Looking Back At Ohio State’s 2013 Recruiting Class (Part One)
Chip Minnich via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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(This article originally appeared on athlonsports.com)

On Feb. 6, 2013, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer addressed the media to discuss the recruiting efforts of the Ohio State coaching staff. “Our first year together as a coaching staff last year did not count because that was not a coaching staff. That was a bunch of guys coming together like a bunch of gypsies trying to find players anywhere we could find them. We did pretty good…This year it was a full cycle of recruiting. And I’m very impressed with our coaching staff.”

My personal history when it comes to analyzing Ohio State recruiting classes goes back to 2005, when the new Buckeyes included the likes of James Laurinaitis, Brian Hartline and Malcolm Jenkins. That class was relatively small with 18 players signed, and was not highly rated by the recruiting analysts, but the coaching staff only lost three from that class due to transfer or academic issues, resulting in 15 who either started or contributed to Ohio State during their careers. This 83 percent success rate ranks that group highly in the unofficial “Rule of Thirds” concept that is applied to recruiting classes.

“The Rule of Thirds” is pretty simple — within any class, there will be approximately a third who will develop into starters as the coaching staff hoped and recruited, a third will be contributors in some fashion, and a third will not work out, leaving due to transfer, injuries or possibly disciplinary reasons.

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The post Looking Back At Ohio State’s 2013 Recruiting Class (Part One) appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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4-star wide receiver strives for an Ohio State offer
Austin Kemp via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Getting that Buckeye offer would leave him “speechless”

With fall camp fully underway with the Buckeyes right in the middle of it, the Ohio State coaching staff is faced with the difficulty of developing current players and grabbing the best of the future. With limited spots left available in 2017, Ohio State can afford to be extremely picky with the rest of their targets on the board. However, the class of 2018 is a bit different as the Buckeyes are vying to gain some momentum.

2018 wide receiver Joseph Scates (Dayton, OH / Dunbar) has made it public that receiving an offer from Ohio State would leave him "speechless,” as reported by Rivals.com ($). Scates, an Ohio native from Dunbar High School, holds eight total offers and is rated as the 35th best wide receiver in the country. At 6-foot-3, the four-star prospect present obvious mismatches with his size, but also has good speed to separate from defenders.


At this point, Scates' recruitment is just starting to get underway. Ohio State will surely want to see him put up big numbers his junior season and maybe even will make him work for an offer at a camp next spring or summer. Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky and Iowa State are the most notable schools to have offered Scates at this point.

Scates will have plenty of opportunities to compete for an in-person offer if that's the route he wants to take. With time on his side, Scates can add even more plays to his inevitable highlight reel. Here’s what the Ohio native has done up to this point on the gridiron.

Grimes and Lindsey decisions loom


As noted yesterday, Ohio State has two key targets committing early next week: Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St. Thomas Aquinas) and Tyjon Lindsey (Corona, CA / Centennial). Grimes and Lindsey have both been considered Ohio State leans for quite some time. If the Buckeyes can land both prospects, it will only continue to solidify Ohio State's 2017 class as being tops in the county.

An overwhelming majority of predictions for Grimes, via the 247Sports Crystal Ball, has the Florida native heading to Columbus, Ohio and the Buckeyes.


The Buckeyes also hold favorable predictions for Lindsey. With the Californian, there are a few more places where he is predicted to go, however, Ohio State is the clear cut favorite.


If both predictions come to fruition, the scarlet and gray recruiting class of 2017 would become even more loaded with talent. We’ll know exactly what the landscape will look like within the next couple weeks. Stick to Land-Grant Holy Land to see if these recruits become future Buckeyes.

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TFF: Buckeyes with several candidates to replace Zeke - ABC6OnYourSide.com
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TFF: Buckeyes with several candidates to replace Zeke
ABC6OnYourSide.com
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Buckeyes debut in the NFL - OSU - The Lantern
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Buckeyes debut in the NFL
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Ohio State's 2016 NFL Draft Class was one for the books. In April, the Buckeyes had 12 players drafted, with another three going undrafted but signing as free agents. With the first pre-season football games occurring over the weekend, multiple Ohio ...
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Ohio State lineman Nick Bosa looking to make his own legacy
Ian Cuevas via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The younger brother of Joey Bosa is ready to write his own name in Ohio State lore.

“Sometimes when I turn on the videotape in the back, I just shake my head. His body type, his demeanor, the way he walks, he’s just so close to the way Joey was -- until he turns around. Then I think they’re really different.”

