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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?><rss version="2.0" xml:base="https://www.elevenwarriors.com/rss.xml" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
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  3.    <title></title>
  4.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/rss.xml</link>
  5.    <description></description>
  6.    <language>en</language>
  7.     <atom:link href="https://www.elevenwarriors.com/rss.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
  8.      <item>
  9.    <title>The Hurry-Up: Ohio State Offers Highly Touted 2026 Quarterback Faizon Brandon and Three Other Prospects, Marquise Davis Picks Kentucky over Michigan</title>
  10.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2024/05/147009/the-hurry-up-ohio-state-offers-four-star-2026-quarterback-faizon-brandon-and-three-other-prospects</link>
  11.    <description>Ohio State coaches put in plenty of time on the recruiting trail on Tuesday.
  12. &lt;p&gt;
  13. Four new offers went out to various prospects, three in the 2026 cycle and one from the 2027 class. We’ll delve into each recruit that was offered below. 
  14. &lt;/p&gt;
  15.  
  16. &lt;h3&gt;
  17. &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/Player/faizon-brandon-46137277/&quot;&gt;Faizon Brandon&lt;/a&gt;
  18. &lt;/h3&gt;
  19.  
  20. &lt;p&gt;
  21. Ohio State has offered no shortage of signal-callers in the 2026 class. The Buckeyes offered another on Tuesday as Chip Kelly traveled to North Carolina to offer four-star quarterback Faizon Brandon. Brandon is the 10th quarterback OSU has extended a scholarship offer to in the 2026 cycle. 
  22. &lt;/p&gt;
  23.  
  24. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  25. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  26. I am excited and blessed to say that I have received my 22nd D1 offer from The Ohio State University!! &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/AGTG?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#AGTG&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/e43fitness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@e43fitness&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/RecruitGrimsley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@RecruitGrimsley&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/grimsleyfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@grimsleyfb&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/AnnaH247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@AnnaH247&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/BrianDohn247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@BrianDohn247&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MohrRecruiting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@MohrRecruiting&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/RivalsFriedman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@RivalsFriedman&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ChadSimmons_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ChadSimmons_&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ryandaytime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ryandaytime&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/CoachRLarkin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@CoachRLarkin&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/gOzyr2XmAd&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/gOzyr2XmAd&lt;/a&gt;
  27. &lt;/p&gt;
  28. — Faizon Brandon (@faizon_brandon) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/faizon_brandon/status/1785468701581455550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  29. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  30.  
  31. &lt;p&gt;
  32. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound quarterback prospect is considered the 53rd-ranked prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2026 class. In 247Sports’ individual rankings, Brandon is ranked the No. 1 overall prospect and No. 1 quarterback in the class. 
  33. &lt;/p&gt;
  34.  
  35. &lt;p&gt;
  36. Brandon already has more than 20 Division I offers, including Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Boston College, Duke, Louisville, Michigan, NC State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Penn State, Syracuse, TCU, Texas A&amp;amp;M, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. 
  37. &lt;/p&gt;
  38.  
  39. &lt;p&gt;
  40. An OSU visit is likely on the horizon for Brandon sometime this summer, which would be his second trip to campus. He previously attended a spring practice in 2023. 
  41. &lt;/p&gt;
  42.  
  43. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  44. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  45. Had a great time up at Ohio State for a spring practice!! &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/N_Murph?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@N_Murph&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/RivalsFriedman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@RivalsFriedman&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/grimsleyfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@grimsleyfb&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/e43fitness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@e43fitness&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/tdfOry8jZE&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/tdfOry8jZE&lt;/a&gt;
  46. &lt;/p&gt;
  47. — Faizon Brandon (@faizon_brandon) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/faizon_brandon/status/1642349029341134882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 2, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  48. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  49.  
  50. &lt;p&gt;
  51. Brandon completed 191 of 277 passes for 3,026 yards with 36 touchdowns and only three interceptions in his sophomore season. He added 528 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.
  52. &lt;/p&gt;
  53.  
  54. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  55. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17775386/6341f439688ea715fcba3c17&quot; width=&quot;640&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  56. &lt;/div&gt;
  57.  
  58. &lt;h3&gt;
  59. &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/jamichael-jones-46135643/&quot;&gt;Ja’Michael Jones&lt;/a&gt;
  60. &lt;/h3&gt;
  61.  
  62. &lt;p&gt;
  63. New OSU running backs coach Carlos Locklyn stopped in Alabama on Tuesday to offer four-star 2026 prospect Ja’Michael Jones. 
  64. &lt;/p&gt;
  65.  
  66. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  67. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  68. After a great conversation with &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Locklyn33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Locklyn33&lt;/a&gt; Im blessed to receive an offer from The University of Ohio State &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/GrangerShook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@GrangerShook&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/CoachJC16?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@CoachJC16&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ryandaytime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ryandaytime&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ChadSimmons_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ChadSimmons_&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Madhousefit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Madhousefit&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/adamgorney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@adamgorney&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/cpetagna247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@cpetagna247&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/swiltfong247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@SWiltfong247&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ALLGASTRNG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ALLGASTRNG&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/LockBoyz?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#LockBoyz&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/YOrF8EQIQD&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/YOrF8EQIQD&lt;/a&gt;
  69. &lt;/p&gt;
  70. — JaMichael Jones C/O 26 (@MikeJones__21) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MikeJones__21/status/1785468492528877579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  71. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  72.  
  73. &lt;p&gt;
  74. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Jones is considered the No. 244 overall prospect and 19th-ranked running back in the 2026 class. He’s earned 16 Division I offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&amp;amp;M and USC. 
  75. &lt;/p&gt;
  76.  
  77. &lt;p&gt;
  78. As a sophomore, Jones ran for 1,166 yards on 215 carries with 19 rushing touchdowns. He added 22 catches for 210 receiving yards with one receiving touchdown. 
  79. &lt;/p&gt;
  80.  
  81. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  82. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16090424/656fcae9a018f511e014e362&quot; width=&quot;640&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt; 
  83. &lt;/div&gt;
  84.  
  85. &lt;h3&gt;
  86. &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/Player/pierre-pj-dean-46138845/&quot;&gt;Pierre Dean&lt;/a&gt;
  87. &lt;/h3&gt;
  88.  
  89. &lt;p&gt;
  90. Justin Frye had a multi-purpose visit to North Carolina on Tuesday. Not only did Frye check in on David Sanders Jr., the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, but he also extended an offer to a top 2026 offensive line prospect in Pierre Dean. 
  91. &lt;/p&gt;
  92.  
  93. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  94. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  95. Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio state University &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/WF_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@WF_Football&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/KRWallaceFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@KRWallaceFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/OhioStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@OhioStateFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/CoachJFrye?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@CoachJFrye&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/kEPwxgfxBf&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/kEPwxgfxBf&lt;/a&gt;
  96. &lt;/p&gt;
  97. — pj (@deanpj56) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/deanpj56/status/1785287437972893756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 30, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  98. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  99.  
  100. &lt;p&gt;
  101. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Dean is considered the No. 57 prospect and the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 cycle. He’s earned nearly 20 Division I offers, including Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas A&amp;amp;M and Virginia Tech.
  102. &lt;/p&gt;
  103.  
  104. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  105. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17752474/655d3b168cde9a04e83350f0&quot; width=&quot;640&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  106. &lt;/div&gt;
  107.  
  108. &lt;h3&gt;
  109. &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/ezavier-crowell-46145314/&quot;&gt;Ezavier Crowell&lt;/a&gt;
  110. &lt;/h3&gt;
  111.  
  112. &lt;p&gt;
  113. Jones wasn’t the only Alabama running back Locklyn went to see Tuesday. On Tuesday, Alabama prospect Ezavier Crowell became just the third player in the entire 2027 cycle OSU has offered as Locklyn made an offer to the 5-foot-11, 205-pound tailback. 
  114. &lt;/p&gt;
  115.  
  116. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  117. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  118. BLESSED TO RECEIVE AN OFFER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OHIO STATE !! &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/lockboyzz?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#lockboyzz&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Locklyn33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Locklyn33&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ALLGASTRNG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ALLGASTRNG&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ALLGASATHLETES?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ALLGASATHLETES&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/JacksonFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@JacksonFootball&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/SWiltfong_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@SWiltfong_&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/adamgorney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@adamgorney&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/ChadSimmons_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@ChadSimmons_&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/coach_booju?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@coach_booju&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Coach_E55?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Coach_E55&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/YellowhammerFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@YellowhammerFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/FlournoyCody?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@FlournoyCody&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/7X3ZLdKqeJ&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/7X3ZLdKqeJ&lt;/a&gt;
  119. &lt;/p&gt;
  120. — Ezavier Crowell (@EzavierCrowell) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/EzavierCrowell/status/1785464029248413741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  121. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  122.  
  123. &lt;p&gt;
  124. No 2027 prospects hold composite rankings as of yet, but Crowell already holds an impressive offer list from nearly 20 Division I teams. Those schools include Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&amp;amp;M, UCF and USC.
  125. &lt;/p&gt;
  126.  
  127. &lt;p&gt;
  128. As a freshman, Crowell ran for 1,737 yards on 166 carries with 25 rushing touchdowns. He added 11 receptions for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
  129. &lt;/p&gt;
  130.  
  131. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  132. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19318630/654531a95b3e12096c37270b&quot; width=&quot;640&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  133. &lt;/div&gt;
  134.  
  135. &lt;h3&gt;
  136. Marquise Davis commits to Kentucky
  137. &lt;/h3&gt;
  138.  
  139. &lt;p&gt;
  140. It’s not a South Florida running back and it’s not a November decommitment, but depending on who you ask, the final recruiting story of the day may involve a “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2023/06/139339/kentucky-tight-ends-coach-vince-marrow-responds-to-damarion-witten-s-commitment&quot;&gt;SEC Groan man&lt;/a&gt;.” However you want to categorize it, Michigan has lost its first major recruiting battle since Tony Alford left OSU to become the Wolverines’ running back coach earlier this spring. 
  141. &lt;/p&gt;
  142.  
  143. &lt;p&gt;
  144. Four-star 2025 Ohio running back &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/marquise-davis-46134508/&quot;&gt;Marquise Davis&lt;/a&gt; committed to Kentucky on Wednesday, spurning the Wolverines despite most of the recruiting industry projecting he’d end up in Ann Arbor. 
  145. &lt;/p&gt;
  146.  
  147. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  148. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  149. BREAKING 4-star RB Marquise Davis has committed to Kentucky&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  150. Read: &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/KZLc14xar5&quot;&gt;https://t.co/KZLc14xar5&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/Of5aSPuhnn&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/Of5aSPuhnn&lt;/a&gt;
  151. &lt;/p&gt;
  152. — On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/On3Recruits/status/1785680973897642218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  153. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  154.  
  155. &lt;p&gt;
  156. Davis was also a big OSU target at one point, but that ship sailed once Alford left for Michigan and Carlos Locklyn was hired, who didn’t recruit Davis while at Oregon. That said, OSU feels great about where it stands with priority running back targets &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/bo-jackson-46133496/&quot;&gt;Bo Jackson&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/jordon-davison-46115512/&quot;&gt;Jordon Davison&lt;/a&gt;, and the Buckeyes could potentially take a third running back in the class even if it lands both prospects. &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/player/byron-louis-46116335/&quot;&gt;Byron Louis&lt;/a&gt; could be a candidate for one of the spots in OSU&#039;s 2025 class, as the Florida running back has &lt;a href=&quot;https://x.com/JohnGarcia_Jr/status/1785756897443762621&quot;&gt;scheduled an official visit to OSU for June 14&lt;/a&gt;.
