 108 on 24 carries.
Sparty rushed for 60 yards on 26 carries.

But they also had these stats:

Notre Dame had 4 yards on 17 carries, including 4 by Brady Quinn for -18 yards.
Wisconsin had 12 yards on 27 carries.
Penn State had -14 yards on 25 carries, due to Anthony Morelli getting 5 ‘carries’ for -49.
Iowa had 41 yards on 24 carries.
NW’ern had -13 yards on 17 carries.

In the bowl game, USC had 48 yards on 23 carries.

Combined stats for ND, Wiscy, Penn St., Iowa, NW’ern, and USC:

78 yards on 133 carries, an average of 13 yards per game, and 0.586 yards per carry.

In the only version of The Game to feature #1 vs #2, the Buckeyes had 29 carries for 187, or 6.45 ypc.

Column: A quick look at the running back room as Fall Camp begins for Ohio State
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The running back room was center stage during media availability, so let’s look at what the room brings to the table entering the 2022 season

Fall camp is underway in Columbus, Ohio and the Ohio State Buckeyes are ready to start the journey of their 2022 season. The Buckeyes bring back an explosive offensive with a ton of talent and high expectations entering camp coming off a year where they ranked near the top of the country in every major category. A significant reason for the offense’s success was the explosive nature of the running back room.

This room returns the featured back in Treveyon Henderson, who led the team in rushing and set the Ohio State freshman record for touchdowns, as well as the bulldozing Miyan Williams, who had some big play ability in his own right. Position coach Tony Alford also had high praise for Evan Pryor as he heads into year two for the Buckeyes. With a core like this, expectations should be high and improvement should be expected from all three players with another year of maturity.

Looking ahead, there is no reason this room shouldn’t be in the conversation for best in the country. Last year, the group was not always perfect, and this year they won’t have to be. That being said, the running backs should be a dangerous weapon for Ryan Day, and if he can unlock it this offense will be unstoppable.

A quick look at last year


This room, despite relying on two first time contributors, looked exceptional for most of the season. As a group, they return 84.6 percent of their rushing yards and they bring back 85.2 percent of the touchdowns from the position. This is an incredible place to start for the Buckeyes, and this experience should count for something.

The one issue for the Buckeyes with this group was the list of health problems they faced. Having another year under the belts of Williams, Henderson, and Pryor should also lead to some more durability this season. Henderson came into his first season at Ohio State after not playing football for year. This weighed on him, as he ended up battling a concussion and the physical wear made Henderson struggle a little bit late in the season. Williams battled an undisclosed illness as well as some other health issues on top of a few injuries throughout the season, and his production level dropped off as well. Pryor just wasn’t physically ready to take on the work load of a consistent contributor, but all signs point to a big role this year.

If the Buckeyes can remain healthy, the experience gained last year will be invaluable. The group will need to be tougher and convert in short yardage situations, which was a major struggle last year. The explosiveness is already there, and they really have a group of players with three different skill sets that can hurt opponents.

The current running back room


TreVeyon Henderson (183 attempts, 1248 yards, 19 Touchdowns)

Henderson came onto the scene with an explosive 70 yard touchdown against Minnesota to to give the Buckeyes the lead in the fourth quarter. From then on expectations were set, and the freshman running back was one of the most exciting stories in the sport through the first four games.

After the controversial statement he made about playing through a concussion, the running back began to fade in production. After a huge performance against Penn State, Henderson failed to eclipse 100 yards rushing again on the season. This is where Henderson will be looking to improve. His explosiveness gave Buckeye fans a lot to be excited about, and becoming a more well-rounded back will go a long way for the offense.

Here is a look at what Henderson can bring to the table from an explosive, power, and balance stand point:


Miyan Williams (71 attempts, 508 yards, 3 touchdowns)

Williams was the starter week one of the season and carved out a consistent role for the Buckeyes until he ran into some health issues. His skill set starts with his agility and his innate ability to make defenders miss. This gave him quite a few highlight juke moves on his tape from last season, and he will be looking to build off that skill set this year.

Where Williams can improve is harnessing his powerful running style and becoming a bell cow in short yardage. Despite being hard to tackle and incredibly physical, he still wasn’t always reliable in short yardage situations like fans would hope. For a true thunder and lightning dynamic, Williams will need to continue to run hard, but build more on the battering ram aspect of his game.

