Hooker to be suspended for Buckeyes' opener - New Castle News
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Hooker to be suspended for Buckeyes' opener
New Castle News
CHICAGO – Marcus Hooker will be suspended for Ohio State's season opener against Oregon State, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday. According to the OSU Lantern and other online sources, Meyer said at Big 10 Football Media Days that ...

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Ohio State freshman receiver Kamryn Babb out for season with ACL tear, per reports
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Babb was the Buckeyes highest-rated WR in the 2018 class.

Word out of Big Ten Media Days is that one of Ohio State’s prize 2018 recruits might have to wait to get onto the field. Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward reports that former four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb from St. Louis, Mo. suffered an ACL tear during June workouts that will more than likely keep him from suiting up for OSU this season.

Babb previously suffered an ACL tear in his opposite knee during his senior season in high school, in addition to breaking his leg as a sophomore. Despite his injury history, Babb was rated as the 13th best receiver in the country, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.

Babb committed to Ohio State along with his high school teammate Cameron Brown and Dayton’s L’Christian “Blue” Smith to make one of the most impressive trios of pass-catchers in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Unfortunately, it now appears that Babb will have to wait a year to get on the field with his new squad.

Whether or not Brown or Smith are able to become impact players as freshmen or not, head coach Urban Meyer and whomever ends up leading the WR room would have likely preferred to take advantage of the new redshirt rule that will now allow players to see action in at least four games before forfeiting a year of eligibility.

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Middlebrook talks Buckeyes offer - 247Sports
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Middlebrook talks Buckeyes offer
247Sports
Ohio State's will kick off its portion of Big Ten media days on Tuesday, July 24, as eighth-year head coach Urban Meyer and a trio of Buckeyes travel to Chicago for the conference's annual media event. Accompanying Meyer this year will be fifth-year ...

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Watch: Biddle, Helwagen talking Buckeyes from B1G media days - 247Sports
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Watch: Biddle, Helwagen talking Buckeyes from B1G media days
247Sports
CHICAGO -- Big Ten media days continues to roll on in Chicago, and Ohio State will have the rest of its obligations Tuesday afternoon and early evening. Head coach Urban Meyer will field questions from 3:15-4:15 p.m. ET. Then the Buckeyes' three player ...

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The ghosts of Ohio State basketball past, present, and future
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Basketball Tournament has reminded us what Ohio State basketball can be.

It isn’t every day that you get to relive the glory days of a sports team. No matter the sport, be it professional or collegiate, it’s very rare to be able to run back the best years of any team. Now, can you rewatch that super bowl win, that national title, or that come-from-behind win on YouTube? Sure. But as anyone that’s tried it knows, it just isn’t the same.

Ohio State fans had the chance to re-experience the glory days of Buckeye basketball, live, nationally televised, and called by the best play-by-play announcer in all the land this past weekend. Is it exactly the same? No, of course not.

Some key faces are gone, some eras are crossed over, and for some reason a Penn State alum is there too, but the Ohio State alumni team, Scarlet & Gray, in the annual “Basketball Tournament” (also known as TBT) is about as close to a reenactment as you’ll find in sports.

With Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger, David Lighty, William Buford, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, Evan Ravenel, and Greg Oden all on the team, it’s a bit of a who’s who of beloved stars from the Thad Matta era. With Evan Turner and Sconnie Penn coaching the team, there’s plenty to love about this group.

Their emergence in this tournament, and their impressive success (set to play in the Sweet 16 next Saturday) hasn’t just been a delight to revel in, it’s also been a great throwback to what Ohio State basketball once was. Watching this team play feels a lot like what watching Ohio State in 2011, or 2006, felt like. Their chemistry, teamwork, and talent makes them one of the tournament’s top teams, and brings up memories of massive wins over Duke, Purdue, and Syracuse. It reminds you of just how crazy Aaron Craft is, how strong Jared Sullinger is, and how much you love David Lighty.

It also reminds of what Ohio State basketball once was. Just eight years ago, the Buckeyes lost just three games in a season. They went to a Final Four seven years ago, and an Elite Eight six years ago. The eventual collapse under Thad Matta that ended last summer after a 17-15 season wasn’t a slow drip, it was a downpour.

Ohio State was great, until they weren’t.