  157. &lt;/p&gt;
  158. </description>
  159.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 17:30</pubDate>
  160. <dc:creator>Garrick Hodge</dc:creator>
  161. <guid isPermaLink="false">147009</guid>
  162.  </item>
  163.  <item>
  164.    <title>Former Ohio State Star Guard Mike Conley Named NBA&amp;#039;s Teammate of the Year</title>
  165.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2024/05/147011/former-ohio-state-star-guard-mike-conley-jr-named-nbas-teammate-of-the-year</link>
  166.    <description>One of Ohio State’s best NBA players ever added some hardware to his trophy case on Wednesday.
  167. &lt;p&gt;
  168. Former Buckeye turned Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley was named the NBA&#039;s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.
  169. &lt;/p&gt;
  170.  
  171. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  172. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  173. The 2023-24 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year is... Mike Conley!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  174. Conley receives the honor that recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on &amp;amp; off court leadership as a mentor &amp;amp; role model to other NBA players, &amp;amp; commitment &amp;amp; dedication to team. &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/jU0iPdKXAW&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/jU0iPdKXAW&lt;/a&gt;
  175. &lt;/p&gt;
  176. — NBA (@NBA) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1785704775100649551?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  177. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  178.  
  179. &lt;p&gt;
  180. Playing in his 17th NBA season – each of which he&#039;s been a starter in – Conley has posted 11.4 points and a team-high 5.9 assists per game for the Timberwolves. Minnesota just completed a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs with Conley running point, and he averaged 11.8 points and 6.3 assists across the quartet of contests.
  181. &lt;/p&gt;
  182.  
  183. &lt;p&gt;
  184. It&#039;s Conley&#039;s leadership and selfless nature that landed him the Teammate of the Year Award, however. He&#039;s proved as much about his character in the past, winning the NBA&#039;s Sportsmanship Award a record four times. In terms of his play, Conley was named an All-Star in 2021.
  185. &lt;/p&gt;
  186.  
  187. &lt;p&gt;
  188. At Ohio State, Conley was a member of one of the more legendary Buckeye teams of all time, the 2006-07 national runner-up squad led by three freshmen who were first-round picks in the 2007 NBA draft. Those freshmen included Conley, center Greg Oden and guard Daequan Cook. Conley averaged 11.3 points and a team-high 6.1 assists per game that season.
  189. &lt;/p&gt;
  190.  
  191. &lt;p&gt;
  192. He and the third-seeded Timberwolves will meet the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, a series that starts on Saturday.
  193. &lt;/p&gt;
  194. </description>
  195.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 16:50</pubDate>
  196. <dc:creator>Andy Anders</dc:creator>
  197. <guid isPermaLink="false">147011</guid>
  198.  </item>
  199.  <item>
  200.    <title>Real Pod Wednesdays: Ohio State Retains Its Key Players in Spring Transfer Window, Should Have Much Larger NFL Draft Class in 2025 Than 2024</title>
  201.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/real-pod-wednesdays/2024/05/147007/ohio-state-retains-its-key-players-in-spring-transfer-window-should-have-much-larger-nfl-draft-class-in-2025</link>
  202.    <description>The spring transfer portal window has come and gone without Ohio State losing any key players.
  203. &lt;p&gt;
  204. Six players from Ohio State entered the portal during the spring window, but none of them – running back Dallan Hayden, wide receiver Kyion Grayes, guard Enokk Vimahi, linebacker Nigel Glover and safeties Ja’Had Carter and Cedrick Hawkins – were in line to play major roles for the Buckeyes in 2024.
  205. &lt;/p&gt;
  206.  
  207. &lt;p&gt;
  208. As a result, Ohio State has secured one of college football’s best and deepest rosters for the upcoming season even though it hasn’t made any post-spring transfer additions yet.
  209. &lt;/p&gt;
  210.  
  211. &lt;p class=&quot;related-box&quot;&gt;
  212. &lt;strong&gt;RELATED&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146991/ohio-state-accomplishes-its-most-important-goal-for-post-spring-transfer-window-retaining-all-of-its-key-players&quot;&gt;Ohio State Accomplishes Its Most Important Goal for Post-Spring Transfer Window: Retaining All of Its Key Players&lt;/a&gt;
  213. &lt;/p&gt;
  214.  
  215. &lt;p&gt;
  216. There aren’t a ton of obvious targets available in the portal for the Buckeyes to upgrade their roster, leaving one major question mark at right guard, but the Buckeyes will have healthy competitions both along the offensive line and at quarterback going into preseason camp since they were able to keep their rosters intact at those positions.
  217. &lt;/p&gt;
  218.  
  219. &lt;p&gt;
  220. We begin this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by recapping a largely uneventful spring transfer window in college football and why that’s a good thing for the Buckeyes.
  221. &lt;/p&gt;
  222.  
  223. &lt;p&gt;
  224. Later, we talk about the lingering needs for Ohio State men’s basketball and what options remain to fill them; a smaller-than-expected 2024 NFL draft class for Ohio State that still led to good fits for each of the four Buckeyes who were selected; and why it’s a long shot for Ohio State’s 2025 NFL draft class to break the all-time record for total selections even though it should be a prolific draft class.
  225. &lt;/p&gt;
  226.  
  227. &lt;p class=&quot;related-box&quot;&gt;
  228. &lt;strong&gt;RELATED&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2024/04/146984/transfer-portal-options-for-ohio-state-basketball-thinning-as-buckeyes-seek-more-frontcourt-depth&quot;&gt;Ohio State Basketball&#039;s Transfer Portal Options Thinning As Buckeyes Seek More Frontcourt Depth&lt;/a&gt;
  229. &lt;/p&gt;
  230.  
  231. &lt;p&gt;
  232. The full rundown:
  233. &lt;/p&gt;
  234.  
  235. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  236. &lt;strong&gt;0:11:&lt;/strong&gt; Post-spring roster retention went as well as Ohio State could have hoped
  237. &lt;/li&gt;
  238. &lt;li&gt;
  239. &lt;strong&gt;1:55:&lt;/strong&gt; An uneventful portal cycle was good news for OSU, even if it limits OSU’s upgrade options
  240. &lt;/li&gt;
  241. &lt;li&gt;
  242. &lt;strong&gt;4:23:&lt;/strong&gt; There doesn’t appear to be a plug-and-play, sure-fire upgrade available at right guard
  243. &lt;/li&gt;
  244. &lt;li&gt;
  245. &lt;strong&gt;6:21:&lt;/strong&gt; Ohio State’s quarterback depth will be the envy of college football
  246. &lt;/li&gt;
  247. &lt;li&gt;
  248. &lt;strong&gt;8:46: &lt;/strong&gt;Across the board, there’s far less talent in the portal now than there was in January
  249. &lt;/li&gt;
  250. &lt;li&gt;
  251. &lt;strong&gt;10:43:&lt;/strong&gt; Safety, running back are positions where Ohio State could another depth piece
  252. &lt;/li&gt;
  253. &lt;li&gt;
  254. &lt;strong&gt;12:22:&lt;/strong&gt; Defensive line, cornerback among positions where OSU’s depth really stands out
  255. &lt;/li&gt;
  256. &lt;li&gt;
  257. &lt;strong&gt;14:27:&lt;/strong&gt; OSU should consider giving Inky Jones, TC Caffey scholarships if some remain open
  258. &lt;/li&gt;
  259. &lt;li&gt;
  260. &lt;strong&gt;19:11:&lt;/strong&gt; Basketball transfer options dwindling after OSU misses out on Trey Townsend, others
  261. &lt;/li&gt;
  262. &lt;li&gt;
  263. &lt;strong&gt;21:51: &lt;/strong&gt;Sean Stewart is the top remaining target for OSU, who must beat out competition for him
  264. &lt;/li&gt;
  265. &lt;li&gt;
  266. &lt;strong&gt;23:23:&lt;/strong&gt; Kris Parker, Elijah Saunders, Langdon Hatton among other possible forward targets
  267. &lt;/li&gt;
  268. &lt;li&gt;
  269. &lt;strong&gt;25:41:&lt;/strong&gt; OSU could use another center to back up Aaron Bradshaw, but there’s no clear target
  270. &lt;/li&gt;
  271. &lt;li&gt;
  272. &lt;strong&gt;28:47:&lt;/strong&gt; OSU’s 2024 NFL draft smaller than expected, but Buckeyes’ picks set up to succeed
  273. &lt;/li&gt;
  274. &lt;li&gt;
  275. &lt;strong&gt;36:16:&lt;/strong&gt; Josh Proctor, Xavier Johnson most likely to make teams among undrafted Buckeyes
  276. &lt;/li&gt;
  277. &lt;li&gt;
  278. &lt;strong&gt;40:10:&lt;/strong&gt; Ohio State has as many as 20 prospects on NFL scouts’ radars for 2025 draft
  279. &lt;/li&gt;
  280. &lt;li&gt;
  281. &lt;strong&gt;44:56:&lt;/strong&gt; A lot would have to go right for Ohio State to break the single-year draft pick record
  282. &lt;/li&gt;
  283. &lt;li&gt;
  284. &lt;strong&gt;47:16:&lt;/strong&gt; Ohio State should have a lot more picks in the first two days of next year’s draft alone
  285. &lt;/li&gt;
  286. &lt;li&gt;
  287. &lt;strong&gt;49:49:&lt;/strong&gt; Will players with NFL draft decisions be as motivated to stay next year as this year?
  288. &lt;/li&gt;
  289. &lt;li&gt;
  290. &lt;strong&gt;54:11:&lt;/strong&gt; It shouldn’t be forgotten how hard it is to get drafted when forecasting to next year
  291. &lt;/li&gt;
  292. &lt;li&gt;
  293. &lt;strong&gt;54:52:&lt;/strong&gt; Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer, Emeka Egbuka among potential first-round picks in 2025
  294. &lt;/li&gt;
  295. &lt;li&gt;
  296. &lt;strong&gt;59:39:&lt;/strong&gt; OSU won’t have a lot of junior starters this year, leaving fewer early departure candidates
  297. &lt;/li&gt;
  298. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;
  299. You can watch this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays in the video at the top of the page or listen to it in the audio player below, on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.
  300. &lt;/p&gt;
  301.  
  302. &lt;p&gt;
  303. &lt;iframe frameborder=&quot;no&quot; height=&quot;180&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; seamless=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://share.transistor.fm/e/fa948678?color=BFB9B9&amp;amp;background=850303&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  304. &lt;/p&gt;
  305.  
  306. &lt;p&gt;
  307. &lt;strong&gt;Programming note:&lt;/strong&gt; There will be no episode of Real Pod Wednesdays next week as Dan and Andy will be taking vacations. RPW will return for its next episode on May 15.
  308. &lt;/p&gt;
  309. </description>
  310.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 14:01</pubDate>
  311. <dc:creator>Dan Hope</dc:creator>
  312. <guid isPermaLink="false">147007</guid>
  313.  </item>
  314.  <item>
  315.    <title>Ohio State Learns Big Ten Opponents for 2024-25 Season, Will Play Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska Twice</title>
  316.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2024/05/147006/ohio-state-learns-big-ten-opponents-for-2024-25-season-will-play-indiana-maryland-and-nebraska-twice</link>
  317.    <description>With the Big Ten expanding, the number of conference foes Ohio State will play twice this basketball season shrank to three.
  318. &lt;p&gt;
  319. On Tuesday the Buckeyes learned who those three opponents will be and which teams it will face at home and on the road in single-play.
  320. &lt;/p&gt;
  321.  
  322. &lt;p&gt;
  323. Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska are the three foes Ohio State will face twice in the regular season. The Buckeyes received home games against Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers and Washington. They will play their lone road matchups with defending regular-season Big Ten champ Purdue, tournament champ Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin.
  324. &lt;/p&gt;
  325.  
