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LGHL Film Study: A first look at Notre Dame’s defense
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- 0 Replies
Film Study: A first look at Notre Dame’s defense
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK
The Fighting Irish rely on flexibility from their base personnel to create challenges for opposing offenses.
Ohio State is beginning their final approach towards the 2022 football season, with less than three weeks until their top-5 match up against Notre Dame. Throughout fall camp, many of the questions asked have been about Ohio State’s defense, but they open up against a good Notre Dame defense with a solid defensive line, a consistent group of linebackers, and a stingy defensive backfield. Led by first year head coach and former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, there are high expectations on this side of the ball by the Irish staff.
Looking at the staff, Notre Dame brought in former Miami and Temple head coach Al Golden to serve as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Golden had Ryan Day on his staff for one season at Temple in 2006, which probably does not mean all that much. Another Ohio State connection to the staff is former Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington, who is now the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Irish. Former Buckeye James Laurinaitis is also on staff as a defensive of grad assistant. There is a lot of familiarity in this matchup, and Day’s one matchup against a Freeman defense ended in 42-0 throttling of Cincinnati when he was their DC.
Last season, Notre Dame ranked 14th in points per game, 28th in opponents yards per play, and 10th in opponents third down conversion percentage. Overall, Freeman has a flexible defense that mixes in pressure and relies on a disciplined secondary to limit big plays in the passing game. Their defense is talented and will create some challenges for Ohio State’s offense. Looking at the spring game should allow for an in depth look at Notre Dame’s base defensive looks and how they might come out against the Buckeyes.
Defensive Personnel & Alignment
Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman has run a base 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 hybrid, depending on the matchup. This gives them the flexibility of showing an odd front, as well as being able to mix in a four down linemen even-front with a stand up end. This flexibility and formational versatility comes from a position Notre Dame employs called the “Vyper,” which is an EDGE defender who plays both down linemen and outside linebacker responsibilities — similar to Jim Knowles “Jack” position. On the defensive line, Notre Dame has three down linemen including a defensive end (or Big End), a defensive tackle, and a nose tackle.
Moving to the backfield, Notre Dame utilizes the standard Mike and Will terminology for their two inside linebackers. Their five defensive backs include two corners and three safeties. The safeties are broken into three groups, with them being the boundary safety, field safety, and rover position, which is a bigger in-the-box safety. The rover position can be rotated out for a nickel safety, which is an additional corner body type against pass heavy teams. The defensive structure below gives a look of both defensive looks with bigger personnel and smaller personnel.
Base Defense
To get started, here is a visual of the Notre Dame base defense with all the positions marked. This look is a 4-2-5 look with the “Vyper” – the prestigious academics apparently don’t know how to spell the name of the snake species the position is named after – playing as a stand up defensive end. The two linebackers the “Mike” and “Will” are aligned straight forward, with the “Will” to the boundary and “Mike” to the field side. The safeties play on the hashes and their names are pretty self-explanatory, and they do rotate sides. Lastly, the three-down linemen are true odd front bodies, with the “Big End” being a heavier defensive end, the nose tackle usually lined up as 1-tech to the strong side, and the defensive tackle plays as a 3-tech to the weak side.
The “Vyper” position allows for Notre Dame to utilize odd front personnel from an even front look. This also gives them a lot of flexibility to move the down linemen around to search for matchups.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23953170/IMG_0074__1_.jpg)
Defensive alignment against 11-Personnel Doubles
Notre Dame’s defense relies on their base structure and the flexibility that the structure provides against multiple formations. Having two positions that emphasize versatile skill sets in the “Rover” and “Viper” allows for them to match up against most looks from their base set. In this situation, they took the “Rover” out for a nickel corner due to the 3rd-and-11 passing situation, but the defensive front remains the same. Looking at the linebackers, they are aligned in their traditional spots with the “Will” playing to the short side, and the “Mike” playing to the field side.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23953171/IMG_0075__1_.jpg)
Defensive alignment against trips
The defense in this example is aligned against a three wide receiver look. The defense is playing with their base defensive personnel. Looking first at the box in the picture, we get another look at how the Fighting Irish defensive line looks up front. The “Viper” is playing once again as a stand up EDGE rusher, the DT is in a 3-technique, the NT is in a 1-technique, and the “Big End” is to the field side. Looking at the secondary, the “Rover” is over the first receiver and the two safeties are both playing their landmarks with hash marks.
This shows another example of how Notre Dame does not stray away from their base personnel in most situations and relies on the positional versatility to matchup against a variety of looks.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23953173/IMG_0076__1_.jpg)
Coverages
Notre Dame runs a two-high based look, and under Marcus Freeman the focal point of their coverage strategy has been utilizing “Cover-4 Match” which is a versatile coverage a lot of teams have moved to using. This coverage is simple and has been effective against Ohio State over the past couple of seasons. To explain Cover-4, it is a quarters look, meaning the two corners and two safeties are responsible for quarters of the field. In Cover-4 Match, the responsibilities are still based in the principle of playing for quarters, but there is a built-in switch emphasis on the receivers.
Looking at the clips below, we can get a look at how Notre Dame drops into their coverage. In the first play, we see the Rover and the Field Safety over the two inside receivers. This leaves the field corner alone on an island responsible for the outside receiver. The “Rover” is responsible for whichever of the two receivers runs a short breaking route. The Field Safety is responsible for whichever receiver pushes vertically.
In this scenario, the “Mike” drops into the middle of the two deep safeties, providing help and allowing the safeties to stay deep. The quarterback makes a bad decision and this results in a pick, but seeing the initial drops helps visualize how Notre Dame will be looking to defend Ohio State.
In the second play, the Cover-4 Match ends up being played as a traditional Cover-4. Looking at the boundary side first, the outside receiver runs a shallow route across the formation and the corner lets him go then sits back in his quarter zone. The Boundary Safety takes the vertical tight end, but when the tight end breaks off his route towards the cornerback, the safety is able to provide help to the middle.
To the field side, the “Rover” presses the receiver at the line of scrimmage, who takes an inside release in the direction of the field safety, meaning the receiver is the safety’s responsibility. The field corner takes the outside receiver and is able to stay over top, allowing the “Rover” to remain as an underneath player. The field safety keeps his depth and is able to take his receiver and watch the backfield, which allows him to make a play on the ball, intercepting the pass.
Notre Dame’s defense is based in structure and creating havoc through their organization. Marcus Freeman has built his defenses on this philosophy, and this is why his defenses have been successful on a consistent basis. Their 4-2-5 defense is flexible and can be used in a variety of ways to create mismatches for offenses. Having two positions dedicated to being versatile allows Notre Dame to change their fronts and numbers in the box seamlessly.
From a defensive personnel standpoint, they utilize the “Vyper” and “Rover” to match up against certain offensive looks better. The “Rover” is able to provide additional run support in the box when necessary, and is a focal point in the field side coverage interrupting the seam. In the front-seven, the “Vyper” is used to attack different pass rush matchups and also aids in coverage at times against bigger tight ends. This versatility on the field allows Notre Dame to maintain their base structure, but they are also able to have a lot of flexibility in player responsibility.
The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them, as Notre Dame has a big defensive line and they play a bend not break style. If Ohio State isn’t patient, that will play into Notre Dame’s hands, as their defense is built on waiting for the offense to make a mistake. The Fighting Irish will need a huge performance defensively, but if Ohio State starts with some of the same problems they had last year, the Notre Dame defense is built to make things difficult for unbalanced offenses.
Ohio State will need to establish the run and attack the Irish with a lot of play-action to create indecisiveness on the back end. If they can do that, Notre Dame’s defense, despite being stingy, won’t have enough to slow the Buckeyes down.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK
The Fighting Irish rely on flexibility from their base personnel to create challenges for opposing offenses.
Ohio State is beginning their final approach towards the 2022 football season, with less than three weeks until their top-5 match up against Notre Dame. Throughout fall camp, many of the questions asked have been about Ohio State’s defense, but they open up against a good Notre Dame defense with a solid defensive line, a consistent group of linebackers, and a stingy defensive backfield. Led by first year head coach and former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, there are high expectations on this side of the ball by the Irish staff.
Looking at the staff, Notre Dame brought in former Miami and Temple head coach Al Golden to serve as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Golden had Ryan Day on his staff for one season at Temple in 2006, which probably does not mean all that much. Another Ohio State connection to the staff is former Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington, who is now the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator for the Irish. Former Buckeye James Laurinaitis is also on staff as a defensive of grad assistant. There is a lot of familiarity in this matchup, and Day’s one matchup against a Freeman defense ended in 42-0 throttling of Cincinnati when he was their DC.
Last season, Notre Dame ranked 14th in points per game, 28th in opponents yards per play, and 10th in opponents third down conversion percentage. Overall, Freeman has a flexible defense that mixes in pressure and relies on a disciplined secondary to limit big plays in the passing game. Their defense is talented and will create some challenges for Ohio State’s offense. Looking at the spring game should allow for an in depth look at Notre Dame’s base defensive looks and how they might come out against the Buckeyes.
Defensive Personnel & Alignment
Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman has run a base 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 hybrid, depending on the matchup. This gives them the flexibility of showing an odd front, as well as being able to mix in a four down linemen even-front with a stand up end. This flexibility and formational versatility comes from a position Notre Dame employs called the “Vyper,” which is an EDGE defender who plays both down linemen and outside linebacker responsibilities — similar to Jim Knowles “Jack” position. On the defensive line, Notre Dame has three down linemen including a defensive end (or Big End), a defensive tackle, and a nose tackle.
Moving to the backfield, Notre Dame utilizes the standard Mike and Will terminology for their two inside linebackers. Their five defensive backs include two corners and three safeties. The safeties are broken into three groups, with them being the boundary safety, field safety, and rover position, which is a bigger in-the-box safety. The rover position can be rotated out for a nickel safety, which is an additional corner body type against pass heavy teams. The defensive structure below gives a look of both defensive looks with bigger personnel and smaller personnel.
Base Defense
To get started, here is a visual of the Notre Dame base defense with all the positions marked. This look is a 4-2-5 look with the “Vyper” – the prestigious academics apparently don’t know how to spell the name of the snake species the position is named after – playing as a stand up defensive end. The two linebackers the “Mike” and “Will” are aligned straight forward, with the “Will” to the boundary and “Mike” to the field side. The safeties play on the hashes and their names are pretty self-explanatory, and they do rotate sides. Lastly, the three-down linemen are true odd front bodies, with the “Big End” being a heavier defensive end, the nose tackle usually lined up as 1-tech to the strong side, and the defensive tackle plays as a 3-tech to the weak side.
The “Vyper” position allows for Notre Dame to utilize odd front personnel from an even front look. This also gives them a lot of flexibility to move the down linemen around to search for matchups.
Defensive alignment against 11-Personnel Doubles
Notre Dame’s defense relies on their base structure and the flexibility that the structure provides against multiple formations. Having two positions that emphasize versatile skill sets in the “Rover” and “Viper” allows for them to match up against most looks from their base set. In this situation, they took the “Rover” out for a nickel corner due to the 3rd-and-11 passing situation, but the defensive front remains the same. Looking at the linebackers, they are aligned in their traditional spots with the “Will” playing to the short side, and the “Mike” playing to the field side.
