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2025 GA CB Tyler Redmond (Tennessee Signee)
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HudL
Class: 2025
School: Alpharetta (GA) Milton
Position: CB
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 175 lbs
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Best Picture nominee is most like the Ohio State football team?
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You’re Nuts: Which Best Picture nominee is most like the Ohio State football team?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
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.
Having seen all but one of the 2023 Best Picture nominees (the final one is on this weekend’s viewing list), I do feel qualified to make an insane comparison between these films and Ohio State’s football team.
I could probably draw parallels between the team and most of these films if I had to, but why take the time when “Top Gun: Maverick” is right there. Besides being the most fun of the bunch, it shares thematic similarities with Buckeye Football.
At face value, a summary of “Top Gun: Maverick” would tell you “Small planes go fast.” But on a deeper level, this is also a film about overcoming adversity, teamwork, and to an extent, breaking records.
A quick summary of the film (sans spoilers) for those who haven’t seen it: Maverick (Tom Cruise, who also starred in the original “Top Gun”), has been a test pilot in the Navy for more than 30 years, and he has avoided being grounded despite breaking rule after rule. But when his tendency to dodge orders catches up with him, he is put in charge of training a detachment for a special mission. Maverick must confront his past, his fears, and ultimately, prepare his trainees for a mission in which their lives are on the line.
So with that description in mind, let’s start with teamwork.
Possibly the only group of people with more camaraderie than a collegiate sports team is a military unit, particularly an elite one with a dangerous job. To accomplish your goal in a movie like “Top Gun: Maverick,” your entire team has to have each other’s backs. There has to be trust established, and you have to unite toward a common aim.
Bonus: Do you know how the guys establish this trust in “Top Gun: Maverick?” They play football. On a beach that is slightly more scenic than Columbus, but still. Also, they give each other fun nicknames (call signs).
This camaraderie rings true for Ohio State football, which is nothing short of a band of brothers united on and off the field, cheering for each other’s successes and pushing each other through the pitfalls. Ultimately, these guys always come together to take down their opponent each Saturday. It’s grueling work, and the reward is in doing it together.
This teamwork is the foundation of overcoming adversity. Without the backing of your brothers, adversity can, at times, seem insurmountable. And toward the end of this past season, the Buckeyes faced their share of adversity in back-to-back losses. The challenges won’t end there as they enter next season. They’ll need to find their footing behind a new quarterback at the helm as C.J. Stroud heads to the NFL. They’ll need to regain their confidence.
But if they come together, the pieces will be in place for the Buckeyes to face their opponents fearlessly and confidently.
Similarly, the training detachment in “Top Gun: Maverick” has to find both their ability to work as a team, and afterwards, find the courage to have each other’s backs in the face of challenges.
When all of these pieces are in place, records can be broken – whether it be flying speed records or stats on the football field.
So while no one on the Ohio State football team is taking flight in the middle of a big game, “Top Gun: Maverick” best represents what this team is capable of if they dig deep to remember who they truly are.
This year’s slate of Best Picture nominees represents a fairly wide range of genres and styles. There are the blockbusters (Jami’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water”), there are the divisive artsy selections (“Tár” and “Triangle of Sadness”), there are the glitzy crowd-pleasers (“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Elvis”), there are the well-acted films that feel like they were based on plays even though they weren’t (”Women Talking” and “The Banshees of Inisherin”), there’s the historical war epic (“All Quiet on the Western Front’), and then there’s “The Fabelmans.”
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film came into award season as the presumptive favorite to take home the biggest prize, but fairly quickly was surpassed by more inventive, creative projects. The movie feels a bit like it’s stuck in a bygone era and didn’t fully embrace the type of storytelling and filmmaking that leads to success in today’s day and age.
Despite that, there were thrilling performances from a handful of incredible stars including Oscar nominees Michelle Williams (“Dawson’s Creek,” not Destiny’s Child) and Judd Hirsch, as well as the erstwhile Riddler Paul Dano. While the project as a whole might feel slightly outdated, these electric performances are certainly enough to keep it in contention to take home the trophy.
But, that’s not to say that the fundamentals aren’t there, because Spielberg and Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner have crafted a really solid script, and at times it breaks through the conventionality of its format to deliver something surprising and slightly subversive.
Ultimately, for me, “The Fabelmans” just doesn’t live up to the potential that its pedigree and collective talent promised, because it was a little too firmly reliant on traditional ways of doing things and felt a bit fearful of trying new things. And if that’s not a perfect correlary for the Ohio State football team, I don’t know what is.
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
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
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.
Today’s Question: Which Best Picture Nominee Is Most Like the Ohio State Football Team?
Jami’s Take: “Top Gun: Maverick”
Having seen all but one of the 2023 Best Picture nominees (the final one is on this weekend’s viewing list), I do feel qualified to make an insane comparison between these films and Ohio State’s football team.