  326. &lt;p&gt;
  327. The Buckeyes also saw Nebraska and Indiana twice this past season, dropping both games against the Hoosiers and splitting their series with the Cornhuskers. Ohio State and Maryland met just once in 2023-24, with OSU winning 79-75 in double overtime.
  328. &lt;/p&gt;
  329.  
  330. &lt;p&gt;
  331. Ohio State finished 22-14 overall and 9-11 in Big Ten competition this past season ti finish 10th in the conference. The Buckeyes fell to the Fighting Illini in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
  332. &lt;/p&gt;
  333.  
  334. &lt;p&gt;
  335. The Big Ten has decided on a 15-team format for the conference tourney this year, leaving the bottom three teams out of its postseason competition.
  336. &lt;/p&gt;
  337.  
  338. &lt;p&gt;
  339. Ohio State will open its 2024-25 campaign in November.
  340. &lt;/p&gt;
  341. </description>
  342.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 13:50</pubDate>
  343. <dc:creator>Andy Anders</dc:creator>
  344. <guid isPermaLink="false">147006</guid>
  345.  </item>
  346.  <item>
  347.    <title>The Stark Beauty of Lost Things</title>
  348.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146990/the-stark-beauty-of-lost-things</link>
  349.    <description>Did you know that ever since 2017, the number of Los Angeles Chargers wins has closely lined up with the number of films released featuring Johnny Depp?
  350. &lt;p&gt;
  351. This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious/correlation/5881_the-number-of-movies-johnny-depp-appeared-in_correlates-with_season-wins-for-the-los-angeles-chargers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;undeniable fact&lt;/a&gt; is one of innumerable examples of what statisticians refer to as a &lt;em&gt;spurious correlation. &lt;/em&gt;It is a dataset which cannot be trusted or denied, so if you&#039;re considering a wager on Jim Harbaugh&#039;s win total in his first season back in the pros, Depp&#039;s release schedule probably isn&#039;t a great source.
  352. &lt;/p&gt;
  353.  
  354. &lt;p&gt;
  355. You can draw similar correlations in the fluctuating distance between Neptune and Uranus &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious/correlation/2641_the-distance-between-neptune-and-uranus_correlates-with_cvs-stock-price&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;and CVS&#039; stock price&lt;/a&gt;, per capita consumption of margarine &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious/correlation/5920_per-capita-consumption-of-margarine_correlates-with_the-divorce-rate-in-maine&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;with Maine&#039;s divorce rate&lt;/a&gt; - and you could even argue that the declining popularity of the name &lt;em&gt;Tiffany&lt;/em&gt; coincides &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious/correlation/2183_popularity-of-the-first-name-tiffany_correlates-with_poor-air-quality-in-los-angeles&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;with Los Angeles&#039; improving air quality&lt;/a&gt;. They all line up.
  356. &lt;/p&gt;
  357.  
  358. &lt;p&gt;
  359. Shout out to all Tiffanys, &lt;em&gt;I Can&#039;t Believe it&#039;s Not Butter&lt;/em&gt; and as always, Uranus. Let&#039;s try this one -
  360. &lt;/p&gt;
  361.  
  362. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  363. &lt;p&gt;
  364. Ohio State College Football Playoff wins &amp;amp; Serviceable Blocking Tight Ends on the Roster
  365. &lt;/p&gt;
  366. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  367.  
  368. &lt;p&gt;
  369. Those two elements line up too. They are not casually related whatsoever.
  370. &lt;/p&gt;
  371.  
  372. &lt;p&gt;
  373. Championship-level football and tight ends who can block dudes are attached at the hip. &lt;em&gt;Hips&lt;/em&gt;, which should be firm, balanced and allowing feet to stay wider than the shoulders while distributing weight evenly. A tight end&#039;s gigantic ass - football term - should stay parallel to the turf while his thumbs and elbows are pointed inward.
  374. &lt;/p&gt;
  375.  
  376. &lt;p&gt;
  377. He should take short, almost staccato steps with his toes staggered to the instep to maintain leverage and game the physics of a collision - a collision he&#039;s seeking and controlling. He should never stop moving, and never catch dudes - always push them. Eyes up, head back and feet always on the ground. You know, &lt;em&gt;hips&lt;/em&gt;.
  378. &lt;/p&gt;
  379.  
  380. &lt;p class=&quot;pullquote full&quot;&gt;
  381. Blocking in football is significantly more sophisticated, challenging and violent than setting a pick is in basketball.
  382. &lt;/p&gt;
  383.  
  384. &lt;p&gt;
  385. Ohio State&#039;s most recent CFP success arrived with Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert taking on 12-personnel obligations in the version of What Ryan Day&#039;s Offense is Supposed to Look Like both running and passing the ball while humming - which was rendered impossible in 2020 due to what became a limited slate. No runway kept its cruising altitude out of reach.
  386. &lt;/p&gt;
  387.  
  388. &lt;p&gt;
  389. That&#039;s the two of them pictured atop this article in the twilight of a run where they paved the way for Trey Sermon to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2020/12/119462/trey-sermon-breaks-eddie-georges-single-game-rushing-record-in-big-ten-title-game&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;break unbreakable school records&lt;/a&gt; despite dealing with contact tracing pandemic issues which resulted in makeshift offensive lines at kickoff. Ohio State&#039;s elite blocking tight ends were the unsung heroes of that run.
  390. &lt;/p&gt;
  391.  
  392. &lt;p&gt;
  393. They were both quite skilled and determined in erasing defenders, especially Farrell - he was the most committed eligible pass-catching blocker the Buckeyes had dating back to Jeff Heuerman - famous for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2014/06/36472/film-study-fourth-down-and-short-for-the-big-ten-title-game&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;one missed block&lt;/a&gt; - and Nick Vannett. Can&#039;t remember what their team did in the CFP but I&#039;m sure it was memorable.
  394. &lt;/p&gt;
  395.  
  396. &lt;p&gt;
  397. By the way, a tight end missing only &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; critical block at Ohio State would be an upgrade on par with replacing Corey Dennis with Chip Kelly. Recent tight ends have been turnstiles on the edges, to put it mildly. &lt;em&gt;Matadors&lt;/em&gt;, if you&#039;d prefer to give them some flair on account of their downfield receiving ability.
  398. &lt;/p&gt;
  399.  
  400. &lt;p&gt;
  401. Of &lt;em&gt;course&lt;/em&gt; there are other variables at play for playoff success, and you can deflate the spurious correlation between Ohio State winning a playoff game and Ohio State having just a single, solitary tight end who appears to have been actually coached in the non-trivial art of &lt;em&gt;how to block in tackle football&lt;/em&gt; with an inconvenient datapoint like &lt;em&gt;Noah Ruggles aiming a game-winning field goal just 82 yards to the right of where it landed&lt;/em&gt;. It will be too soon 50 years from now.
  402. &lt;/p&gt;
  403.  
  404. &lt;p&gt;
  405. I was ready to not think about tight end blocking at least until August, but then this tweet showed up in 11W Slack over the weekend and it began squatting in my brain immediately.
  406. &lt;/p&gt;
  407.  
  408. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  409. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  410. With CJ Stroud throwing him the rock&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  411. Cade Stover has a legit chance to be the greatest NFL tight end in Ohio State history. &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/fnDqg8Hd4g&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/fnDqg8Hd4g&lt;/a&gt;
  412. &lt;/p&gt;
  413. — Sam Block (@theblockspot) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/theblockspot/status/1784608744627716149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  414. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  415.  
  416. &lt;p&gt;
  417. I like Sam Block, whom I only know from his rosy Ohio State tweets. They are bullish. They are passionate. They occupy an orbit between Neptune and Uranus which creates a level of lightheadedness I would enjoy if I removed &lt;em&gt;healthy skepticism&lt;/em&gt; from my analytical diet.
  418. &lt;/p&gt;
  419.  
  420. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  421. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  422. Advantage by position:&lt;br /&gt;
  423. HC - Ohio State&lt;br /&gt;
  424. QB - Ohio State&lt;br /&gt;
  425. WR - Ohio State&lt;br /&gt;
  426. RB - Ohio State&lt;br /&gt;
  427. TE - Georgia&lt;br /&gt;
  428. But give me Cade Stover over Brock Bowers tomorrow night.
  429. &lt;/p&gt;
  430. — Sam Block (@theblockspot) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/theblockspot/status/1609018273579896833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 31, 2022&lt;/a&gt;
  431. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  432.  
  433. &lt;p&gt;
  434. Stover removed himself from that Peach Bowl after &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2022-peach-bowl/2022/12/136495/cade-stover-leaves-peach-bowl-injured-after-hurdling-defender&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;hurting himself leaping over a tackler&lt;/a&gt; which is fun for GIFs and crowd reaction but generally ill-advised. Bowers saved Georgia by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2022-peach-bowl/2023/01/136583/close-calls-bad-breaks-swing-peach-bowl-out-of-ohio-state-s-control-in-a-game-of-inches-in-atlanta&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;converting a 4th down conversion&lt;/a&gt; the Buckeyes had sniffed out, one of like 10 moments which had to go the Bulldogs&#039; way for them to win. We&#039;re out of scope here. This isn&#039;t a Cade Stover column.
  435. &lt;/p&gt;
  436.  
  437. &lt;p&gt;
  438. Ohio State fans are blessed in abundance, but there is still a lengthy list of things we require to be happy. We accumulated many of those things - not all of them, but an abundant sum - after the disastrous Cotton Bowl game plan and performance forced the issue with the guys in charge.
  439. &lt;/p&gt;
  440.  
  441. &lt;p&gt;
  442. One of the things we do &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; need is another tight end villain. I have no interest in making Stover into a Tight End Famous for a Bad Thing because &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2022/01/128785/time-squad-vol1-hamby-makes-that-catch&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we already have one of those&lt;/a&gt; and it&#039;s one too many. But Ohio State&#039;s TE room did not get collectively worse at blocking with his matriculation into the NFL.
  443. &lt;/p&gt;
  444.  
  445. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  446. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  447. Cade Stover: 2nd best TE in CFB &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/AGrWmjaaac&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/AGrWmjaaac&lt;/a&gt;
  448. &lt;/p&gt;
  449. — Sam Block (@theblockspot) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/theblockspot/status/1636196892353724417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;March 16, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  450. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  451.  
  452. &lt;p&gt;
  453. The second-best tight end in college football &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024-nfl-draft/2024/04/146926/cade-stover-selected-by-houston-texans-in-fourth-round-nfl-draft&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;was the eighth one off the board&lt;/a&gt; over the weekend and the fifth taken from B1G programs. Stover was picked after Illinois&#039; Tip Reiman, Penn State&#039;s Theo Johnson, Iowa&#039;s Erick All and Michigan&#039;s AJ Barner. Georgia&#039;s Brock Bowers was the first one taken.
  454. &lt;/p&gt;
  455.  
  456. &lt;p&gt;
  457. Here are their college stats. You won&#039;t see much separation after Bowers.
  458. &lt;/p&gt;
  459.  