Defensive alignment against trips
The defense in this example is aligned against a three wide receiver look. The defense is playing with their base defensive personnel. Looking first at the box in the picture, we get another look at how the Fighting Irish defensive line looks up front. The “Viper” is playing once again as a stand up EDGE rusher, the DT is in a 3-technique, the NT is in a 1-technique, and the “Big End” is to the field side. Looking at the secondary, the “Rover” is over the first receiver and the two safeties are both playing their landmarks with hash marks.
This shows another example of how Notre Dame does not stray away from their base personnel in most situations and relies on the positional versatility to matchup against a variety of looks.
Coverages
Notre Dame runs a two-high based look, and under Marcus Freeman the focal point of their coverage strategy has been utilizing “Cover-4 Match” which is a versatile coverage a lot of teams have moved to using. This coverage is simple and has been effective against Ohio State over the past couple of seasons. To explain Cover-4, it is a quarters look, meaning the two corners and two safeties are responsible for quarters of the field. In Cover-4 Match, the responsibilities are still based in the principle of playing for quarters, but there is a built-in switch emphasis on the receivers.
Looking at the clips below, we can get a look at how Notre Dame drops into their coverage. In the first play, we see the Rover and the Field Safety over the two inside receivers. This leaves the field corner alone on an island responsible for the outside receiver. The “Rover” is responsible for whichever of the two receivers runs a short breaking route. The Field Safety is responsible for whichever receiver pushes vertically.
In this scenario, the “Mike” drops into the middle of the two deep safeties, providing help and allowing the safeties to stay deep. The quarterback makes a bad decision and this results in a pick, but seeing the initial drops helps visualize how Notre Dame will be looking to defend Ohio State.
In the second play, the Cover-4 Match ends up being played as a traditional Cover-4. Looking at the boundary side first, the outside receiver runs a shallow route across the formation and the corner lets him go then sits back in his quarter zone. The Boundary Safety takes the vertical tight end, but when the tight end breaks off his route towards the cornerback, the safety is able to provide help to the middle.
To the field side, the “Rover” presses the receiver at the line of scrimmage, who takes an inside release in the direction of the field safety, meaning the receiver is the safety’s responsibility. The field corner takes the outside receiver and is able to stay over top, allowing the “Rover” to remain as an underneath player. The field safety keeps his depth and is able to take his receiver and watch the backfield, which allows him to make a play on the ball, intercepting the pass.
Notre Dame’s defense is based in structure and creating havoc through their organization. Marcus Freeman has built his defenses on this philosophy, and this is why his defenses have been successful on a consistent basis. Their 4-2-5 defense is flexible and can be used in a variety of ways to create mismatches for offenses. Having two positions dedicated to being versatile allows Notre Dame to change their fronts and numbers in the box seamlessly.
From a defensive personnel standpoint, they utilize the “Vyper” and “Rover” to match up against certain offensive looks better. The “Rover” is able to provide additional run support in the box when necessary, and is a focal point in the field side coverage interrupting the seam. In the front-seven, the “Vyper” is used to attack different pass rush matchups and also aids in coverage at times against bigger tight ends. This versatility on the field allows Notre Dame to maintain their base structure, but they are also able to have a lot of flexibility in player responsibility.
The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them, as Notre Dame has a big defensive line and they play a bend not break style. If Ohio State isn’t patient, that will play into Notre Dame’s hands, as their defense is built on waiting for the offense to make a mistake. The Fighting Irish will need a huge performance defensively, but if Ohio State starts with some of the same problems they had last year, the Notre Dame defense is built to make things difficult for unbalanced offenses.
Ohio State will need to establish the run and attack the Irish with a lot of play-action to create indecisiveness on the back end. If they can do that, Notre Dame’s defense, despite being stingy, won’t have enough to slow the Buckeyes down.
Continue reading...
LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 18, 2022
- News
- 0 Replies
Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 18, 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
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ask LGHL
Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Gridiron
Ohio State’s Ryan Day named 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason Coach of the Year
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State has five players selected to 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason All-American teams
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Speedy freshman wide receiver Kaleb Brown sheds black stripe for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State Walk-On Tight End Zak Herbstreit Loses Black Stripe
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors
This top line is correct...
Our guys ranked their Top 5 wide receivers in college football
JSN is HIM
Let us know who your list would consist of! pic.twitter.com/EDKS7iUyiv
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) August 17, 2022
Five Questions as Ohio State hits midpoint of training camp (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Inside C.J. Stroud’s year-long transformation into Ohio State football’s franchise quarterback
Stephen Means, cleveland.com
Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land
Can’t say that I disagree.
"I would bet Ohio State to win everything." @TomFornelli has BIG expectations for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/QQtY7VL4QZ
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) August 17, 2022
Watch: Sawyer looking for starring role as he moves into sophomore year
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
How J.T. Tuimoloau can follow familiar second-year path, become elite for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Zach Harrison continues as leader while not being Ohio State captain
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Why a ‘twitched up’ Mike Hall makes Ohio State football’s defensive line better in 2022
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Tyleik Williams Looks to Build Off Promising Freshman Campaign
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
You have my attention...
would be a shame if we had this script on a t-shirt and an oatmeal hoodie this saturday.
ohio state fans! get 15% off your order this weekend right here: https://t.co/BYyvbSh9Wr pic.twitter.com/1CeDM01iLE
— Homefield (@HomefieldApparl) August 17, 2022
Gee Scott Jr. Remains Optimistic About Future at Tight End as He Strives to Become Complete Player at Position
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes staying silent on defensive hybrid role as grand unveiling nears (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022 NFL season?
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
How linked is Ohio State to Bronny James as he weighs his future?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Episode 44 dropping tomorrow. You'll know our guest this week, but here's a hint: pic.twitter.com/Ef4RWOe4
— Bucketheads (@BucketheadsLGHL) August 18, 2022Outside the Shoe and Schott
Wrestling Feldman, Bouzakis End Competition at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Buckeyes
And now for something completely different...
This guy is not funny.......
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ask LGHL
Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Gridiron
Ohio State’s Ryan Day named 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason Coach of the Year
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State has five players selected to 247Sports/CBS Sports preseason All-American teams
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Speedy freshman wide receiver Kaleb Brown sheds black stripe for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ohio State Walk-On Tight End Zak Herbstreit Loses Black Stripe
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors
This top line is correct...
Our guys ranked their Top 5 wide receivers in college football
JSN is HIM
Let us know who your list would consist of! pic.twitter.com/EDKS7iUyiv
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) August 17, 2022
Five Questions as Ohio State hits midpoint of training camp (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Inside C.J. Stroud’s year-long transformation into Ohio State football’s franchise quarterback
Stephen Means, cleveland.com
Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
David M. Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land
Can’t say that I disagree.
"I would bet Ohio State to win everything." @TomFornelli has BIG expectations for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/QQtY7VL4QZ
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) August 17, 2022
Watch: Sawyer looking for starring role as he moves into sophomore year
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
How J.T. Tuimoloau can follow familiar second-year path, become elite for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Zach Harrison continues as leader while not being Ohio State captain
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Why a ‘twitched up’ Mike Hall makes Ohio State football’s defensive line better in 2022
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Tyleik Williams Looks to Build Off Promising Freshman Campaign
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
You have my attention...
would be a shame if we had this script on a t-shirt and an oatmeal hoodie this saturday.
ohio state fans! get 15% off your order this weekend right here: https://t.co/BYyvbSh9Wr pic.twitter.com/1CeDM01iLE
— Homefield (@HomefieldApparl) August 17, 2022
Gee Scott Jr. Remains Optimistic About Future at Tight End as He Strives to Become Complete Player at Position
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes staying silent on defensive hybrid role as grand unveiling nears (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022 NFL season?
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
How linked is Ohio State to Bronny James as he weighs his future?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Episode 44 dropping tomorrow. You'll know our guest this week, but here's a hint: pic.twitter.com/Ef4RWOe4
— Bucketheads (@BucketheadsLGHL) August 18, 2022
Wrestling Feldman, Bouzakis End Competition at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Buckeyes
And now for something completely different...
This guy is not funny.......
Continue reading...
LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Chatting with Scotty Middleton about Columbus, snacks, his evolving game
- News
- 0 Replies
Bucketheads Podcast: Chatting with Scotty Middleton about Columbus, snacks, his evolving game
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo courtesy of Eric Bossi - 247Sports
We also spend some time discussing Bronny James’ recruitment and how that could impact the Ohio State men’s basketball program.
Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast, ‘Bucketheads’ takes you on a journey across the college basketball landscape every episode. The only basketball-focused podcast in the LGHL family of podcasts, co-hosts Connor Lemons and Justin Golba give the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes as well as all the other happenings in the college hoops world. ‘Bucketheads’ will be released every Thursday throughout the regular season and every other Thursday during the off-season.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
This week, Connor and Justin are joined by four-star small forward Scotty Middleton, who is also the newest member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class. Scotty currently plays for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, but he’s been moving from state to state most of his life. We had the opportunity to hear Scotty’s story, including which city he’ll (probably) want the PA announcer to say he’s from when he gets to Ohio State.
We also spoke to Scotty about his official visit, his relationship with the other members of the 2023 class, and his goals for his upcoming senior season at Sunrise. We close with a rapid fire round of quick questions, including asking what his go-to road trip snack is and who would win an arm wrestling match between Chris Holtmann and Jake Diebler.
Connor and Justin also took some time to break down Bronny James’ ever-evolving recruitment, and what a commitment to Ohio State would look like. The impacts would extend far beyond the basketball court, that’s for sure.
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Scotty
Twitter: @ScottyMiddleto9
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo courtesy of Eric Bossi - 247Sports
We also spend some time discussing Bronny James’ recruitment and how that could impact the Ohio State men’s basketball program.
Land-Grant Holy Land’s newest podcast, ‘Bucketheads’ takes you on a journey across the college basketball landscape every episode. The only basketball-focused podcast in the LGHL family of podcasts, co-hosts Connor Lemons and Justin Golba give the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes as well as all the other happenings in the college hoops world. ‘Bucketheads’ will be released every Thursday throughout the regular season and every other Thursday during the off-season.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
This week, Connor and Justin are joined by four-star small forward Scotty Middleton, who is also the newest member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class. Scotty currently plays for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, but he’s been moving from state to state most of his life. We had the opportunity to hear Scotty’s story, including which city he’ll (probably) want the PA announcer to say he’s from when he gets to Ohio State.
We also spoke to Scotty about his official visit, his relationship with the other members of the 2023 class, and his goals for his upcoming senior season at Sunrise. We close with a rapid fire round of quick questions, including asking what his go-to road trip snack is and who would win an arm wrestling match between Chris Holtmann and Jake Diebler.
Connor and Justin also took some time to break down Bronny James’ ever-evolving recruitment, and what a commitment to Ohio State would look like. The impacts would extend far beyond the basketball court, that’s for sure.
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Scotty
Twitter: @ScottyMiddleto9
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeyes hoping to get in the mix for 2023 five-star Notre Dame de-commit
- News
- 0 Replies
Buckeyes hoping to get in the mix for 2023 five-star Notre Dame de-commit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Keon Keeley | 247Sports
Can Ohio State become a legitimate option for one of the nation’s top edge rushers?
Game day is getting closer and closer. From all that we’ve seen of fall camp, the Buckeyes appear to be getting pretty fired up for their 2022 campaign. Whether it’s been the removal of black stripes or positive vibes from the coaching staff, this year is trending in the right direction as we edge towards opening kickoff.