I could probably draw parallels between the team and most of these films if I had to, but why take the time when “Top Gun: Maverick” is right there. Besides being the most fun of the bunch, it shares thematic similarities with Buckeye Football.
At face value, a summary of “Top Gun: Maverick” would tell you “Small planes go fast.” But on a deeper level, this is also a film about overcoming adversity, teamwork, and to an extent, breaking records.
A quick summary of the film (sans spoilers) for those who haven’t seen it: Maverick (Tom Cruise, who also starred in the original “Top Gun”), has been a test pilot in the Navy for more than 30 years, and he has avoided being grounded despite breaking rule after rule. But when his tendency to dodge orders catches up with him, he is put in charge of training a detachment for a special mission. Maverick must confront his past, his fears, and ultimately, prepare his trainees for a mission in which their lives are on the line.
So with that description in mind, let’s start with teamwork.
Possibly the only group of people with more camaraderie than a collegiate sports team is a military unit, particularly an elite one with a dangerous job. To accomplish your goal in a movie like “Top Gun: Maverick,” your entire team has to have each other’s backs. There has to be trust established, and you have to unite toward a common aim.
Bonus: Do you know how the guys establish this trust in “Top Gun: Maverick?” They play football. On a beach that is slightly more scenic than Columbus, but still. Also, they give each other fun nicknames (call signs).
This camaraderie rings true for Ohio State football, which is nothing short of a band of brothers united on and off the field, cheering for each other’s successes and pushing each other through the pitfalls. Ultimately, these guys always come together to take down their opponent each Saturday. It’s grueling work, and the reward is in doing it together.
This teamwork is the foundation of overcoming adversity. Without the backing of your brothers, adversity can, at times, seem insurmountable. And toward the end of this past season, the Buckeyes faced their share of adversity in back-to-back losses. The challenges won’t end there as they enter next season. They’ll need to find their footing behind a new quarterback at the helm as C.J. Stroud heads to the NFL. They’ll need to regain their confidence.
But if they come together, the pieces will be in place for the Buckeyes to face their opponents fearlessly and confidently.
Similarly, the training detachment in “Top Gun: Maverick” has to find both their ability to work as a team, and afterwards, find the courage to have each other’s backs in the face of challenges.
When all of these pieces are in place, records can be broken – whether it be flying speed records or stats on the football field.
So while no one on the Ohio State football team is taking flight in the middle of a big game, “Top Gun: Maverick” best represents what this team is capable of if they dig deep to remember who they truly are.
Matt’s Take: “The Fabelmans”
This year’s slate of Best Picture nominees represents a fairly wide range of genres and styles. There are the blockbusters (Jami’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water”), there are the divisive artsy selections (“Tár” and “Triangle of Sadness”), there are the glitzy crowd-pleasers (“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Elvis”), there are the well-acted films that feel like they were based on plays even though they weren’t (”Women Talking” and “The Banshees of Inisherin”), there’s the historical war epic (“All Quiet on the Western Front’), and then there’s “The Fabelmans.”
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film came into award season as the presumptive favorite to take home the biggest prize, but fairly quickly was surpassed by more inventive, creative projects. The movie feels a bit like it’s stuck in a bygone era and didn’t fully embrace the type of storytelling and filmmaking that leads to success in today’s day and age.
Despite that, there were thrilling performances from a handful of incredible stars including Oscar nominees Michelle Williams (“Dawson’s Creek,” not Destiny’s Child) and Judd Hirsch, as well as the erstwhile Riddler Paul Dano. While the project as a whole might feel slightly outdated, these electric performances are certainly enough to keep it in contention to take home the trophy.
But, that’s not to say that the fundamentals aren’t there, because Spielberg and Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner have crafted a really solid script, and at times it breaks through the conventionality of its format to deliver something surprising and slightly subversive.
Ultimately, for me, “The Fabelmans” just doesn’t live up to the potential that its pedigree and collective talent promised, because it was a little too firmly reliant on traditional ways of doing things and felt a bit fearful of trying new things. And if that’s not a perfect correlary for the Ohio State football team, I don’t know what is.
Continue reading...
LGHL Four Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women travel to No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday
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- 0 Replies
Four Storylines: No. 2 Ohio State women travel to No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Alex Martin/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes look for a bounce back, another dominant big and more
To say this week is a gauntlet for the No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball team is an understatement. For the second time in four days, the Buckeyes face a team in the AP Top 10, something that usually doesn’t happen until the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This time around it's the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers.
Before the game, there are a few areas to watch closely in the matchup, including a second consecutive game against one of the best bigs in the conference, is guard Jacy Sheldon’s return imminent, and more as the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana.
At this level of basketball, one step below the professional ranks, a student-athlete doesn’t need much motivation to compete. Especially against a team who’s one of the main challengers for the conference title. However, Monday’s loss should give Ohio State an extra boost.
