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LGHL A number of visitors headline Day 1 of Ohio State spring football practice

A number of visitors headline Day 1 of Ohio State spring football practice
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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It wasn’t just an important day on the field, as the Buckeyes hosted several recruits.

It was a big day in Ohio State football yesterday. The Buckeyes kicked off their spring football with their first practice of the year, and while the focus was current players, plenty of former and possible future Buckeyes were in attendance to see the practice.

Former players like Tyquan Lewis, JT Barrett, Santonio Holmes, and the legend himself, Cardale Jones, among others. However, it wasn’t just a reunion in Columbus, as the Buckeyes hosted a number of recruits, including offensive tackle commit Doug Nester, and a pair of Northland (Columbus, OH) brothers that Ohio State fans should familiarize themselves with: John and Kalil Branham.


The misfits rejects overlooked dumb city kids #branhamboys #Buckeyes #Bucks pic.twitter.com/oKb3KTFxiU

— John A Branham Jr (@branham_jr_2019) March 6, 2018

John, the elder of the pair, is the 664th ranked player nationally and the 54th ranked running back in the class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite. He holds offers from Pitt, Akron, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Kentucky, Ohio and Toledo. Most of the MAC programs, as well as some of the Big Ten, is interested in the elder Branham. Tony Alford and Urban Meyer both love what he has to offer, both on the field and in the weight room, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he picked up an offer this summer.

Kalil is the 129th ranked player nationally, and the 17th ranked wide receiver in the class of 2020. He already holds offers from Toledo, Kentucky and Cincinnati. While his offer sheet isn’t very long yet, Kalil is an extremely talented player, and if he continues to develop as Ohio State expects him to, he and his brother will likely play their college ball in Columbus.

Scouring the Sunshine State


To say that Ohio State spends quite a bit of time every recruiting cycle in Florida would be an understatement. The Buckeyes love to head south for recruits, and have done so many times under Urban Meyer, bringing 19 Floridians to Columbus since 2012. Ohio State headed back to the well yesterday, as they extended an offer to Wekiva (Apopka, FL) OLB/DE Rian Davis. Davis is ranked as the 512th player in the class of 2019 and the 34th defensive end.

He’s pretty much the definition of a tweener at this point; at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Davis can play either outside linebacker or edge rusher. Ohio State likely sees him as an end, and it’s easy to see why. Davis is an extremely talented athlete, and he spent his junior season absolutely dominating opposing offenses. Whatever position he ends up at in college, he’ll likely be a difference maker—and the Buckeyes would love to have him.

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Google Dante Booker and the 5 Buckeyes injured for spring practice: Ohio State football news -...

Dante Booker and the 5 Buckeyes injured for spring practice: Ohio State football news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Dante Booker and the 5 Buckeyes injured for spring practice: Ohio State football news
cleveland.com
Urban Meyer announced on Tuesday that five Buckeyes will be held out of full-contact spring drills, while another will be worked in slowly: 1. Dante Booker, linebacker: There was a since-retracted report last week that Booker had made up his mind to ...


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Google Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Palm Beach Post

Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice
Palm Beach Post
The former Ohio State linebacker and member of the Pittsburgh Steelers has handled his spinal injury with the same kind of relentlessly positive attitude and off-the-charts athleticism that has defined his career since college. And coming back to be ...


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Google Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice
Dayton Daily News
Ohio State's Urban Meyer shouts to his players during a game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. David Jablonski/Staff. COLUMBUS. Ohio State kicked off spring football Tuesday morning, and the first question ...


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Google Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice
Dayton Daily News
The former Ohio State linebacker and member of the Pittsburgh Steelers has handled his spinal injury with the same kind of relentlessly positive attitude and off-the-charts athleticism that has defined his career since college. And coming back to be ...


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Google Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes backing off top quarterback? - Palm Beach Post

Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes backing off top quarterback? - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Buckeyes backing off top quarterback?
Palm Beach Post
Recruiting never stops, and if you take a day off, you fall behind. Join us every night for a daily recap of Ohio State recruiting news, insight on what's happening behind the scenes and a glimpse at what's coming next. What's new with 4-star Texas ...


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Google Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Palm Beach Post

Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Palm Beach Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice
Palm Beach Post
The former Ohio State linebacker and member of the Pittsburgh Steelers has handled his spinal injury with the same kind of relentlessly positive attitude and off-the-charts athleticism that has defined his career since college. And coming back to be ...


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Google Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Springfield News Sun

Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Springfield News Sun
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Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice
Springfield News Sun
Ohio State's Urban Meyer shouts to his players during a game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. David Jablonski/Staff. Posted: 2:29 p.m. Tuesday, March 06, 2018. COLUMBUS —. Ohio State kicked off spring ...