While remembering the old times, and watching those old faces playing together at least one more time is awesome, it’s a bit melancholic. These players, no matter how much we love them, and no matter how much we miss them, will never play for Ohio State again. That era of Buckeye basketball is dead, and while we can reminisce, The Basketball Tournament is a reunion, not a revival.

The revival, however, may be coming. Of all the great moments from TBT this past weekend, my favorite was easily when it was pointed out on the broadcast that Micah Potter, Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson, Keyshawn Woods and Luther Muhammad were all in attendance, watching the ghosts of Buckeye basketball past. Current Buckeyes could learn a lot from the Buckeyes on the court this past weekend. If they do, we could be in for another golden era of Buckeye basketball.

It’s rare to be able to relive the best era of a sports team, but it’s even rarer to see the best era forming. We may be doing both right now. After their excellent 2017 season, Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes have brought in a great 2018 recruiting class, and added two five-stars in the 2019 class. There’s hype around the program for the first time in years, and as we saw with a sold out alumni game, fans in Columbus are more than willing to support a basketball program (hell, I’m wearing my Jim Jackson jersey as I write this).

It probably won’t happen in 2018, which many expect to be a bit of a bridge year. However, when looking at the talent returning (almost everyone) and talent incoming (two five-stars) in 2019, it doesn’t take much to let your imagination run wild. Can they win a Big Ten title? A national title? We’ll just have to see.

However, because of the golden era under Thad Matta, and because of some of the players participating at The Basketball Tournament, we have a pretty good idea of what Buckeye basketball can look like.

There’s no way to know if Ohio State will ever reach those heights again, so enjoy the reunion while it lasts. While you do, remember that the present and future of Buckeye basketball are watching the same games, and I can say this safely, with no hedging or prognosticating. They’re hungry to return Buckeye basketball to its rightful place.

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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for camp - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State football: Urban Meyer likes what he sees as Buckeyes prepare for camp
The Columbus Dispatch
As in years past, the Buckeyes will have a symbolic passing of the torch from head strength coach Mickey Marotti to Meyer on the eve of camp. But Meyer won't need Marotti's assessment to know what he'll get to mold starting Aug. 3. “I've been at the ...
Meyer on Tuf Borland: 'He is on course to perform this fall'247Sports

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Three Buckeyes on Outland Trophy watch list - 247Sports
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Three Buckeyes on Outland Trophy watch list
247Sports
Entering this week, the Wolverines sat one spot ahead of Ohio State, despite having five more verbal pledges than the Buckeyes. That changed on Monday afternoon, though, when Jim Harbaugh's program lost one of their top-rated recruits in the class, ...
Jones, Prince, and Jordan Make Outland Preseason Watch ListBuckeye Wire

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Dwayne Haskins takes over at quarterback for the Buckeyes - CBS sports.com (blog)
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Dwayne Haskins takes over at quarterback for the Buckeyes
CBS sports.com (blog)
On CBS Sports HQ, 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons joins Tommy Tran to break down what can we expect from Haskins at quarterback this season. Watch your Team Videos ▽. Please log in or register to view your favorite teams video.


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Urban Meyer addresses QB battle and new red shirt rule at Big Ten Media Days
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Yes, a lot of reporters wanted to know about Zach Smith’s firing, but there was more to discuss.

Less than 24 hours after firing assistant coach Zach Smith, Ohio State football head coach Urban Meyer answered questions from the press at the 2018 Big Ten Media Days. Before his scheduled availability, Meyer reportedly met with select media and said that while he was aware of Smith’s 2009 domestic violence arrest— in which no charges were ultimately filed— he was not aware of the 2015 incident, according to SB Nation’s Matt Brown.


Despite Smith’s termination being the most timely issue facing the Buckeye football program, Meyer said that he would only answer a few questions on the matter, as he wanted to discuss on-field happenings as well.