All season, the mantra from head coach Kevin McGuff has been playing with competitive character. That means playing with the intensity he knows the team is capable of for 40 minutes.
Outside of the first quarter against Iowa, and part of the third, the Scarlet & Gray didn’t have it. The strength of that competitive character following a tough loss, the first of the season, is crucial.
“I feel like we’ve handled success really well but now we have to handle a loss,” said forward Cotie McMahon following Monday’s loss. “So, this will really determine who we are as a team in Indiana.”
How the Buckeyes start and finish Thursday’s game, and all points in between, is crucial for the remaining nine games of the season.
Against the Hawkeyes, Ohio State forced 17 turnovers. Not bad considering Iowa is a veteran team, but it was still below their average. Against the Hoosiers on Thursday, they face a more difficult test.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren plays a different style than Iowa’s run-and-gun type offense. The Hoosiers are methodical with the ball (but they will exploit space quickly), and outside of freshman guard Yarden Garzon play a roster full of upperclassmen leaders.
Leading them is guard Grace Berger. After missing eight games with a knee injury, Berger returned on Jan. 8, against the Northwestern Wildcats, and picked up where she left off. Berger is averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, both above her season highs.
If Ohio State has trouble getting their shots to fall and therefore takes more time getting their press going, Berger and Indiana can hurt them in the half-court.
Berger’s surrounded by weapons on the floor like the aforementioned Garzon who’s second in the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and hitting 50% from beyond the arc. Alongside Garzon is Sydney Parrish, the Oregon Ducks transfer originally from Indiana returned to her home state and gave the Hoosiers another shooter on the perimeter.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes had some defensive possessions where their half-court set stopped the Hawkeyes. In the third quarter, they held Iowa to no points in the final 5:56 of the quarter. While holding any team to no scoring is a tough bar to set, that kind of energy and movement on defense is required for Indiana all game long.
While Berger doesn’t have the same other-worldly passing ability as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, she’s still top ten in the conference averaging over five assists per game, and a lot of them go to a player not even mentioned yet.
The most dangerous of all teammates is center Mackenzie Holmes.
For the second game in a row, Ohio State has to contend with a player who makes life difficult inside the paint.
In any normal NCAA career in the Big Ten, Holmes is the frontrunner to win the conference’s Player of the Year honor, but Iowa’s Clark exists. Holmes is second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.9), rebounding (9.4) and blocks (1.7).
Last season, Holmes scored 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in two games against the Buckeyes, 30 of those points coming in the Buckeyes' first Big Ten conference game of their eventual regular season championship season. Ohio State lost that game 86-66, but put up a better fight in the B1G Tournament.
In Indianapolis, the Scarlet & Gray held Holmes to 12 points and three rebounds in a much closer 70-62 defeat. That game gives hope to Buckeye fans that Ohio State can slow Holmes down again, while she’s on a historic clip.
This season, Holmes is on her way to becoming only the 11th player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and eight rebounds and shoot at least 60% from inside the arc. That would put Holmes in the same conversation as former Iowa center Megan Gustafson and Baylor star Brittney Griner.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes' moments where they slowed Czinano down came when substitute forward Eboni Walker was on the floor. That doesn’t mean Walker will get the start over forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, but the Slovakian did struggle against Czinano, who scored 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
If Mikulasikova’s shot doesn’t fall early, and Holmes has a strong start, it might be more Walker inside the paint.
It also wouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes if they had one of their best players available in guard Jacy Sheldon.
This is an unfair storyline but it’s going to follow every game until the Buckeyes guard returns. On Tuesday, coach McGuff shared on TheNextHoops Locked On WBB Podcast that Sheldon will return “very soon.”
There’s no specific game attached to that “very soon,” but it is promising for Ohio State.
When Sheldon is on the floor, the full-court press is more effective. Sheldon averages six steals per game this season, including a game where she grabbed 11 steals, tying the program record.
The guard has the uncanny ability to be in the right place to stop the opposing team’s forward momentum, and the speed to force mistakes and bad passes.
Also, the guard averaged close to 20 points per game last season, making her scoring missed over the 15 games she’s missed in 22-23.
Sheldon’s also returning only when she’s 100% healthy. Conditioning-wise, Sheldon’s been swimming during her injury to keep her endurance at a high level. So, if Thursday happens to be the day, it isn’t for 10 or 15 minutes. The intent is to have Sheldon back and playing at a high level.
If Sheldon returns, Indiana will be more disrupted than without her. When the Buckeyes force turnovers, it creates more solo layup chances and trips to the free throw line on 2-on-1 situations. Anything to keep the Hoosiers out of their flow is a positive for an Ohio State team that hasn’t beaten Indiana since Jan. 28, 2021, a run of three straight defeats.