- Larry Johnson via Austin Ward, ESPN


Ohio State defensive lineman Nick Bosa is the next in line of the Bosa family to suit up for the Buckeyes. His older brother, Joey, had an outstanding career in Columbus and propelled himself up to the third overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. After being a terror on the defensive side of the ball for three seasons in the Big Ten, Joey forgo his senior season to head for the professional level. Enter Nick, who starts his freshman season with plenty of expectations from the get-go. Bosa has been hyped to the point that some have said he’s already at a higher level than Joey was at this point in his career.

Considering Joey Bosa was named a freshman All-American while racking up 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, the expectations for Nick will be lofty, especially since he’s coming off a torn ACL from his senior year of high school. Still, the freshman Bosa hasn’t participated in full-contact scrimmages yet, but all indications from the coaching staff are that he’ll be ready to go when it’s time to hit the field in September. If he’s anything like his brother, it should be another great three seasons with Bosa on the defensive line.

“[Preseason All-American first team] Center Pat Elflein, Linebacker Raekwon McMillan”

- Adam Silverstein, CBS Sports


Another preseason All-American list has made the rounds, this time coming from CBS Sports. Two members of Ohio State were selected for the first team All-America, center Pat Elflein and linebacker Raekwon McMillan. It comes as no surprise, as the two have been popular selections in many award lists and similar honors. Elflein enters his senior season and making a position change after playing guard for most of his career. The chance to play center for the Buckeyes should help boost his versatility and draft stock for the next level.

McMillan, meanwhile, is entering his junior season ready to take the reins of leadership on the defensive side of the ball after a very strong 2015 campaign in which he led the team in tackles. With a young group around him, McMillan will have to be at his best and help guide the younger players where need be. He should have another superb season which in turn will only help Ohio State’s goal of making it back on top.

“My health is pretty good. My knees are 100 percent now. I'm feeling good every day. ... I'm feeling better than I ever did during my best playing days in high school.”

- Johnnie Dixon via Ari Wasserman, Cleveland.com


It was, at times, a somewhat difficult season for Ohio State wide receivers last season. After the depth took several hits from losing Noah Brown right before the season, to several injuries gnawing away at the roster, the unit looks better prepared this year and one of those receivers looking to make an impact is Johnnie Dixon. Dixon came into the program three years ago and was looked at as one of the receivers that would eventually become a great one at Ohio State. That hasn’t totally gone to plan after a surgery on both knees left him at a spot where he needed a full two years to get fully healthy again.

Now, Dixon is looking to take his game to the level many thought he was capable of when he first arrived on campus. Once rated in the top 10 receivers of the 2014 recruiting class, Dixon is now fighting for a spot in the lineup and certainly has his work cut out for him. Between all of the receivers on the roster ready to make their starts this season (Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, James Clark, Corey Smith, Austin Mack, Terry McLaurin, K.J. Hill, etc.) Dixon won’t have it easy. But for him, it’s all about having the chance after two seasons essentially on the sidelines.

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Kyle Snyder, Man of Steelwood
Garth via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

On January 1, 2013, OSU Wrestling coach Tom Ryan received a call from a high school aged wrestler committing to Coach Ryan’s program. The call, from Marylander Kyle Snyder was like an earlier Ohio State football commitment from Terrelle Pryor in the sense they were both were from the East, both consensus number one recruits and both committed to charismatic, devout and player oriented coaches. “I just wanted to put a smile on your face to start the new year,” Snyder told his new coach.

Kyle Snyder has been putting smiles on a lot of faces since that time. Later in 2013, as a 17 year old, Snyder went on to win a World Junior title (age 20 and under), a feat he nearly duplicated in 2014 when he placed second. He then skipped his senior year of high school at Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, MD) to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. A three time Maryland state champion with a 179-0 record (the legend is he surrendered only one takedown in those three years), Kyle had earlier discontinued his role as a starting lineman on Good Counsel’s nationally ranked football team.

Snyder’s close bond with Coach Ryan was unquestionably a factor in his decision to commit to Ohio State and it did not hurt that the program boasted Logan Stieber who at the time of Snyder’s commitment was well on his way to joining the elite club of four-time NCAA champions. But there was more.

The Ohio State wrestling team practices in an industrial setting on Steelwood Road, west of campus and removed from the bustle of campus life. While construction is about to start on a state of the art facility in the heart of the school’s vast athletic complex, wrestlers currently trek to the aptly named and spartan “Steelwood” wrestling room.

Steelwood is home to something more than Ohio State Wrestling–it also rents its wrestling space to the Ohio Regional Training Center which has quietly taken a place among the elite amateur freestyle training programs in the country. ORTC’s head coach is frequent national team volunteer coach and Ohio State Assistant Coach Lou Rosselli, himself a former Olympian.