Zach Smith Firing

• Meyer said, “Obviously had to make a change on our coaching staff yesterday. It was in the best interest of our team.”
• Concerning the rumors about Brian Hartline becoming the interim WR coach, Meyer said that those decisions will be made later in the week, after he had a chance to discuss it all with his staff.
• The head coach also said that what has been reported in the media about Smith’s previous arrests was not accurate. He did not go into further detail, but said that he attempted to look up the reported 2015 arrest, but was unable to find anything on it.
• Meyer said that while Smith was an intern at Florida in 2009, he let the head coach know about the domestic violence accusation and ensuing arrest. Meyer said that he and his wife Shelley got involved in that situation, but didn’t elaborate as to how.
• The head coach said that he views a violation of a “core value” to be different than a regular mistake. Presumably meaning that, in his view, Smith violated a core value.
• He continued that he’s never had to replace a coach this close to a season before, but he is fortunate to have good young coaches on staff that can step up.

Quarterback Battle

• Meyer said that Dwayne Haskins is the front-runner to take over at the quarterback position, but that that could change, depending on how things unfold at camp.
• When speaking of QB Joe Burrow, who transferred to LSU after spring practice, Meyer said he had a “very tough conversation in a positive way. Joe Burrow in the last two weeks of practice did everything he could to put himself in there... I wish he was still with us. I love Joe Burrow.”

Fall Training Camp

• Training camp will officially begin on August 3. Strength coach Mickey Marotti will turn the team over the Meyer the day before.
• Linebacker Tuf Borland is “doing great,” following his Achilles injury suffered during the spring. Meyer said, “He’s on course to perform this fall.”

New Redshirt Rule

• Of the new rule, Meyer said that his staff has had conversations about how to implement it for the Buckeyes, but that there would be no template, and that it would be a case-by-case situation, depending on what was best for the individual student-athlete.

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Beau Bishop: Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has to show contrition when speaking about former WR coach ... - 92.3 The Fan (blog)
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Beau Bishop: Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has to show contrition when speaking about former WR coach ...
92.3 The Fan (blog)
The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima. Tuesday, July 24th. Beau Bishop of 97.1 the Fan in Columbus and Kegs & Eggs here on 92.3 the Fan joined Ken Carman and Anthony Lima to talk about everything going on with the Ohio State Buckeyes. 00:13:47.


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Jim Harbaugh: 'Ed Warinner has been a great addition' - 247Sports
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Jim Harbaugh: 'Ed Warinner has been a great addition'
247Sports
He was appointed offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2012 as a part of head coach Urban Meyer's first Buckeye staff. Ahead of the 2015 season, Warinner was promoted to offensive coordinator, eventually also becoming tight ends coach, ...
What Michigan players, Jim Harbaugh thought when Dwayne Haskins replaced JT Barrett in Ohio State's 2017 wincleveland.com

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Wisconsin highest-rated 2017 signee shifts from offensive to defensive line

Leave it to Wisky to get wacky with the interior of its lines on both sides of the ball.

Kayden Lyles was a four-star member of Wisconsin’s 2017 recruiting class, rated as the No. 14 offensive guard in the country. In fact, he was the highest-rated signee in the Badgers’ class that year, regardless of position.

After redshirting as a true freshman, Lyles was expected to compete for a starting job along the Badgers’ offensive line as the Big Ten school headed into summer camp. While Lyles will indeed compete for playing time, it’ll be at another position. On the other side of the ball.

Specifically, the 6-3, 323-pound Lyles will play nose tackle for the Badgers this coming season.

Entire article: https://collegefootballtalk.nbcspor...gnee-shifts-from-offensive-to-defensive-line/

Beau Bishop: Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has to show contrition when speaking about former WR coach ... - 92.3 The Fan (blog)
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Beau Bishop: Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has to show contrition when speaking about former WR coach ...
92.3 The Fan (blog)
... on 92.3 the Fan joined Ken Carman and Anthony Lima to talk about everything going on with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Beau Bishop: Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has to show contrition when speaking about former WR coach Zach Smith. Tags:.


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Urban Meyer to answer questions at Big Ten Media Days
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Hmmmm, I wonder what what types of questions reporters will ask Urban today?

Well, if every single member of the collected media at the 2018 Big Ten Media Days wasn’t going to want to get a question answered by Ohio state head football coach Urban Meyer before, they certainly will now. On Monday, Meyer fired longtime assistant Zach Smith following a string of increasingly concerning revelations about past domestic violence accusations and arrests.