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
Alex Martin/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes look for a bounce back, another dominant big and more
To say this week is a gauntlet for the No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball team is an understatement. For the second time in four days, the Buckeyes face a team in the AP Top 10, something that usually doesn’t happen until the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This time around it's the No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers.
Before the game, there are a few areas to watch closely in the matchup, including a second consecutive game against one of the best bigs in the conference, is guard Jacy Sheldon’s return imminent, and more as the Buckeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana.
Using Monday as Motivation
At this level of basketball, one step below the professional ranks, a student-athlete doesn’t need much motivation to compete. Especially against a team who’s one of the main challengers for the conference title. However, Monday’s loss should give Ohio State an extra boost.
All season, the mantra from head coach Kevin McGuff has been playing with competitive character. That means playing with the intensity he knows the team is capable of for 40 minutes.
Outside of the first quarter against Iowa, and part of the third, the Scarlet & Gray didn’t have it. The strength of that competitive character following a tough loss, the first of the season, is crucial.
“I feel like we’ve handled success really well but now we have to handle a loss,” said forward Cotie McMahon following Monday’s loss. “So, this will really determine who we are as a team in Indiana.”
How the Buckeyes start and finish Thursday’s game, and all points in between, is crucial for the remaining nine games of the season.
Does Ohio State Set Their Press?
Against the Hawkeyes, Ohio State forced 17 turnovers. Not bad considering Iowa is a veteran team, but it was still below their average. Against the Hoosiers on Thursday, they face a more difficult test.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren plays a different style than Iowa’s run-and-gun type offense. The Hoosiers are methodical with the ball (but they will exploit space quickly), and outside of freshman guard Yarden Garzon play a roster full of upperclassmen leaders.
Leading them is guard Grace Berger. After missing eight games with a knee injury, Berger returned on Jan. 8, against the Northwestern Wildcats, and picked up where she left off. Berger is averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, both above her season highs.
If Ohio State has trouble getting their shots to fall and therefore takes more time getting their press going, Berger and Indiana can hurt them in the half-court.
️ ️@grace_berger34@ChloeMoore35 pic.twitter.com/24D6NK8Grv
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) January 24, 2023
Berger’s surrounded by weapons on the floor like the aforementioned Garzon who’s second in the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and hitting 50% from beyond the arc. Alongside Garzon is Sydney Parrish, the Oregon Ducks transfer originally from Indiana returned to her home state and gave the Hoosiers another shooter on the perimeter.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes had some defensive possessions where their half-court set stopped the Hawkeyes. In the third quarter, they held Iowa to no points in the final 5:56 of the quarter. While holding any team to no scoring is a tough bar to set, that kind of energy and movement on defense is required for Indiana all game long.
While Berger doesn’t have the same other-worldly passing ability as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, she’s still top ten in the conference averaging over five assists per game, and a lot of them go to a player not even mentioned yet.
The most dangerous of all teammates is center Mackenzie Holmes.
Slowing Down Holmes
For the second game in a row, Ohio State has to contend with a player who makes life difficult inside the paint.
In any normal NCAA career in the Big Ten, Holmes is the frontrunner to win the conference’s Player of the Year honor, but Iowa’s Clark exists. Holmes is second in the Big Ten in scoring (21.9), rebounding (9.4) and blocks (1.7).
Last season, Holmes scored 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in two games against the Buckeyes, 30 of those points coming in the Buckeyes' first Big Ten conference game of their eventual regular season championship season. Ohio State lost that game 86-66, but put up a better fight in the B1G Tournament.
In Indianapolis, the Scarlet & Gray held Holmes to 12 points and three rebounds in a much closer 70-62 defeat. That game gives hope to Buckeye fans that Ohio State can slow Holmes down again, while she’s on a historic clip.
This season, Holmes is on her way to becoming only the 11th player in NCAA history to average at least 20 points and eight rebounds and shoot at least 60% from inside the arc. That would put Holmes in the same conversation as former Iowa center Megan Gustafson and Baylor star Brittney Griner.
Against Iowa, the Buckeyes' moments where they slowed Czinano down came when substitute forward Eboni Walker was on the floor. That doesn’t mean Walker will get the start over forward Rebeka Mikulasikova, but the Slovakian did struggle against Czinano, who scored 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
If Mikulasikova’s shot doesn’t fall early, and Holmes has a strong start, it might be more Walker inside the paint.
It also wouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes if they had one of their best players available in guard Jacy Sheldon.
Jacy Sheldon Return?
This is an unfair storyline but it’s going to follow every game until the Buckeyes guard returns. On Tuesday, coach McGuff shared on TheNextHoops Locked On WBB Podcast that Sheldon will return “very soon.”
There’s no specific game attached to that “very soon,” but it is promising for Ohio State.
When Sheldon is on the floor, the full-court press is more effective. Sheldon averages six steals per game this season, including a game where she grabbed 11 steals, tying the program record.