Here is a look at the shiftiness and power Miyan Williams is bringing into the season:


Evan Pryor (21 attempts, 98 yards, 1 touchdown)

Last season Pryor was the fifth back on the depth chart. With Marcus Crowley medically retiring and Master Teague III heading to the NFL, Pryor now has a significant opportunity to prove he belongs in the Buckeye backfield. As a recruit he was touted for his explosiveness and shiftiness, which flashed in his limited play last time last season. This year in the Spring Game he got to show off his skills even more.

This skillset should bring balance to the styles of Henderson and Williams, and if a team doesn’t want to focus attention on Pryor he has the talent to do damage to opposing defenses.

Here is a look at Evan Pryor showing his acceleration, shiftiness, and stiff arm in the Spring Game:


Dallan Hayden (N/A incoming freshman)

Hayden will not have an expansive role on the offense this season, but with a rather thin group he still should receive some ample playing opportunity. He brings an all-around skillset with no true calling card heading into the first season. His high school highlights showed a great blend of shiftiness and power, while also showing more explosiveness his senior season. This mix should set him up for some success early, and if he can build on that, he has the upside to be a featured back in the future for Ohio State.


The first media session with players and coach was the running back position group. As a unit, “Tote Nation” has high expectations for themselves. Tony Alford spoke on how the group has been carrying themselves and the experience is showing in their day-to-day work.

Alford mentioned how well they approaching the game on and off the field, saying, “When they’re talking the game, they’re they’re articulating the way that we play and using our terminology, and they’re understanding the game of football much more than they did at any time in point last year. But that’s just called maturation. That’s how it should be.”

Entering camp the roles were well established and complacency could have set in, but all of the players in the room are preparing for the huge opportunity this season will provide. The combination of work ethic, talent, and understanding provide the expectations that this room should be much improved.

This maturity level should raise expectations even higher, and this room has all the ability to be one of the best in the country. Coach Alford has the room poised for success, and the value of having three capable backs will pay dividends down the stretch. The one thing that can truly take the offense to another level is a balanced and explosive run game.

The only things left to learn are the rotations, roles, and how many carries each back will get in the games. As we get further into camp, expect to hear more about the business mindset this room is taking. With few eyes on the running backs, they’ll be able to work in silence until the Buckeyes take on Notre Dame and the group can show the rest of the country who they really are.

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 9, 2022
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.

Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.

Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.

You’re welcome!

For your Earholes...


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Ask LGHL


Ask LGHL: What will it take for you to consider the Ohio State football season a success?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


SBJ Media: Big Ten talks in the home stretch
John Ourand, Sports Business Journal

What we know about Big Ten rights negotiations (paywall)
Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic

I think there are some things to be concerned about not having any games on the ESPN family of networks, but I think I am coming down in agreement with Chris.


Ohio State ranks No. 2 in 2022 preseason Coaches Poll
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Practice Report: Buckeyes becoming deeper, better along offensive line in preseason
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Buckeyes RT Dawand Jones feels faster after offseason weight loss
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

OL Anchored by Returning Starters Johnson, Jones and Wypler
Ohio State Athletics

Paris Johnson feeling more at home after an offseason focused on tackle (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

Tony Alford keeping relationships, production at forefront of recruiting pitch
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row

Well done, Colton.


Julian Fleming Building Momentum for Long-Awaited Breakout with “Best Offseason He’s Had”
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Watch six Ohio State linemen interview Buckeyes teammate Josh Fryar
Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

Dallan Hayden Going Full Speed Into First Fall Camp
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Four Lessons Learned from Justin Frye, emerging Buckeyes offensive line unit
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ready for J.K. to Dominate the NFL!


Josh Fryar Ready to Play After Offseason Recovery from Torn ACL: “I Don’t Want to Sit Back and Wait”
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

You’re Nuts: What position battle are you most interested in heading into 2022?
Josh Dooley and Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

Three Takeaways from hungry Buckeyes offensive line (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

On the Hardwood


Here are five key plays from Ohio State’s win against Puerto Rico
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State basketball aiming for back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

This Seems Good!