ORTC is the brainchild of Coach Ryan who with Andy Barth, in conjunction with Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, has built ORTC into a destination for elite wrestlers. In 2013 on the Oklahoma State campus, ORTC saw its athletes capture a majority of US World Team spots including Angel Escobedo, former Buckeye Reece Humphrey, Keith Gavin, former Buckeye JD Bergman and Tervel Dlagnev. In Bergman and Dlagnev, who at the time wrestled at 96kg and 120kg respectively, Snyder had the opportunity to train with the best in the country without leaving the OSU wrestling room.

Snyder, who is constantly thinking and talking wrestling, also roomed with OSU redshirt freshman Nathan Tomassello, a highly prized recruit who shocked the wrestling world by winning the 125lb NCAA title in 2015 as the Buckeyes sprinted to their first national title.

Today, ORTC boasts a nation-leading two of the seven freestylers who will compete this week in the Olympics with several more waiting their turns. Joining Snyder (97kg) in Rio will be Tervel Dlagnev (125kg), a two time world bronze medalist. Already an honorary Buckeye, Dlagnev will join the Ohio State coaching staff after the conclusion of the Olympics. We will have more to say about Tervel on Friday in anticipation of his Saturday bouts in Rio.

And what about those “waiting their turns”? Casual wrestling fans will often ask, “what about Logan Stieber”? The simple fact is that Stieber lost on a tie breaker at the Olympic trials to eventual Olympian Frank Molinaro of Penn State. Molinaro, who seemingly came from nowhere, won four bouts at the Olympic Trials by tie breakers to claim the 65kg spot.

Stieber, a former Junior World silver medalist, was originally pegged to take an Ohio State assistant coaching spot after Rio. Since his trials defeat he has decided to train exclusively in freestyle at ORTC with the goal of making national teams, winning world titles and competing in the 2020 Olympics. Ohio wrestling fans will be excited to hear his brother Hunter, recovering from two devastating elbow injuries will also continue competing. Fans might remember that Hunter’s health woes started during his 2014 PanAm freestyle triumph in Mexico.

Because of Kyle Snyder’s freakish achievements at such a young age, he will become the veteran standard bearer for ORTC once the games conclude and Tervel moves onto coaching. The nucleus of Snyder and the Stiebers will undoubtedly be joined over time by the likes of OSU redshirt freshman Kollin Moore, who recently claimed a spot on the US Junior World Team at 96kg and Tomassello as each takes up the challenge as aspiring Olympians. Even if only in spirit once the physical move to campus is complete, they certainly will find strength at Steelwood.




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Ohio State Buckeyes 2016 Football Preview - Corn Nation
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What you need to know about Tulsa before Ohio State plays them
Matt Brown via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Get a little informed about Ohio State’s second opponent.

The Ohio State football season will be here before you know it, and even if you’ve only been paying semi-close attention this offseason, you’re probably aware of the major storylines with the program. This is going to be an exceptionally young, but talented and athletic team. There’s a lack of proven production at wideout, running back, and defensive back. They return the best QB in the conference, and should at least compete for a Big Ten title.

But you may not know a lot about the specific teams on Ohio State’s schedule. We’ll get into a lot more detail before the actual games, but you may want a primer so you can sound smart at the bar, or at the barbecue, or in the grocery store checkout line.

So take a look at Ohio State’s opponents this year. Next up, the Buckeye’s second opponent, Tulsa.

What was the story with Tulsa last year?


After struggling for the last two years under Bill Blankenship, Tulsa turned to new coach and former Baylor assistant Phillip Montgomery, and experienced a bit of a resurgence. The Golden Hurricane didn’t really beat anybody good last season, but after winning a total of five games from 2013-2014, they won six last season, earning an Independence Bowl bid, which they lost in a highly entertaining game to Virginia Tech.

Tulsa football was a lot of things last year, but it certainly wasn’t boring. They beat Florida Atlantic, 47-44. They lost to Cincinnati, 49-38. They lost to Memphis, 66-42. They beat Tulane, 45-34. If you think defense is boring, and want your football games flooded with points, you’ll probably enjoy Tulsa football.

So, that’s two games in a row against high flying offenses, huh?


Yes, and by some measures, Tulsa might be a little more scary than Bowling Green. For one thing, they return their QB from last season. Dane Evans returns for his senior season, after tossing 4,332 yards and 25 TDs last season, while completing 62.9% of his passes. Four of Tulsa’s top five rushers from last season are back, along with four of the top six pass catchers (although leading receiver Keyarris Garrett is gone).