The guard has the uncanny ability to be in the right place to stop the opposing team’s forward momentum, and the speed to force mistakes and bad passes.
Also, the guard averaged close to 20 points per game last season, making her scoring missed over the 15 games she’s missed in 22-23.
Sheldon’s also returning only when she’s 100% healthy. Conditioning-wise, Sheldon’s been swimming during her injury to keep her endurance at a high level. So, if Thursday happens to be the day, it isn’t for 10 or 15 minutes. The intent is to have Sheldon back and playing at a high level.
If Sheldon returns, Indiana will be more disrupted than without her. When the Buckeyes force turnovers, it creates more solo layup chances and trips to the free throw line on 2-on-1 situations. Anything to keep the Hoosiers out of their flow is a positive for an Ohio State team that hasn’t beaten Indiana since Jan. 28, 2021, a run of three straight defeats.
Continue reading...
LGHL Don’t call it a comeback: How some former Ohio State players are getting their second wind in the NFL playoffs
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Don’t call it a comeback: How some former Ohio State players are getting their second wind in the NFL playoffs
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 Rob Carr/Getty Images
In Cincinnati and beyond.
Eli Apple and Vonn Bell had all the markings of future all-pro defensive backs when both were selected in the first two rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft. Both had a national championship at Ohio State under their belt. They’d been touted since high school. They were part of a class of unbelievable athletes that included Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas, and Ezekiel Elliott. It was the cool kids club of the college football world and the reason Ohio State had such an incredible recruiting run in the ensuing years.
Things didn’t go as planned. Apple in particular struggled with the New York Giants, the team that took him No. 10 overall. While he had a promising rookie season, he was sidelined at times with injury. In his sophomore campaign, he was suspended by the Giants for conduct detrimental to the team. New York traded Apple seemingly at its earliest opportunity just a few weeks into the 2018 season.
Apple at that point joined Bell in New Orleans, which seemed to be the southern retreat for former Ohio State players. Bell’s opening seasons with New Orleans were tepid — not bad, but also not all-pro level. In 2020, Bell signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. After a pit stop in Carolina in 2020, Apple joined Bell and the Bengals in 2021.
Then things changed. The Bengals, with a competent offense, found themselves in the Super Bowl following the 2021 regular season. Apple and Bell, along with fellow former Buckeye Sam Hubbard, were key to that Super Bowl-caliber defense. After several seasons as the afterthoughts of former Ohio State draft picks, their careers got their second winds.
Consider for a moment just how rare that is: It’s not often that NFL players get second chances to reach their star potential. Sure, we saw an example of a rejuvenated quarterback who made their way back to a starting role this year (Geno Smith), but with fresh, young talent coming into the league every season, players with histories of injury or disciplinary issues would certainly be shunted away, especially if their production wasn’t at an all-pro level.
If players can’t cut it early in their NFL careers, it’s easy to write them off. It’s easy to point to their performance and say they don’t have what it takes. Plus, scouts are really good at their jobs. They can find replacements in a heartbeat in the upcoming draft.
It’s useful for NFL teams to bring in the still-young players fresh off their rookie contracts. They’re cheaper than high draft picks and there’s less variability about what they’re bringing to the party. In other words, there is film of these players playing in NFL games. It makes sense that Bell and Apple got their new contracts with Cincinnati, which had just shelled out big money to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
And while Bell and Apple may have been pegged as journeymen at that point, they both managed to take the opportunity and turn things around and remain an integral part of one of the NFL’s best defenses.
Apple and Bell are not alone. Noah Brown, taken with a seventh-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft, is still on the Cowboys and, in fact, had two catches in the Cowboys’ playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
And then there are players like 35-year-old long snapper Jake McQuaide who somehow is still in the league after all this time and after we probably didn’t know his name when he was at Ohio State.
While these players are less-so redemption stories, there’s something to be said for the fact both found themselves in the playoffs after all these years.
We have to acknowledge the perseverance and resilience these career trajectories had to take. Even Brown, who has remained with the Cowboys throughout his career, has spent significant time on injured reserve and has needed to battle back to keep his spot on the roster.
We still have a lot of former Buckeyes remaining in the playoffs. And a few of them might be one step closer to reaching a championship at another level.
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 Rob Carr/Getty Images
In Cincinnati and beyond.
Eli Apple and Vonn Bell had all the markings of future all-pro defensive backs when both were selected in the first two rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft. Both had a national championship at Ohio State under their belt. They’d been touted since high school. They were part of a class of unbelievable athletes that included Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas, and Ezekiel Elliott. It was the cool kids club of the college football world and the reason Ohio State had such an incredible recruiting run in the ensuing years.
Things didn’t go as planned. Apple in particular struggled with the New York Giants, the team that took him No. 10 overall. While he had a promising rookie season, he was sidelined at times with injury. In his sophomore campaign, he was suspended by the Giants for conduct detrimental to the team. New York traded Apple seemingly at its earliest opportunity just a few weeks into the 2018 season.