Ohio State’s men’s basketball team learns their first 2022 Maui Invitational opponent
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

Outside the Shoe and Schott

And now for something completely different...


I love this stupid game:




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Silver Bullets Podcast: Ramping up for the 2022 Ohio State football season
Michael Citro 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

We look back on the biggest stories of the off-season as we join our new home at LGHL.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


Well, hello there! Chip Minnich and I are excited to become part of the Land-Grant Holy Land team this season. If you’re not familiar with us, well, we’ve been doing the Silver Bullets Podcast together since August of 2018. Chip has been doing it a bit longer, as he and Shannon Sommers hosted the first 25 episodes together before I came aboard.

Now, here we are on our 114th episode of the Silver Bullets Podcast and the first at our new home, here at LGHL. Chip and I last recorded in the aftermath of Ohio State’s wile 48-45 Rose Bowl win over Utah, so it’s been a minute.

For this episode, we touch on why we left our old place and how excited we are to be here. We also discussed two of the biggest off-season stories of the past several months — the addition of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, and the coaching changes that Ryan Day made to the OSU staff after the conclusion of the 2021 season. Both Chip and I grew up loathing USC due to the fact that the Trojans wrecked a lot of Ohio State seasons in the Rose Bowl, so we’re both finding it a little surreal to think that they could soon be a conference opponent. We’re also eager to see what lies ahead between now and 2024 in terms of additional expansion.

The Buckeyes did a little house cleaning on the defensive coaching staff since last year and we discussed what that might mean for Ohio State’s season to come. We also touched on the important, yet less talked about, addition of Justin Frye and how that could improve things for Day’s offense.

Finally, we looked ahead to what listeners can expect in the run-up to Ohio State’s 2022 kickoff against Notre Dame. We look forward to bringing you our show every week through the end of the season and then going monthly in the off-season. We invite you to provide feedback or send questions to us at SilverBulletsPod (at) gmail dot com and feel free to follow the show on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.

It’s great to be here and to get started.

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Ohio State four-star DL target sets commitment date
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2023 four-star DL Jalen Thompson via 247Sports

Buckeye target sets decision date, plus multiple future Buckeyes named as MaxPreps second-team All-Americans.

The second week of fall camp is now underway for Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team. With this, much of the talk surrounding the Ohio State football team will revolve around the Buckeyes’ current roster. However, recruiting will remain a mainstay for the team to ensure the success of the program in the future.

Thompson sets commitment date


Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is quickly coming together, and with 19 verbal commitments there is little room for the Buckeyes to add to the class. With the offensive side of things in solid footing, the Ohio State coaching staff will look to focus on the defensive side of the ball to finish out the class. July brought to light multiple concerns on the defensive recruiting front, as a few Ohio State targets decided to commit elsewhere and the Buckeyes saw a top-100 recruit de-commit from the program.

August has been much kinder to the Buckeyes, as they have added defensive recruits to both this current class as well as to future classes. The team will hope this trend continues throughout the month, as they will see more of their top defensive recruits announce their decisions. One of those targets set to announce this month is four-star defensive lineman Jalen Thompson of Detroit, MI (Cass Technical).


Thompson was offered by Ohio State on June 1 after impressing the coaching staff at a summer recruiting camp. He then made a return trip to Columbus later in the month, and and following the visit the Buckeyes have been viewed as one of the favorites to land him.

However, the team seems to have slowed down in his recruitment as of late, which has led to Michigan State becoming the overwhelming favorites to earn his commitment. This may be a situation where if Ohio State gives Thompson the green light, he would commit to the program, but the Buckeyes are waiting to see how things play out with some of their other defensive line prospects.

Ohio State is also heavily recruiting a handful of other defensive line targets including five-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei, four-star DL Damon Wilson, four-star DE Desmond Umeozulu and five-star DE Keon Keeley.

Keeley seems the least likely to become a Buckeye, but Ohio State has placed themselves in a good position with all of the above, and as of late Uiagalelei and Umeozulu have especially been trending towards Ohio State.

If Thompson decides to commit to Michigan State in a couple weeks, this likely reflects that the Buckeyes feel they are in a solid spot to land a combination of the above targets, as well as feel they would make for a better fit with the team more than Thompson.

