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Skull Session: It’s the Big Ten’s Time to Shine, Ohio State is the Best Program in College Football and Ohio State Women’s Hockey Hires Jack Johnson

Big Ten Media Days will demonstrate the conference’s depth, Ohio State is college football’s best program and Ohio State women’s hockey hires former Blue Jacket Jack Johnson.

www.elevenwarriors.com

A BLUE JACKET JOINS THE BUCKEYES. Ohio State women’s hockey added a 19-year NHL veteran to its coaching staff on Thursday.

Jack Johnson, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2012-18 and again for his final NHL season in 2024-25, is joining Nadine Muzerall’s program as associate head coach.

“We're really excited to have a new member join our family here at Ohio State,” Muzerall said in a news release. “To bring in Jack Johnson is going to continue to make our program better, both on the ice and really contribute to recruiting. When we talk about Ohio State, we talk about family and how we're all united. I think it's very important that he exemplifies that. He's going to bring that to our program and I think our recruits are going to see that and I know our girls are going to feel that.”

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Johnson, who played in 1,228 career NHL games and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, is crossing rivalry lines to join the Buckeyes, as he played collegiately for Michigan from 2005-07 before starting his NHL career.

“It's such a privilege and honor to be involved with the best women's college hockey program in the country,” Johnson said. “I can't wait for the season to start and to continue Ohio State's pursuit of national championships.”

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WOW!!!!!

LJ Smith Ready to Play College Basketball, Confident He’ll Make Immediate Impact at Ohio State After Reclassification​

LJ Smith is looking to accelerate his development by enrolling at Ohio State one year early.

The five-star guard was originally a member of the 2027 recruiting class when he committed to the Buckeyes in November. Last month, however, Smith decided to reclassify into the 2026 class and become a Buckeye this year after completing his high school education early.

Smith, who played for one of the nation’s top high school basketball programs at Oak Hill Academy last season, felt like he would gain more by starting his Ohio State career this season rather than playing another year of high school basketball.

“I was just ready to come get better at the college level and develop my game,” Smith said last week in his first interview session since arriving at Ohio State. “During the winter, I was just worried about school ball at the time at Oak Hill, just staying in ’27. Spring came around, playing AAU ball, I felt like I was done with high school, ready to go to college. So I'm hoping to get better there.”

Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said conversations with Smith about a potential reclassification started at the end of his junior season at Oak Hill, but the Buckeyes felt at the time that Smith would benefit from staying in high school for his senior year. After a strong AAU season this spring, however, Ohio State decided that Smith would be able to help the team in 2026-27 and reinitiated those conversations.

“There had been some conversations even going back to, I'll call it, towards the end of his high school season that, ‘Hey, this could be a possibility.’ It was initiated by them. We had some initial conversations. Then it really kind of shifted to, ‘Hey, we think maybe that's not best right now,’” Diebler said after Smith’s reclassification in June. “So those conversations started happening again later in the spring, and we watched him in Memphis with his AAU team and felt like he could come in, have an impact, add value to the roster as it had formed.

“In order for this to work, everybody had to be on the same page. And so it just took kind of a transparent dialogue to get to that point. And once we realized everybody was on the same page, ‘Hey, this is good for him, it's good for us,’ then it was, ‘All right, how do we get this done?’”

“I was just ready to come get better at the college level and develop my game.”– LJ Smith on enrolling at Ohio State a year early
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Ohio State Legend Cris Carter Compares Buckeye Backup Tavien St. Clair to NFL Star Patrick Mahomes​

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“He looks like a version of Patrick Mahomes. Really good athlete, can be a dual threat, (but) is more of a pocket passer,” Carter said. “Had a great spring, good-looking prospect. I think what Ryan Day and the quarterbacks that he's developed – he's a better thrower than Justin Fields. He's not as good a runner as Justin Fields. But man, I don't want to see a guy running like Justin Fields was running, because ultimately, it hurts your growth and development as a passer, especially when anticipating down the field. But, great-looking athlete. ... I saw him this year (when I) spent the week with the Buckeyes in spring football.

“Yes, he looks like the next starting quarterback if our guy Julian Sayin decides to leave college with two years of eligibility left,” the former wideout said. “The Buckeyes are going to be in good hands with him … a future NFL quarterback.”

calibuck said:

Certainly Thump, but you might want to add a dash of catholicism....

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The Order of the Holy Bag

Login to view embedded media With Brady Edmunds shutting down his recruitment, Ohio State has secured an Elite 11 quarterback for the 2027 class and can now shift its focus to the 2028 class, where the Buckeyes are early frontrunners for top-ranked QB Christopher Vargas.