The Golden Hurricane will need to retool their line a little bit (they replace two starters), and they weren’t super effective at running the ball, but they’re going to try and run a lot of plays, spread the ball out all over the field, and score points. Probably a lot of points.

Okay, what about their defense?


Well, there’s a reason Tulsa finished 6-7 ... and that was it. High tempo teams often give up more points and yards, but Tulsa’s defense was bad even if you adjusted it for all those other factors.

In fact, by basically every advanced metric, Tulsa’s defense last year was near the very bottom of FBS. They don’t rank above 89th in any defensive metric. They allowed the most gains of 10-yards or more in the country. It was a bend-and-also-break unit.

Granted, it was also pretty young last season, and the Golden Hurricane return most of their starters, but even if injury luck holds, just based on the talent in this unit, an enormous leap seems unlikely. AAC teams will probably be able to score on Tulsa. Ohio State should be able to do it plenty.

Have Ohio State and Tulsa ever played before?


This probably isn’t a surprise, but this will be Ohio State and Tulsa’s first ever meeting.

Is Tulsa supposed to be good?


Well, that’s an interesting question. The defense probably can’t get much worse than it was last season, and thanks to their coach and their returning talent, this offense should still pretty potent, especially their passing attack.

Tulsa’s non-conference schedule outside of Ohio State is pretty manageable (San Jose State, NC A&T, at Fresno State), but they also draw some of the best teams in the AAC, and have to make road trips to Houston, Memphis and Navy.

This probably won’t be a *bad* team, but chances are, they’ll be the worst team Ohio State plays before Big Ten play. The Golden Hurricane figure to be in the conversation for a bowl game, but would need to spring some big upsets to be in the running for anything more substantial than that.

How worried should fans be about this game?


Any time you face a team that can do one thing very well, there’s a cause for some concern, and Tulsa should be able to score. But Ohio State has superior athletes at every position, and has a defense that can potentially make them a little dimensional. A sloppy, turnover-filled performance can make this an uncomfortably interesting game, but if Ohio State and Tulsa straight up get into a points track meet, there’s no much doubt who should have the better team.

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BH: Huge Hub; scrimmage standout - 247Sports
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BH: Huge Hub; scrimmage standout
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Huge Hub … When Sam Hubbard was coming out of Cincinnati Moeller High School he was a long and lean safety who wasn't sure what position he would play for the Buckeyes. The best bet was linebacker. A few years later, Hubbard is projected to be one ...


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Watch: Luke Fickell mic'd up at Ohio State practice
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Buckeye bloodline: Nick Bosa is already giving Ohio State some déjà vu - ESPN (blog)
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Buckeye bloodline: Nick Bosa is already giving Ohio State some déjà vu
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The Buckeyes haven't fully had a chance to figure out just how much on-the-field similarities there are between the Bosa boys. If Nick inherited as many familial traits that apply in pads as the way he walks or talks might suggest, Ohio State shouldn't ...


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Ohio State football: Watch Buckeyes assistant Luke Fickell mic'd up at practice - cleveland.com
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5-star Ohio State OLB target sets commitment date
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Baron Browning sets his commitment date for Nov. 29

With 16 commits, Urban Meyer's 2017 recruiting class may be his masterpiece. Because of this, space is limited and only the best will be invited. Despite this, five-star outside linebacker Baron Browning (Kennedale, TX/ Kennedale) is one of the few players Meyer will make sure this class has room for.

While his recruitment is still somewhat up in the air, one thing we do know now is when he will make his decision. Late Monday night, Gerry Hamilton at ESPN reported that Browning will announce Nov. 29.

The former Baylor commit received a scholarship from the Buckeyes in May of last year. Since then, he has taken an unofficial visit to the Buckeye campus and the coaches have been to Kennedale to visit him as well. However, Ohio State will be competing with some of the best programs in the country for the No. 8 overall player of his class. Schools such as Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma have shown plenty of interest in Browning and hometown schools Texas, Texas A&M and TCU are all in the mix as well.

The Buckeyes already have secured a commitment from one OLB in four-star Antjuan Simmons (Ann Arbor, MI / Pioneer) but the addition of Browning would be huge. Look for the Buckeyes to continue to heavily pursue Browning and if they can get him to visit for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, Meyer will have a golden opportunity to leave an impression of him three days before he commits.

Ohio State may be targeting its next elite TE


After signing two tight ends in the 2016 recruiting class, Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes will likely wait until 2018 before they put significant time into recruiting another one. If this is in fact what Meyer plans on doing, expect the coaches to heavily target four-star TE Mustapha Muhammad (Missouri City, TX / Ridge Point).