Larry Johnson being quoted saying he’s, “never seen this type of energy in his tenure,” at Ohio State isn’t your typical coach-speak you’re bound to hear this time of the year. Seeing the defense flying around even in the short clips the creative team is pumping out should get fans real excited for the changes coming. While far from a finished product, this team at least looks like they’ll be ready for when Notre Dame comes to town under the lights Sept. 3.
This time of the year and this close to the season, recruiting is bound to take a backseat, and to some extent it has. The main objective right now for this staff is sights set toward kick-off. But as we’ve seen time and time again, this program doesn’t take the foot off the gas when it comes to recruiting efforts. Though Week 1 is on the horizon, the efforts are still there as the Buckeyes try to bring in the best talent in country.
Keeley backs off Notre Dame pledge
Defensive line recruiting for Johnson this cycle looks to be similar in comparison to that last couple of classes. Seeing majority of the recruiting efforts pay off late in the game, this 2023 haul may be in the same boat, which means the bulk of commitments may be coming later rather than sooner — and that’s fine. Johnson already has a couple of guys locked up right now, but certainly room for additional players along the defensive front is a given. With several key targets still out there, it’s not wrong to think the Buckeyes are going to end up in a good spot.
One target that has long been on Ohio State’s mind is Florida native, Keon Keeley. The five-star edge rusher is the No. 7 player nationally, the top player at his position, and the second best player in Florida for this current cycle per the 247Sports Composite. Obviously a top player on the board for any program, Keeley committed to Notre Dame way back in June of 2021, but Wednesday brought a big time update in his recruitment as he decided to back off his pledge and decommit from Notre Dame, dropping the Irish a spot in the current class rankings.
The crown jewel of any class, the loss of Keeley has to be hurting the Notre Dame staff. While that’s not what they wanted by any means, other suitors are sure to try and get in on the now uncommitted consensus five-star talent. One of course being Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have already played host to Keely multiple times and would love to get back in the fold here as much as possible.
Of course, the likely link to the timing of this rescinded pledge comes with the unofficial visit Keeley recently took to Alabama. Shortly after his announcement, the Crystal Ball predictions in favor of the Crimson Tide started to roll in for Keeley to end up at Alabama. While those crystal ball submissions aren’t guarantees, coming from the likes of Steve Wiltfong, among others, gives pretty good insight as to what is happening. Of course that points towards Alabama taking some serious strides here for yet another top national player, as if they didn’t have enough success already.
Regardless, with Keeley now on the market, Ohio State would be crazy not to least try their luck here. Johnson cannot be over-looked when it comes to recruiting efforts and success on the trail. With his track record and with already having experience with Keeley himself, it’s a chance worth taking. Sure, Alabama may be in the best position here as they tend to be, but Ohio State is at the very least going to do their due diligence. If he ends up in Tuscaloosa, it certainly won’t be for a lack of effort. A decision coming soon though would pretty much point towards Bama being Bama.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Keon Keeley | 247Sports
Can Ohio State become a legitimate option for one of the nation’s top edge rushers?
Game day is getting closer and closer. From all that we’ve seen of fall camp, the Buckeyes appear to be getting pretty fired up for their 2022 campaign. Whether it’s been the removal of black stripes or positive vibes from the coaching staff, this year is trending in the right direction as we edge towards opening kickoff.
Larry Johnson being quoted saying he’s, “never seen this type of energy in his tenure,” at Ohio State isn’t your typical coach-speak you’re bound to hear this time of the year. Seeing the defense flying around even in the short clips the creative team is pumping out should get fans real excited for the changes coming. While far from a finished product, this team at least looks like they’ll be ready for when Notre Dame comes to town under the lights Sept. 3.
This time of the year and this close to the season, recruiting is bound to take a backseat, and to some extent it has. The main objective right now for this staff is sights set toward kick-off. But as we’ve seen time and time again, this program doesn’t take the foot off the gas when it comes to recruiting efforts. Though Week 1 is on the horizon, the efforts are still there as the Buckeyes try to bring in the best talent in country.
Keeley backs off Notre Dame pledge
Defensive line recruiting for Johnson this cycle looks to be similar in comparison to that last couple of classes. Seeing majority of the recruiting efforts pay off late in the game, this 2023 haul may be in the same boat, which means the bulk of commitments may be coming later rather than sooner — and that’s fine. Johnson already has a couple of guys locked up right now, but certainly room for additional players along the defensive front is a given. With several key targets still out there, it’s not wrong to think the Buckeyes are going to end up in a good spot.
One target that has long been on Ohio State’s mind is Florida native, Keon Keeley. The five-star edge rusher is the No. 7 player nationally, the top player at his position, and the second best player in Florida for this current cycle per the 247Sports Composite. Obviously a top player on the board for any program, Keeley committed to Notre Dame way back in June of 2021, but Wednesday brought a big time update in his recruitment as he decided to back off his pledge and decommit from Notre Dame, dropping the Irish a spot in the current class rankings.
The crown jewel of any class, the loss of Keeley has to be hurting the Notre Dame staff. While that’s not what they wanted by any means, other suitors are sure to try and get in on the now uncommitted consensus five-star talent. One of course being Ohio State, as the Buckeyes have already played host to Keely multiple times and would love to get back in the fold here as much as possible.
Of course, the likely link to the timing of this rescinded pledge comes with the unofficial visit Keeley recently took to Alabama. Shortly after his announcement, the Crystal Ball predictions in favor of the Crimson Tide started to roll in for Keeley to end up at Alabama. While those crystal ball submissions aren’t guarantees, coming from the likes of Steve Wiltfong, among others, gives pretty good insight as to what is happening. Of course that points towards Alabama taking some serious strides here for yet another top national player, as if they didn’t have enough success already.
Regardless, with Keeley now on the market, Ohio State would be crazy not to least try their luck here. Johnson cannot be over-looked when it comes to recruiting efforts and success on the trail. With his track record and with already having experience with Keeley himself, it’s a chance worth taking. Sure, Alabama may be in the best position here as they tend to be, but Ohio State is at the very least going to do their due diligence. If he ends up in Tuscaloosa, it certainly won’t be for a lack of effort. A decision coming soon though would pretty much point towards Bama being Bama.
️ (@keon_keeley) Continue reading...
LGHL Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
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Ask LGHL: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
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.
Question: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
As all Buckeye fans likely know at this point, former four-star, redshirt freshman running back Evan Pryor suffered an injury this week and will reportedly miss the entire 2022 college football season. Though he was almost certainly third on the Ohio State running back depth chart, expectations were high that he could steal some carries from starter TreVeyon Henderson and No. 2 option Miyan Williams while also figuring into the passing game.
Word out of offseason workouts was that after playing in four games and rushing for 98 yards during his first season in Columbus, Pryor had worked himself into a dynamic, change-of-pace option from the bigger, more physical Henderson and Williams.
While there are obviously a lot of differences between the team’s top two backs — and both have their own unique dynamicism — because Pryor is nearly 20 to 30 pounds lighter than his backfield brethren, he brings a different style of explosiveness and elusiveness to the stable.
Though most fans and onlookers were pretty comfortable acknowledging a somewhat sizable gap between Pryor and the top two backs in terms of expected usage, the former’s exciting skill set was a popular preseason puzzle piece that many had hoped that the Buckeye coaching staff would be able to plug into the offensive plans.
With Pryor now out for the season, many have noted that it likely won’t have a significant impact the larger picture of how the Buckeyes deploy their cadre of backs, and that is almost certainly true. Henderson and Williams would have shouldered the bulk of the carries had Pryor been available, and they will still shoulder the bulk of the carries with him out. So, from a game-to-game perspective, I agree, Pryor’s injury likely won’t present a major issue to the OSU offense.
Of course, losing a back as talented as he is is never ideal, and it hampers the overall depth at the position. However, the Buckeyes do still have true freshman Dallan Hayden and a number of warm bodies to fill in any workload gaps that might present themselves during the season. But, if Henderson or Williams ends up missing time for any reason, not having Pryor will certainly become more of an issue.
But, to me, the biggest impact that losing Pryor will have on the season is the ability for the Buckeyes to throw out yet another offensive weapon against the best teams on the schedule. We know that OSU’s wide receivers are literally second-to-none in college football, and the team’s 1-2 punch of Henderson and Williams certainly stacks up well to nearly any backfield in the country. But when a team is hoping to rise to a championship level, every unique option can make a difference.
Will not having Pryor matter when the Buckeyes take on Arkansas State or Toledo? Absolutely not. What about Wisconsin or Michigan State? I’d say likely not. Penn State and TTUN? I’d still say probably not.
What about Georgia or Alabama? Now here’s where Pryor’s absence could come into play. I love TreVeyon Henderson and think that he has the potential to be the best running back in the country, assuming Ryan Day gives him enough carries and the offensive line gives him enough room to run.
I also think that Williams’ journey from after-thought recruit to a beloved folk hero amongst the fan base is why I love college football. But neither of them do what Evan Pryor does, or at least not in the same way.
Henderson certainly has ample amounts of speed and shiftiness, and “Porkchop” is much more elusive than his moniker and bowling ball reputation give him credit for, but if you give Pryor space, he is an incredibly difficult back to bring down, as evidenced by his performance in the spring game. The way that the coaching staff used him to stretch the field and formations, and also as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield would have been a nice element to force the Crimson Tide and/or Bulldogs to gameplan for in the playoffs.
I expect Ohio State to have the most productive and dynamic offense in college football for the second year in a row, and that will overwhelm nearly everybody on the team’s schedule. However, if the Buckeyes want to accomplish the top-line goals on their collective to-do list, they will need to be able to beat the best teams in the country, and any extra help around the margins will be helpful; and that’s where I think losing Pryor could end up hurting.
The Buckeyes are now without a versatile weapon from their arsenal. While it might have only been occasionally deployed throughout the season, having it available at the most opportune of times would have given the team an added element that it now will have to do without in the biggest games of the year.
Continue reading...
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.
Question: How does losing Evan Pryor impact the Ohio State offense?
As all Buckeye fans likely know at this point, former four-star, redshirt freshman running back Evan Pryor suffered an injury this week and will reportedly miss the entire 2022 college football season. Though he was almost certainly third on the Ohio State running back depth chart, expectations were high that he could steal some carries from starter TreVeyon Henderson and No. 2 option Miyan Williams while also figuring into the passing game.
Word out of offseason workouts was that after playing in four games and rushing for 98 yards during his first season in Columbus, Pryor had worked himself into a dynamic, change-of-pace option from the bigger, more physical Henderson and Williams.
While there are obviously a lot of differences between the team’s top two backs — and both have their own unique dynamicism — because Pryor is nearly 20 to 30 pounds lighter than his backfield brethren, he brings a different style of explosiveness and elusiveness to the stable.
Though most fans and onlookers were pretty comfortable acknowledging a somewhat sizable gap between Pryor and the top two backs in terms of expected usage, the former’s exciting skill set was a popular preseason puzzle piece that many had hoped that the Buckeye coaching staff would be able to plug into the offensive plans.
With Pryor now out for the season, many have noted that it likely won’t have a significant impact the larger picture of how the Buckeyes deploy their cadre of backs, and that is almost certainly true. Henderson and Williams would have shouldered the bulk of the carries had Pryor been available, and they will still shoulder the bulk of the carries with him out. So, from a game-to-game perspective, I agree, Pryor’s injury likely won’t present a major issue to the OSU offense.
