Ohio State signs the No. 3 rated 2020 class according to 247Sports

Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day has his first full recruiting cycle in the books. He hauled in the nation’s No. 3 rated 2020 class.

By all accounts and measures, the first full recruiting class Ryan Day signed is a slam dunk. It’s a consensus top five haul across multiple recruiting services and addresses a lot of needs. It’s heavy on defensive backs and offensive lineman, and that’s exactly what this program needs for a solid foundation for the future.

There’s filling needs, and then there’s the competition that goes along with signing one of the top classes. Former head coach Urban Meyer was consistent in his approach of trying to sign the top class, and it appears as though Ryan Day has continued to carry the torch.

So how does this class stack up with the rest of the country? Pretty good actually. In fact, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings that takes into account the rankings of several recruiting services, Ohio State has the No. 3 rated class after the first day of the early signing period.

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Coming into the day, OSU was pegged at No. 4, but LSU lost a five-star wide-receiver, while the Buckeyes secured a four-star quarterback in C.J. Stroud to leapfrog the Tigers. Now, there’s still the traditional signing day in February that could change things one way or another, but it’s unlikely that Ohio State falls much, and will most certainly finish in the top five.

With what Day’s first team has done on the field, and now what he’s been able to accomplish in recruiting, he has sent a message to the college football world that Ohio State isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

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Complete Ryan Day national signing day press conference and transcript

Another early signing period is in the books. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with the media to discuss the new 2020 class.

The first day of the early signing period is over and Ohio State signed 24 total players, which basically rounds out the entire 2020 class. There’s still a chance defensive back Clark Phillips III picks the Buckeyes tomorrow over Utah, and athlete Cameron Martinez might still come to Columbus in February, but by and large what we have in one day, is what you’re going to see in the future.

It’s a consensus top five class, and Ryan Day met with the media Wednesday to discuss the new Buckeyes and to field questions from reporters. It’s a rather lengthy comments, but it’s clear Day is very happy with what this class offers. If you want to watch the entire press conference, you can click on the below shared by the official Twitter feed of the Ohio State Buckeyes, or go directly to the Ohio State Buckeyes website.

Day discusses the relationships he built, the focus on Ohio, the character and talent of the kids, and more. If you’d rather read as opposed to watch, the complete transcript follows if you click through to the next page.

Next … Complete Ryan Day signing day press conference transcript

WATCH: Former Ohio State WR Michael Thomas talks about his recruitment and time at Ohio State

The early signing period is almost in the books for Ohio State. Michael Thomas sat down to discuss his recruitment and time in Columbus.

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Who knew when Ohio State took a chance on a modest wide-receiver prospect out of Calfornia back in 2012 that he would eventually be arguably the best wide-receiver in the NFL?

Michael Thomas was a bit of an afterthought when Urban Meyer signed his first class just after agreeing to be the head coach at Ohio State, but we did hear things like “diamond in the rough” and “under the radar” when the staff spoke about Thomas. In reflecting, there was a lot of truth to that. He may have been better known as being the nephew of All-Pro wide-receiver Keyshawn Johnson, but he turned out to be pretty good himself.

Thomas sat down with CampusLore and spoke about those humble beginnings, what drove him, and how he thought about going to USC, but wanted to make a name for himself rather than following in his uncle’s footsteps.

He’s done that and more. Thomas talked about growing up and finding out his love for football.

“Pretty much coming out I was a late bloomer,” Thomas told Campus Lore. “I didn’t have a lot of attention, I didn’t have a like lot of hype behind my name. I was kind of a basketball player growing up. I love basketball, I loved Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson. I remember when I was growing up, I watched USC play Ohio State in the Horseshoe. Seeing the atmosphere and all the big names on both sides of the ball — and they were just going at it and competing. It was football to me. I kind of just wanted to be a part of that.”

Thomas also talked about trying to follow in the big footsteps his uncle left.

“My uncle is Keyshawn Johnson, 1996 first round, No. 1 pick overall to the New York Jets. He laid the foundation, he set the standard real high. He went to USC and that was close to home, and I feel like a lot of people were just expecting me to follow in his footsteps, but I wanted to do my own thing.”

But as good as Thomas has become, he was a relative unknown. He still has a deep love for Ohio State because it gave him the opportunity. He still seems to love reminiscing about those college days and the camaraderie, competition, and even a few dust ups along the way.

“Recruiting started off slow and it kept me honest. It helped me find out if I really wanted to play this game, and what it’s going to take to get where I want to go. Ohio State is where I came up at. That’s where I made my name, that’s what gave me the start, gave me the opportunity. I miss everything about it — my coaches, my teammates, the Friday dinners, the best Friday practices, going against great players and getting in fights in practice, but still going to war with them on Saturdays. I miss everything about it.

Being the nephew of a great athlete isn’t always enough though. Thomas wasn’t given anything, but he knew what he wanted to do, and wasn’t afraid to work for it. His practice habits are legendary around Ohio State.