Thompson is the No. 30 DL prospect in the 2023 class and is the No. 195 overall prospect. He is also the No. 3 prospect out of Michigan.

Quick Hits

• A trio of future Buckeyes were listed as second-team preseason All-Americans when MaxPreps released its All-America teams for high school seniors Monday. Five-star WR Brandon Innis, four-star OT Luke Montgomery and four-star CB Kayin Lee all received the prestigious honor. While the trio were the only current Ohio State commitments to make the list, Ohio State defensive line target Uiagalelei was given first-team honors.
• Ohio State 2024 five-star WR target Jeremiah Smith of Opa Locka, FL (Chaminade-Madonna Prep) will reportedly visit Columbus for the Buckeyes’ first game of the season when the team plays host to Notre Dame. It is still early in Smith’s recruitment but he has spoken highly of Ohio State which has led the team to become the early favorites in his recruitment.

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Ask LGHL: What will it take for you to consider the Ohio State football season a success?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

Ohio State’s fall football camp kicked off last week, and the team officially moved into it’s hotel on Sunday in one of the most beloved — and bizarre — traditions in all of Buckeye Nation as fans and media alike photographed the players walking into their new digs as if they were severely underdressed for an awards show red carpet.

But, with three and a half-ish weeks until the Buckeyes open the season against Notre Dame, to kick off our Ask LGHL series for the season, we wanted to get an idea of where your head is at in regards to this team and this season.

So, we asked two simple questions in our most recent SBNation Reacts survey about what your hopes and expectations are for this year.

Question 1: What is the minimum needed for a successful Ohio State season?


The Ohio State fandom is made up of many different people and we all come into each season with different thresholds for what we consider a success. So, as you can see in the graphic below, we gave you four options and more than half (54%) of the respondents said that making the playoffs is the floor of what would make the OSU 2022 campaign a success.

I do wonder if we had made one of the options “Win a CFP Playoff Game,” if that would have moved the bar up a little bit. While people would obviously be pretty ticked off if the Buckeyes lost to The Domers and/or TTUN, it does make sense that fans would need more than those two high-profile wins to feel good about the season. Imagine beating them, but losing to Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Ugh, I just got a nasty shiver down my spine.

For me, given these four options, I would probably agree with the majority and say that the Bucks would need to make the playoff to have a successful season, but I will admit that without winning a national championship this year, the first four years of Ryan Day’s tenure in Columbus are going to feel monumentally disappointing to me, based solely on the fact that they will have squandered four years of potentially the two best quarterbacks in program history.

I feel very comfortable in putting Justin Fields atop that list already, and given C.J. Stroud’s first year as OSU’s signal caller, I think he has the ability to be in that conversation as well by season’s end.

I will talk more about my thoughts on what needs to happen from Day and company this season in tomorrow’s Ask LGHL column, but it is definitely time for this team to make some significant steps forward.


Question 2: What do you most want to hear coming out of preseason camp?


When we put together the multiple choice answers for this question, we wanted to keep it balanced between offense and defense, but let’s be honest, we all knew that the answer was going to be on the defensive side of the ball.

With Stroud and that absurd group of receiving talent, the passing game is going to be fine, and while the line’s ability to impose their will should go a long way to determining how well-rounded the offense is this fall, that side of the ball is going to practically score at will for most of the season, so nothing from the offense could possibly rise to the level of the most important question — short of an injury to Stroud {furiously knocks on every piece of wood in the house}.

So, all of the major questions surrounding this team are going to come from Jim Knowles side. With a nearly completely new defensive coaching staff, I don’t think that the Bucks need to become the No. 1 defense in the country to contend for a national title, but if they can move up to the No. 25-30 range, this team could be unbeatable, assuming the offense maintains its otherworldly firepower from last year.

For the fans, the biggest hope is that the linebackers and defensive backs — particular focuses in Knowles’ units — make big strides during camp. Again, I would agree.

While Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloa becoming the dominant edge rushers that we all think that they can be would be a huge bonus for the defense, I think the defensive line is strong enough without an elite edge rusher that they can hold their own, as long as the linebackers and secondary make considerable strides.