Of course, losing a back as talented as he is is never ideal, and it hampers the overall depth at the position. However, the Buckeyes do still have true freshman Dallan Hayden and a number of warm bodies to fill in any workload gaps that might present themselves during the season. But, if Henderson or Williams ends up missing time for any reason, not having Pryor will certainly become more of an issue.
But, to me, the biggest impact that losing Pryor will have on the season is the ability for the Buckeyes to throw out yet another offensive weapon against the best teams on the schedule. We know that OSU’s wide receivers are literally second-to-none in college football, and the team’s 1-2 punch of Henderson and Williams certainly stacks up well to nearly any backfield in the country. But when a team is hoping to rise to a championship level, every unique option can make a difference.
Will not having Pryor matter when the Buckeyes take on Arkansas State or Toledo? Absolutely not. What about Wisconsin or Michigan State? I’d say likely not. Penn State and TTUN? I’d still say probably not.
What about Georgia or Alabama? Now here’s where Pryor’s absence could come into play. I love TreVeyon Henderson and think that he has the potential to be the best running back in the country, assuming Ryan Day gives him enough carries and the offensive line gives him enough room to run.
I also think that Williams’ journey from after-thought recruit to a beloved folk hero amongst the fan base is why I love college football. But neither of them do what Evan Pryor does, or at least not in the same way.
Henderson certainly has ample amounts of speed and shiftiness, and “Porkchop” is much more elusive than his moniker and bowling ball reputation give him credit for, but if you give Pryor space, he is an incredibly difficult back to bring down, as evidenced by his performance in the spring game. The way that the coaching staff used him to stretch the field and formations, and also as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield would have been a nice element to force the Crimson Tide and/or Bulldogs to gameplan for in the playoffs.
I expect Ohio State to have the most productive and dynamic offense in college football for the second year in a row, and that will overwhelm nearly everybody on the team’s schedule. However, if the Buckeyes want to accomplish the top-line goals on their collective to-do list, they will need to be able to beat the best teams in the country, and any extra help around the margins will be helpful; and that’s where I think losing Pryor could end up hurting.
The Buckeyes are now without a versatile weapon from their arsenal. While it might have only been occasionally deployed throughout the season, having it available at the most opportune of times would have given the team an added element that it now will have to do without in the biggest games of the year.
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
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Column: How are individual offensive linemen so versatile?
Meredith Hein 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 Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s nothing new at Ohio State.
When Pat Elflein moved from guard to center before his senior season in 2016, it seemed a natural progression. Elflein was the most senior veteran on an experienced offensive line and, having spent time at both guard spots in the preceding seasons, including when Ohio State won its national title in 2014, he made the move with aplomb. Elflein would go on to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center in 2016.
Similarly, when Billy Price moved from guard to center before his own senior season in 2017, no one batted an eye. When Price won his own Rimington Trophy later that year, the move seemed even more genius.
(As an aside, the Big Ten has won four of the last six Rimington Trophies and nine of 22 total trophies given. Hooray for being the conference of centers!)
Paris Johnson Jr. is just the latest example of an Ohio State offensive lineman who is moving positions, shifting from right guard, where he started all 13 games in 2021, to left tackle. If past precedent is any indication, the shift should prove a boon for the collective line, even though the move from guard to tackle is less common than the reverse.
What’s interesting about Johnson compared to Elflein and Price, however, is that Johnson came to Ohio State to play left tackle, having come to Ohio State as the top-ranked offensive tackle in his recruiting class. Elflein joined the Buckeyes as a guard and Price as a defensive tackle. This move, then, is the culmination of what Johnson came to Ohio State to do rather than a shift planned as the line evolved over time.
Fans of The Blind Side (or students of football more generally) understand the critical nature of the left tackle position. For a pass-first offensive attack like Ohio State, locking down that position becomes even more relevant and even more worth moving your best interior lineman to the outside.
Last season, Nicholas Petit-Frere anchored the left tackle position, earning first team All-Big Ten and second team All-American honors. Similar to how Price stepped in to fill Elflein’s large shoes, Johnson shouldn’t miss a beat when moving back to left tackle. He brings all the fundamentals, having played the position previously, but he will not have much time for readjustment given his first matchup is against the pass rush of Notre Dame — a unit that accounted for 40 sacks last season, and that returns its top-six sack producers from 2021.
On that note, Johnson’s move becomes more salient when we remember what happened last year. Johnson will play a critical part on an offensive line that struggled to halt the likes of Aidan Hutchinson and Michigan at the end of last season. The Wolverine defensive line doesn’t show much sign of slowing down heading into 2022, anchored by defensive end Mazi Smith.
Last season against Michigan, quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked four times. The offensive line also had five false starts and two holding calls against it in the loss to the Wolverines. It was a particularly troublesome performance for the line, considering Stroud was sacked just 13 times all season long.
As one of the most highly touted offensive line recruits in recent memory, Johnson was looked at by some as the next Orlando Pace. How he’s panned out in his first two seasons has perhaps not been on that level, but he’s got several advantages heading into 2022.
For starters, Johnson is finally playing the position he was recruited to play at left tackle. He’s also aided by a fresh coach on the offensive line in Justin Frye and is finally having a fair shot at fall camp after spending one season working through a global pandemic (which also impacted the guard lineup with changes to NCAA eligibility) and another learning the nuances of the guard position.
Johnson is widely projected as one of the top offensive line picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, a likely first-round selection alongside the quarterback he’s defending. Johnson’s status is a testament to his moving to a new position at guard and achieving such great improvement as the season wore on to earn second team All-Big Ten honors last season.
The next player up mentality is an important concept in ensuring continuity from season to season, but the offensive line takes it to a new level, because for them, it’s just the next player over.
Continue reading...
Meredith Hein 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 Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s nothing new at Ohio State.
When Pat Elflein moved from guard to center before his senior season in 2016, it seemed a natural progression. Elflein was the most senior veteran on an experienced offensive line and, having spent time at both guard spots in the preceding seasons, including when Ohio State won its national title in 2014, he made the move with aplomb. Elflein would go on to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center in 2016.
Similarly, when Billy Price moved from guard to center before his own senior season in 2017, no one batted an eye. When Price won his own Rimington Trophy later that year, the move seemed even more genius.
(As an aside, the Big Ten has won four of the last six Rimington Trophies and nine of 22 total trophies given. Hooray for being the conference of centers!)
Paris Johnson Jr. is just the latest example of an Ohio State offensive lineman who is moving positions, shifting from right guard, where he started all 13 games in 2021, to left tackle. If past precedent is any indication, the shift should prove a boon for the collective line, even though the move from guard to tackle is less common than the reverse.
What’s interesting about Johnson compared to Elflein and Price, however, is that Johnson came to Ohio State to play left tackle, having come to Ohio State as the top-ranked offensive tackle in his recruiting class. Elflein joined the Buckeyes as a guard and Price as a defensive tackle. This move, then, is the culmination of what Johnson came to Ohio State to do rather than a shift planned as the line evolved over time.
Fans of The Blind Side (or students of football more generally) understand the critical nature of the left tackle position. For a pass-first offensive attack like Ohio State, locking down that position becomes even more relevant and even more worth moving your best interior lineman to the outside.
Last season, Nicholas Petit-Frere anchored the left tackle position, earning first team All-Big Ten and second team All-American honors. Similar to how Price stepped in to fill Elflein’s large shoes, Johnson shouldn’t miss a beat when moving back to left tackle. He brings all the fundamentals, having played the position previously, but he will not have much time for readjustment given his first matchup is against the pass rush of Notre Dame — a unit that accounted for 40 sacks last season, and that returns its top-six sack producers from 2021.
On that note, Johnson’s move becomes more salient when we remember what happened last year. Johnson will play a critical part on an offensive line that struggled to halt the likes of Aidan Hutchinson and Michigan at the end of last season. The Wolverine defensive line doesn’t show much sign of slowing down heading into 2022, anchored by defensive end Mazi Smith.
Last season against Michigan, quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked four times. The offensive line also had five false starts and two holding calls against it in the loss to the Wolverines. It was a particularly troublesome performance for the line, considering Stroud was sacked just 13 times all season long.
As one of the most highly touted offensive line recruits in recent memory, Johnson was looked at by some as the next Orlando Pace. How he’s panned out in his first two seasons has perhaps not been on that level, but he’s got several advantages heading into 2022.
For starters, Johnson is finally playing the position he was recruited to play at left tackle. He’s also aided by a fresh coach on the offensive line in Justin Frye and is finally having a fair shot at fall camp after spending one season working through a global pandemic (which also impacted the guard lineup with changes to NCAA eligibility) and another learning the nuances of the guard position.
Johnson is widely projected as one of the top offensive line picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, a likely first-round selection alongside the quarterback he’s defending. Johnson’s status is a testament to his moving to a new position at guard and achieving such great improvement as the season wore on to earn second team All-Big Ten honors last season.
The next player up mentality is an important concept in ensuring continuity from season to season, but the offensive line takes it to a new level, because for them, it’s just the next player over.
Continue reading...
LGHL Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
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Now that Notre Dame has picked a starting quarterback, we ask ‘Who is Tyler Buchner?’
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Getting to know the Notre Dame starting quarterback
At high school basketball games, when visiting players were introduced, our cheerleaders would urge the crowd (well, spectators) to shout “who’s he?” after every introduction. Generally, we didn’t know these opposing players — nor did we care. Even when we were very well aware of the player’s identity, we pretended not to know.
I remember a 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 monster who played for one of our district rivals. He was committed to Al McGuire’s Marquette team, a Midwest powerhouse that recruited our Chicago area as if it were part of some farm system. Yeah, we knew this guy but asked “who’s he?” any way. And then watched our 6-foot-2 center hold him to 35 points and 21 boards.
So now, Marcus Freeman has announced that the competition is over and that the starting quarterback at Notre Dame for the beginning of the 2022 season (i.e., the Ohio State game) will be Tyler Buchner. Join me now: “Who’s he?” Let’s try to answer that question so that we Buckeye fans will know what to expect come the evening of Sept. 3.
Buchner as a recruit
The 2021 recruiting class was a rich one in quarterbacks, especially once Quinn Ewers reclassified to join the class. Ewers became the No. 1 ranked QB (and player). The Buckeyes’ Kyle McCord was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback (one spot behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, I’m sorry to say). Buchner was ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the class and had a composite ranking of No. 65 nationally (at any position). His best ranking was No. 39 (ESPN) and his worst was Rivals at No. 111.
Buchner was regarded in this recruiting class as a pro-style QB, but the high school clips that I saw featured his running even more than his passing. He could throw a deep ball or a sideline pass with a quick release, but it was his speed and his ability to make tacklers miss and then outrun people that caught my attention. With offers from the major West Coast schools (Oregon, Southern Cal, Stanford) and Alabama, Buchner committed to Notre Dame early – in March of 2019 – and in the fall of that year, he enjoyed a strong junior year. In 2020, however, his La Jolla, CA, team didn’t play a football season because of COVID, and Buchner missed his senior year of playing.
Recruiting analyst Greg Biggins lauded Buchner’s “escapability” in the pocket and as a runner, claiming that Buchner, “looks like a running back in the open field.” Biggins also predicted a couple of years ago that the young quarterback would need, “to rein in his running at the college level.” After watching 2021 film and studying the stats for games in which Buchner played, I think that his instinct to scramble — to pull the ball down and run on called passing plays — might still be an issue.