It is still early to be able to completely judge the kids in the '18 class because they are just that, kids. Muhammad still has two seasons of high school football before he has to make a decision on where to continue his career. Despite this, Muhammad is already looked at as one of the premier players in his class, as 247Sports has him listed as the No. 5 TE and he falls just outside of the top 100 players overall, being slotted at No. 101.

The four-star has shown play-making ability already and he has received an estimated 25 scholarship offers already. Programs such as Clemson, Michigan, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida and Notre Dame have offered Muhammad, so Ohio State will again be competing with the best of them for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound TE.

Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com spoke with Muhammad recently, and the TE spoke highly of both the coaching staff at Ohio State and of the way the position is utilized on the field, along with the recent success Ohio State has had in getting its TE's into the NFL. He then went on to say that he plans on releasing a list of his top 10 schools near the end of his upcoming season for Ridge Point and that he expects the Buckeyes to be included.

If Meyer locks-in on Muhammad, expect the TE to make multiple visits to the school in the coming two years. Muhammad has yet to step foot in Columbus, but Kurelic noted he is working on making the trip in November for the Ohio State vs Michigan game.

Ohio State could be in for a BOOMing week


Next week will be one of the biggest weekends for Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class. Two five-star WR's will be announcing where they will be playing in college and the Buckeyes are the favorites to land both. Both Tyjon Lindsey(Corona, CA / Centennial) and Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St. Thomas Aquinas) have been Ohio State leans for a while now, but as those who follow recruiting know, nothing is ever a sure-thing.

Lindsey is set to announce first, as he scheduled to announce his decision via Bleacher Report, Monday. The relationship between him and the Buckeyes has increased by a great deal in the last year. To even sweeten the deal, Lindsey's former QB, Tate Martell (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman) committed to Ohio State this summer. Many expect the No. 5 WR in his class to commit to the Buckeyes. Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com is so confident he gave it a 75% chance of happening.

If Kurelic is confident Lindsey will commit to the Buckeyes, he is almost certain when it come to Grimes. The five-star will also be committing next week as he is scheduled to announce next Wednesday, just two days after Lindsey. Grimes has been connected to Ohio State for the majority of his recruitment. While Florida seemed like it could sneak in at one point, those talks have died down recently and Ohio State seems to be the clear favorite. Kurelic gives the Buckeyes a 95% chance at landing the No. 3 WR of the class.

Urban Meyer has already established what could be the best overall recruiting class in the programs history, if everything goes as planned next week, that could become definite.

Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land next week as these two announce.

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Highlights: Buckeyes dominate NFL preseason week 1 - 247Sports.com
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Highlights: Buckeyes dominate NFL preseason week 1
247Sports.com
With Ohio State having 16 rookies, as well as all of the NFL veterans from the school in the league, it's no surprise that former Buckeye stars would grab a few highlights during week one of the preseason. But what wasn't expected was that a former OSU ...
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Watch: Will it be RB-by-committee for Buckeyes?
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Will Michael Weber or Curtis Samuel eventually emerge as Ohio State's go-to running back? Or could the Buckeyes use RB-by-committee during the 2016 season? That was the topic Bucknuts editor Dave Biddle discussed with Nick Kostos of CBSSports.com ...

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The Meadowdale High School graduate joined the program as a walk-on running back in the fall of 2015 and plans to play for the Buckeyes for three more seasons. Huguely could have played Division II or III football but had already decided to attend Ohio ...

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Urban Meyer breaks his own rule in hiring Greg Schiano
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Normally not one to mix friends and work, Urban Meyer took a gamble by bringing Greg Schiano on as defensive coordinator.

"I think our relationship is such that I trust him that way and he trusts me. But certainly you have to think about that stuff before you decide to do something like this because work is work. We gotta win games, and he’s the boss."

-Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, via Nicholas Piotrowicz, the Blade


Urban Meyer has steered clear of his personal coaching faux pas for most of his career, as he has avoided hiring personal friends on his coaching staff. However, that philosophy was tested when Meyer brought on former Rutgers and Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano as defensive coordinator.

Schiano, who had been out of coaching since being fired from the Buccaneers following the 2013 season, had been seeking out a new head coaching role, but coming on as an assistant for Meyer was too good of a fit to pass up. Meyer acknowledged that both share the same "philosophical views on how to run a program and how to treat players and what to expect out of your coaching staff," which ultimately help in creating a good fit for both sides.