And that's NIL in a nutshell. Gotta be nearly impossible to keep everyone happy, duh. Overpay for one guy/position, and the others say "what about me" (Am I chopped liver?) And what about the 2-3 year players at the position, that have put in the time/work, and make a fraction of what the new guy is getting? Not saying anything original, although believe that tOSU's philosophy will work on the deep thinkers, rather than the 'I want it now' type of guy. The 'extras' for family members appears to have expanded beyond a house for parents, and/or a nice job in C'bus for the family.

Day doesn’t look happy. I like it.

Bagmen

ScriptOhio said:

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Bagmen

Enjoying a cigar on the lanai at my mother's house in Bluffton, SC. Currently 86 with a "feels like 99" on Wunderground per a station a couple steets over. Chance of thunderstorms overnight makes it a bit humid, but not too bad and set up a great sunset this evening.

Cicadas are annoying as hell, though. We don't have them in South Florida like this.

Can't imagine how I would feel if it were one of my daughters. Can't imagine how I would feel if he were my son. Just a sad thing and a reminder to everyone to not mix driving with alcohol (and without a soapbox as I did the same thing in my youth).

Something not being mentioned is context. If the deer came out of nowhere, I'm not sure sobriety would have been that much of an issue.

11W Forums

305Buck 20 Jul 2026, 3:22 pm
Kevin Hartsfield said Georgia, Ohio State, Texas. Miami, Michigan and Oregon were among the first schools he heard from when communication opened for the 2028 class on June 15th.
Said he loves to compete and wants to go somewhere with a loaded RB room that he can trust, he doesn’t want to carry the load himself.

KYBuck4858 20 Jul 2026, 3:47 pm
Fun fact. His dad is a Youngstown, OH native.

Selfishly, really hope he plays well, but not so well that he's a one-and-done in Buckeyeland.

cope harder

You might want to write this down. Mays is going to be as important to the Buckeyes as Donovan was....

Yet I tuned in to a Chicago game, and she ended up with something akin to 17 points, couple of rebounds, and several assists. She's got all the tools, certainly, and still has the guts to drive against the tall timber, but something's just not clicking. Hopefully she can sort it out. Or she might become a 'traveler', spending time with a lot of different organizations, much like Jim Jackson.

THE CAPTAIN. Bruce Thornton certainly made a name for himself during the NBA Summer League.

The 31st pick in the 2026 NBA draft (first pick of the second round), Thornton averaged a team-high 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, a team-high 4.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game in five Summer League games for the Houston Rockets. The Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer and first-ever four-time captain shot 39.1% from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc on 6.4 3-pointers per contest in a team-high 31.4 minutes per game.

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Granted, it's only the Summer League, but Thornton will look to carry that momentum into the preseason and prove that he belongs in the rotation as a rookie on a team that is an NBA title contender.

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Established in 1992, the AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football student-athletes and coaches who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service, academics and athletics. The program honors players who utilize their platforms to strengthen communities and support causes that are important to them.

From Ohio State’s news release:

Off the field, McClain started Everyday Legends Foundation, a foundation started and operated by Jaylen McClain, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth and strengthening underserved communities. Additionally this summer, he put on the inaugural Jaylen McClain Youth Football Camp which focused on leadership, skill-building, and confidence for young athletes. He also has been an active volunteer in seasonal outreach efforts, including holiday toy drives and Thanksgiving turkey donation initiatives.

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Scouting Report​

At 6-5 and 280 pounds, Smith does well both in pass protection and run blocking. On the latter, he has great agility and does an outstanding job getting to the second level.

Not only is Smith strong at the point of attack, but he also shows good bend and has the quickness to put opposing defensive linemen on the ground. His fluidity allows him to adjust well to moving targets, and he's shown time and time again that he plays through the whistle, blocking opponents onto the ground until he's told the play is over.

“I just want to finish blocks every play,” Smith said. “I want to be known as a physical player who finishes blocks. I want to get better at everything. I'm excited to get coached by the best at Ohio State.”

Depth Chart Outlook​

The transition from high school to college is tough enough for the majority of offensive linemen, but with Smith not arriving at Ohio State until June, the 2026 season will be one in which he develops and adds to his frame off the field. If that goes well, he could potentially begin to contribute on special teams as a sophomore in 2027; he likely won't play a significant role along the offensive line until his third season at OSU in 2028.

While Smith profiles as an interior offensive lineman at Ohio State, he has the frame to move to tackle if needed, if that's how the depth chart moves forward for more playing time in the future. That said, he’s expected to begin his Ohio State career at guard.