Apple at that point joined Bell in New Orleans, which seemed to be the southern retreat for former Ohio State players. Bell’s opening seasons with New Orleans were tepid — not bad, but also not all-pro level. In 2020, Bell signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. After a pit stop in Carolina in 2020, Apple joined Bell and the Bengals in 2021.
Then things changed. The Bengals, with a competent offense, found themselves in the Super Bowl following the 2021 regular season. Apple and Bell, along with fellow former Buckeye Sam Hubbard, were key to that Super Bowl-caliber defense. After several seasons as the afterthoughts of former Ohio State draft picks, their careers got their second winds.
Consider for a moment just how rare that is: It’s not often that NFL players get second chances to reach their star potential. Sure, we saw an example of a rejuvenated quarterback who made their way back to a starting role this year (Geno Smith), but with fresh, young talent coming into the league every season, players with histories of injury or disciplinary issues would certainly be shunted away, especially if their production wasn’t at an all-pro level.
If players can’t cut it early in their NFL careers, it’s easy to write them off. It’s easy to point to their performance and say they don’t have what it takes. Plus, scouts are really good at their jobs. They can find replacements in a heartbeat in the upcoming draft.
It’s useful for NFL teams to bring in the still-young players fresh off their rookie contracts. They’re cheaper than high draft picks and there’s less variability about what they’re bringing to the party. In other words, there is film of these players playing in NFL games. It makes sense that Bell and Apple got their new contracts with Cincinnati, which had just shelled out big money to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
And while Bell and Apple may have been pegged as journeymen at that point, they both managed to take the opportunity and turn things around and remain an integral part of one of the NFL’s best defenses.
Apple and Bell are not alone. Noah Brown, taken with a seventh-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft, is still on the Cowboys and, in fact, had two catches in the Cowboys’ playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
And then there are players like 35-year-old long snapper Jake McQuaide who somehow is still in the league after all this time and after we probably didn’t know his name when he was at Ohio State.
While these players are less-so redemption stories, there’s something to be said for the fact both found themselves in the playoffs after all these years.
We have to acknowledge the perseverance and resilience these career trajectories had to take. Even Brown, who has remained with the Cowboys throughout his career, has spent significant time on injured reserve and has needed to battle back to keep his spot on the roster.
We still have a lot of former Buckeyes remaining in the playoffs. And a few of them might be one step closer to reaching a championship at another level.
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LGHL Ohio State wrestling gears up to face Michigan on Friday
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Ohio State wrestling gears up to face Michigan on Friday
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Chris Lyons/Maryland Terrapins
Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes have dominated a trio of conference opponents to begin 2023, but the Scarlet and Gray will face a step up in competition when they visit Ann Arbor.
The sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team has been on an absolute tear since the calendar flipped, impressively bouncing back from a difficult month of December.
Prior to beginning their conference slate, Tom Ryan’s squad had been a walking MASH unit, resulting in uneven performances and poorer-than-expected finishes at both the Cliff Keen Invitational and Collegiate Duals. But now, thanks to improved health and a trio of dominant team victories, the Buckeyes appear to once again be wrestling with swagger. And it could not come at a better time, seeing as though the immediate road ahead is a treacherous one.
In just one week’s time (Jan. 27 – Feb. 3) OSU is set for three matches against ranked Big Ten opponents, which in and of itself is nothing new. Because 12 of the conference’s 14 teams are currently ranked, with Maryland sitting just outside the top 25. But few programs pose a threat like TTUN and Penn State, both of which have an upcoming date with the Buckeyes — on back-to-back Friday nights.
Ohio State will enter those Friday matches as the clear underdog (in both), but should do so with reasonable confidence in their ability to pull off an upset. Said confidence stems – or should stem – from the team’s recent results.
OSU kicked off 2023 with victories over Indiana and Rutgers, beating those teams by a combined score of 53-25. The Scarlet and Gray then traveled to College Park, Maryland, where they took on the Terrapins last Friday night. The Terps owned an 8-1 record in previous duals and held the No. 23 ranking when this one began. But they were no match for the Buckeyes, who were seemingly determined to make turtle soup.
Ohio State jumped out to an early lead thanks to veteran leader Sammy Sasso. The All-American dominated his 149-pound match, coasting to a 12-1 major decision over Maryland’s Ethen Miller. The latter is no slouch, as evidenced by his No. 18 ranking. But Miller stood no chance against OSU’s national contender on Friday night.
Sasso scored a takedown in each period, the last being a near fall in the third. His win gave the Buckeyes a four-point lead they would never surrender. In fact, the lead grew exponentially, resulting in a lopsided blowout.