  460. &lt;table&gt;&lt;caption&gt;
  461. 2024 NFL DRAFT | DRAFTED TIGHT ENDS
  462. &lt;/caption&gt;
  463. &lt;thead&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  464. PLAYER/SCHOOL
  465. &lt;/th&gt;
  466. &lt;th scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;
  467. TAKEN
  468. &lt;/th&gt;
  469. &lt;th scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;
  470. REC
  471. &lt;/th&gt;
  472. &lt;th scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;
  473. YDS
  474. &lt;/th&gt;
  475. &lt;th scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;
  476. AVG
  477. &lt;/th&gt;
  478. &lt;th scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;
  479. TD
  480. &lt;/th&gt;
  481. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/thead&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  482. BROCK BOWERS/UGA
  483. &lt;/th&gt;
  484. &lt;td&gt;
  485. 1.13
  486. &lt;/td&gt;
  487. &lt;td&gt;
  488. 175
  489. &lt;/td&gt;
  490. &lt;td&gt;
  491. 2538
  492. &lt;/td&gt;
  493. &lt;td&gt;
  494. 14.5
  495. &lt;/td&gt;
  496. &lt;td&gt;
  497. 26
  498. &lt;/td&gt;
  499. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  500. BEN SINOTT/K-STATE
  501. &lt;/th&gt;
  502. &lt;td&gt;
  503. 2.53
  504. &lt;/td&gt;
  505. &lt;td&gt;
  506. 82
  507. &lt;/td&gt;
  508. &lt;td&gt;
  509. 1138
  510. &lt;/td&gt;
  511. &lt;td&gt;
  512. 13.9
  513. &lt;/td&gt;
  514. &lt;td&gt;
  515. 10
  516. &lt;/td&gt;
  517. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  518. TIP REIMAN/ILLINOIS
  519. &lt;/th&gt;
  520. &lt;td&gt;
  521. 3.82
  522. &lt;/td&gt;
  523. &lt;td&gt;
  524. 41
  525. &lt;/td&gt;
  526. &lt;td&gt;
  527. 420
  528. &lt;/td&gt;
  529. &lt;td&gt;
  530. 10.2
  531. &lt;/td&gt;
  532. &lt;td&gt;
  533. 5
  534. &lt;/td&gt;
  535. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  536. Ja&#039;TAVION SANDERS/TEXAS
  537. &lt;/th&gt;
  538. &lt;td&gt;
  539. 4.101
  540. &lt;/td&gt;
  541. &lt;td&gt;
  542. 99
  543. &lt;/td&gt;
  544. &lt;td&gt;
  545. 1295
  546. &lt;/td&gt;
  547. &lt;td&gt;
  548. 13.1
  549. &lt;/td&gt;
  550. &lt;td&gt;
  551. 7
  552. &lt;/td&gt;
  553. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  554. THEO JOHNSON/PSU
  555. &lt;/th&gt;
  556. &lt;td&gt;
  557. 4.107
  558. &lt;/td&gt;
  559. &lt;td&gt;
  560. 77
  561. &lt;/td&gt;
  562. &lt;td&gt;
  563. 938
  564. &lt;/td&gt;
  565. &lt;td&gt;
  566. 12.2
  567. &lt;/td&gt;
  568. &lt;td&gt;
  569. 12
  570. &lt;/td&gt;
  571. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  572. ERICK ALL/IOWA
  573. &lt;/th&gt;
  574. &lt;td&gt;
  575. 4.115
  576. &lt;/td&gt;
  577. &lt;td&gt;
  578. 75
  579. &lt;/td&gt;
  580. &lt;td&gt;
  581. 864
  582. &lt;/td&gt;
  583. &lt;td&gt;
  584. 11.5
  585. &lt;/td&gt;
  586. &lt;td&gt;
  587. 5
  588. &lt;/td&gt;
  589. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  590. AJ BARNER/MICHIGAN
  591. &lt;/th&gt;
  592. &lt;td&gt;
  593. 4.121
  594. &lt;/td&gt;
  595. &lt;td&gt;
  596. 64
  597. &lt;/td&gt;
  598. &lt;td&gt;
  599. 610
  600. &lt;/td&gt;
  601. &lt;td&gt;
  602. 9.5
  603. &lt;/td&gt;
  604. &lt;td&gt;
  605. 5
  606. &lt;/td&gt;
  607. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr class=&quot;highlight&quot;&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  608. CADE STOVER/OSU
  609. &lt;/th&gt;
  610. &lt;td&gt;
  611. 4.123
  612. &lt;/td&gt;
  613. &lt;td&gt;
  614. 82
  615. &lt;/td&gt;
  616. &lt;td&gt;
  617. 1058
  618. &lt;/td&gt;
  619. &lt;td&gt;
  620. 12.9
  621. &lt;/td&gt;
  622. &lt;td&gt;
  623. 10
  624. &lt;/td&gt;
  625. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  626. JARED WILEY/TCU
  627. &lt;/th&gt;
  628. &lt;td&gt;
  629. 4.131
  630. &lt;/td&gt;
  631. &lt;td&gt;
  632. 90
  633. &lt;/td&gt;
  634. &lt;td&gt;
  635. 1013
  636. &lt;/td&gt;
  637. &lt;td&gt;
  638. 11.3
  639. &lt;/td&gt;
  640. &lt;td&gt;
  641. 15
  642. &lt;/td&gt;
  643. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  644. TANNER McLACHLAN/ARIZONA
  645. &lt;/th&gt;
  646. &lt;td&gt;
  647. 6.194
  648. &lt;/td&gt;
  649. &lt;td&gt;
  650. 79
  651. &lt;/td&gt;
  652. &lt;td&gt;
  653. 984
  654. &lt;/td&gt;
  655. &lt;td&gt;
  656. 12.5
  657. &lt;/td&gt;
  658. &lt;td&gt;
  659. 6
  660. &lt;/td&gt;
  661. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  662. JAHEIM BELL/FSU
  663. &lt;/th&gt;
  664. &lt;td&gt;
  665. 7.231
  666. &lt;/td&gt;
  667. &lt;td&gt;
  668. 95
  669. &lt;/td&gt;
  670. &lt;td&gt;
  671. 1260
  672. &lt;/td&gt;
  673. &lt;td&gt;
  674. 13.3
  675. &lt;/td&gt;
  676. &lt;td&gt;
  677. 9
  678. &lt;/td&gt;
  679. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;th scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;
  680. DEVIN CULP/WASHINGTON
  681. &lt;/th&gt;
  682. &lt;td&gt;
  683. 7.246
  684. &lt;/td&gt;
  685. &lt;td&gt;
  686. 66
  687. &lt;/td&gt;
  688. &lt;td&gt;
  689. 711
  690. &lt;/td&gt;
  691. &lt;td&gt;
  692. 10.8
  693. &lt;/td&gt;
  694. &lt;td&gt;
  695. 4
  696. &lt;/td&gt;
  697. &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;p&gt;
  698. Stover played in a passing offense which has featured at least one future NFL star catching passes each season for over a decade. And yet he didn&#039;t get picked up until the tail end of what became a 4th round run on tight ends, most of whom he outperformed statistically.
  699. &lt;/p&gt;
  700.  
  701. &lt;p&gt;
  702. It was never a big secret. Stover, a high school running back, started out as a linebacker at Ohio State and switched to tight end. He was one of the least inspiring blockers at his position in recent program memory. It&#039;s not hating - the whole room has been a liability in that critical discipline, and Stover has effectively been that room since he became a tight end.
  703. &lt;/p&gt;
  704.  
  705. &lt;p&gt;
  706. This wasn&#039;t quite as open of a secret as Parker Fleming Has Absolutely No Idea What He&#039;s Doing but it wasn&#039;t closely guarded either. Stover just sat in front of microphones prior to the Draft and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0WQvyXxZZPw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;bristled when the OSU beat casually asked him about his blocking issues&lt;/a&gt; and concerns that brings at the next level. They scrutinize the film, as do NFL scouts. They know.
  707. &lt;/p&gt;
  708.  
  709. &lt;p&gt;
  710. This article could have very easily been a GIF orgy of TE blocking whiffs but again, we don&#039;t need another villain and I&#039;m not interested in writing that column. We have to mention that Jones casually predicted where we would be in this discussion back when Stover was first seen &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/bshaw272727/status/1217955255415164928?s=21&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;running routes and catching passes at the Woody from Jack Miller&lt;/a&gt; a month before the pandemic hit.
  711. &lt;/p&gt;
  712.  
  713. &lt;div class=&quot;imageblock&quot;&gt;
  714. &lt;img alt=&quot;jones sa&quot; src=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/sites/default/files/c/2024/04/jones%20correctly%20predicted%20stover%20couldn%27t%20block.png&quot; title=&quot;jones sa&quot; /&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;caption&quot;&gt;
  715. February 20, 2020 in 11W Slack
  716. &lt;/div&gt;
  717. &lt;/div&gt;
  718.  
  719. &lt;p&gt;
  720. He played &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/01/144526/cotton-bowl-snap-counts-lincoln-kienholz-carnell-tate-enokk-vimahi-among-buckeyes-who-play-expanded-roles-in-season-finale&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;almost 300 more snaps than Gee Scott Jr&lt;/a&gt; at the position, which gave him more opportunities to miss critical blocks - and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/ohio-state-football/2023/10/142036/cade-stover-and-his-blocking-issues&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;those whiffs were hard to miss&lt;/a&gt;. This is a Ohio State Desperately Needs Tight Ends Who Can Block column, relishing the stark beauty of lost things - namely 6&#039;4&quot; guys sealing the edge and erasing a guy who otherwise would have made the tackle.
  721. &lt;/p&gt;
  722.  
  723. &lt;p&gt;
  724. The past couple of seasons, &lt;em&gt;that guy&lt;/em&gt; tended to end the play far too often. He needs to be erased if the 2024 season is going to line up with our wild offseason fantasies.
  725. &lt;/p&gt;
  726.  
  727. &lt;p&gt;
  728. Four years ago, Farrell and Ruckert appeared to relish this critical task. Ruckert was built for dual weaponry as a pass-catcher. Stover was converted, like Scott - and no one else from that room has emerged during this unfortunate era where the offensive line needs it most.
  729. &lt;/p&gt;
  730.  
  731. &lt;p class=&quot;pullquote full&quot;&gt;
  732. If Keenan Bailey&#039;s room can emerge as a unit devoted to erasing defenders, the offensive line, Ohio State&#039;s cursed short yardage efficacy, relative wild card quarterback performance and the entire team should benefit.
  733. &lt;/p&gt;
  734.  
  735. &lt;p&gt;
  736. Ohio State went from playing five tackles in 2022 to struggling to find two serviceable ones in 2023. That condition should be &lt;em&gt;slightly&lt;/em&gt; better in 2024, but do you know which pass-catching position helps struggling offensive tackles with blocking? Of course you do.
  737. &lt;/p&gt;
  738.  
  739. &lt;p&gt;
  740. The offensive line used to be the heart and soul of the football program under Urban Meyer. It&#039;s been an annual question mark since his recruits matriculated, and a tight end room more passionate about erasing guys than competing with Zone 6 for receptions would go a long way to juicing the OL&#039;s performance.
  741. &lt;/p&gt;
  742.  
  743. &lt;p&gt;
  744. Day &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2023/09/141099/id-like-to-know-where-lou-holtz-is-right-now-ryan-day-sounds-off-on-lou-holtz-other-doubters-after-ohio-states&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;famously went heel in South Bend&lt;/a&gt; about his team&#039;s perceived toughness&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;after the Buckeyes escaped by the skin of their teeth in an evening dominated by their chronic inability to move the ball four feet when they needed a single yard. Their mystifying short-yardage albatross has hung over the program for several seasons.
  745. &lt;/p&gt;
  746.  
  747. &lt;p&gt;
  748. It&#039;s not a closely guarded secret, either. The Slobs are significantly downgraded, and the tight ends absolutely have not risen to the occasion. It&#039;s recruiting and development. Margarine, Maine divorce rates and Johnny Depp movies had nothing to do with any of that.
  749. &lt;/p&gt;
  750.  
  751. &lt;p class=&quot;related-box&quot;&gt;
  752. &lt;strong&gt;RELATED&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/college-football/2017/07/83564/the-sweet-spot&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Sweet Spot&lt;/a&gt; (2017)
  753. &lt;/p&gt;
  754.  