For college football fans, August is filled with speculation and expectations. With how limited media access is to preseason practices, it likely won’t be until Notre Dame shows up at The Horseshoe that we actually get some solid ideas about who this Ohio State team is actually going to be in 2022.

But the great part about being a college football fan is that hope springs eternal this time of year and the anticipation, debates, excitement, hopes, and dreams are part of the inherent joy and charm of the sport.

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You’re Nuts: What position battle are you most interested in heading into 2022?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With fall camp underway, we will soon start to learn who will top the depth chart this season.

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: What position battle are you most interested in heading into 2022?

Josh’s Take:


With fall camp officially underway for the Ohio State football team, the 2022 season is starting to feel real. We are finally going to see a “finished” product, and all the stars will be projected onto the screen like a blockbuster movie. The Notre Dame opener is Top Gun: Maverick or Black Adam (just kidding, nobody has enjoyed The Rock since Fast Five), and we can start watching for tickets and planning our dinner and drinks around that opening night.

The spring game, on the other hand, is more like a teaser trailer. We get a glimpse of the star or a crazy action scene, but it tells us next to nothing about the movie itself. A teaser trailer is meant to get us talking, or spark excitement, but it could ultimately be the only highlight of an otherwise terrible movie. Remember how excited you were for Red Notice? And then you watched Red Notice... I need to stop picking on The Rock, because he really does shine in most of his carefully chosen projects.

Ohio State’s spring game (and recruiting, to an extent) most definitely sparked excitement, but now it is popcorn and preview time. Let’s go! Gene and I wanted to look at a few position “battles”, which I found to be somewhat difficult. I don’t know how many intense battles there will really be — at least when it comes to the very top of the depth chart. I think many of the starters have been identified or listed as favorites, due to the Buckeyes returning a ton of depth from last season. However, there is one position battle that has intrigued me since the end of OSU’s 2021-22 season. Since Jan. 1st, 2022 to be exact. That position is wide receiver.

The 2022 Rose Bowl would have most of us believe that Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are likely to start alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But I say “not so fast, my friend.” Because while Harrison Jr. and Egbuka absolutely proved themselves worthy of significant roles this season, we need to remember how inexperienced they are. The two freshmen combined for 20 catches, most of which came in the Rose Bowl when Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson sat out. They both flashed all-world potential, but to pencil them in as starters would be ignoring the talent and depth the Buckeyes have at the position.

Julian Fleming, the former No. 1 receiver in his recruiting class, finally seems to be healthy. He was also recently recognized as an Iron Buckeye for his tremendous offseason. When healthy and afforded opportunity, he has done nothing to take himself out of this race. In fact, he might be the best downfield blocker Ohio State has at the WR position. Absent a truly experienced tight end, the coaching staff may want his skillset on the field.

Kamryn Babb, who this staff loves and is seemingly healthy himself (after years of terrible luck), is a fifth-year guy with leadership chops and an incredible football IQ. He was also a highly coveted recruit once upon a time, and has looked impressive in the small glimpses we’ve seen of him this offseason. If he remains healthy, maybe he gets a shot after all the hard work and time he has put in with the Buckeyes. Long shot? Sure. But who doesn't love a Cinderella story?

And let’s not forget about Jayden Ballard. Another young player from the same class as Harrison Jr. and Egbuka, he is likely the longest of long shots, but the burner possesses top-end speed and athleticism. With a strong camp, who knows how far he can rise up the depth chart.

While I ultimately think Harrison Jr. and Egbuka get first crack at running with JSN, I cannot ignore the talent in the WR room. It would be a disservice to Fleming and Babb to rule them out as starters in early August. Same goes for Ballard, even if he is a heavy underdog right now. But crazier things have happened.

I think back to when Michael Thomas was at Ohio State. After appearing in 11 games as a true freshman, he found himself in Urban Meyer’s doghouse and was redshirted as a sophomore! We rarely see that, unless it is injury-related. To Thomas’ credit, he worked his tail off and eventually became a starter in 2015 (and a star after that). I don’t think we will see that with one of the top six guys I mentioned, but his situation is what I mean when I say crazier things have happened.