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Google Ohio State recruiting: 4-star Texas running back emerges as Buckeyes target - Landof10.com

Ohio State recruiting: 4-star Texas running back emerges as Buckeyes target - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: 4-star Texas running back emerges as Buckeyes target
Landof10.com
Recruiting never stops, and if you take a day off, you fall behind. Join us every night for a daily recap of Ohio State recruiting news, insight on what's happening behind the scenes and a glimpse at what's coming next. 4-star RB Deondrick Glass ...

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LGHL Ohio State’s Urban Meyer addresses media after first spring practice

Ohio State’s Urban Meyer addresses media after first spring practice
Ian Cuevas
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Urban_Meyer_2018.0.jpeg

The Buckeyes are back, and the first spring practice is in the books.

“[...] things are pretty even with Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins. Said it was neck and neck with those two last year before Burrow got hurt, and thinks it’s that way now. Says they’ll take it day by day.”

- Bill Landis, Cleveland.com


The first day of the Ohio State Buckeyes spring practice is in the books. The last we saw of the Buckeyes, J.T. Barrett said farewell after beating USC in the Cotton Bowl. Now a new era begins, and the battle is starting for that quarterback spot. Based off Urban Meyer’s comments, it appears Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow will be fighting for that starting spot and are the two favorites heading into next season. Many were assuming that dual-threat Tate Martell would be in competition with Haskins while Burrow took a backseat, but apparently Burrow has been doing well once again.

After a small transfer scare from Burrow and from linebacker Dante Booker, Meyer spoke with both of them—and both will continue to don the Scarlet and Gray. It will be interesting to see how it plays out, but the jobs will still have to be earned. There are plenty of points that Meyer hit on, so be sure to hit the link and read more.

“I’m counting down the days that I’ll be able to put on this jersey and play for this university,” Tate said. “I’m taking it very hard. To be able to say Coach Holt came in here as a first-year coach, we made the NCAA Tournament and finished in the top of the league, I think we wrote a pretty good thing in the history book, but we’re not satisfied.”


- Jae’Sean Tate via Bill Landis, Cleveland.com

The NCAA tournament is only a few days away, as Selection Sunday comes this weekend. Ohio State is pretty much a lock to make the tournament, and most likely as a fifth or sixth seed. The Buckeyes were recently bounced from their first game in the Big Ten tournament to Penn State. That marked the third time in three meetings that Ohio State lost to the Nittany Lions. It also hurt some of the momentum the Buckeyes had gained over the course of the season. But still, Chris Holtmann getting Ohio State back into the NCAA tournament in just his first year deserves quite a bit of credit, along with Keita Bates-Diop really turning his play up a notch.

We won’t know where the Buckeyes land until Sunday but the expectation is most likely that Ohio State won’t make it out of the opening weekend, which is fair, considering they’ll likely have to go through a top-seeded team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Still, it’s an exciting time as March Madness approaches and just the Buckeyes being back in the tournament should be fun to watch as the tournament progresses.

“But after getting just a taste of experience last season, Thayer Munford is poised to break out and nail down a starting job at right tackle — assuming Isaiah Prince moves to the left side, which doesn’t feel like all that much of a bold projection.”

- Austin Ward, Land of 10


Some storylines are sure to come from the spring practices at Ohio State, and one of the ones to keep an eye on is the progression of offensive lineman Thayer Munford. The second-year player out of Massillon seems to have cracked the starting lineup right now, playing right tackle in the first day of spring practice. With plenty of time left until August comes around, Munford has set himself up nicely for a chance to end up with a starting job when it’s all said and done.

Munford was a four-star prospect in 2017 and with some exits and shifts on the offensive line, Munford has started to stand out in the early goings of practice. Urban Meyer should be pleased and will no doubt have his eye on the young lineman.

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Google QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Sacramento Bee

QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Sacramento Bee
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes
Sacramento Bee
A three-way quarterback derby promises to lend some intrigue to Ohio State's spring practice that opened on Tuesday morning. Other key position battles will take place in the preseason, but none will be more talked about than the competition that could ...
Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practiceDayton Daily News
Dante Booker and the 5 Buckeyes injured for spring practice: Ohio State football newscleveland.com
Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practiceLandof10.com

all 74 news articles »


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Google Demario McCall: The Buckeyes new return weapon - 247Sports

Demario McCall: The Buckeyes new return weapon - 247Sports
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Demario McCall: The Buckeyes new return weapon
247Sports
But as spring practice began on Tuesday, McCall was bouncing around with his Buckeye teammates, looking healthier than he has in over a year and was the first man up, followed by Dobbins, C.J. Saunders and Weber, during the kick and punt return portion ...