  755. &lt;p&gt;
  756. Scheme and play calling sure did. A head coach juggling four jobs at once during a live game had an impact, and that&#039;s scheduled to end this season. A clunky, under-recruited offensive line failing to gel, absolutely. And tight ends which have been a blocking liability since the 2020 season concluded, most definitely.
  757. &lt;/p&gt;
  758.  
  759. &lt;p&gt;
  760. If Keenan Bailey&#039;s room can emerge from this offseason as a unit devoted to effectively erasing defenders, the offensive line, Ohio State&#039;s cursed short yardage efficacy, relative wild card quarterback performance and the entire team should benefit.
  761. &lt;/p&gt;
  762.  
  763. &lt;p&gt;
  764. Authentic, holistic team improvement courtesy of the tight end. Nothing spurious about it.
  765. &lt;/p&gt;
  766.  
  767. &lt;p&gt;
  768. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.elevenwarriors.com/12th-warrior&quot; style=&quot;font-size: 16px;&quot; title=&quot;Become a 12th Warrior&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/sites/default/files/ads/12w-904-100-a.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  769. &lt;/p&gt;
  770. </description>
  771.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 13:15</pubDate>
  772. <dc:creator>Ramzy Nasrallah</dc:creator>
  773. <guid isPermaLink="false">146990</guid>
  774.  </item>
  775.  <item>
  776.    <title>Former Ohio State Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg Sees “Perfect Fit” With Las Vegas Raiders, GM Tom Telesco Says Eichenberg is “All Ball, All the Time”</title>
  777.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024-nfl-draft/2024/04/146997/former-ohio-state-linebacker-tommy-eichenberg-sees-perfect-fit-with-las-vegas-raiders-gm-tom-telesco</link>
  778.    <description>There’s something symmetrical about the Silver and Black and Tommy Eichenberg’s playstyle.
  779. &lt;p&gt;
  780. No question has ever been raised about the former Ohio State linebacker’s toughness. This is someone who played through a dislocated elbow at the end of the Buckeyes’ season, who in 2022 became the first OSU defender in eight years to log at least 120 tackles in a season.
  781. &lt;/p&gt;
  782.  
  783. &lt;p&gt;
  784. The Las Vegas Raiders brand is synonymous with physicality, dating back to the days of Pro Football Hall of Famers like Jim Otto, Ted Hendricks and Mike Haynes. That’s why Eichenberg’s answer was quick when asked if he could have picked a better fit to be drafted into.
  785. &lt;/p&gt;
  786.  
  787. &lt;p&gt;
  788. “No, I could not have,” Eichenberg said. “I think it’s a perfect fit. I’m excited to get to work and try to help the team in any way possible.”
  789. &lt;/p&gt;
  790.  
  791. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  792. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  793. Adding another stud, Tommy Eichenberg&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaiderNation?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#RaiderNation&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/x0tUFoX7F5&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/x0tUFoX7F5&lt;/a&gt;
  794. &lt;/p&gt;
  795. — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Raiders/status/1784291126058623209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  796. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  797.  
  798. &lt;p&gt;
  799. The feeling is mutual from the head honchos in Sin City, but as much of anything, it’s Eichenberg’s game knowledge and undying love for football that made him an attractive option&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024-nfl-draft/2024/04/146930/ohio-state-linebacker-tommy-eichenberg-selected-las-vegas-raiders-fifth-round-nfl-draft&quot;&gt; in the fifth round&lt;/a&gt; of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday.
  800. &lt;/p&gt;
  801.  
  802. &lt;p&gt;
  803. “He’s big, he’s really smart in-play, like aware,” Raiders general manager Tom Telesco said. “Hustle, motor, likes to hit, but he’s all ball all the time. He runs very well straight line for a bigger linebacker and he’s been well-coached. Through high school, St. Ignatius is a powerhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, well-coached through high school, played against top high school players in his area when he was there and then obviously at Ohio State.”
  804. &lt;/p&gt;
  805.  
  806. &lt;p&gt;
  807. It’s not just Las Vegas’ past that is indicative of a hard-hitting identity, it’s the present and future.
  808. &lt;/p&gt;
  809.  
  810. &lt;p&gt;
  811. Head coach Antonio Pierce is a former Pro Bowl linebacker himself, named the team’s full-time frontman this offseason after going 5-4 in an interim capacity last season.
  812. &lt;/p&gt;
  813.  
  814. &lt;p&gt;
  815. “I’m really excited to learn from him and how he sees the game as a former linebacker, as a great player,” Eichenberg said. “How he sees the game and just how he coaches us too. I can’t wait.”
  816. &lt;/p&gt;
  817.  
  818. &lt;p class=&quot;pullquote full&quot;&gt;
  819. “He’s big, he’s really smart in-play, like aware. Hustle, motor, likes to hit, but he’s all ball all the time.”&lt;span class=&quot;source&quot;&gt;– Raiders GM Tom Telesco on Tommy Eichenberg&lt;/span&gt;
  820. &lt;/p&gt;
  821.  
  822. &lt;p&gt;
  823. That hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach is supported by star defensive end Maxx Crosby and star linebacker Robert Spillane, two players with some of the meanest reputations in the NFL. Crosby had 14.5 sacks in 2023 while Spillane had 148 total tackles.
  824. &lt;/p&gt;
  825.  
  826. &lt;p&gt;
  827. “I think they’re really, really tough dudes that love the game of football and play really, really hard,” Eichenberg said. “That’s something that I try to pride myself on too and it’s something I hope to add to this team.”
  828. &lt;/p&gt;
  829.  
  830. &lt;p&gt;
  831. Also on the Raiders is former Ohio State offensive lineman Thayer Munford, now a two-year starter at right tackle. Munford and Eichenberg were at Ohio State together from 2019 through 2021.
  832. &lt;/p&gt;
  833.  
  834. &lt;p&gt;
  835. Eichenberg and Munford aren’t as thick as thieves, but the second-level defender was able to come to the road-grader for advice on his move into the Raiders’ organization.
  836. &lt;/p&gt;
  837.  
  838. &lt;p&gt;
  839. “I talked to him briefly, we overlapped three years,” Eichenberg said. “But he loves it and I can’t wait to join him.”
  840. &lt;/p&gt;
  841.  
  842. &lt;p&gt;
  843. The first step for Eichenberg, as with most Day 3 draft picks, will be to make his team’s 53-man roster this fall.
  844. &lt;/p&gt;
  845.  
  846. &lt;p&gt;
  847. Production on the kickoff and punt units could pave the way to a spot. The Raiders aren’t ultra-deep at linebacker either, with only two who registered more than 27 tackles in 2023.
  848. &lt;/p&gt;
  849.  
  850. &lt;p&gt;
  851. “We think he has big special teams value as well,” Telesco said. “For all these guys that are young players, you’ve gotta come in and make a mark on special teams with (special teams coordinator) Tom McMahon to get a jersey on Sunday. Then keep working at your craft at whatever that position is to try and earn a starting job.”
  852. &lt;/p&gt;
  853.  
  854. &lt;p class=&quot;related-box&quot;&gt;
  855. &lt;strong&gt;RELATED&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146972/houston-texans-gm-nick-caserio-says-cade-stover-everything-you-want-in-a-football-player-ohio-state-tight-end-ready&quot;&gt;Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio Says Cade Stover is &quot;Everything You Want in a Football Player&quot;&lt;/a&gt;
  856. &lt;/p&gt;
  857.  
  858. &lt;p&gt;
  859. Regardless, Eichenberg’s dedication to and adoration for football leave little doubt he’ll give every effort possible to live out his NFL dreams.
  860. &lt;/p&gt;
  861.  
  862. &lt;p&gt;
  863. “That was something I told a lot of teams, my love for the game is unmatched,” Eichenberg said. “There’s nothing else I’d rather do in my life. It’s hard to turn off but I love the game. I’m always around it, always just trying to learn. I can’t even name all the things I’ve done back in college that revolved around football because I love the game so much. I love the dudes, I love the coaches, just everything that comes with it.”
  864. &lt;/p&gt;
  865. </description>
  866.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 10:10</pubDate>
  867. <dc:creator>Andy Anders</dc:creator>
  868. <guid isPermaLink="false">146997</guid>
  869.  </item>
  870.  <item>
  871.    <title>Ohio State Accomplishes Its Most Important Goal for Post-Spring Transfer Window: Retaining All of Its Key Players</title>
  872.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146991/ohio-state-accomplishes-its-most-important-goal-for-post-spring-transfer-window-retaining-all-of-its-key-players</link>
  873.    <description>Ohio State hasn’t added any new transfers since the end of spring practice, but it’s already accomplished its most important goal for the final transfer window of the offseason.
  874. &lt;p&gt;
  875. The transfer portal closed for the final time before the 2024 season when midnight struck Wednesday, and the 15-day post-spring window to enter the portal came and went with Ohio State losing only six backups: Running back Dallan Hayden, wide receiver Kyion Grayes, guard Enokk Vimahi, linebacker Nigel Glover and safeties Ja’Had Carter and Cedrick Hawkins.
  876. &lt;/p&gt;
  877.  
  878. &lt;p&gt;
  879. None of their departures were shocking or devastating. Ohio State would have liked to keep Hayden to be its third-string running back this season and a potential starter in 2025, but the Buckeyes still have a loaded running back depth chart led by two of the nation’s best ballcarriers in TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Losing two safeties leaves the Buckeyes a bit thin with only six scholarship players at the position, but neither Carter nor Hawkins was expected to see substantial playing time this year with Carter entering his final season of collegiate eligibility.
  880. &lt;/p&gt;
  881.  
  882. &lt;p&gt;
  883. Vimahi started the Cotton Bowl at right guard, but his poor performance against Missouri made it clear he wouldn’t be a viable starting option for the Buckeyes this year. Glover and Grayes didn’t play any snaps in 2023 and remained low on the depth chart at their respective positions.
  884. &lt;/p&gt;
  885.  
  886. &lt;p&gt;
  887. Every player who was expected to play a significant role for the Buckeyes this season coming out of spring practices is still on the roster with the transfer portal now closed for the year, and that’s a huge win for Ohio State.
  888. &lt;/p&gt;
  889.  
  890. &lt;p&gt;
  891. Few would have predicted that outcome going into the post-spring transfer window. Amid rumblings that this year’s spring transfer window would be more chaotic than past years, the expectation was that the Buckeyes would lose at least a couple of players of note. It was seen as a foregone conclusion, even among sources close to the program, that Ohio State would lose at least one of its five scholarship quarterbacks.
  892. &lt;/p&gt;
  893.  
  894. &lt;p&gt;
  895. Instead, Ohio State kept nearly its entire roster intact – a credit to Ohio State’s efforts to build a culture that players want to remain a part of.
  896. &lt;/p&gt;
  897.  
  898. &lt;p&gt;
  899. “I feel like we have a team that has come together for a common purpose,” Ryan Day said during the final week of spring practice before the portal reopened. “We talk about why do you play so hard here at Ohio State, it&#039;s because of the brotherhood, the love of your teammates. I think we have a good group that way. I think guys want to be here, they want to be at Ohio State, they understand what it means to be a Buckeye, they see the opportunity this season. So I don&#039;t see a bunch of guys that are just looking to run out the door.”
  900. &lt;/p&gt;
  901.  
  902. &lt;p&gt;
  903. Aside from the first transfer window of this offseason, in which the Buckeyes had 19 scholarship players go portaling, Ohio State’s roster retention rates have compared favorably to other marquee programs in the transfer portal era. The December mass exodus was largely necessary, as Ohio State would have been well above the 85-man scholarship limit otherwise; even in that cycle, most of the departures were players who hadn’t played much for the Buckeyes and weren’t expected to play much more in 2024, with a few notable exceptions like Kyle McCord, Julian Fleming and Jesse Mirco.
  904. &lt;/p&gt;
  905.  