Buchner as a freshman: the 2021 season
Clearly, Tyler Buchner was a highly touted QB coming in to Notre Dame. He enrolled early and played in the 2021 spring game. Not only did he play, but he also starred in the game. The excitement and hype around Buchner grew to the point where many Irish fans expected him to be competing with graduate transfer Jack Coan, who had moved over from Wisconsin after the 2020 season, for the starting job. But as the 2021 season got underway, Buchner was third on the depth chart, behind Coan and Drew Pyne, whom he beat out this year. As the season progressed, Buchner moved into the No. 2 slot and played in 10 games.
Buchner’s stats for 2021, really, are similar to the ones that Kyle McCord put up for the Buckeyes as C.J. Stroud’s backup. Buchner threw 35 passes and completed 21 of them (60%) for 296 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. McCord’s numbers: 25 for 38 (65.8%), 416 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. The big difference between the two was Buchner’s rushing. Second on the Irish team in rushing last year, behind only Kyren Williams, he carried the ball 46 times, gained 336 yards (an eye-popping 7.3 yards/carry average), and scored three rushing touchdowns. McCord ran nine times for -16 yards.
Buchner entered the games in particular situations, ones where his ability to run or throw was a distinct advantage. In the second game of the season against Toledo, for instance, Buchner’s rushing was crucially important, as the Irish pulled out a 32-29 victory with a touchdown at 1:09 in the fourth quarter. Buchner played a lot in the game, hitting all three of his passes for 78 yards and a TD and rushing for 68 more on seven carries (9.7 average). After Toledo, fans again expected to see more of Buchner.
His running remained impressive throughout the year, but his passing was inconsistent. Both inaccuracy and poor reads kept him out of the starting role. Against Virginia Tech (another 32-29 Irish win), Buchner was 6-of-14 passing with a TD and two interceptions. In games against major opponents, Brian Kelly played him in some situations, but he didn’t see much action. Against Cincinnati, USC, and Stanford combined, Buchner threw five passes, completing three. He carried the ball 10 times total in those three games. Though healthy, Buchner didn’t play at all in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.
Buchner as a starter in 2022
Tyler Buchner didn’t play football in his senior year of high school. As a freshman at Notre Dame, he didn’t start any games and saw primarily package reps in practice and run/pass situations in games. He rolled his ankle in spring practice this year and didn’t play in the Irish’s 2022 spring game. He’s never been the team leader, “the guy” at Notre Dame.
That’s why Marcus Freeman named him as the starter three weeks ahead of the opening game. Buchner needs to feel that responsibility, practice in that role, and have his teammates get accustomed to the idea of his starting.
Going up against Ohio State in Ohio Stadium as the featured game of opening week is enough to scare anyone. And he’ll be competing against Stroud, the nation’s best collegiate quarterback. There will be comparisons. So far, it sounds as though Buchner’s likely to be a liability for the Irish, rather than an asset. No way. Here’s why.
Cross “pro-style” off the recruiting or scouting report. Buchner is a genuine dual-threat QB and very threatening as a runner or a passer. He’ll put a lot of pressure on the Buckeye linebackers, cornerbacks, and defensive ends with his option game. He’s capable of a quick read and a quick decision whether to throw or run. I watched quite a bit of 2021 film, and was impressed with how Buchner could freeze a defender. Once frozen in place, they became easy prey for the option game.
When Buchner runs, he’s elusive and fast. A really good athlete. The Buckeyes will need all of the team speed that they can muster to contain him. Forcing him to pass is the better option, if the Bucks can pull it off. Both Buchner’s mechanics and decision-making decline rapidly when he’s under pressure. A strong pass rush can disrupt his game, but the rushers need always to be aware of his scrambling potential. He’s a good enough rusher and scrambler that he warrants a “spy” to watch him on every play. But that spy has to be fast.
Buchner’s arm is strong, and he can throw deep or wide. Look for him to throw to tight ends a lot. The wideouts were never the Irish strong suit, but the loss for the season of one of the best – Avery Davis – with a torn ACL damages the long passing game. And they’re not very deep at wideout.
We’ll get to know Mr. Buchner pretty quickly. The first three series for Notre Dame will probably tell us how well Tyler Buchner is going to perform. He’s talented but relatively inexperienced. He’ll need to score a lot of points. He’ll be under a lot of pressure. And my guess is that he’ll probably feel it. I think that the Buckeyes are fortunate to catch him in his first start, at any level, in almost three years. With a few games under his belt, he’ll be a good one.
Continue reading...
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Getting to know the Notre Dame starting quarterback
At high school basketball games, when visiting players were introduced, our cheerleaders would urge the crowd (well, spectators) to shout “who’s he?” after every introduction. Generally, we didn’t know these opposing players — nor did we care. Even when we were very well aware of the player’s identity, we pretended not to know.
I remember a 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 monster who played for one of our district rivals. He was committed to Al McGuire’s Marquette team, a Midwest powerhouse that recruited our Chicago area as if it were part of some farm system. Yeah, we knew this guy but asked “who’s he?” any way. And then watched our 6-foot-2 center hold him to 35 points and 21 boards.
So now, Marcus Freeman has announced that the competition is over and that the starting quarterback at Notre Dame for the beginning of the 2022 season (i.e., the Ohio State game) will be Tyler Buchner. Join me now: “Who’s he?” Let’s try to answer that question so that we Buckeye fans will know what to expect come the evening of Sept. 3.
Buchner as a recruit
The 2021 recruiting class was a rich one in quarterbacks, especially once Quinn Ewers reclassified to join the class. Ewers became the No. 1 ranked QB (and player). The Buckeyes’ Kyle McCord was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback (one spot behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, I’m sorry to say). Buchner was ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the class and had a composite ranking of No. 65 nationally (at any position). His best ranking was No. 39 (ESPN) and his worst was Rivals at No. 111.
Buchner was regarded in this recruiting class as a pro-style QB, but the high school clips that I saw featured his running even more than his passing. He could throw a deep ball or a sideline pass with a quick release, but it was his speed and his ability to make tacklers miss and then outrun people that caught my attention. With offers from the major West Coast schools (Oregon, Southern Cal, Stanford) and Alabama, Buchner committed to Notre Dame early – in March of 2019 – and in the fall of that year, he enjoyed a strong junior year. In 2020, however, his La Jolla, CA, team didn’t play a football season because of COVID, and Buchner missed his senior year of playing.
Recruiting analyst Greg Biggins lauded Buchner’s “escapability” in the pocket and as a runner, claiming that Buchner, “looks like a running back in the open field.” Biggins also predicted a couple of years ago that the young quarterback would need, “to rein in his running at the college level.” After watching 2021 film and studying the stats for games in which Buchner played, I think that his instinct to scramble — to pull the ball down and run on called passing plays — might still be an issue.
Buchner as a freshman: the 2021 season
Clearly, Tyler Buchner was a highly touted QB coming in to Notre Dame. He enrolled early and played in the 2021 spring game. Not only did he play, but he also starred in the game. The excitement and hype around Buchner grew to the point where many Irish fans expected him to be competing with graduate transfer Jack Coan, who had moved over from Wisconsin after the 2020 season, for the starting job. But as the 2021 season got underway, Buchner was third on the depth chart, behind Coan and Drew Pyne, whom he beat out this year. As the season progressed, Buchner moved into the No. 2 slot and played in 10 games.
Buchner’s stats for 2021, really, are similar to the ones that Kyle McCord put up for the Buckeyes as C.J. Stroud’s backup. Buchner threw 35 passes and completed 21 of them (60%) for 296 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. McCord’s numbers: 25 for 38 (65.8%), 416 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. The big difference between the two was Buchner’s rushing. Second on the Irish team in rushing last year, behind only Kyren Williams, he carried the ball 46 times, gained 336 yards (an eye-popping 7.3 yards/carry average), and scored three rushing touchdowns. McCord ran nine times for -16 yards.
Buchner entered the games in particular situations, ones where his ability to run or throw was a distinct advantage. In the second game of the season against Toledo, for instance, Buchner’s rushing was crucially important, as the Irish pulled out a 32-29 victory with a touchdown at 1:09 in the fourth quarter. Buchner played a lot in the game, hitting all three of his passes for 78 yards and a TD and rushing for 68 more on seven carries (9.7 average). After Toledo, fans again expected to see more of Buchner.
His running remained impressive throughout the year, but his passing was inconsistent. Both inaccuracy and poor reads kept him out of the starting role. Against Virginia Tech (another 32-29 Irish win), Buchner was 6-of-14 passing with a TD and two interceptions. In games against major opponents, Brian Kelly played him in some situations, but he didn’t see much action. Against Cincinnati, USC, and Stanford combined, Buchner threw five passes, completing three. He carried the ball 10 times total in those three games. Though healthy, Buchner didn’t play at all in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.
Buchner as a starter in 2022
Tyler Buchner didn’t play football in his senior year of high school. As a freshman at Notre Dame, he didn’t start any games and saw primarily package reps in practice and run/pass situations in games. He rolled his ankle in spring practice this year and didn’t play in the Irish’s 2022 spring game. He’s never been the team leader, “the guy” at Notre Dame.
That’s why Marcus Freeman named him as the starter three weeks ahead of the opening game. Buchner needs to feel that responsibility, practice in that role, and have his teammates get accustomed to the idea of his starting.
Going up against Ohio State in Ohio Stadium as the featured game of opening week is enough to scare anyone. And he’ll be competing against Stroud, the nation’s best collegiate quarterback. There will be comparisons. So far, it sounds as though Buchner’s likely to be a liability for the Irish, rather than an asset. No way. Here’s why.
Cross “pro-style” off the recruiting or scouting report. Buchner is a genuine dual-threat QB and very threatening as a runner or a passer. He’ll put a lot of pressure on the Buckeye linebackers, cornerbacks, and defensive ends with his option game. He’s capable of a quick read and a quick decision whether to throw or run. I watched quite a bit of 2021 film, and was impressed with how Buchner could freeze a defender. Once frozen in place, they became easy prey for the option game.
When Buchner runs, he’s elusive and fast. A really good athlete. The Buckeyes will need all of the team speed that they can muster to contain him. Forcing him to pass is the better option, if the Bucks can pull it off. Both Buchner’s mechanics and decision-making decline rapidly when he’s under pressure. A strong pass rush can disrupt his game, but the rushers need always to be aware of his scrambling potential. He’s a good enough rusher and scrambler that he warrants a “spy” to watch him on every play. But that spy has to be fast.
Buchner’s arm is strong, and he can throw deep or wide. Look for him to throw to tight ends a lot. The wideouts were never the Irish strong suit, but the loss for the season of one of the best – Avery Davis – with a torn ACL damages the long passing game. And they’re not very deep at wideout.
We’ll get to know Mr. Buchner pretty quickly. The first three series for Notre Dame will probably tell us how well Tyler Buchner is going to perform. He’s talented but relatively inexperienced. He’ll need to score a lot of points. He’ll be under a lot of pressure. And my guess is that he’ll probably feel it. I think that the Buckeyes are fortunate to catch him in his first start, at any level, in almost three years. With a few games under his belt, he’ll be a good one.
Continue reading...
LGHL Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022...