Starting spots will be earned by the Buckeyes, not given. And that goes for every player at every position, even if they did score three touchdowns in a Rose Bowl. Regardless of who wins out, I have high expectations. I believe that OSU has the best WR room in the country, and iron always sharpens iron. Fall practice and the ensuing position battle will go a long way toward deciding the starters, and I will be following said battle with a watchful eye.

Gene’s Take:


Heading into the 2022 season, all eyes are on Ohio State’s defense. While the position battle at wide receiver is certainly intriguing, everyone just kind of assumes the Buckeye offense will return to its elite form from a year ago regardless of whose catching passes thanks to C.J. Stroud and a strong running back tandem in TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. So, I will take my position battle to the defensive side of the ball, where there is still a ton left to be sorted out before Notre Dame comes to town on Sept. 3.

Originally, I was going to talk about the battle specifically between Zach Harrison and J.T. Tuimoloau at defense end. We kind of assume it will be Jack Sawyer mostly manning, ironically, the Jack position in Jim Knowles’ defense as sort of a linebacker/edge rusher hybrid, but the other pure end spot is between Harrison and Tuimoloau. It is a real rookie versus the vet type scenario, with Harrison having been in Columbus for quite some time now without really taking that next step and Tuimoloau the fresh face who showed a glimpse of potential stardom in year one. Ultimately, I think we will see the two start in some sort of timeshare to begin the year, as Larry Johnson has always rotated his defensive lineman.

Instead, I want to focus on a position that I feel as though not all too many people are talking about, but will be exceptionally important if Ohio State is in fact going to turn around its defensive woes from 2021. I want to talk about the starting cornerbacks.

It is seemingly obvious that Denzel Burke will return as the team’s No. 1 corner after a phenomenal freshman campaign a year ago. Playing in all 12 games, Burke registered a team-high 12 pass breakups to go along with 35 tackles and an interception. We heard all the stories about how impressive he was in his very first preseason camp, and he showed that on the field all season long. While he is the clear top dog at the position right now, who else is going to join him out there?

Unfortunately for Ohio State, the cornerback room is quite thin right now — so much so that kicker Jake Seibert has been playing the position in fall camp. There are currently only six scholarship cornerbacks on the roster, and while that is a concerning number should they lose someone to injury or otherwise, they do still have talent on the roster and one other guy who I think could star in the role despite not being listed at corner, but we’ll get there.

Burke will start on the outside, which means the Buckeyes will need to find another man opposite him to lock down the other sideline. Cameron Brown returns as a starter from last season, and he has impressed thus far this offseason. He finished second on the team in pass breakups behind Burke a year ago with seven, and if he is now fully recovered from that achilles injury he could become a real force on that outside, even though I personally would like him better as a slot corner.

The other two guys in the mix for the job are Jordan Hancock and Jakailin Johnson. Hancock, whom Ohio State flipped from Clemson during his recruitment, was the No. 5 corner in the 2021 class and a top-75 player overall. He played sparingly in 2021, but playing even less so was Johnson, whom despite being the higher-rated of the two as a No. 3 CB in 2021 and a top-50 player overall, suffered an injury that forced him to take a redshirt in his first year on campus. Both guys are supremely talented, and even if either of the two dont start I would expect to see the pair a healthy amount in 2022, and if Brown struggles either could potentially even earn a starting role.

Ohio State won’t deploy a true slot corner in Knowles’ base defense, but the nickel safety will effectively play the same role. The expected starter at the position is Tanner McCalister, who came over from Oklahoma State to continue playing under Knowles, but I'm really high on Cam Martinez. One of the best pure athletes on the team, Martinez has moved around from corner to safety during his tenure with the Buckeyes, but I think his speed and coverage abilities would make him a perfect candidate to play over the middle. Martinez is far too good a player for Ohio State not to find a job for him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the starting nickel by seasons end.

The only other names not mentioned from the cornerback room are freshmen Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner. Brown was the No. 8 player in Ohio in the 2022 recruiting cycle, while Turner was a four-star prospect by way of Florida. It would be a bit surprising to see the two crack the two-deep in year one, however with the lack of any real proven superstars outside of Burke and the lack of depth in the room as a whole, it would not be at all shocking to see either of the two on the field a bit in their freshman campaigns.

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