Going into Meyer’s 17th year as a collegiate head coach, this is the first time that he has had to formally dismiss an assistant. While there have certainly been times when he has ushered coaches out the door (Tim Beck), he has never had to terminate a member of his staff before.

This firing is no doubt even more difficult for Meyer considering the decades-long relationship that he’s had with Smith and his family. Meyer considers the former wide receivers coach’s grandfather, the legendary OSU coach Earle Bruce, to have been a second father to him. And, Smith started his coaching career on Meyer’s Florida staff, and was the only coach to have been with him from the start in Columbus.

While Meyer would certainly prefer to keep Tuesday’s discussions about on the field happenings, the likelihood of that happening is slim. However, the head coach will not be the only person in Chicago representing the Buckeye football program.

Seniors H-back and wide receiver Parris Campbell and offensive tackle Isaiah Prince and defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones will all be on-hand to answer questions as well. Having been in Smith’s meeting room for a number of years, Campbell will undoubtedly be asked to discuss the termination.

One bit of news that we might hear in Meyer’s morning presser is who will take over for Smith. The rumors are that former Buckeye WR and current quality control coach Brian Hartline might be taking over the job on an interim basis, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet by the university. What better time to make the announcement and potentially deflect a small portion of the questions as to why Smith was still on the staff in the first place, given his multiple domestic violence arrests and restraining orders issued to his ex-wife?

Land-Grant Holy Land will have you covered with news and reactions from Day Two of Big Ten Media Days, so check back often.

How to Watch


Time: 9:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. ET

TV: Big Ten Network | Online: BTN2Go

Press Conference Schedule:

9:00 a.m. ET- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
9:15 a.m. ET- Tom Allen, Indiana
9:30 a.m. ET- Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
9:45 a.m. ET- Lovie Smith, Illinois
10:00 a.m. ET- Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
10:15 a.m. ET- Mark Silverman, President, BTN and National Networks at FOX Sports
10:30 a.m. ET- Urban Meyer, Ohio State
10:45 a.m. ET- DJ Durkin, Maryland
11:00 a.m. ET- Bill Carollo, Big Ten Coordinator of Football Officials

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Ohio State fires WR coach Zach Smith - 247Sports
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Ohio State fires WR coach Zach Smith
247Sports
"Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has announced the termination of wide receiver's coach Zach Smith," the statement from the Buckeye football program read. "Coaching staff adjustments will be announced at a later date." On Monday morning, a report ...

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Zach Smith fired: The recruiting impact - 247Sports
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Zach Smith fired: The recruiting impact
247Sports
Entering this week, the Wolverines sat one spot ahead of Ohio State, despite having five more verbal pledges than the Buckeyes. That changed on Monday afternoon, though, when Jim Harbaugh's program lost one of their top-rated recruits in the class, ...


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Future Ohio State linebackers receive high praise
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes saw two members of its future LB corp listed on the 2018 Butkus Award watch list.

Ohio State has become a football powerhouse under Urban Meyer. Throughout his tenure in Columbus, Meyer has brought in some of the top high school talents in the country to play for the Buckeyes at almost every position. In recent years, the talk of the school has revolved around the defensive backs, with many labeling the school as “DBU.”

However, DB isn’t the only position to thrive under Meyer and on Monday afternoon the Buckeyes added another reason as to why they could be known as “LBU” as well.

Two future Buckeye linebackers were placed on the 2018 Butkus Award watch list in four-star LB’s Cade Stover (Mansfield, OH / Lexington) and Kane Patterson (Nashville, TN / C.P.A.) Ohio State freshmen LB’s Teradja Mitchell and K’Vaughan Pope were among the finalists to receive the award last year.

The accolades didn’t stop there for Patterson, as he was also named the No. 1 high school football player in Tennessee by The Tennessean.


Patterson committed to Ohio State just earlier this month and is the No. 8 inside linebacker in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Patterson flashed his monster potential last season, recording more than 60 tackles including 10.5 for a loss before tearing his ACL after 10 games. If Patterson is able to build on last year’s totals, he could see a rise in his rankings late in the 2019 recruiting cycle.

Ohio State back on top in 2019


While Ohio State didn’t receive a commit in its 2019 recruiting class Monday, they were able to overtake Michigan for the top spot in the 247Sports Big Ten recruiting rankings. The bump in the rankings was due to four-star defensive end Stephen Herron Jr. (Louisville, KY / Trinity) flipping his commitment to Stanford.