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Which former Buckeyes have the best odds of bringing home an individual award for the 2022 NFL season?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Could both “Brosas” be in the running for this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award? | Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite stiff competition, a former Buckeye has won a prestigious NFL award three years in a row, and there are plenty of candidates to do so again in 2022.
Last week, I laid out current team odds for Super Bowl LVII. Excluding the top three favorites (Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Kansas City) – all of whom I would argue against – there are dozens of former Buckeyes on teams projected to compete and potentially make a run at the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy. A few of those scarlet and grey-tinted favorites include the Los Angeles Rams (Jordan Fuller) at +1100, the Green Bay Packers (Josh Myers) at +1140, and the Joey Bosa/Corey Linsley-led Los Angeles Chargers at +1500.
I would be remiss if I did not mention my personal betting favorite: the defending AFC champs, and a future NFL dynasty loaded with former Buckeyes... the Cincinnati Bengals at +2120.
With team odds out of the way, I thought it would also be fun to take a peek at current odds for the NFL’s individual awards. Only one team can win it all, but with Ohio State talent scattered throughout the league, there is a chance we could see a former Buckeye (or two, or three) take home hardware as the most valuable player (MVP), player of the year on offense or defense, or rookie of the year, among other awards.
Recent individual winners include Joe Burrow for 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, Michael Thomas for 2019 Offensive Player of the Year, and Nick Bosa and Chase Young taking home back-to-back Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Special shoutout to Mike Vrabel as well, who is obviously not a player, but was recognized as Coach of the Year after the 2021 season.
Disclaimer: Once again, I will be using Vegas Insider odds. Additionally, while there are certain awards for which a former Buckeye is named further down the list, I am choosing to focus on “favorites” — players who currently possess top-5 or top-10 betting odds. Lay your money down at your own risk, but know that you can’t take it with you in the end. Here are the most notable scarlet and gray candidates and their various award odds:
NFL MVP
Joe Burrow — QB, Cincinnati Bengals (+1200): This award should just be renamed Quarterback of the Year, but I’ll save that rant for another day. Burrow (who is indeed a former Buckeye) currently owns the sixth-best MVP odds, behind usual suspects Allen, Mahomes, Brady, and Rodgers. Justin Herbert is also in the running, as he owns the fifth-best odds — which I find odd for a player with zero playoff appearances.
But Old Man Brady and Immunized Psychedelic Rodgers will not be around forever, so if Burrow continues his upward trajectory – and most importantly his winning ways – I absolutely believe he will become a perennial top-5 or top-10 guy in the MVP voting. From here on out, if I see Joe Cool at or above 10:1, I am definitely playing those odds.
To show how QB-driven this award is, I will also point out that Justin Fields is +12500 to win. He has better odds than Aaron Donald, Alvin Kamara, and Austin Ekeler... and those are just a few of the names beginning with the letter A.
NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Burrow (+3300), Ezekiel Elliott — RB, Dallas Cowboys & Michael Thomas — WR, New Orleans Saints (both +6000)
They might not look favorable, but these odds are better than you think. Burrow has top-20 odds at +3300, while both Thomas and Elliott are just outside the top-30. And this award is actually open to non-quarterbacks, whereas the MVP has not been won by a skill player since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Bettors have a legitimate shot if/when choosing their favorite RB or WR.
Thomas won this award in 2019 — the last year during which he played at a superstar level/if he played at all. Elliott has been a workhorse, but as a RB, his best years could already be behind him. And Burrow, of course, is the young gun who just led his team to a Super Bowl. If I am making a big bet on OPOTY, I would avoid these former Buckeyes. A QB rarely wins this award, and both Thomas and Elliott need to prove their “eliteness” again before I put money on them. I hope all three play out of their absolute mind(s), but this award is a stay-away.
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Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State fans are hoping for a return to form by Thomas, who was one of the best players in the NFL when last healthy
NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa — DE, San Francisco 49ers (+1200): Yes, please. Great odds. The youngest “Brosa” won DROTY in 2019, and has dominated whenever healthy. In his two full seasons, Nick totaled 24.5 sacks, 37 TFL, and 58 QB hits. He has been unreal, and is poised to be even better in 2022, due to his new regimen of eating like the Liver King and squatting Buicks. Nick owns the fifth-best odds for DPOTY, which feels about right for the young star.
Joey Bosa — DE/OLB, Los Angeles Chargers (+2500): This is a situation I will be monitoring closely. Joey Bosa has 58 sacks in 79 career games, and is one of the best run-stoppers in the league at his position. He also set a career-high with seven forced fumbles last season with seven, and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. He is barely 27 years old. Although it feels like the older Bosa Smash Brother has been in the NFL forever, there is a chance he is still in the beginning stages of his prime. The Chargers added Khalil Mack to work opposite of Bosa, meaning this former Buckeye could see fewer double teams. If he remains healthy throughout the duration of August, I would not mind dropping a few pennies on Joey at 25:1.
Chase Young — DE, Washington Commanders (+2800): Similar to Nick Bosa, Chase Young won DROTY before suffering a significant injury the following season. However, Young was injured mid-season, putting the early portion of his third year at risk. He is not practicing with the team, and the Commanders have acknowledged that he could ultimately miss a few games. For that reason, I am out on Young as DPOTY... in 2022. But I think he’ll get one eventually.
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chris Olave — WR, New Orleans Saints (+800): New Orleans traded up in the 2022 NFL Draft to get Olave, so he should absolutely have a role. But with Michael Thomas now practicing and Jarvis Landry in the picture, will it be as a first, second, or third option? I think there is room for all three, in addition to Alvin Kamara. I expect the Saints’ offense to have a bounceback season, with the rookie heavily involved. A safe(r) bet here, as Olave has the third-best odds.
Garrett Wilson — WR, New York Jets (+1100): Drafted to be a primary weapon for the New York Jets, I do believe Wilson will develop into their best overall WR. However, the Jets also have Elijah Moore, Cory Davis, a solid pass-catching RB, and half a dozen tight ends to throw to. Wilson should not have to shine right away, which I think eats into his chances at winning ROTY. I’ll be checking back on these odds a month into the season.
Special mention: Jameson Williams — WR, Detroit Lions (+1400)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Michael Thomas (+1200), Chase Young (+1400) J.K. Dobbins — RB, Baltimore Ravens (+2000): Three supremely talented players all listed behind Jameis Winston, Daniel Jones, and Baker Mayfield. Mitchell Trubisky and Marcus Mariota are also sandwiched between Young and Dobbins. This is just tremendous value, so I could see placing a wager on any or all of these former Buckeyes.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Could both “Brosas” be in the running for this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award? | Photo by Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite stiff competition, a former Buckeye has won a prestigious NFL award three years in a row, and there are plenty of candidates to do so again in 2022.
Last week, I laid out current team odds for Super Bowl LVII. Excluding the top three favorites (Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Kansas City) – all of whom I would argue against – there are dozens of former Buckeyes on teams projected to compete and potentially make a run at the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy. A few of those scarlet and grey-tinted favorites include the Los Angeles Rams (Jordan Fuller) at +1100, the Green Bay Packers (Josh Myers) at +1140, and the Joey Bosa/Corey Linsley-led Los Angeles Chargers at +1500.
I would be remiss if I did not mention my personal betting favorite: the defending AFC champs, and a future NFL dynasty loaded with former Buckeyes... the Cincinnati Bengals at +2120.
With team odds out of the way, I thought it would also be fun to take a peek at current odds for the NFL’s individual awards. Only one team can win it all, but with Ohio State talent scattered throughout the league, there is a chance we could see a former Buckeye (or two, or three) take home hardware as the most valuable player (MVP), player of the year on offense or defense, or rookie of the year, among other awards.
Recent individual winners include Joe Burrow for 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, Michael Thomas for 2019 Offensive Player of the Year, and Nick Bosa and Chase Young taking home back-to-back Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Special shoutout to Mike Vrabel as well, who is obviously not a player, but was recognized as Coach of the Year after the 2021 season.
Disclaimer: Once again, I will be using Vegas Insider odds. Additionally, while there are certain awards for which a former Buckeye is named further down the list, I am choosing to focus on “favorites” — players who currently possess top-5 or top-10 betting odds. Lay your money down at your own risk, but know that you can’t take it with you in the end. Here are the most notable scarlet and gray candidates and their various award odds:
NFL MVP
Joe Burrow — QB, Cincinnati Bengals (+1200): This award should just be renamed Quarterback of the Year, but I’ll save that rant for another day. Burrow (who is indeed a former Buckeye) currently owns the sixth-best MVP odds, behind usual suspects Allen, Mahomes, Brady, and Rodgers. Justin Herbert is also in the running, as he owns the fifth-best odds — which I find odd for a player with zero playoff appearances.
But Old Man Brady and Immunized Psychedelic Rodgers will not be around forever, so if Burrow continues his upward trajectory – and most importantly his winning ways – I absolutely believe he will become a perennial top-5 or top-10 guy in the MVP voting. From here on out, if I see Joe Cool at or above 10:1, I am definitely playing those odds.
To show how QB-driven this award is, I will also point out that Justin Fields is +12500 to win. He has better odds than Aaron Donald, Alvin Kamara, and Austin Ekeler... and those are just a few of the names beginning with the letter A.
NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Burrow (+3300), Ezekiel Elliott — RB, Dallas Cowboys & Michael Thomas — WR, New Orleans Saints (both +6000)
They might not look favorable, but these odds are better than you think. Burrow has top-20 odds at +3300, while both Thomas and Elliott are just outside the top-30. And this award is actually open to non-quarterbacks, whereas the MVP has not been won by a skill player since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Bettors have a legitimate shot if/when choosing their favorite RB or WR.
Thomas won this award in 2019 — the last year during which he played at a superstar level/if he played at all. Elliott has been a workhorse, but as a RB, his best years could already be behind him. And Burrow, of course, is the young gun who just led his team to a Super Bowl. If I am making a big bet on OPOTY, I would avoid these former Buckeyes. A QB rarely wins this award, and both Thomas and Elliott need to prove their “eliteness” again before I put money on them. I hope all three play out of their absolute mind(s), but this award is a stay-away.
Ohio State fans are hoping for a return to form by Thomas, who was one of the best players in the NFL when last healthy
NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa — DE, San Francisco 49ers (+1200): Yes, please. Great odds. The youngest “Brosa” won DROTY in 2019, and has dominated whenever healthy. In his two full seasons, Nick totaled 24.5 sacks, 37 TFL, and 58 QB hits. He has been unreal, and is poised to be even better in 2022, due to his new regimen of eating like the Liver King and squatting Buicks. Nick owns the fifth-best odds for DPOTY, which feels about right for the young star.
Joey Bosa — DE/OLB, Los Angeles Chargers (+2500): This is a situation I will be monitoring closely. Joey Bosa has 58 sacks in 79 career games, and is one of the best run-stoppers in the league at his position. He also set a career-high with seven forced fumbles last season with seven, and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl. He is barely 27 years old. Although it feels like the older Bosa Smash Brother has been in the NFL forever, there is a chance he is still in the beginning stages of his prime. The Chargers added Khalil Mack to work opposite of Bosa, meaning this former Buckeye could see fewer double teams. If he remains healthy throughout the duration of August, I would not mind dropping a few pennies on Joey at 25:1.
Chase Young — DE, Washington Commanders (+2800): Similar to Nick Bosa, Chase Young won DROTY before suffering a significant injury the following season. However, Young was injured mid-season, putting the early portion of his third year at risk. He is not practicing with the team, and the Commanders have acknowledged that he could ultimately miss a few games. For that reason, I am out on Young as DPOTY... in 2022. But I think he’ll get one eventually.