The 157-pounders were up next, with Paddy Gallagher representing the Scarlet and Gray. He put on a takedown clinic, racking up 22 points and a tech fall. And it only took two periods! You typically don’t see that much offense in such a short period of time, but Gallagher was in his bag.
He nearly pinned Maryland’s Kevin Schork at the end of the second but was ultimately forced to settle for five (team) points. If Ohio State gets this healthy version of Gallagher, it could go a long way in realizing many of its team goals. He is a potential star in the making.
Friday’s third match saw the much-anticipated return of OSU’s Carson Kharchla at 165. Out of action for more than a month, Kharchla has been physically unable to rebound from his frustrating finish in Las Vegas (Keen). But the Buckeyes’ breakout wrestler from a season ago looked to be in fine form against Maryland, earning a 7-2 decision over the Terps’ John Martin.
Kharchla was one of the highest-ranked individuals on this Ohio State roster at the beginning of the season, so his return is yet another big boost for the Scarlet and Gray grapplers.
Isaac Wilcox maintained the OSU momentum at 174, prevailing in a sudden victory over UMD’s Dominic Solis. While his attached dual record “only” reads as 4-3, Wilcox deserves plenty of praise for what he has done recently. Despite being listed on the roster at 157, he has rattled off three straight victories at 165 (x2) and is now 174.
The Buckeyes would love to get Ethan Smith back on the mat and keep Kharchla healthy, but Wilcox gives them plenty of extra flexibility.
At 184, Kaleb Romero continued to build on his already stellar season. A tech fall victory over Maryland’s Chase Mielnik pushed his match record to 17-3 and 9-1 in duals. The super senior from Mechanicsburg (OH) is poised to make a late-season run, but his importance to the Buckeyes in-season should not be understated.
Romero has competed in every single event for this team, helping to carry the load while others have unfortunately dealt with setbacks.
After Maryland forfeited the 197 match, OSU heavyweight Tate Orndorff defeated the Terps’ Jaron Smith to make it a perfect 8-for-8 in favor of the good guys. However, Brendan McCrone was unable to make it a clean sweep when the weight classes flipped. He was pinned in the 125-pound match by UMD’s Braxton Brown, handing the Buckeyes their first and only loss of the evening.
Jesse Mendez (fall) and Dylan D’Emilio (6-3 decision) but a bow on this one for Ohio State, winning at 133 and 141 respectively. The Buckeyes took nine matches in all (out of 10) and decimated their Big Ten opponent by a total score of 38-6. It was the team’s second-largest margin of victory this season, falling just short of their 39-3 beatdown of Lock Haven.
Next up are the Wolverines, and OSU will be traveling to Ann Arbor to grapple with the No. 3 team in the country.
Despite their high team ranking, TTUN only has one wrestler ranked as a top-5 individual. This is not an indictment against the team’s talent, but evidence that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts... Also not a bad thing, as duals are determined by team points. But if the Buckeyes are able to get points from their stars (Sasso, Mendez, Kharchla, Smith, and Romero are all top-9 guys), they could absolutely win this rivalry faceoff.
Friday’s match will not be an easy one, but such is life in the Big Ten. And if you have not yet tuned in to watch this Ohio State wrestling team, now would be a good time to start. Their match against TTUN will be televised on Big Ten Network, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Have popcorn ready, and Go Bucks!
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Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Chris Lyons/Maryland Terrapins
Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes have dominated a trio of conference opponents to begin 2023, but the Scarlet and Gray will face a step up in competition when they visit Ann Arbor.
The sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team has been on an absolute tear since the calendar flipped, impressively bouncing back from a difficult month of December.
Prior to beginning their conference slate, Tom Ryan’s squad had been a walking MASH unit, resulting in uneven performances and poorer-than-expected finishes at both the Cliff Keen Invitational and Collegiate Duals. But now, thanks to improved health and a trio of dominant team victories, the Buckeyes appear to once again be wrestling with swagger. And it could not come at a better time, seeing as though the immediate road ahead is a treacherous one.
In just one week’s time (Jan. 27 – Feb. 3) OSU is set for three matches against ranked Big Ten opponents, which in and of itself is nothing new. Because 12 of the conference’s 14 teams are currently ranked, with Maryland sitting just outside the top 25. But few programs pose a threat like TTUN and Penn State, both of which have an upcoming date with the Buckeyes — on back-to-back Friday nights.
Ohio State will enter those Friday matches as the clear underdog (in both), but should do so with reasonable confidence in their ability to pull off an upset. Said confidence stems – or should stem – from the team’s recent results.
OSU kicked off 2023 with victories over Indiana and Rutgers, beating those teams by a combined score of 53-25. The Scarlet and Gray then traveled to College Park, Maryland, where they took on the Terrapins last Friday night. The Terps owned an 8-1 record in previous duals and held the No. 23 ranking when this one began. But they were no match for the Buckeyes, who were seemingly determined to make turtle soup.