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Buckeye Big Hits (You got jacked up!)

Put his head down like our favorite paralyzed hairless linebacker. Gotta side with "today's game" on that one.

To be fair, back then you were taught to put your head on the ball and that was what he did (although he did duck more than he should have).

The contact with the body was more shoulder than it seems at full speed when you look at the replay.
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Google Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practice
Dayton Daily News
Ohio State's Urban Meyer shouts to his players during a game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. David Jablonski/Staff. COLUMBUS. Ohio State kicked off spring football Tuesday morning, and the first question ...
QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for BuckeyesWashington Post
Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practiceLandof10.com
Dante Booker and the 5 Buckeyes injured for spring practice: Ohio State football newscleveland.com

all 66 news articles »


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Google QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Tampabay.com

QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Tampabay.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes
Tampabay.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A three-way quarterback derby promises to lend some intrigue to Ohio State's spring practice that opened on Tuesday morning. Other key position battles will take place in the preseason, but none will be more talked about than the ...
Ohio State Buckeyes kick off spring practiceDayton Daily News
Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practiceLandof10.com

all 64 news articles »


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Google QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Washington Post

QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes - Washington Post
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


QB derby injects urgency into spring practice for Buckeyes
Washington Post
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A three-way quarterback derby promises to lend some intrigue to Ohio State's spring practice that opened on Tuesday morning. Other key position battles will take place in the preseason, but none will be more talked about than the ...

and more »


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Google Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice - Dayton Daily News

Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice - Dayton Daily News
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice
Dayton Daily News
There was a noticeable gap between the amount of reps they got compared to Tate Martell. Early enrollee Matthew Baldwin, who sustained a knee injury in December, didn't take part in drills. Fresh off of participating in the NFL Combine, former Big Ten ...


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Google Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice - Atlanta Journal...

Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice - Atlanta Journal Constitution
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Buckeyes look impressive in first 2018 practice
Atlanta Journal Constitution
There was a noticeable gap between the amount of reps they got compared to Tate Martell. Early enrollee Matthew Baldwin, who sustained a knee injury in December, didn't take part in drills. Fresh off of participating in the NFL Combine, former Big Ten ...

and more »


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Google Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Landof10.com

Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: 5 bold predictions for Buckeyes during spring practice
Landof10.com
The entire roster isn't on campus yet. There isn't a game that counts for months. And Mickey Marotti and the strength staff still have an entire summer to get their hands on the Buckeyes and get them ready for another run at some championships. But ...
Ohio State freshman numbers, weight and number changes from ...cleveland.com
Ohio State Buckeyes 2018 Spring Football PreviewAthlonSports.com
A Primer For 2018 Ohio State Spring Football | Eleven WarriorsEleven Warriors
ABC6OnYourSide.com
all 15 news articles »


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Google Ohio State football: Players to watch as Buckeyes start spring practice; Denzel Ward posts...

Ohio State football: Players to watch as Buckeyes start spring practice; Denzel Ward posts blazing fast 40-yard dash ... - MyAJC
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Players to watch as Buckeyes start spring practice; Denzel Ward posts blazing fast 40-yard dash ...
MyAJC
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up most days — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball ...


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LGHL 5 biggest questions for Ohio State football heading into spring practice

5 biggest questions for Ohio State football heading into spring practice
Patrick Mayhorn
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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A new era is about to begin at Ohio State.

A new era is upon Ohio State football. After a disappointing (relative to Ohio State) 2017 season, that saw the Buckeyes finish 12-2 as Big Ten and Cotton Bowl champions, Ohio State has reloaded once again, and is ready to compete for yet another Big Ten title, and potentially their third playoff berth in five seasons.

Success, obviously, is no guarantee, and the Buckeyes still have plenty of things that need to be addressed before the annual spring game in roughly a month (!!!), and before they kick off the 2018 season in The Horseshoe against Oregon State. There’s obviously going to be plenty of questions about a team that has to replace 38% of its production from last season.

Here are some of the biggest questions facing Ohio State football as they gear up for spring practice:

1. Who will be named the starting quarterback? And when?


The most important position on the field has been incredibly stable at Ohio State in the last decade or so. There’s been almost no question about who the starter in Columbus would be entering every season since 2009 (save for 2015, though Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett were all known quantities at that point), as the Buckeyes have been extremely good (and lucky) at finding great quarterbacks.

