Matt Tamanini
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You’re Nuts Players to Watch: Who will be the most impactful new Buckeye in 2024?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Unreasonable Expectations. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Unreasonable Expectations here.
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.
Caleb Downs rocked the college football world when he announced he was closing up shop at Alabama and heading north to Columbus in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement.
Downs will don his Buckeye jersey in the wake of a season in which he cemented himself as one of the best—if not the best—safeties in college football. Just last season, he recorded 107 tackles (70 of them solo) in 14 games—the most of any Alabama player last season (40 more than the next-closest player).
Add to that Downs’ forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and it’s no surprise he was named a second-team all-American. But did I mention he did all that as a true freshman?
He came into the 2023 season as a top-10 prospect and the top-rated safety in his class. He finished it as the first true freshman in Crimson Tide history (which is not a shabby history) to record the team’s highest number of tackles on the season. He was also the top player to enter the portal.
If you told me Downs was built by a mad scientist who genetically engineered him to be the ideal football player, I’d believe you. He’s that good.
And now, he might be just what the Buckeyes need to go from a great team to an unstoppable one.
While Ohio State ended the season with one of the top defenses in the country, there were still some vocal critics about the depth and versatility of the secondary (give me a break).
The addition of Downs should be enough to silence them, as he joins Lathan Ransom, Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, and Davison Igbinosun in the secondary. Not to be hyperbolic, but this could be one of the most powerful secondaries the Buckeyes have ever fielded.
This group comes to the table with experience and proven results, and due in no small part to what Downs brings to the table, you can expect those results to continue.
Downs has tremendous instincts, which make him a powerful threat to opponents’ run games (evidenced by his absurd statistics last season). His ability to break through blocks and read the play should leave OSU’s opponents quaking in their boots.
He’ll replace Josh Proctor, who graduated last year, and Proctor functioned as the crux of a lot of Jim Knowles’ defensive strategy. It’s no secret that Knowles runs a safety-driven defense, and Downs will have no problem stepping up to the task.
When you combine his ability to break up plays (he had 3.5 tackles for loss last season and missed fewer than one tackle per game—only 14 on the season) with his ability to play multiple safety positions, the sky is the limit for Knowles, who now has a buffet of options to choose from when developing his schema.
As an added bonus, The Game is going to feel as personal for Downs as it does for Buckeye fans who have suffered defeat three years in a row. He’s already getting into the rivalry spirit, and it’s no surprise when you consider his freshman season ended in overtime at the hands of the Wolverines.
That’s not the point, but I look forward to it being the cherry on top of the sundae next season, and I look forward to Caleb Downs rearranging the brain cells of Buckeye fans when we see him in action this fall.
Look, Caleb Downs is a very good answer. He is an absolutely elite player and adding an elite player to Ohio State’s secondary is never a bad thing. But you know what was already elite? Ohio State’s defense and especially the secondary.
So, while I have no doubt that Downs will be an improvement — as he would be for literally every team in the country — how much of an improvement might be a bit in question. The Buckeyes were essentially a top-three defense in every major statistical category last season, so how far up can they go?
On the other hand, you know what was not an elite unit for the Buckeyes last year? The offensive line. In fact, I think it is fair to say that the o-line was the least productive and reliable position group on the team in 2023. Coming out of the embarrassing Cotton Bowl performance, I was adamant that the coaching staff needed to kick the tires on — and bring in — “anybody and everybody who would be even a modest upgrade over the current lot” via the transfer portal.
Now, I am not an offensive line expert, so I cannot definitively tell you what type of talent was actually available in the portal this offseason, but I can tell you that I was hoping that Justin Frye and Ryan Day would find a few more upgrades than the end up getting. The only new offensive lineman of any immediate import for the Buckeyes is former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin.
After a disastrous CFP performance, he was looking for a new home even before Saban had announced his retirement, and while he is not the slamdunk, must-have that Downs is, he does come in as an obvious improvement at a position of need for OSU.
Last year’s offensive line was the culmination of years of bad recruiting and development by the previous position coach. Those who watch the sport know that offensive linemen take far longer to develop — both physically and mentally — than any other players on a football team.
Therefore, I am optimistic that the growth that we saw from 2023 transfer Joshua Simmons will continue into the fall and we can get a maximization of potential from Donovan Jackson and Josh Fryar, while one of the other guys in contention to start can take a step forward and become an all-conference level performer.
If the maturation of the multi-year OSU guys gets to where it should be, then I believe that having someone in the center of the line like McLaughlin — who started 24 games for Alabama — could be just the thing to push the unit, and the offense, to where it needs to be to contend for a national title.
With Chip Kelly now calling plays and running the offense, there is little doubt that OSU will be running the ball more than it has during the rest of the Ryan Day Era. With a backfield led by the most dynamic one-two running back punch in the country — TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — the offensive line will be called up to open up holes this season.
While the jury is still out on who will be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, the line will either be blocking for a first-time starter (Devin Brown), or — more likely in my opinion — a first-time starter for the Buckeyes (Will Howard). Either way, giving the QB time in the pocket — or holes to run through — is a necessity after the unit failed to do that in 2023.
I don’t think that Seth McLaughlin is going to be the best addition to Ohio State’s roster in 2024, but I do think that because of the position he plays — and how far behind the unit is from much of the rest of the team — he could end up being the most impactful.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Unreasonable Expectations. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Unreasonable Expectations here.