Meyer and Schiano both earned their first head coaching jobs--Meyer at Bowling Green and Schiano at Rutgers--in 2001. They were also the two youngest coaches in Division I-A at the time. Both managed to revitalize their respective programs, and while Schiano opted to remain at Rutgers until accepting a head coaching position in the NFL, Meyer moved onto Utah and Florida, finding great success at both, before landing at Ohio State in 2012. Now, with the departure of defensive coordinator Chris Ash for Schiano’s former role at Rutgers, Meyer was able to bring on his longtime friend as a replacement, finally merging two careers that had diverged years ago.

While friendship was one concern for Meyer, another was the fact that Schiano has not been an assistant coach in many years. In fact, this will be Schiano’s first role as an assistant since leaving the defensive coordinator role at Miami (Fl) in 2000. Still, Meyer points to former Iowa State head coach Dan McCarney, who joined Meyer’s staff at Florida with great success. And Schiano says that he understands his role in supporting the head coach and easing the burden on the boss.

"I think they should be in the Big 12. I’m saying that without making all the research necessary to really make that comment...I couldn’t be happier for that city and for that school if they do get in the Big 12."

-Urban Meyer, via David Briggs, the Blade


While Ohio State has enjoyed an exclusivity in regards to recruiting that the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Michigan State and pretty much everyone in the state of California can only dream about, it may have some competition in the near future in the form of the University of Cincinnati joining the Big 12. Ohio State is one of just two of the nation’s most populous states (New York, the other) with just one Power-5 school. Cincinnati joining the Big 12--a powerful and revenue-generating conference in its own right--could throw off the advantage that the Buckeyes have so long enjoyed.

Still, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is not concerned, acknowledging that Cincinnati would be a good pick up for the Big 12, and that Cincinnati could benefit. The school recently completed an $86 million renovation to its football complex, and sits in a top-50 national television market. There is also the added bonus that bringing Cincinnati into the fold would help to align the Big 12 with West Virginia, which joined the conference as a full member in 2012. And, while not on a recruiting level with Ohio State, the Bearcats have averaged roughly nine wins per season over the last decade.

Even so, Cincinnati joining the Big 12 might not affect the Buckeyes as drastically as some might suspect. The region surrounding Cincinnati has been a tough recruiting nut to crack, as Ohio State competes against the likes of Notre Dame and others for the top recruits in the area. Bringing a Big 12 competitor into the area would make the landscape more complicated, but might not necessarily shift the balance too far from Ohio State. In the same way that Notre Dame might compete with Purdue geographically, the Buckeyes may have to face off for some recruits.

Still, Ohio State’s bottom line is in its favor, bringing in roughly four times as much revenue as Cincinnati last season. Combined with the prestige of its national championships and reputation for sending players to the NFL, it is unlikely that Ohio State will lose the top spot in Ohio.

"Losing 6,531 defensive snaps and 6,575 offensive snaps to the NFL is no easy task to replace, but Ohio State continues to bring in strong recruiting classes and their roster has plenty of promising players ready to take a step forward."

-Steve Palazzolo, Pro Football Focus


While there have been no actual games played to determine the talent level of the top teams in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes have consistently found themselves in the top-10 of most preseason polls. Despite the loss of an ample amount of talent to the NFL, Pro Football Focus’s poll cites the power of a series of strong recruiting classes in keeping pace with the high-level of talent lost in this year’s NFL Draft.

Most of the high-ranking teams in this poll have either a large amount of returning players or a high-level returning quarterback. While some teams--like Oklahoma--have both, Ohio State is relying on quarterback J.T. Barrett to anchor the offense and linebacker Raekwon McMillan to do so on the defensive side. Alongside promising young players like defensive linemen Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard, the Buckeyes should be able to get through their growing pains on both sides of the ball.

Alabama leads the poll, even having lost numerous players to the NFL as well. The Crimson Tide return eight players in the front seven who played at least 180 snaps. Though they will also need to replace Jake Coker at quarterback, Alabama returns several other key positions on offense including three members of their offensive line.

Behind Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Clemson and Michigan round out the top-five. The Wolverines return a top-rated defense behind cornerback Jourdan Lewis and linemen Chris Wormley and Maurice Hurst. Still, the offense will have some serious work to do in the fall behind a new and, as of yet, undetermined quarterback. Florida State, Tennessee and Ole Miss sit ahead of Ohio State in the poll, with North Carolina coming in at the No. 10 spot. Besides Ohio State and Michigan, Iowa is the only other Big Ten team to crack the top-25, at the No. 20 spot.