  906. &lt;p&gt;
  907. Thanks to the impressive post-spring retention, Ohio State will have one of the deepest rosters in college football in 2024. The Buckeyes’ quarterback depth will be the envy of the sport, and they’re loaded with high-level talent at most other positions, too, especially along the defensive line and at cornerback. That depth will be more important than ever as Ohio State faces the prospect of playing 16 or 17 games if it can make a run to the national championship game, which was part of Day’s pitch to his players who might have been considering transfers at the end of spring.
  908. &lt;/p&gt;
  909.  
  910. &lt;p&gt;
  911. “We know we&#039;re gonna have to play with a lot of depth next year,” Day said. “So you might be you might be a two right now or you might be a three, but you could be in the College Football Playoffs fighting for a championship and be the guy that we&#039;re counting on. So I just think this is a different and unique time that we&#039;re stepping into. So when guys are looking at the depth chart, I don&#039;t think it&#039;s as important as it always has been in the past. There&#039;s gonna be a lot of football played next year, and we&#039;re gonna roll guys and play depth, especially in the first half of the season, because we&#039;re going to need them in the second half of the season.”
  912. &lt;/p&gt;
  913.  
  914. &lt;p class=&quot;pullquote full&quot;&gt;
  915. “I think guys want to be here, they want to be at Ohio State, they understand what it means to be a Buckeye, they see the opportunity this season.”&lt;span class=&quot;source&quot;&gt;– Ryan Day on players staying at Ohio State&lt;/span&gt;
  916. &lt;/p&gt;
  917.  
  918. &lt;p&gt;
  919. Ohio State’s work in the transfer portal isn’t done, as players who have already entered the portal can still transfer to new schools even though the portal is now closed. Ideally, the Buckeyes would add another starting-caliber offensive lineman, as right guard remains a major question mark coming out of spring. Adding another safety for depth purposes would be beneficial, as could adding a veteran running back to replace Hayden.
  920. &lt;/p&gt;
  921.  
  922. &lt;p&gt;
  923. The Buckeyes have five scholarships available to pursue any players they believe can make their roster better. But thanks to the roster retention over the past couple of weeks, Ohio State doesn’t necessarily need to add any more transfers to have a championship-caliber roster this year, which means the Buckeyes have already accomplished their most important post-spring objective from a roster management standpoint.
  924. &lt;/p&gt;
  925.  
  926. &lt;p class=&quot;related-box&quot;&gt;
  927. &lt;strong&gt;RELATED&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/scholarship-grid&quot;&gt;Ohio State Football Scholarship Grid&lt;/a&gt;
  928. &lt;/p&gt;
  929.  
  930. &lt;p&gt;
  931. The lack of post-spring transfer portal activity hasn’t been exclusive to Ohio State. Despite hype that preceded the portal’s reopening, the secondary transfer cycle has been almost entirely devoid of moves involving big-name players. While the winter transfer window is likely to remain de facto free agency for the foreseeable future, fears of another wave of major roster shakeups for the sport’s top teams proved to be unfounded for at least this year.
  932. &lt;/p&gt;
  933.  
  934. &lt;p&gt;
  935. Because most of college football’s top talent chose to stay put during the April transfer window, Ohio State isn’t likely to make any additions that will be nearly as splashy as the additions of Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Will Howard and Julian Sayin in January. Some additional talent could trickle into the transfer portal over the next few days, as graduate transfers have until the end of the day Wednesday to enter and schools have 48 hours to process portal entries, but no clear targets have emerged for the Buckeyes yet.
  936. &lt;/p&gt;
  937.  
  938. &lt;p&gt;
  939. A lack of overall transfer activity, though, is a net positive for the Buckeyes coming out of spring. Ohio State might have the best roster in college football this season, but it had to survive the final transfer window before we could say that for sure.
  940. &lt;/p&gt;
  941. </description>
  942.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 07:35</pubDate>
  943. <dc:creator>Dan Hope</dc:creator>
  944. <guid isPermaLink="false">146991</guid>
  945.  </item>
  946.  <item>
  947.    <title>Skull Session: Michael V. Drake Didn&amp;#039;t Want to Fire Urban Meyer in 2018, Tavien St. Clair Could Become the No. 1 Prospect in 2025 and J.K. Dobbins is “100 Percent Now”</title>
  948.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skull-sessions/2024/04/146992/skull-session-michael-v-drake-didnt-want-to-fire-urban-meyer-in-2018-tavien-st-clair-could-become-the-no-1-prospect-in</link>
  949.    <description>Welcome to the Skull Session.
  950. &lt;p&gt;
  951. Ohio State has &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; best uniforms in college football.
  952. &lt;/p&gt;
  953.  
  954. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  955. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  956. THE Best Uniforms in CFB&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBucks?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#GoBucks&lt;/a&gt; x &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/247Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@247Sports&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/m9fGKkr08P&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/m9fGKkr08P&lt;/a&gt;
  957. &lt;/p&gt;
  958. — Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/OhioStateFB/status/1785330047089357105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 30, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  959. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  960.  
  961. &lt;p&gt;
  962. I may have to write about that tomorrow.
  963. &lt;/p&gt;
  964.  
  965. &lt;p&gt;
  966. Have a good Wednesday.
  967. &lt;/p&gt;
  968.  
  969. &lt;p&gt;
  970. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;(ALMOST) SIX YEARS LATER.&lt;/strong&gt; Throughout the Zach Smith Saga of 2018 – one I am sure we all remember well and do not need to rehash on a Wednesday morning –former Ohio State president Michael V. Drake remained silent. He remained silent until after the saga ended.
  971. &lt;/p&gt;
  972.  
  973. &lt;p&gt;
  974. But this week, &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/brdispatch&quot;&gt;Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch&lt;/a&gt; interviewed Drake, now the president of the University of California’s 10 campuses, and asked him about Smith’s firing and both Urban Meyer and Gene Smith’s suspensions. Oh, and an Ohio State Board of Trustees meeting where “all hell broke loose,” as former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney once said, but we won’t get into that here.
  975. &lt;/p&gt;
  976.  
  977. &lt;p&gt;
  978. Drake told Rabinowitz the Saga was “personally painful” and “extraordinarily uncomfortable” because it involved people he admired and worked well with. Because of those feelings, he refrained from making public comments throughout the process. Drake denied speculation that he wanted a harsher penalty for Meyer, perhaps even his firing.
  979. &lt;/p&gt;
  980.  
  981. &lt;p&gt;
  982. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/2024/04/30/ex-osu-president-michael-drake-says-he-didnt-want-urban-meyer-fired-zach-smith/73492576007/&quot;&gt;From Rabinowitz’s article&lt;/a&gt;:
  983. &lt;/p&gt;
  984.  
  985. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  986. &lt;p&gt;
  987. “Absolutely not,” he said. “Let me say how much not is the case: Absolutely not. Zero. I don’t think that would have been appropriate.”
  988. &lt;/p&gt;
  989.  
  990. &lt;p&gt;
  991. Drake said the suspensions corresponded to what he thought they should be.
  992. &lt;/p&gt;
  993.  
  994. &lt;p&gt;
  995. “As an institution, we have to represent our institutional values all the time,” Drake said. “That’s really our bottom line. Sometimes we don’t do that perfectly, and when we don’t, we acknowledge that, correct ourselves and move forward. … We have to be who we say we are, and (Zach Smith) wasn’t a good representation or representative of that in many ways. We had to work through that to get on with the future and be better. … Part of being the best collegiate athletics program in the world is that I don’t think we can call ourselves the best in the world just because of our performance on the field. It has to be about who we are in our community more broadly, and we feel we have to stand up for these values.”
  996. &lt;/p&gt;
  997. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  998.  
  999. &lt;p&gt;
  1000. As for Gene Smith’s suspension, Drake said it was unexpected but necessary.
  1001. &lt;/p&gt;
  1002.  
  1003. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1004. &lt;p&gt;
  1005. “I believe he fully understood that we had to be responsible as a program,” he said. “When things go well, that’s great for everyone. If there are issues and problems, then everybody has to be responsible for those things as well. You take responsibility, you illustrate the lesson, you move forward and you’re stronger at the end of the day.”
  1006. &lt;/p&gt;
  1007.  
  1008. &lt;p&gt;
  1009. Drake said his relationships with Gene Smith and Meyer were good after the suspensions.
  1010. &lt;/p&gt;
  1011.  
  1012. &lt;p&gt;
  1013. “It was something we had to go through,” Drake said of Smith, “and it was in no way personal.”
  1014. &lt;/p&gt;
  1015. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1016.  
  1017. &lt;p&gt;
  1018. Following the “Afternoon with Gene Smith” event on April 19 – 11 days before Rabinowitz’s article was published – Smith was asked about 2018 and whether he and Meyer “took a bullet” for Zach Smith’s actions and their ensuing fallout.
  1019. &lt;/p&gt;
  1020.  
  1021. &lt;p&gt;
  1022. “I never looked at that way,” the Ohio State athletic director said. “At the end of the day, mistakes were made and people needed to be accountable for it. I needed to be accountable. Urban needed to be accountable. … When it happened, sure, I was pissed off. But I don’t stay pissed off long. I move to resolution. It’s just the way I am.” 
  1023. &lt;/p&gt;
  1024.  
  1025. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  1026. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/e8qXQKMGGwI&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  1027. &lt;/div&gt;
  1028.  
  1029. &lt;p&gt;
  1030. All in all, the Saga seems like water under the bridge for Drake, Smith and Meyer.
  1031. &lt;/p&gt;
  1032.  
  1033. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1034. &lt;p&gt;
  1035. “We went to the Rose Bowl and had a great season,” Drake said. “We did events together. Urban’s decision to leave was 100% his. … It wasn’t a happy time. I really enjoyed my relationship with Urban before that and respected him and was supportive of him moving forward. The concept that I wanted him to leave … that’s just not true.”
  1036. &lt;/p&gt;
  1037.  
  1038. &lt;p&gt;
  1039. Meyer confirmed that.
  1040. &lt;/p&gt;
  1041.  
  1042. &lt;p&gt;
  1043. “That’s a true statement,” he said. “He tried to talk me into staying.”
  1044. &lt;/p&gt;
  1045. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1046.  
  1047. &lt;p&gt;
  1048. Sometimes I wonder, what if Meyer had stayed?
  1049. &lt;/p&gt;
  1050.  
  1051. &lt;p&gt;
  1052. Where would Ohio State be in 2024?
  1053. &lt;/p&gt;
  1054.  
  1055. &lt;p&gt;
  1056. Something to think about.
  1057. &lt;/p&gt;
  1058.  
  1059. &lt;p&gt;
  1060. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FUTUREEEEEEE.&lt;/strong&gt; According to 247Sports, the top 10 recruits in the 2025 class are quarterback Bryce Underwood (committed to LSU), offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., cornerback &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2023/11/142443/five-star-cornerback-devin-sanchez-the-no-2-cb-in-the-2025-class-commits-to-ohio-state&quot;&gt;Devin Sanchez&lt;/a&gt; (Ohio State), wide receiver Dakorien Moore (LSU), cornerback &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2024/02/145294/five-star-naeem-offord-the-no-1-cornerback-in-the-2025-class-commits-to-ohio-state&quot;&gt;Na’eem Offord&lt;/a&gt; (Ohio State), quarterback&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2023/06/139285/ohio-2025-quarterback-tavien-st-clair-commits-to-ohio-state&quot;&gt; Tavien St. Clair&lt;/a&gt; (Ohio State), defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, cornerback DJ Pickett, linebacker Zayden Walker and quarterback George MacIntyre (Tennessee).
  1061. &lt;/p&gt;
  1062.  