There’s no question about whether Ohio State has talent at quarterback coming into this season, as all three possible starters were four-stars or better coming out of high school, and no matter who wins the job, the Buckeyes will likely be in very capable hands. The question, however, is around which of the three young quarterbacks will follow the best quarterback in school history, J.T. Barrett.

Redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins is considered to be the leader in the clubhouse, after he filled in for Barrett admirably last season, both in garbage time and in the second half of the win in Ann Arbor. The Maryland product completed 70% of his 57 attempts last season, for 401 yards and four scores, flashing an incredible arm in the process.

Redshirt junior Joe Burrow cannot be counted out, however, and now that he’s fully healthy after a hand injury sidelined him last season, he will have just as much of a chance as either of his fellow quarterbacks to win the starting job.

The dark horse in all of this is redshirt freshman Tate Martell. Tate fits better than either of the other two candidates into Urban Meyer’s quarterback run-centric offense, and dominated some of the best schools in the country during his time at Bishop Gorman. Martell isn’t likely to win the starting job, but we’ll likely see him in some capacity throughout the season.

2. Do the linebackers return to form after a down year?


Bill Davis’ first year as linebackers coach in Columbus was a turbulent one, to say the least. The linebackers were consistently Ohio State’s worst positional group in 2017, as they struggled mightily in both of the Buckeye losses. With the loss of two starters: Jerome Baker and Chris Worley, the group will look very different this season, though that may not be the worst thing in the world.

There’s tons of young linebacker talent on the roster, and Ohio State needs some of those young guys (or some of the veterans, like Justin Hilliard, and Dante Booker) to step up for the Buckeyes to compete for a title in 2018. While we don’t know who the starters will be quite yet, there’s no question that the group needs to improve quite a bit in the next season to keep Bill Davis’ seat cool.

3. Which true freshmen will see playing time?


Urban Meyer has made it a point to get true freshmen playing time during his tenure at Ohio State, and last season was the first time that his goal was really realized, and a large chunk of the 2017 class saw playing time. J.K. Dobbins, Chase Young, Baron Browning, Jeffrey Okudah, Isaiah Pryor, Jaylen Harris, Marcus Williamson, Amir Reip, and Pete Werner all saw the field in some capacity, and with another loaded class coming in, there’s no reason to think we won’t see a similar youth movement this season.

Defensive backs Tyreke Johnson, Sevyn Banks, Marcus Hooker and Josh Proctor are all expected to compete for a starting job (or at least playing time), and it’ll be very difficult to keep dynamic playmakers like Jaelen Gill, Master Teague, Brian Snead, “Blue” Smith, Kamryn Babb and Jeremy Rckert off the field, among a number of others. In short, it’s a very good time to be a Buckeye fan.

4. How will Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson co-exist as OCs?


Co-offensive coordinators aren’t new to Ohio State, though a duo of playcallers wasn’t very successful when it was tried last, back in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, under Tim Beck and Ed Warinner. While the struggles under Beck and Warinner certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of Ohio State fans, Day and Wilson are undisputedly better coordinators than their predecessors, and will probably be far more successful.

However, as J.T. Barrett says, “I don’t know. Coach Day and Coach Wilson will make it work”, and while that lukewarm take from a former player isn’t what Buckeye fans want to hear, Barrett brings up a very good point, and as of this moment, we have no way of knowing how the two coaches will work together. The September matchup with TCU should answer our questions.

5. Who fills the open cornerback spot?


Ohio State has produced an incredible five first round draft picks in the defensive backfield since 2014. The Buckeyes have had a fantastic top cornerback every season since 2013, from Bradley Roby, to Doran Grant, Eli Apple, Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore, and Denzel Ward, and will likely have yet another this season. If that ends up being Damon Arnette, Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah, or anyone else is yet to be determined, but with the loss of Denzel Ward, the Buckeyes do need a new starter at CB.

While Sheffield and Arnette will certainly see the field in some way, Okudah, Shaun Wade, Wayne Davis, Sevyn Banks, Marcus Williamson and Tyreke Johnson will all compete for the job, with Okudah likely leading the group at this point.

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Google A year later, former Buckeyes assistant coach Dave Dickerson focusing on 'what's important'...

A year later, former Buckeyes assistant coach Dave Dickerson focusing on 'what's important' after wife's devastating ... - The Athletic
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A year later, former Buckeyes assistant coach Dave Dickerson focusing on 'what's important' after wife's devastating ...
The Athletic
A year ago this week, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement that he was confident coach Thad Matta could return the men's basketball program “to the winning ways that we have all enjoyed” during Matta's 13 seasons at the helm. The ...


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