“I definitely believed that I would have a shot. I saw a lot of stuff, I kind of calculated my steps — I set goals and attacked them. There were definitely bumps along the way. I faced adversity. There were ups and downs. But you know, that’s what makes this journey and being at the Pro Bowl and in this position that much more enjoyable because you kept grinding it, you pushed through it never folded. I wanted it, so whatever it took to get there, I was going to do it.”

Now, Thomas has taken his family’s legacy and done nothing but improve on it, against all odds in fact. He seems motivated to keep working and to keep it that way.

“At the end of the day, it was never me against my uncle, or me competing with my uncle, it was always me competing with myself. I feel like my uncle to me just passed the torch, and that to me is my family, and at the end of the day I have to keep the torch lit.

Yes, Thomas, that torch has definitely been passed and continues to burn brighter and brighter.

 

Six former Ohio State players selected to 2020 NFL Pro Bowl

Ohio State football will be well represented in the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl. Six former Buckeyes are on the rosters for the game in Orlando.

The Ohio State football program has always been well-represented at the highest level. With the NFL releasing the 2020 Pro Bowl rosters, it was clear the Buckeyes would again hold numerous roster spots.

And sure enough, six Buckeyes were named to the 2020 Pro Bowl which will take place in Orlando, Florida. All of them outside of Ezekiel Elliott were named starters for their respective conferences as well.

The six selected were San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward, New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wide receiver Michael Thomas.

All six have been highly impressive this season with three of the six having already helped their team clinch a playoff spot.

As for the Bosa brothers, this will be Joey’s second nomination while rookie Nick will obviously have his first. To round out the defense, this will be Lattimore’s second and Heyward’s third appearance.

Zeke, a perennial Pro Bowler, will also be making his third appearance in four seasons. Lastly, we have Michael Thomas, who has bigger plans than just a Pro Bowl.

Thomas is on track to set the league’s single-season receptions record, just 11 shy of Marvin Harrison’s record. He already broke the Saints’ single-season receptions record with 12 against the Colts on Monday Night Football.

The Pro Bowl will take place on Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. EST.

Ohio State football recruiting: No. 2 pro-style QB CJ Stroud commits to Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes have secured a commitment from the Class of 2020’s No. 2 overall pro-style quarterback, CJ Stroud.

Ohio State may have their next elite quarterback on the way. The No. 2 ranked pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2020, CJ Stroud, just announced his commitment to Ohio State. It was the biggest remaining target the Buckeyes were looking to convince heading into the first day of the early signing period.

Mission accomplished.

The four-star recruit had visited with Georgia and Michigan in the last month, but made a last minute jaunt to Ohio State, perhaps signaling a lean towards the Buckeyes. Stroud’s final five schools were Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC. He’ll join seven other four-star recruits in what is shaping up to be a top five OSU 2020 recruiting class.

247 Sports Crystal Ball prediction had him committing with the Buckeyes all along. However, with Justin Fields remaining the team’s unanimous leader for at least one more season, Shroud won’t get the start immediately. He’s also the second four-star QB to pledge to OSU for the 2020 class meaning the competition might be fierce with fellow commit Jack Miller.

Those two quarterbacks will join the nation’s top overall offensive lineman and wide receiver in Columbus next season.

Here’s a look at how Stroud announced his decision.

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Welcome to Columbus, CJ!

Former OSU standout Michael Thomas sets Saints single-season receptions record

Former Ohio State standout receiver Michael Thomas set the New Orleans Saints’ single-season receptions record on Monday night — again.

Former Ohio State standout receiver Michael Thomas set the New Orleans Saints’ single-season receptions record on Monday night. Who did he beat out? Well, he beat out Michael Thomas from 2018.

With 125 catches last season, Thomas set the single-season record for the historic organization a season ago. However, this season, he has bigger goals in mind.

Thomas entered the Saints’ Week 15 matchup needing eight receptions per game to top Marvin Harrison’s league-wide single-season record of 143. Well, he got a start on that with 12 against the Colts, and now needs just eleven more the final two weeks to set the all-time mark.

For the year, Thomas has a league-high 133 receptions to go along with a NFL leading 1,552 yards. Recently announced as a Pro Bowl starter, Thomas has taken his game to the next level.

Thomas spent three seasons with the Buckeyes, totaling over 780 yards in each of his last two seasons. A second-round pick in 2016, the former Buckeye is now one of the league’s highest-paid receivers.

Ohio State looks sloppy in first half but pulls away from Southeast Missouri State

The Ohio State basketball team looked sloppy in the first half but found its game in the second half to beat SE Missouri State going away.

The Ohio State basketball team needed a shot in the arm Tuesday after getting hammered on the road by Minnesota Sunday. It by and large got what it needed despite a sloppy start, winning going away 80-48.

The Buckeyes came out with what looked like a hangover early on in the fist half. It struggled with far too many turnovers, and allowed a 3-7 mid-major program to hang around and even lead for a good bit of the first half. Ohio State went on a little run to end the first twenty minutes up 35-26, but there’s no doubt it got an earful from head coach Chris Holtmann in the locker room.

It seemed to work.