  1063. &lt;p&gt;
  1064. However, after St. Clair &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2024/04/146832/ohio-state-five-star-2025-qb-commit-tavien-st-clair-fulfills-lifelong-dream-by-qualifying-for-elite-11&quot;&gt;shined at the Elite 11 regional &lt;/a&gt;and performed well at &lt;a href=&quot;https://x.com/247Sports/status/1785367549007290482&quot;&gt;Overtime’s 7-on-7 competition&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Andrew_Ivins&quot;&gt;Andrew Ivins of 247Sports&lt;/a&gt; believes there’s “room for change at the top” as St. Clair continues to challenge Underwood for the title of QB1 in the 2025 class.
  1065. &lt;/p&gt;
  1066.  
  1067. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;904&quot;&gt;
  1068. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  1069. &quot;Tavien St. Clair&#039;s gonna be at the Elite 11 Finals this summer... I do think there&#039;s potentially room for change at the top.&quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Andrew_Ivins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Andrew_Ivins&lt;/a&gt; breaks down how 5 Ohio State QB commit Tavien St. Clair performed at OT7 Orlando over the weekend. &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Bucknuts247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@Bucknuts247&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/FeQJuP1I9u&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/FeQJuP1I9u&lt;/a&gt;
  1070. &lt;/p&gt;
  1071. — 247Sports (@247Sports) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1785342607914070506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 30, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  1072. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1073.  
  1074. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1075. &lt;p&gt;
  1076. “There’s some chatter starting about a potential change at the top with Tavien St. Clair. This is a kid that we really, really like. He’s got a prototypical frame. He is all of 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and he’s got a really loose stroke and can touch all the different corners of the field. I loved him at that Elite 11 regional, and then we see him at this OT7 tournament, I thought there were some encouraging things. He did throw some interceptions, but you have to remember that Tavien St. Clair – because of those Ohio High School Athletic Association rules – he’s never really played 7-on-7 football. He told me this was his first-ever club tournament. He’s only played a few with his high school and those were normally at Ohio State. There were some peaks and some valleys. But overall, it was an encouraging performance. He made some high-level throws. 
  1077. &lt;/p&gt;
  1078.  
  1079. &lt;p&gt;
  1080. “He’s gonna be at the Elite 11 finals this summer. Hopefully, we’re gonna see him and Bryce Underwood go at it there. But yes, I do think that there is potentially room for change at the top. Tavien St. Clair is sitting in the top 10 of the rankings. We are way higher on him than the rest of the industry, and I would not be surprised if other people corrected him and he moved up their board. But in Tavien St. Clair, Ohio State is getting a really, really good quarterback.”
  1081. &lt;/p&gt;
  1082. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1083.  
  1084. &lt;p&gt;
  1085. &lt;em&gt;I’ll take things you love to see for 500, Alex.&lt;/em&gt;
  1086. &lt;/p&gt;
  1087.  
  1088. &lt;p&gt;
  1089. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SENIOR AND JUNIOR. &lt;/strong&gt;With all due respect to the coaches Marvin Harrison Jr. will encounter in his NFL career, the toughest coach he will ever have is his Pro Football Hall of Fame father, Marvin Harrison Sr.
  1090. &lt;/p&gt;
  1091.  
  1092. &lt;p&gt;
  1093. Jarrett Bell wrote that lede in a USA TODAY article this week – give or take a few words. The article examined how Harrison Sr. helped his son become one of the most polished and refined NFL draft prospects to come out of the college ranks in a long, long time.
  1094. &lt;/p&gt;
  1095.  
  1096. &lt;p&gt;
  1097. Here are some of the – let’s call them… words of encouragement — Harrison Sr. offered Harrison Jr. over the past 15 years.
  1098. &lt;/p&gt;
  1099.  
  1100. &lt;p&gt;
  1101. “You’re never too good at anything.&quot;
  1102. &lt;/p&gt;
  1103.  
  1104. &lt;p&gt;
  1105. “There’s always something to improve on.&quot;
  1106. &lt;/p&gt;
  1107.  
  1108. &lt;p&gt;
  1109. “Be as complete as you can be.&quot;
  1110. &lt;/p&gt;
  1111.  
  1112. &lt;p&gt;
  1113. “Continue to work hard every day – especially in the offseason.&quot;
  1114. &lt;/p&gt;
  1115.  
  1116. &lt;p&gt;
  1117. Bell then wrote: “Consider this one of the gifts the two-time All-America selection possesses, in addition to explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, sure hands and nerves of steel when scrapping for contested catches. He has the push and wisdom from a man who has been there, done that, at an amazing level.”
  1118. &lt;/p&gt;
  1119.  
  1120. &lt;p&gt;
  1121. &lt;em&gt;What a gift indeed.&lt;/em&gt;
  1122. &lt;/p&gt;
  1123.  
  1124. &lt;p&gt;
  1125. As the article continued, Bell titled one of his sections “Dad does know what he’s talking about.” That section, more than the others, explains how Harrison Jr. became the marvelous wide receiver we came to know and love at Ohio State.
  1126. &lt;/p&gt;
  1127.  
  1128. &lt;p&gt;
  1129. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2024/04/29/marvin-harrison-sr-tough-coach-son-cardinals-nfl/73500097007/&quot;&gt;From USA TODAY&lt;/a&gt;:
  1130. &lt;/p&gt;
  1131.  
  1132. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1133. &lt;p&gt;
  1134. As you can imagine, Harrison Sr. beams with pride when talking about his son, who at 6-4, 205 pounds, has been called a bigger version of his dad.
  1135. &lt;/p&gt;
  1136.  
  1137. &lt;p&gt;
  1138. “You’re always going to be more proud of a son, as opposed to when you do something yourself,” said Harrison, who caught 143 passes in 2002, which stood for 17 years as the NFL’s single-season record. “It’s fatherhood, and with the parents involved, you can see the young man he’s become, let alone the football player. That’s more important than anything.”
  1139. &lt;/p&gt;
  1140.  
  1141. &lt;p&gt;
  1142. Harrison was asked when he realized his son demonstrated the special talent that could take him to the NFL. Marvin Jr. was always a competitive kid, father assured.
  1143. &lt;/p&gt;
  1144.  
  1145. &lt;p&gt;
  1146. “It was a little different because I demanded so much from him,” Harrison said. “You know kids – they don’t always understand. It’s, ‘Why is my dad this way?’ The more important question is, when did he realize, &#039;Oh, (shoot), he knows what he’s talking about.’ As opposed to him being a special talent, it was when he figured that out.”
  1147. &lt;/p&gt;
  1148.  
  1149. &lt;p&gt;
  1150. Although the elder Harrison remembers a turning point coming when his son was in high school, Harrison Jr. insists he always hung on his dad’s words.
  1151. &lt;/p&gt;
  1152.  
  1153. &lt;p&gt;
  1154. “No matter if he was a good football player or not, I always trusted him, that he was going to point me in the right direction,” Harrison Jr. said.
  1155. &lt;/p&gt;
  1156.  
  1157. &lt;p&gt;
  1158. In any event, this surely played out during the pre-draft process. While he attended the league’s scouting combine, meeting with teams and undergoing physicals, Harrison Jr. didn’t participate in the on-field drills and testing. That’s not unusual for a highly-rated combine prospect such as Harrison Jr., who caught 155 passes for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at Ohio State.
  1159. &lt;/p&gt;
  1160.  
  1161. &lt;p&gt;
  1162. Yet it wasn’t normal that Harrison Jr. also refused to participate in the on-field work during Ohio State’s pro day, leaving teams without as much as a 40-yard dash time. It was all part of the plan laid out by the Hall of Fame father.
  1163. &lt;/p&gt;
  1164. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1165.  
  1166. &lt;p&gt;
  1167. That plan worked out for Harrison Jr., whom the Arizona Cardinals selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He was the first non-quarterback taken off the board. 
  1168. &lt;/p&gt;
  1169.  
  1170. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  1171. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/WVbFPmY5nXs&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  1172. &lt;/div&gt;
  1173.  
  1174. &lt;p&gt;
  1175. Harrison will catch passes from 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray in Arizona. The team&#039;s other wide receivers include Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Zach Pascal. No disrespect to them (well, kind of), but without recording one snap in the NFL, Harrison will be better than them in 2024 – by leaps and bounds.
  1176. &lt;/p&gt;
  1177.  
  1178. &lt;p&gt;
  1179. &lt;em&gt;And that’s not exactly a hot take.&lt;/em&gt;
  1180. &lt;/p&gt;
  1181.  
  1182. &lt;p&gt;
  1183. According to consensus lines from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.actionnetwork.com/nfl/2024-offensive-rookie-of-the-year-odds-williams-harrison-and-daniels-early-favorites&quot;&gt;The Action Network&lt;/a&gt;, Harrison has the second-best odds to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year next season at +600, ranking behind Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (+210) and ahead of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (+900).
  1184. &lt;/p&gt;
  1185.  
  1186. &lt;p&gt;
  1187. This past season, former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his record-breaking season with the Houston Texans. Stroud beat out Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua for the honor after Nacua recorded 105 receptions (on 160 targets) for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. 
  1188. &lt;/p&gt;
  1189.  
  1190. &lt;p&gt;
  1191. If Harrison can put up similar or better numbers in 2024 – which is not outside the realm of possibility for someone of his caliber – he could become the seventh Buckeye to win a rookie of the year award since 2016, following in the footsteps of Joey Bosa (2016), Marshon Lattimore (2017), Nick Bosa (2019), Chase Young (2020), Garrett Wilson (2022) and Stroud (2023).
  1192. &lt;/p&gt;
  1193.  
  1194. &lt;p&gt;
  1195. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ALL DAY. &lt;/strong&gt;In three seasons at Ohio State, J.K Dobbins ran the ball 725 times for 4,459 yards and 38 touchdowns. The three-time All-Big Ten selection and one-time All-American later became the No. 55 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, landing with the Baltimore Ravens.
  1196. &lt;/p&gt;
  1197.  
  1198. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  1199. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/lDZYsawWK_I&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  1200. &lt;/div&gt;
  1201.  
  1202. &lt;p&gt;
  1203. Dobbins’ NFL career started strong. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound bruiser appeared in 15 games as a backup and collected 134 carries for 805 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Dobbins tore his ACL in Baltimore’s final preseason game and missed all of 2021. The former Buckeye appeared in seven games in 2022 before he tore his Achilles in the Ravens’ 2023 season opener.
  1204. &lt;/p&gt;
  1205.  
  1206. &lt;p&gt;
  1207. &lt;em&gt;Brutal.&lt;/em&gt;
  1208. &lt;/p&gt;
  1209.  
  1210. &lt;p&gt;
  1211. &lt;em&gt;Just brutal.&lt;/em&gt;
  1212. &lt;/p&gt;
  1213.  
  1214. &lt;p&gt;
  1215. But there is hope for Dobbins yet.
  1216. &lt;/p&gt;
  1217.  
  1218. &lt;p&gt;
  1219. This offseason, he signed a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146755/los-angeles-chargers-signing-former-ohio-state-running-back-jk-dobbins-to-one-year-deal&quot;&gt;one-year, $1.61 million deal&lt;/a&gt; with the Los Angeles Chargers (I know, &lt;em&gt;booooooooo&lt;/em&gt;, but let me be excited about J.K.! ALL DAY!). In the City of Angels, Dobbins hopes to start fresh and experience a revival of his professional football career.
  1220. &lt;/p&gt;
  1221.  
  1222. &lt;p&gt;
  1223. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nfl.com/news/jk-dobbins-no-setbacks-gus-edwards-greg-roman-chargers?campaign=Twitter_atn&quot;&gt;From NFL.com&lt;/a&gt;:
  1224. &lt;/p&gt;
  1225.  