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Chris Olave — WR, New Orleans Saints (+800): New Orleans traded up in the 2022 NFL Draft to get Olave, so he should absolutely have a role. But with Michael Thomas now practicing and Jarvis Landry in the picture, will it be as a first, second, or third option? I think there is room for all three, in addition to Alvin Kamara. I expect the Saints’ offense to have a bounceback season, with the rookie heavily involved. A safe(r) bet here, as Olave has the third-best odds.
Garrett Wilson — WR, New York Jets (+1100): Drafted to be a primary weapon for the New York Jets, I do believe Wilson will develop into their best overall WR. However, the Jets also have Elijah Moore, Cory Davis, a solid pass-catching RB, and half a dozen tight ends to throw to. Wilson should not have to shine right away, which I think eats into his chances at winning ROTY. I’ll be checking back on these odds a month into the season.
Special mention: Jameson Williams — WR, Detroit Lions (+1400)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Michael Thomas (+1200), Chase Young (+1400) J.K. Dobbins — RB, Baltimore Ravens (+2000): Three supremely talented players all listed behind Jameis Winston, Daniel Jones, and Baker Mayfield. Mitchell Trubisky and Marcus Mariota are also sandwiched between Young and Dobbins. This is just tremendous value, so I could see placing a wager on any or all of these former Buckeyes.
Continue reading...
LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 17, 2022
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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 17, 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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ask LGHL
Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ask LGHL: Who is Ohio State’s most important player other than C.J. Stroud?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grnt Holy Land
On the Gridiron
Evan Pryor: Ohio State running back suffers season-ending injury
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Without Evan Pryor, who’s left at running back for Ohio State?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Practice Report: Evan Pryor injury impact, how Buckeyes defensive line can reach high ceiling
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Can’t wait for you to come back healthy and better than ever, EP.
Why Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson’s retirement plans remain ‘way away from here’
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Three takeaways from Larry Johnson, Ohio State defensive line (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Buckeyes stocked with deep, loaded group of versatile defensive tackles (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Larry Johnson confident he has ‘alpha males’ on OSU defensive line
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Stay classy, Ann Arbor:
#Michigan fans react with empathy upon hearing the news of #OhioState running back, Evan Pryor’s, season-ending injury. pic.twitter.com/dfkascF27S
— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) August 16, 2022
DL videos: LJ, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Williams, Vincent, Harrison, Cage, Hamilton, Friday
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Tyler Friday Stepping up as Leader in Return to the Field
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
How are Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jack Sawyer and Palaie Gaoteote IV progressing at Ohio State football’s Jack position?
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Zach Harrison muting outside noise, focusing on final Buckeyes season (paywall)
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row
Son of a bitch...
#Steelers running back Master Teague was carted off with an injury today.
— SteelerNation (@SteeIerNation) August 16, 2022
Tony Alford on Ohio State freshman RB Dallan Hayden: ‘He’s gonna be a really good player’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Mitch Rossi Eyes NFL Dreams Ahead of Final Season with the Buckeyes
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 team captains?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Will the Buckeyes turn to Brice Sensabaugh when the clock winds down?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Freshman Cotie McMahon on choosing Ohio State, the upcoming Buckeyes season and smoothies
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Seems like he would know better than most.
He hasn’t taken 1 visit yet and has only had a few calls with coaches and universities. When Bronny makes his choice you’ll hear it from him. #JamesGang https://t.co/BBciKxl7m8
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 17, 2022
Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Roddy Gayle Jr.
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Wrestling: Bouzakis, Feldman Wrestle for Bronze at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Getting a little sentimental on Main.
My parents’ first date was on Aug. 16 & they had @Donatos; growing up we had Donato’s every year to celebrate. When we moved from Ohio, we had to switch to another pizza. But now Donato’s is in Florida & Vegas, so the tradition continues, despite being separated by 3 time zones. pic.twitter.com/pL0956E7Ok
— Matt Tamanini (@BWWMatt) August 17, 2022
Continue reading...
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
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ask LGHL
Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ask LGHL: Who is Ohio State’s most important player other than C.J. Stroud?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grnt Holy Land
On the Gridiron
Evan Pryor: Ohio State running back suffers season-ending injury
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
Without Evan Pryor, who’s left at running back for Ohio State?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Practice Report: Evan Pryor injury impact, how Buckeyes defensive line can reach high ceiling
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Can’t wait for you to come back healthy and better than ever, EP.
️ (@evanpryor3) Why Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson’s retirement plans remain ‘way away from here’
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Three takeaways from Larry Johnson, Ohio State defensive line (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Buckeyes stocked with deep, loaded group of versatile defensive tackles (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Larry Johnson confident he has ‘alpha males’ on OSU defensive line
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Stay classy, Ann Arbor:
#Michigan fans react with empathy upon hearing the news of #OhioState running back, Evan Pryor’s, season-ending injury. pic.twitter.com/dfkascF27S
— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) August 16, 2022
DL videos: LJ, Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Williams, Vincent, Harrison, Cage, Hamilton, Friday
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Tyler Friday Stepping up as Leader in Return to the Field
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
How are Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jack Sawyer and Palaie Gaoteote IV progressing at Ohio State football’s Jack position?
Nathan Baird, cleveland.com
Zach Harrison muting outside noise, focusing on final Buckeyes season (paywall)
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row
Son of a bitch...
#Steelers running back Master Teague was carted off with an injury today.
— SteelerNation (@SteeIerNation) August 16, 2022
Tony Alford on Ohio State freshman RB Dallan Hayden: ‘He’s gonna be a really good player’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Mitch Rossi Eyes NFL Dreams Ahead of Final Season with the Buckeyes
Jack Emerson, Buckeye Sports Bulletin
You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 team captains?
Brett Ludwiczak and Meredith Hein, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Will the Buckeyes turn to Brice Sensabaugh when the clock winds down?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Freshman Cotie McMahon on choosing Ohio State, the upcoming Buckeyes season and smoothies
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Seems like he would know better than most.
He hasn’t taken 1 visit yet and has only had a few calls with coaches and universities. When Bronny makes his choice you’ll hear it from him. #JamesGang https://t.co/BBciKxl7m8
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 17, 2022
Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Roddy Gayle Jr.
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Wrestling: Bouzakis, Feldman Wrestle for Bronze at U20 World Championships
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Getting a little sentimental on Main.
My parents’ first date was on Aug. 16 & they had @Donatos; growing up we had Donato’s every year to celebrate. When we moved from Ohio, we had to switch to another pizza. But now Donato’s is in Florida & Vegas, so the tradition continues, despite being separated by 3 time zones. pic.twitter.com/pL0956E7Ok
— Matt Tamanini (@BWWMatt) August 17, 2022
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LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: 2022 Big Ten Previews —Michigan State and Minnesota
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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: 2022 Big Ten Previews —Michigan State and Minnesota
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Only a few teams remain as we preview every B1G team ahead of the 2022 season.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this week’s episode, Gene and Josh continue their Big Ten previews with a look at Michigan State and Minnesota. Before diving into those two programs, the guys discuss the latest Ohio State football news, including the Buckeyes’ newest commit, a big injury from camp, and the debut of the AP Top 25 Poll. They then get into the nitty gritty of the Spartans and the Gophers. Can Michigan State find repeat success coming off an 11-2 season? Can Tanner Morgan turn it around for Minnesota?
“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will be dropping one episode per week during the offseason, coming out every Wednesday (don’t hold us to that). Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!
You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!
As always, Go Bucks.
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23
Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Only a few teams remain as we preview every B1G team ahead of the 2022 season.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this week’s episode, Gene and Josh continue their Big Ten previews with a look at Michigan State and Minnesota. Before diving into those two programs, the guys discuss the latest Ohio State football news, including the Buckeyes’ newest commit, a big injury from camp, and the debut of the AP Top 25 Poll. They then get into the nitty gritty of the Spartans and the Gophers. Can Michigan State find repeat success coming off an 11-2 season? Can Tanner Morgan turn it around for Minnesota?
“Hangout in the Holy Land” is will be dropping one episode per week during the offseason, coming out every Wednesday (don’t hold us to that). Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!
You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!
As always, Go Bucks.
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Gene:
Twitter: @Gene_Ross23
Connect with Josh
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Continue reading...
LGHL Four-star safety pledge eyes two Ohio State trips in September
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Four-star safety pledge eyes two Ohio State trips in September
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Cedrick Hawkins | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
A blue-chip DB that has been committed to the Buckeyes since January looks to be planning a couple stops in Columbus next month.
A defensive back commitment from Florida revealed on Tuesday that he misses Columbus, and fortunately he won’t be waiting much longer to get back to the Ohio State campus. Plus, the head coach of the Buckeyes latest commitment discusses what he can bring to the table for the defensive secondary in Columbus.
Hawkins plans September visits
Ever since the Buckeyes secured a pledge from four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins of Cocoa (FL) back in January, the program has only been able to get the Titusville native on campus one time when he made a trip to Columbus in April, and he wants everyone to know that he misses it.
Fortunately for the 6-foot, 175-pounder, he won’t have to wait too much longer to touch down in his future home. According to a tweet by 247Sports’ Bill Kurelic, Hawkins will not only get back to campus in September, but he will do it on two separate occasions.
When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that the Florida standout has an official visit scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 3 when the Buckeyes face off against Notre Dame. The remaining three contests in the month of September are also home games against Arkansas State, Toledo, and Wisconsin.
One would think that the likely bet for Hawkins making it back would be for the battle with the Badgers near the conclusion of the month, but that remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, Hawkins will be back on campus sooner rather than later and what better time to come back than the big recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes with their tilt against the Irish. It will give him the opportunity to get in the ear of many Ohio State targets that the staff is hopeful of landing.
Hawkins, the cousin of current Los Angeles Rams and former Louisville running back Javian Hawkins, is currently graded as the 17th highest graded safety and is a consensus Top 250 prospect in the class.
St. Peter’s Prep HC talks Bonsu pledge
Joining Hawkins in the defensive secondary in Columbus will be four-star safety Jayden Bonsu of St. Peter’s Prep (NJ), as well learned on when he made his pledge to the Buckeyes.
When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that Bonsu slots in as the No. 22 safety in the class. You can also find that the Hillside native is the fourth highest graded prospect from the state of New Jersey. But another way to get a feel for what Bonsu can bring to Ohio State is to hear it from the man that coaches him.
“To me, I think (Jayden) is a big physical safety, but also has that positional flexibility where at our level or the next level he can play wherever you ask him,” St. Peter’s Prep Head Coach Rich Hansen told Eleven Warriors.
Hansen also revealed to Eleven Warriors that Bonsu does similar things from the defensive backfield than Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman, the Buckeyes leading tackler last season, another New Jersey native.
“(Jayden is) a similar kid that will never ever second guess what coaches are asking of him and skill set-wise can play everything,” Hansen said. “I think they share a unique combination of size and speed and athleticism.”
Quick Hits
Continue reading...
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Cedrick Hawkins | Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
A blue-chip DB that has been committed to the Buckeyes since January looks to be planning a couple stops in Columbus next month.
A defensive back commitment from Florida revealed on Tuesday that he misses Columbus, and fortunately he won’t be waiting much longer to get back to the Ohio State campus. Plus, the head coach of the Buckeyes latest commitment discusses what he can bring to the table for the defensive secondary in Columbus.