The Buckeyes came out of the second half with much more intensity and purpose, but more importantly stopped being as charitable with the basketball. In the end, it was a much needed bounce back prior to heading to Las Vegas to take on Kentucky.

Kaleb Wesson notched a double-double, leading the Buckeyes with 18 points and 10 rebounds. His brother Andre Wesson joined three others in double figures. The older Wesson chipped in 14 points, and D.J. Carton and Kyle Young each added 10 a piece as Ohio State shot 64% from the field for the game.

The matchup with Kentucky will be another good litmus test for the Buckeyes. Game time is set for 5:15 PM Eastern on CBS.

LOOK: A glance at Ohio State’s official Fiesta Bowl uniforms

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl alternate uniforms are out, and there’s no denying this team will be looking sharp on December 28.

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl uniforms are out, and there’s no denying that this team will be looking sharp on December 28.

The Buckeyes, coming off a Big Ten Championship victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, will line up against the undefeated Clemson Tigers, a team that many favor over the undefeated Buckeyes.

They’ll be playing in the Fiesta Bowl after dropping from the top overall seed in the final College Football Playoffs rankings. Shortly after, we were told that the Buckeyes would be wearing a throwback alternate we’re all familiar with.

That said, here’s a glance at what fans will be seeing in just over a week.

The look is clean and clearly shows the Buckeyes scarlet and grey. It’s a beautiful design and one that many tradition fans should fall in love with.

Ryan Day believes Jeff Hafley’s exit won’t result in defections by defensive back commits

The early signing period begins Wednesday. Ryan Day believes all defensive back verbals will still commit despite the Jeff Hafley departure.

There’s a little playoff thing Ohio State is preparing for, but amidst all of that is the Early Signing Period set to go down Wednesday. We’ll forgive you if you’ve lost track of it with all the Fiesta Bowl buzz going on.

It’s like shopping for groceries while still finishing off a gourmet main course.

To add to the drama, one of the Buckeyes’ superstar recruiters who helped sway some talented defensive backs for the 2020 class is exiting the program after OSU’s postseason. It’s not great timing for some pretty talented kids that are supposed to sign tomorrow, but according to head coach Ryan Day, he doesn’t expect any of those players to go elsewhere.

When speaking to the media yesterday, Day was asked about Jeff Hafley and the recruits that chose to come to Columbus in part because of the relationship they built with Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

He’s off to Boston College as the new head coach, and there’s always a worry that there will be defections.

“I talk to those guys every day for the most part,” said Day. “Response has been good. It’s been great. Certainly they’re disappointed that they’re not going to get coached by Jeff, but they’re excited to sign. They’ve been great. It’s been really positive. They understand this is an unbelievable program that’s on the rise. We have a great defensive system. There’s great opportunity in the back end next year. Guys are going to be coming in with an opportunity to play.

“They’re excited to be here. They’ll find out who is going to coach them. They will in time. I promised them I’m going to give them the best situation possible to make sure they can reach their dreams and goals. That’s the whole idea, they committed to me as the head coach, to Ohio State. They understand that. That’s been the response.”

All of that sounds great, and we’ve seen some of the DBs already verbally committed to the 2020 class come out and re-affirm their intentions. One example is Lathan Ransom, the No. 5 rated safety in the country according to 247Sports..

We also saw the class’ No. 26 rated safety Lejond Cavazos reaffirm his pledge to Ohio State.

And Ryan Watts, the flip from Oklahoma that’s rated as the No. 17 cornerback in 2020 class.

So that leaves two other guys; Cameron Martinez out of Michigan, and Clark Phillips III. I’d be surprised if Martinez doesn’t ink his name early Wednesday, but Clark is the one outlier that could be in jeopardy. He took an official visit to Utah and that’s not normally a good sign just before the fax machines begin humming.

Still, Day is confident, so we’ll see what all plays out tomorrow and through the end of the week if there are any hanging commitments. Ohio State is losing Damon Arnette and Jordan Fuller to graduation, and are probably also looking at early departures from juniors Jeff Okudah and Shaun Wade. That’s the entire secondary, so landing all of these guys is a big deal.

Ohio State vs. Clemson 2019 Fiesta Bowl Preview: Get to know the Tigers’ five best players

What players on Clemson could make life difficult on Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl CFP Semifinal? Here are the Tigers’ five best players.

We’re less than two weeks away from the College Football Semifinal matchup in the Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Clemson. As a Buckeye fan, we know you’ve been up at night thinking about this matchup and what to be aware of. So, we’ll be bringing you things leading up to the game, and first up is a cliff notes version of the best five players on this Tigers’ squad.

It’s not Clemson is the great unknown opponent. You don’t win a couple of national titles over the last three years and go under the radar, but still, with the schedule and lack of coverage of the ACC Champion’s year, you may not be completely up to speed on who has been the biggest playmakers for Dabo Swinney’s club.

Here’s the Clemson Tigers five best players of 2019 so far, and ones that the Ohio State coaching staff will no doubt have to have an answer for.

Next … No. 5