"In the punt return game, there’s a chance to make more happen. A year ago, that was all Marshall…"

-Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland.com


Ohio State fans caught a glimpse of the potential of Dontre Wilson early on in his career at Ohio State, but due to a series of nagging injuries, the speedster from DeSoto, Texas has remained largely limited in his role for the Buckeyes in recent years, filling in mainly on special teams. This year, however, as Wilson prepares to enter his senior season at Ohio State, his role appears to be broadening to include punt returns, according to Urban Meyer, who said that Wilson will be tops for both punt returns and kick returns come this season. This new role will inevitably give Wilson the opportunity to showcase his speed. Primarily used as a kickoff returner alongside Curtis Samuel last year, Wilson was not utilized extensively, mostly because the Buckeyes were not required to return many kickoffs in 2015.

Wilson will be filling the role vacated by now-New York Jet Jalin Marshall, who finished the 2015 season ranked third in the Big Ten with an average of 13.5 yards per return, and who just electrified the Jets camp with an 80-yard return in last week’s preseason match against the Jaguars. This year could offer a similar opportunity for Wilson, whose hopes of an NFL career have been somewhat sidelined due to injury. While Marshall opted to leave Ohio State early, he went undrafted in April, but still managed to make the Jets roster and turn heads in the preseason. Wilson had previously paired with Marshall in the punt return game in 2014’s national championship season before being sidelined due to a foot injury.

Samuel will likely remain alongside Wilson in kick returns, and freshman Demario McCall will probably see some playing time as well on special teams. Samuel took a little more than half the kickoffs (nine) for an average of 23 yards per return, while Wilson took seven, averaging 23.9 yards per return.

STICK TO SPORTS

• Watch the incoming freshmen learn the Ohio State fight song
• Check out these pets who are so excited to see their owners come home
• Good news! It could be a warmer than usual winter in Ohio

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Ohio State football: Watch Buckeyes assistant Luke Fickell mic'd up at practice - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Watch Buckeyes assistant Luke Fickell mic'd up at practice
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes have a good starting spot with Raekwon McMillan back in the middle, but Dante Booker, Chris Worley and Jerome Baker are looking to replace Joshua Perry and Darron Lee on the outside. Get a look at how Fickell is handling those position ...
Watch: Luke Fickell mic'd up at Ohio State practice247Sports

all 3 news articles »

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A Buckeye’s Road to Rio
Garth via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Hope you are having a great summer and that you are especially enjoying the summer sports. We at Motsag are in the midst of a re-invigoration to become a premier destination of Buckeye related sports journalism. Until we re-launch we are keeping you up to date on all the interesting football camp tidbits we come across, for current and past Buckeyes.

This week we will be adding a daily piece as a lead up to one Buckeye’s quest for gold–wrestler Buckeye Kyle Snyder. You may or may not have noticed, but Motsag has been the most prolific news outlet covering Buckeye wrestling. Not only have we reported live from B1G and NCAA tournaments (including last year’s NCAA Championship at Madison Square Garden), but we have been at every single event leading to Buckeye Kyle Snyder’s ascension to become the youngest World Wrestling Champion in US history.

We covered the 2015 US Open when Kyle eschewed competing in the Junior World Division, beating the defending Olympic Champion (London 2012) Jake Varner. We were present in July, 2015 when Kyle repeated the feat at the US Team Trials sending him to the World Championships.

We witnessed one of the colossal feats of sport as teenager Kyle Snyder out-thought, cajoled and man-handled seasoned champions to become Champion of the World. In April, 2016 we were in Iowa City to see Snyder hold back the last reach for glory by Jake Varner at the Olympic Trials.

So after breaking our arm congratulating ourselves, who better to warm you up for witnessing what could be more history–something we do not take for granted. As good as Kyle is and has proven to be, winning a gold medal is a whole new mountain to climb.

We will not be taking a break from football. We are on the case. But you should know that football and wrestling have strong links. Buckeye grid iron stars such as Luke Fickel were wrestling champs. Luke is a frequent fixture at OSU wrestling events.

Matt Finkes, another wrestling champion actually works hard helping the Ohio Regional Training Center, which supports Kyle and other Ohio State greats, such as Logan Stieber, Reece Humphrey and JD Bergman. And let’s not forget Olympic medalist hopeful and honorary Buckeye (and new OSU assistant wrestling coach) heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev who has trained for years at the Ohio Regional Training Center.

During OSU’s epic 2015 run to its first national wrestling title, one of their biggest fans was Urban Meyer who was present on the floor and the bench in the Buckeye’s B1G Championship at St. John’s Arena two weeks prior.

And then there was this old, great wrestler and occasional football dabbler, Archie Griffin.