  1226. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1227. &lt;p&gt;
  1228. The move was like a breath of fresh ocean air, except for the salt. After recovering from another season-ending injury suffered in 2023 — this time, it was an Achilles — Dobbins feels good and is ready to shake off any negative associations.
  1229. &lt;/p&gt;
  1230.  
  1231. &lt;p&gt;
  1232. &quot;I&#039;m 100 percent now,&quot; Dobbins said Monday of his health status and recovery. &quot;It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle. It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] -- the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that&#039;s my mentality. It was pretty easy to me. I&#039;ve had these injuries. … It&#039;s been a storm the past two years, having great games, and then, the next thing you know, hurt. Got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think that the storm is over with. I think that I&#039;m going to take off now. There will be no setbacks. The injury-prone thing will be gone, out of the window, again.&quot;
  1233. &lt;/p&gt;
  1234. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1235.  
  1236. &lt;p&gt;
  1237. For Dobbins’ sake, please, please, please let there be no setbacks.
  1238. &lt;/p&gt;
  1239.  
  1240. &lt;p&gt;
  1241. Provided he remains healthy, Dobbins will share the Chargers’ backfield with his former Ravens teammate, Gus Edwards, who carried the ball 198 times for 810 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson will also return to Los Angeles this fall. The former was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and the latter was an undrafted free agent in 2023.
  1242. &lt;/p&gt;
  1243.  
  1244. &lt;p&gt;
  1245. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SONG OF THE DAY. &lt;/strong&gt;“Belong Together” - Mark Ambor.
  1246. &lt;/p&gt;
  1247.  
  1248. &lt;div class=&quot;video-embed&quot;&gt;
  1249. &lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/r0c9Q21AfLA&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  1250. &lt;/div&gt;
  1251.  
  1252. &lt;p&gt;
  1253. &lt;span class=&quot;icon-ohio&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CUT TO THE CHASE. &lt;/strong&gt;Ohio company’s sales soar after &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/ohio-companys-sales-soar-after-taylor-swift-seen-wearing-apparel/&quot;&gt;Taylor Swift seen wearing apparel&lt;/a&gt;... The Minnesota Twins are no &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/cS4pfbpGvi&quot;&gt;stranger to unique home-run celebrations&lt;/a&gt;...Zebras get loose near highway exit, gallop into Washington &lt;a href=&quot;https://apnews.com/article/zebras-escape-north-bend-washington-highway-0bc48c34c9e90e59db2b218ebc985afb?utm_source=Twitter&amp;amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;amp;utm_medium=AP_Oddities&quot;&gt;community before most are corralled&lt;/a&gt;... To fend off tourists, a town in Japan is building a big screen &lt;a href=&quot;https://apnews.com/article/japan-fuji-tourists-screen-9ac5d8f02062ff3c1e573870a6787f16&quot;&gt;blocking the view of Mount Fuji&lt;/a&gt;.
  1254. &lt;/p&gt;
  1255. </description>
  1256.     <pubDate>Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 05:00</pubDate>
  1257. <dc:creator>Chase Brown</dc:creator>
  1258. <guid isPermaLink="false">146992</guid>
  1259.  </item>
  1260.  <item>
  1261.    <title>Ohio State Wide Receiver Kyion Grayes Enters the Transfer Portal After Two Seasons With the Buckeyes</title>
  1262.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146700/ohio-state-wide-receiver-kyion-grayes-enters-the-transfer-portal-after-two-seasons-with-the-buckeyes</link>
  1263.    <description>Kyion Grayes will look for a new home this offseason.
  1264. &lt;p&gt;
  1265. The Ohio State wide receiver entered the transfer portal on Tuesday after two seasons with the Buckeyes.
  1266. &lt;/p&gt;
  1267.  
  1268. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  1269. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  1270. Ohio State wide receiver Kyion Grayes has entered the transfer portal, &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/chris_hummer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@chris_hummer&lt;/a&gt; and I have learned for &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/247Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@247Sports&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1271. Was a Class of 2022 top-65 overall recruit.&lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/tWuKdZP0lN&quot;&gt;https://t.co/tWuKdZP0lN&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/wU3Oh3gvD9&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/wU3Oh3gvD9&lt;/a&gt;
  1272. &lt;/p&gt;
  1273. — Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mzenitz/status/1785466765411004822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;May 1, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  1274. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1275.  
  1276. &lt;p&gt;
  1277. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://247sports.com/Player/kyion-grayes-46056370/&quot;&gt;No. 88 overall prospect&lt;/a&gt; in the 2022 class, Grayes becomes the third wide receiver from his class to leave Columbus before their college career ends, along with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2023/05/138690/former-ohio-state-wide-receiver-caleb-burton-transfers-to-auburn&quot;&gt;Caleb Burton&lt;/a&gt; (Auburn) and&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2023/05/138676/former-ohio-state-wide-receiver-kaleb-brown-transferring-to-iowa&quot;&gt; Kaleb Brown&lt;/a&gt; (Iowa). His decision to enter the portal leaves Kojo Antwi as the lone receiver from the 2022 class left on the Buckeyes’ roster.
  1278. &lt;/p&gt;
  1279.  
  1280. &lt;p&gt;
  1281. Grayes’ departure comes after back-to-back years with little playing time for the Buckeyes. After appearing in two games as a freshman (Toledo and Iowa) and catching just one pass, Grayes did not play at all in 2023 as he was sidelined by an injury that forced him into a walking boot for most of the season.
  1282. &lt;/p&gt;
  1283.  
  1284. &lt;p&gt;
  1285. The return of Emeka Egbuka as well as the emergence of Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith didn’t help his case for an increased workload in 2024.
  1286. &lt;/p&gt;
  1287.  
  1288. &lt;p&gt;
  1289. In Ohio State’s spring game, Grayes &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146693/snap-counts-breaking-down-how-ohio-state-divided-up-playing-time-at-every-position-in-the-spring-game&quot;&gt;earned the most reps&lt;/a&gt; of any wide receiver, recording 49 snaps. He ended the scrimmage with two catches for 15 yards.
  1290. &lt;/p&gt;
  1291.  
  1292. &lt;p&gt;
  1293. Now in the portal, Grayes finishes his Ohio State career with one catch for two yards. The Chandler, Arizona, native will have three years of eligibility to use at his new school.
  1294. &lt;/p&gt;
  1295.  
  1296. &lt;p&gt;
  1297. Grayes was once committed to Arizona before he wound up in Columbus. Arizona State, Auburn, Oregon and USC, among others, also pursued him when he was a high school prospect.
  1298. &lt;/p&gt;
  1299.  
  1300. &lt;p&gt;
  1301. Grayes is the sixth Buckeye to enter the transfer portal in April, following running back Dallan Hayden, safeties Cedrick Hawkins and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146724/ohio-state-safety-ja-had-carter-enters-transfer-portal-after-one-year-with-buckeyes&quot;&gt;Ja&#039;Had Carter&lt;/a&gt;, offensive lineman &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146988/ohio-state-offensive-lineman-enokk-vimahi-enters-the-transfer-portal-after-five-seasons-with-the-buckeyes&quot;&gt;Enokk Vimahi&lt;/a&gt; and linebacker &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146993/ohio-state-linebacker-nigel-glover-enters-the-transfer-portal-after-one-season-with-the-buckeyes&quot;&gt;Nigel Glover&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146809/former-ohio-state-safety-cedrick-hawkins-transfers-to-ucf&quot;&gt;Hawkins committed to UCF&lt;/a&gt; on April 20, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146850/former-ohio-state-running-back-dallan-hayden-transferring-to-colorado&quot;&gt;Hayden committed to Colorado&lt;/a&gt; on April 22. Carter entered the portal Sunday while Vimahi and Glover entered the portal on Tuesday.
  1302. &lt;/p&gt;
  1303. </description>
  1304.     <pubDate>Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 20:35</pubDate>
  1305. <dc:creator>Chase Brown</dc:creator>
  1306. <guid isPermaLink="false">146700</guid>
  1307.  </item>
  1308.  <item>
  1309.    <title>Ohio State Linebacker Nigel Glover Enters the Transfer Portal After One Season With the Buckeyes</title>
  1310.    <link>https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146993/ohio-state-linebacker-nigel-glover-enters-the-transfer-portal-after-one-season-with-the-buckeyes</link>
  1311.    <description>Nigel Glover will look for a new home in 2024.
  1312. &lt;p&gt;
  1313. On Tuesday, the Ohio State linebacker entered the transfer portal after one year with the Buckeyes.
  1314. &lt;/p&gt;
  1315.  
  1316. &lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;
  1317. &lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;
  1318. Ohio State linebacker Nigel Glover has entered the transfer portal, &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/On3sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;@On3sports&lt;/a&gt; has learned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1319. Former four-star recruit started his career at Northwestern. Michigan and Kentucky were in mix when he entered the portal this summer. &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/VNvB2Ek6qR&quot;&gt;https://t.co/VNvB2Ek6qR&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/n7FaCJDVkK&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/n7FaCJDVkK&lt;/a&gt;
  1320. &lt;/p&gt;
  1321. — Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/PeteNakos_/status/1785392500137426971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;April 30, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  1322. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1323.  
  1324. &lt;p&gt;
  1325. Glover&#039;s decision to enter the transfer portal marks the second time he will change schools in his young career. The four-star recruit in the 2023 class originally signed with Northwestern out of Northmont High School (Clayton, Ohio). However, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/the-weekender/2023/07/139517/hazing-details-northwestern-football-scandal-hell-wheels-georgia-bob-huggins-wvu-george-costanza&quot;&gt;in the aftermath of a scandal&lt;/a&gt; that resulted in the firing of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/the-big-ten/2023/07/139539/northwestern-fires-pat-fitzgerald-following-allegations-of-hazing-in-program&quot;&gt;Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald&lt;/a&gt;, Glover &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2023/08/139863/ohio-state-lands-northwestern-transfer-linebacker-nigel-glover&quot;&gt;transferred to Ohio State&lt;/a&gt; before the 2023 season.
  1326. &lt;/p&gt;
  1327.  
  1328. &lt;p&gt;
  1329. Glover did not appear in a game for Ohio State last year. As the Buckeyes navigated spring practices in preparation for 2024, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and linebackers coach James Laurinaitis often mentioned Cody Simon, C.J. Hicks, Sonny Styles, Gabe Powers and Arvell Reese as candidates to earn snaps at the position, not Glover. With his role unlikely to increase this fall, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker has decided to take his four years of eligibility elsewhere.
  1330. &lt;/p&gt;
  1331.  
  1332. &lt;p&gt;
  1333. Glover is the fifth Buckeye to enter the transfer portal in April, following running back Dallan Hayden, safeties Cedrick Hawkins and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146724/ohio-state-safety-ja-had-carter-enters-transfer-portal-after-one-year-with-buckeyes&quot;&gt;Ja&#039;Had Carter&lt;/a&gt; and offensive lineman &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146988/ohio-state-offensive-lineman-enokk-vimahi-enters-the-transfer-portal-after-five-seasons-with-the-buckeyes&quot;&gt;Enokk Vimahi&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146809/former-ohio-state-safety-cedrick-hawkins-transfers-to-ucf&quot;&gt;Hawkins committed to UCF&lt;/a&gt; on April 20, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2024/04/146850/former-ohio-state-running-back-dallan-hayden-transferring-to-colorado&quot;&gt;Hayden committed to Colorado&lt;/a&gt; on April 22. Carter entered the portal Sunday while Vimahi entered the portal on Tuesday.
  1334. &lt;/p&gt;
  1335. </description>
  1336.     <pubDate>Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 16:14</pubDate>
  1337. <dc:creator>Chase Brown</dc:creator>
  1338. <guid isPermaLink="false">146993</guid>
  1339.  </item>
  1340.  </channel>
  1341. </rss>
  1342.  

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