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: Who will be the most impactful new football Buckeye in 2024?
Jami’s Take: Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs rocked the college football world when he announced he was closing up shop at Alabama and heading north to Columbus in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement.
Downs will don his Buckeye jersey in the wake of a season in which he cemented himself as one of the best—if not the best—safeties in college football. Just last season, he recorded 107 tackles (70 of them solo) in 14 games—the most of any Alabama player last season (40 more than the next-closest player).
Add to that Downs’ forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and it’s no surprise he was named a second-team all-American. But did I mention he did all that as a true freshman?
He came into the 2023 season as a top-10 prospect and the top-rated safety in his class. He finished it as the first true freshman in Crimson Tide history (which is not a shabby history) to record the team’s highest number of tackles on the season. He was also the top player to enter the portal.
If you told me Downs was built by a mad scientist who genetically engineered him to be the ideal football player, I’d believe you. He’s that good.
And now, he might be just what the Buckeyes need to go from a great team to an unstoppable one.
While Ohio State ended the season with one of the top defenses in the country, there were still some vocal critics about the depth and versatility of the secondary (give me a break).
The addition of Downs should be enough to silence them, as he joins Lathan Ransom, Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, and Davison Igbinosun in the secondary. Not to be hyperbolic, but this could be one of the most powerful secondaries the Buckeyes have ever fielded.
This group comes to the table with experience and proven results, and due in no small part to what Downs brings to the table, you can expect those results to continue.
Downs has tremendous instincts, which make him a powerful threat to opponents’ run games (evidenced by his absurd statistics last season). His ability to break through blocks and read the play should leave OSU’s opponents quaking in their boots.
He’ll replace Josh Proctor, who graduated last year, and Proctor functioned as the crux of a lot of Jim Knowles’ defensive strategy. It’s no secret that Knowles runs a safety-driven defense, and Downs will have no problem stepping up to the task.
When you combine his ability to break up plays (he had 3.5 tackles for loss last season and missed fewer than one tackle per game—only 14 on the season) with his ability to play multiple safety positions, the sky is the limit for Knowles, who now has a buffet of options to choose from when developing his schema.
As an added bonus, The Game is going to feel as personal for Downs as it does for Buckeye fans who have suffered defeat three years in a row. He’s already getting into the rivalry spirit, and it’s no surprise when you consider his freshman season ended in overtime at the hands of the Wolverines.
That’s not the point, but I look forward to it being the cherry on top of the sundae next season, and I look forward to Caleb Downs rearranging the brain cells of Buckeye fans when we see him in action this fall.
Matt’s Take: Seth McLaughlin
Look, Caleb Downs is a very good answer. He is an absolutely elite player and adding an elite player to Ohio State’s secondary is never a bad thing. But you know what was already elite? Ohio State’s defense and especially the secondary.
So, while I have no doubt that Downs will be an improvement — as he would be for literally every team in the country — how much of an improvement might be a bit in question. The Buckeyes were essentially a top-three defense in every major statistical category last season, so how far up can they go?
On the other hand, you know what was not an elite unit for the Buckeyes last year? The offensive line. In fact, I think it is fair to say that the o-line was the least productive and reliable position group on the team in 2023. Coming out of the embarrassing Cotton Bowl performance, I was adamant that the coaching staff needed to kick the tires on — and bring in — “anybody and everybody who would be even a modest upgrade over the current lot” via the transfer portal.
Now, I am not an offensive line expert, so I cannot definitively tell you what type of talent was actually available in the portal this offseason, but I can tell you that I was hoping that Justin Frye and Ryan Day would find a few more upgrades than the end up getting. The only new offensive lineman of any immediate import for the Buckeyes is former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin.
After a disastrous CFP performance, he was looking for a new home even before Saban had announced his retirement, and while he is not the slamdunk, must-have that Downs is, he does come in as an obvious improvement at a position of need for OSU.
Last year’s offensive line was the culmination of years of bad recruiting and development by the previous position coach. Those who watch the sport know that offensive linemen take far longer to develop — both physically and mentally — than any other players on a football team.
Therefore, I am optimistic that the growth that we saw from 2023 transfer Joshua Simmons will continue into the fall and we can get a maximization of potential from Donovan Jackson and Josh Fryar, while one of the other guys in contention to start can take a step forward and become an all-conference level performer.
If the maturation of the multi-year OSU guys gets to where it should be, then I believe that having someone in the center of the line like McLaughlin — who started 24 games for Alabama — could be just the thing to push the unit, and the offense, to where it needs to be to contend for a national title.
With Chip Kelly now calling plays and running the offense, there is little doubt that OSU will be running the ball more than it has during the rest of the Ryan Day Era. With a backfield led by the most dynamic one-two running back punch in the country — TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — the offensive line will be called up to open up holes this season.
While the jury is still out on who will be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, the line will either be blocking for a first-time starter (Devin Brown), or — more likely in my opinion — a first-time starter for the Buckeyes (Will Howard). Either way, giving the QB time in the pocket — or holes to run through — is a necessity after the unit failed to do that in 2023.
I don’t think that Seth McLaughlin is going to be the best addition to Ohio State’s roster in 2024, but I do think that because of the position he plays — and how far behind the unit is from much of the rest of the team — he could end up being the most impactful.
Let us know who you are agreeing with:
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