Adding another to the win column#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/JJVlpxRewb
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 21, 2023
Ohio State jumped out to an early lead thanks to veteran leader Sammy Sasso. The All-American dominated his 149-pound match, coasting to a 12-1 major decision over Maryland’s Ethen Miller. The latter is no slouch, as evidenced by his No. 18 ranking. But Miller stood no chance against OSU’s national contender on Friday night.
Sasso scored a takedown in each period, the last being a near fall in the third. His win gave the Buckeyes a four-point lead they would never surrender. In fact, the lead grew exponentially, resulting in a lopsided blowout.
The 157-pounders were up next, with Paddy Gallagher representing the Scarlet and Gray. He put on a takedown clinic, racking up 22 points and a tech fall. And it only took two periods! You typically don’t see that much offense in such a short period of time, but Gallagher was in his bag.
He nearly pinned Maryland’s Kevin Schork at the end of the second but was ultimately forced to settle for five (team) points. If Ohio State gets this healthy version of Gallagher, it could go a long way in realizing many of its team goals. He is a potential star in the making.
Friday’s third match saw the much-anticipated return of OSU’s Carson Kharchla at 165. Out of action for more than a month, Kharchla has been physically unable to rebound from his frustrating finish in Las Vegas (Keen). But the Buckeyes’ breakout wrestler from a season ago looked to be in fine form against Maryland, earning a 7-2 decision over the Terps’ John Martin.
Kharchla was one of the highest-ranked individuals on this Ohio State roster at the beginning of the season, so his return is yet another big boost for the Scarlet and Gray grapplers.
Isaac Wilcox maintained the OSU momentum at 174, prevailing in a sudden victory over UMD’s Dominic Solis. While his attached dual record “only” reads as 4-3, Wilcox deserves plenty of praise for what he has done recently. Despite being listed on the roster at 157, he has rattled off three straight victories at 165 (x2) and is now 174.
The Buckeyes would love to get Ethan Smith back on the mat and keep Kharchla healthy, but Wilcox gives them plenty of extra flexibility.
…
Has any other Big Ten wrestler recorded wins at weight classes this season#GoBucks https://t.co/t9BuMRmJJ2
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 21, 2023
At 184, Kaleb Romero continued to build on his already stellar season. A tech fall victory over Maryland’s Chase Mielnik pushed his match record to 17-3 and 9-1 in duals. The super senior from Mechanicsburg (OH) is poised to make a late-season run, but his importance to the Buckeyes in-season should not be understated.
Romero has competed in every single event for this team, helping to carry the load while others have unfortunately dealt with setbacks.
After Maryland forfeited the 197 match, OSU heavyweight Tate Orndorff defeated the Terps’ Jaron Smith to make it a perfect 8-for-8 in favor of the good guys. However, Brendan McCrone was unable to make it a clean sweep when the weight classes flipped. He was pinned in the 125-pound match by UMD’s Braxton Brown, handing the Buckeyes their first and only loss of the evening.
Jesse Mendez (fall) and Dylan D’Emilio (6-3 decision) but a bow on this one for Ohio State, winning at 133 and 141 respectively. The Buckeyes took nine matches in all (out of 10) and decimated their Big Ten opponent by a total score of 38-6. It was the team’s second-largest margin of victory this season, falling just short of their 39-3 beatdown of Lock Haven.
Next up are the Wolverines, and OSU will be traveling to Ann Arbor to grapple with the No. 3 team in the country.
Despite their high team ranking, TTUN only has one wrestler ranked as a top-5 individual. This is not an indictment against the team’s talent, but evidence that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts... Also not a bad thing, as duals are determined by team points. But if the Buckeyes are able to get points from their stars (Sasso, Mendez, Kharchla, Smith, and Romero are all top-9 guys), they could absolutely win this rivalry faceoff.
Friday’s match will not be an easy one, but such is life in the Big Ten. And if you have not yet tuned in to watch this Ohio State wrestling team, now would be a good time to start. Their match against TTUN will be televised on Big Ten Network, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Have popcorn ready, and Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
2023 Spring Practices and Other Tidbits
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- Buckeye Football
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Ohio State Will Begin Spring Practice March 7
Ohio State will begin spring practice on March 7 and culminate its spring football season with the April 15 spring game.
www.elevenwarriors.com
OHIO STATE WILL BEGIN SPRING PRACTICE MARCH 7
Spring football at Ohio State will begin six weeks from today.
The Buckeyes will begin their 2023 spring practice schedule on Tuesday, March 7, per a schedule tweeted out by Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson on Tuesday.
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Ohio State will practice twice during the first week of practice before Ohio State has its spring break. Once the Buckeyes return to campus, they’ll practice three times a week for four straight weeks leading up to their spring game, which is set for a noon kickoff on April 15 at Ohio Stadium and will serve as the culmination of Ohio State’s spring practice season.