Michigan held the overall top spot in the Big Ten with 19 commitments before Monday’s significant loss, and was the No. 5 class in the country. Following the news of Herron’s flip, Michigan now sits at No. 8 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten. Ohio State in comparison has just 14 commitments and sits No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in the conference.

Ohio State will only continue to add to its 2019 recruiting class and will hopefully see their haul separate itself from the rest of the conference. However, it looks like the deciding factor for the top spot will be highly-coveted DE target Zach Harrison (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange.)

The five-star Ohio native has long been looked at as an Ohio State lean, but following a visit to Michigan, the once-assured commitment is looking less certain. Whichever schools wins the race for Harrison’s pledge will likely win the top spot in the class rankings.

Quick Hits:

• Ohio State fired WR coach Zach Smith yesterday, but five-star WR commit Garrett Wilson is still solid on Ohio State.

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Ohio State men's basketball | Two walk-ons no longer with program - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State men's basketball | Two walk-ons no longer with program
The Columbus Dispatch
A team spokesman confirmed that forward Matt Lehmann and guard Connor Fulton are no longer with the program after being part of Chris Holtmann's first season with the Buckeyes. Lehmann, a Columbus native who played at Watterson, has left the team to ...


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Elijah Higgins on where Buckeyes stands after Zach Smith firing - 247Sports
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Elijah Higgins on where Buckeyes stands after Zach Smith firing
247Sports
Entering this week, the Wolverines sat one spot ahead of Ohio State, despite having five more verbal pledges than the Buckeyes. That changed on Monday afternoon, though, when Jim Harbaugh's program lost one of their top-rated recruits in the class, ...


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Zach Smith's attorney issues a statement on his client's firing - 247Sports
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Zach Smith's attorney issues a statement on his client's firing
247Sports
When the Buckeyes were struggling offensively, they went inside to their big man and he got the job done. "We knew he was going," Penn said on Sunday. "We weren't shooting the ball very well from the outside. When you have a guy like him on the inside, ...

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AuTX Buckeye said:

Nostradamus... almost a year to the day prior ...

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Extra happy to be right on this. Any kid that decommits from scUM is good with me. Good luck at Stanford!

Ohio State Buckeyes fire assistant Zach Smith after ex-wife granted protection order - ESPN
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Ohio State Buckeyes fire assistant Zach Smith after ex-wife granted protection order
ESPN
Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer fired assistant Zach Smith on Monday, days after an Ohio judge deemed him an imminent danger to his ex-wife. Smith was charged with criminal trespassing after dropping his children off at the home of his ex-wife, ...
Ohio State WR commit Garrett Wilson still 'SOLID' to Buckeyes despite Zach Smith's terminationBurnt Orange Nation
Zach Smith fired by Ohio State: Buckeyes football newscleveland.com
Ohio State fires WR coach Zach Smith247Sports
247Sports -Eleven Warriors -Facebook
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What's happening with Sullinger, big men for Scarlet & Gray? - 247Sports
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What's happening with Sullinger, big men for Scarlet & Gray?
247Sports
When the Buckeyes were struggling offensively, they went inside to their big man and he got the job done. "We knew he was going," Penn said on Sunday. "We weren't shooting the ball very well from the outside. When you have a guy like him on the inside, ...

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How does Zach Smith’s departure impact recruiting?
Patrick Mayhorn via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The proprietor of Zone 6 had become known for his recruiting acumen. So, what’s next?

The creator and proprietor of #Zone6, the nickname for Ohio State wide receivers, is no longer on staff, as of Monday evening.

Zach Smith, one of the longest tenured coaches on staff, was hired back in 2012, as Urban Meyer brought him over from Florida, where he had been a graduate assistant. His departure isn’t surprising considering the charges against him, and after those 2009 (and other) allegations were unearthed, it was really only a matter of time.

With Smith no longer on staff, there are some questions, with the biggest obviously being about his replacement (we’ll have more on that soon), but there are certainly other’s to talk about as well, including the loss of his impact on the field and in recruiting.