We turned down the opportunity to report from Rio–something I will surely regret in a few years, but we will have lots of live coverage and an occasional check-in from Buckeye Wrestling Coach Tom Ryan. Stay posted.




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Should the Browns have taken Ohio State Buckeyes in every NFL Draft round? Before you say no ... - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Should the Browns have taken Ohio State Buckeyes in every NFL Draft round? Before you say no ...
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Given that quarterback-turned-receiver and Buckeye-turned-Brown Terrelle Pryor has emerged as one of the most intriguing breakouts of preseason camp, let's exmaine the idea of the Browns having more Ohio State players on the roster ...

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 8/15/2016
Ben van Ooyen via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Welcome to your tri-weekly look at all things Ohio State recruiting. Let’s get started!

Injuries Are No Fun:

Currently committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, Richard LeCounte is still being recruited heavily by the Buckeyes to join the 2017 class. While participating in a scrimmage last Tuesday, he got injured and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher which made everyone there and on social media very worried.



LeCounte took to twitter later on Thursday to let everyone know that he was indeed ok.



Getting injured is part of the game, but you never like to see anyone take a shot to the head as we saw there with LeCounte.

LeCounte is the #26 overall prospect in the class of 2017, and while he is likely to stay committed to the Bulldogs, he will be making an official visit to Columbus later on this year. The Buckeyes are still in the drivers seat for Jeffrey Okudah, so the visit by LeCounte is probably happening because he is good friends with some of the Buckeye players, so the free trip is nice, and to assure himself that he made the right decision by picking Georgia.

Buckeyes Looking to Add Depth:

While the Buckeyes are able to keep 85 kids on scholarship each year, the football team usually has more than 105 players on the team total. Walk-ons and preferred walk-ons make up the difference in numbers, and can provide some much needed depth if injuries arise over the season. You can also see some of these guys make big contributions to the team like a Craig Fada and Joe Burger have over the past few seasons on special teams. The Buckeyes are always looking to add quality athletes to the roster and so they have made a couple of preferred walk-on offers to Darryl Sinclair and Alex Beck, both from the state of Ohio.



Sinclair is a defensive back, and Beck is a linebacker and neither has an offer to play Division I football currently. If they accept the offer they will be guaranteed a spot on the 105 man roster for the upcoming season. Regular walk-on’s must go through try outs during camp to have a spot at making the final roster.

The Curious Case of Jamel Dean:

If you remember back to the class of 2014, the Buckeyes signed Jamel Dean to play defensive back. However, when he got to campus and the doctors got a look at him they did not medically clear him to play for the Buckeyes. He injured a knee in high school, and it was determined that he was unfit to continue playing football. He sought out a transfer and decided to head to Auburn where he sat out last year due to the NCAA mandated transfer rules. He was thought to be a possible starting cornerback this season, but another injury has sidelined him indefinitely.

http://auburn.247sports.com/Bolt/Key-defensive-player-out-indefinitely–46745223

Maybe the Ohio State medical staff was on to something?

2018 TE Recruiting:

The Buckeyes landed Jake Hausmann and Luke Farrell in 2016 to play the Tight End position for the next few years, so they determined that it wasn’t necessary to recruit one for the class of 2017. Fast forward to the class of 2018 and the Buckeyes are in on quite a few high-caliber guys from across the nation.

Jeremy Ruckert recently put out his top 13 last week, and it included the Buckeyes who he visited during Friday Night Lights. Ruckert hails from the state of New York, which has provided Curtis Samuel and recently Jahsen Wint to the Buckeye program in the past few recruiting cycles. Ruckert holds 24 offers to date, and the Buckeyes are hoping to get him back on campus and make an impression on him.


Another top Tight End target is Mustapha Muhammad from Texas. He recently spoke to 247Sports and told them that when he trims down his list Ohio State will make the cut.

“I talk to coach (Ed) Warinner pretty frequently,” Muhammad said. “Every time I talk to coach Warinner he suggests I talk to coach (Urban) Meyer too. I have his number as well. I either call coach Meyer or coach Warinner puts him on the phone if he is there.”

Muhammad is listed as the 5th ranked TE in the class of 2018, and right now has 25 offers and one early crystal ball to Texas A&M. He plans on making an official visit to Ohio State when the Buckeyes host Michigan this November.

“I talk to coach (Ed) Warinner pretty frequently,” Muhammad said. “Every time I talk to coach Warinner he suggests I talk to coach (Urban) Meyer too. I have his number as well. I either call coach Meyer or coach Warinner puts him on the phone if he is there.”



The post Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 8/15/2016 appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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