Hawkins plans September visits
Ever since the Buckeyes secured a pledge from four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins of Cocoa (FL) back in January, the program has only been able to get the Titusville native on campus one time when he made a trip to Columbus in April, and he wants everyone to know that he misses it.
Fortunately for the 6-foot, 175-pounder, he won’t have to wait too much longer to touch down in his future home. According to a tweet by 247Sports’ Bill Kurelic, Hawkins will not only get back to campus in September, but he will do it on two separate occasions.
When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that the Florida standout has an official visit scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 3 when the Buckeyes face off against Notre Dame. The remaining three contests in the month of September are also home games against Arkansas State, Toledo, and Wisconsin.
One would think that the likely bet for Hawkins making it back would be for the battle with the Badgers near the conclusion of the month, but that remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, Hawkins will be back on campus sooner rather than later and what better time to come back than the big recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes with their tilt against the Irish. It will give him the opportunity to get in the ear of many Ohio State targets that the staff is hopeful of landing.
Hawkins, the cousin of current Los Angeles Rams and former Louisville running back Javian Hawkins, is currently graded as the 17th highest graded safety and is a consensus Top 250 prospect in the class.
St. Peter’s Prep HC talks Bonsu pledge
Joining Hawkins in the defensive secondary in Columbus will be four-star safety Jayden Bonsu of St. Peter’s Prep (NJ), as well learned on when he made his pledge to the Buckeyes.
When taking a look at his 247Sports profile, you can see that Bonsu slots in as the No. 22 safety in the class. You can also find that the Hillside native is the fourth highest graded prospect from the state of New Jersey. But another way to get a feel for what Bonsu can bring to Ohio State is to hear it from the man that coaches him.
“To me, I think (Jayden) is a big physical safety, but also has that positional flexibility where at our level or the next level he can play wherever you ask him,” St. Peter’s Prep Head Coach Rich Hansen told Eleven Warriors.
Hansen also revealed to Eleven Warriors that Bonsu does similar things from the defensive backfield than Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman, the Buckeyes leading tackler last season, another New Jersey native.
“(Jayden is) a similar kid that will never ever second guess what coaches are asking of him and skill set-wise can play everything,” Hansen said. “I think they share a unique combination of size and speed and athleticism.”
Quick Hits
- Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson revealed that his rumored retirement is “way away from here” on Tuesday. While that may not provide clarity on when Johnson may step aside, it seems as if it’s not on his mind at this time and it’s worth monitoring how this could positively impact the Buckeyes chances at landing some big fish in 2023 including five-star defensive ends Keon Keeley (Notre Dame commit) of Berkeley Prep (FL), Matayo Uiagalelei of St. John Bosco (CA), and Damon Wilson of Venice (FL).
- Last cycle, Ohio State assistant Tony Alford focused on four-star running back Dallan Hayden of Christian Brothers (TN) and ultimately was able to ink the No. 24 overall prospect at his position. Fast forward to Tuesday, and now Hayden could be in-line for an unexpected role on this years Buckeye team with Evan Pryor, the third back in line, went down with a season-ending injury leaving the Memphis native as the the only other scholarship back aside from TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams.
- According to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors, 2025 tight end Ryan Ghea of Milton (GA) will visit Ohio State sometime this fall. Ghea, who picked up an offer from the Buckeyes in June, told Hodge that a specific date is yet to be determined but the visit will “for sure” happen.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ask LGHL: Who is Ohio State’s most important player other than C.J. Stroud?
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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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23947878/OhioState_2_81222.png)
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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23947879/OhioState_1_81222.png)
Continue reading...
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Roddy Gayle Jr.
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- 0 Replies
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:
As promised! Who else do you want to see??@roddy_gayle | #Team124 https://t.co/HPV6zdrHti pic.twitter.com/3hS1RnBhLF
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) August 7, 2022
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.
Highlight video
Continue reading...
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:
As promised! Who else do you want to see??@roddy_gayle | #Team124 https://t.co/HPV6zdrHti pic.twitter.com/3hS1RnBhLF
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) August 7, 2022
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.
Highlight video
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player would you add to the 2022 team captains?
- News
- 0 Replies
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.
2022 Ohio State Football Captains@kamm_o @tommyike41 @TylerFriday_ @CJ7STROUD @cstov8 @kourt22williams #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/kJgzJHZQji
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 13, 2022
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.
Continue reading...
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.
2022 Ohio State Football Captains@kamm_o @tommyike41 @TylerFriday_ @CJ7STROUD @cstov8 @kourt22williams #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/kJgzJHZQji
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 13, 2022
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Freshman Cotie McMahon on choosing Ohio State, the upcoming Buckeyes season and smoothies
- News
- 0 Replies
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).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23946488/image.jpg)
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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23946380/D5127B69_C319_4C45_8079_6ECFB8CF3970.jpeg)
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.
Continue reading...
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).
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.
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for August 16, 2022
- News
- 0 Replies
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
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?
No @OhioStateFB WR had ever caught 15 passes in a game. @jaxon_smith1 went out and did it twice in 2021, including a historic @rosebowlgame effort. #B1Gstats pic.twitter.com/I5FVV1WHYZ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 15, 2022
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!
"We just plain country people from Indiana. It's nothing real special about us but hard work and effort"
We all love @TheTerry_25 his dad is just as great
Full episode
https://t.co/iS4Pj4gBLy pic.twitter.com/QTgMLAgf1c
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 14, 2022
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
Gee Scott Jr. on what stood out to him in Saturday’s Ohio State scrimmage: “The thing I took from it was that defense looks really good.”
Cade Stover also praised the defense, calling Jim Knowles “the smartest mind on the defensive side of the ball I've ever seen in my life.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 15, 2022
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:
Bronny James is out here putting people on posters
: @pickuphoop pic.twitter.com/NRzYoQPprP
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) August 15, 2022Outside 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:
I've just been informed that the Ohio State media outlet banned from the WHAC stole all of our videos from today and uploaded them to their own YouTube channel. Good times
— Jason Priestas (@priestas) August 15, 2022
Continue reading...
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...
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
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?
No @OhioStateFB WR had ever caught 15 passes in a game. @jaxon_smith1 went out and did it twice in 2021, including a historic @rosebowlgame effort. #B1Gstats pic.twitter.com/I5FVV1WHYZ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 15, 2022
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!
"We just plain country people from Indiana. It's nothing real special about us but hard work and effort"
We all love @TheTerry_25 his dad is just as great
Full episode
https://t.co/iS4Pj4gBLy pic.twitter.com/QTgMLAgf1c— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 14, 2022
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
Gee Scott Jr. on what stood out to him in Saturday’s Ohio State scrimmage: “The thing I took from it was that defense looks really good.”
Cade Stover also praised the defense, calling Jim Knowles “the smartest mind on the defensive side of the ball I've ever seen in my life.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 15, 2022
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:
Bronny James is out here putting people on posters
: @pickuphoop pic.twitter.com/NRzYoQPprP
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) August 15, 2022
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:
I've just been informed that the Ohio State media outlet banned from the WHAC stole all of our videos from today and uploaded them to their own YouTube channel. Good times
— Jason Priestas (@priestas) August 15, 2022
Continue reading...
LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: 2022 Big Ten West Predictions
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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.
Continue reading...
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State four-star DE target to commit this month
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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.
Continue reading...
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ask LGHL: What percentage of defensive snaps will Ohio State bring some form of pressure?
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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:
What percentage of defensive snaps do u think they bring some form of pressure/blitz? Felt like last year was maybe 10-15 percent
— Mike Morris (@morrispartyof5) August 12, 2022
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.
Continue reading...
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:
What percentage of defensive snaps do u think they bring some form of pressure/blitz? Felt like last year was maybe 10-15 percent
— Mike Morris (@morrispartyof5) August 12, 2022
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.
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Biggest overreactions to first week of Ohio State camp
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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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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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LGHL Column: Kam Babb 100% deserves to receive the Block O jersey
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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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23945449/1235728248.jpg)
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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23945446/usa_today_18099265.jpg)
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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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.
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.
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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LGHL Column: Bronny James committing to Ohio State seems unlikely, but not impossible
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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”:
Some big-time programs are interested in Bronny James
More on his recruitment and European trip from @PaulBiancardi (@ESPNPlus) https://t.co/TC5ayKC8OP pic.twitter.com/JXbrm03f9c
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 12, 2022
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.
Bronny James just put up 25-10-5 at Peach Jam. @NikeEYB #TheBallEndsHere pic.twitter.com/aLBB0k81bW
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 22, 2022
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.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23945336/170994454.jpg)
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:
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.
Crowd for DJ Wagner vs Bronny James is insane. NJ Scholars leading SFG 29-28 late first half. pic.twitter.com/HdbvJMaA3e
— Isaac Dennis (@IsaacDennis_2) May 29, 2022
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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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”:
Some big-time programs are interested in Bronny James
More on his recruitment and European trip from @PaulBiancardi (@ESPNPlus) https://t.co/TC5ayKC8OP pic.twitter.com/JXbrm03f9c
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 12, 2022
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.
Bronny James just put up 25-10-5 at Peach Jam. @NikeEYB #TheBallEndsHere pic.twitter.com/aLBB0k81bW
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 22, 2022
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.
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.
Crowd for DJ Wagner vs Bronny James is insane. NJ Scholars leading SFG 29-28 late first half. pic.twitter.com/HdbvJMaA3e
— Isaac Dennis (@IsaacDennis_2) May 29, 2022
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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TE Zak Herbstreit (National Champion)
- By brodybuck21
- Buckeye Football
- 16 Replies
PLAYER PROFILE
- HEIGHT 6-2
- WEIGHT 243
- HOMETOWN NASHVILLE, TENN.
- LAST SCHOOL MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY
- YEAR 2ND YEAR
• Zak joined the Ohio State program in June 2021 as a preferred walk-on and is in his second season with the program
More on Zak
• Zak played tight end for Montgomery Bell Academy and had four career touchdown receptions
• Named first-team all-region as a senior
• Montgomery Bell finished the 2020 season ranked No. 13 in the state of Tennessee
• Has three brothers; twin older brothers Tye and Jake, and a younger brother, Chase
• Tye is currently in his fourth year as a receiver at Clemson; Jake played two seasons at Clemson but has since transferred to Ohio State and will be a senior this fall but does not play football
• Parents are Allison and Kirk Herbstreit
• One-third of the first three-generation family of players in school history
• His father and grandfather, Jim, were each Ohio State football captains and his mother was an Ohio State cheerleader
• Father is the leading college football announcer and analyst for ESPN and its family of networks
OL Jack Forsman (Official Thread)
- By brodybuck21
- Buckeye Alumni
- 2 Replies
PLAYER PROFILE
- HEIGHT 6-6
- WEIGHT 295
- HOMETOWN POWELL, OHIO
- LAST SCHOOL OLENTANGY LIBERTY
- YEAR 2ND YEAR
• Jack is in his second year with the football program
• He joined the Ohio State football program as an invited walk-on in the spring of 2021
• He is majoring in accounting
More on Jack
• Honorable mention All-OCC Buckeye Division and All-Delaware County in 2019
• Helped lead his team to the regional semifinal where they eventually fell to Groveport, 13-7
• The Patriots finished the season 10-2
• Liberty averaged 22.4 points per game