The on the field question can be answered pretty concisely. There are reasons that Ohio State struggled to pass so much in the past few years, and many of them can be chalked up to Zach Smith. There was plenty of complaint about his coaching, and most of those complaints were warranted. “Zone Six” was a frequent point of contention, and that may no longer be the case with Smith gone.

His recruiting impact is a bit more complicated.

Smith was widely considered to be one of the best recruiters on staff, and it may be that recruiting ability that kept him employed for so long. He was able to relate to recruits, drum up hype on social media, and his connections to Florida proved valuable quite a few times. Is he replaceable? Sure. Will it be easy? Probably not.

Good recruiters don’t just grow on trees, and the coaching carousel is mostly at rest, seeing as it’s currently late July. However, this is Ohio State football, which means if they want to pick off an up and comer from a G5 school (like Kenny Guiton from Houston), it probably wouldn’t be too much of an issue.

While it shouldn’t be an issue in the long run, this may have an impact on the 2019 and 2020 classes, because Ohio State has been looking to add quite a few receivers in both classes. We’ll start with 2019, and the one receiver already committed to Ohio State, Texas five-star Garrett Wilson.

Wilson has stated several times since the firing that he’s solid to Ohio State, and there’s no reason to think that isn’t true. Wilson loves Ohio State, and committed for the program, not the coach.


A hot topic of discussion after, and leading up to, this firing has been the St. Louis receiver duo of Marcus Washington and Jameson Williams. While Smith was Washington’s primary recruiter, I don’t think this impacts him either. Ohio State has plenty of coaches capable of recruiting Missouri, and Washington already has a relationship with expected interim receivers coach Brian Hartline. He’s set to commit August 7th, and I expect Ohio State will still be the pick.

Williams is a bit more of a question mark. I don’t think his recruitment is ending any time soon, and this may (not saying it will for sure) allow other schools to get back in. However, like Washington, Williams knows and likes Hartline, so the connection is still there. This wasn’t a sure thing with Smith, and it isn’t a lost cause without him. My pick is still on Ohio State.

Elijah Higgins is the last 2019 receiver worth talking about here, and I think his recruitment remains the same. He’s friends with Garrett Wilson, and his primary recruiter is Ryan Day. If he comes to Ohio State, it’ll be due in large part to those relationships. He certainly talked to and knew Smith, but I think he likes Ohio State just fine with or without him.

2020 may see a bit more blowback from this. Rakim Jarrett is set to visit this weekend, and most of his contact had been with Smith. He’s not committing any time soon, so Ohio State will have a chance to build a new connection, but this certainly isn’t good news on the Jarrett front.

Ultimately, while football is important, and recruiting is certainly important, this firing was necessary, from whatever perspective you look at it from. Smith was accused of some pretty upsetting stuff (on multiple occasions), and having him on staff moving forward would’ve been a black eye for a program that has been extremely clean under Urban Meyer.

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Ohio State WR coach Zach Smith fired after domestic violence allegations surface
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After reports last week about a trespassing charge for Smith, more information has come to light.

Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith — grandson of OSU legend Earle Bruce — was fired on Monday, after being served papers on Friday for a protection order by his ex-wife, Courtney Smith.


Details of the protection order were released early Monday in a report posted on Facebook by Brett McMurphy.


The civil protection order is for five years, according to McMurphy, unless a judge reverses the decision at a scheduled hearing on Aug. 3.

This news comes a week after Smith was charged with a misdemeanor for criminal trespassing, when the OSU recruiter dropped off their son at Courtney’s home versus a pre-arranged public place — a violation of a previous criminal trespass warning.

Smith’s attorney Bradley Koffel recently told the Columbus Dispath, “He didn’t do anything illegal and now it’s coming out that he’s some sort of wife-beater, trespasser, whatever.”

Those allegations aren’t just out of thin air, however. This is not the first domestic violence accusation against Smith, who was previously arrested for aggravated battery in 2009 — while he was still an assistant for the University of Florida — against Courtney, when she was 8-10 weeks pregnant.

Despite the arrest, Courtney didn’t press charges, and the matter was dropped, but the details provided by McMurphy from the police report are still jarring.


McMurphy also reported on yet another domestic violence charge against Smith from back in 2015.


Smith worked under Meyer at UF from 2005-09, and then joined the Buckeye staff in 2012.

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