Tag: buckeyes football

Ohio State football defensive coordinator prospect gets new deal with rival Big ten program

Ohio State football, given the exodus of Jim Knowles, is in the hunt for a defensive coordinator. Here’s one name they will miss on.

One name that many thought the Ohio State Buckeyes may target to replace Jim Knowles was Bryant Haines, the defensive coordinator of a well-run Indiana Hoosiers squad.

Matt Zenitz reported that he has finalized a new contract for himself with the Hoosiers. With that, he’ll officially be out of the running for the Buckeyes defensive coordinator position, at least this time around.

Haines has followed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti for quite a while and jumped with him from James Madison to Indiana. JMU was a top-ten defense under the tutelage of Haines, and the Hoosiers were elite on that side of the ball this past season as well.

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That’s one key reason why many thought Haines would have made a good fit under head coach Ryan Day in Columbus. However, his plans seem to be made up, and he’s going to be staying put.

Expect Ohio State to look at other names like Luke Fickell, Mike Vrabel or the slew of NFL names that Day has ties to as they start their search for Knowles’ replacement.

Ohio State football’s Quinshon Judkins to enter 2025 NFL Draft

Quinshon Judkins, who was paramount in the Buckeyes national championship run, has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ohio State football had a slew of transfer players make an immediate impact on its national championship-winning team, and former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins was among them.

Prior to joining the Buckeyes, Judkins ended his second season with the Rebels at 1,158 yards and an SEC-high 15 rushing touchdowns.

He went for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns in his junior season, helping the Buckeyes win four postseason games and eventually be crowned NCAA champions. Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield.

That said, now, the star is heading for the NFL, he announced recently on Instagram.

 

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Where Judkins will be drafted is an entirely different discussion, but he should be taken within the weekend-long event.

With over 1,000 yards in each of his collegiate seasons, he’s shown an ability to both stay on the field and play at an ultra-high level. He also had 59 receptions throughout his three seasons, two at Ole Miss and one with Ohio State.

The dual-threat weapon is unlikely to be a first-round pick but could fall anywhere between the third and fifth rounds as he sits as the No. 5 back in Mel Kiper Jr.’s position rankings per On3.

Jeremiah Smith reportedly seeing $4.5 million transfer offers

Jeremiah Smith has yet to officially hit the transfer portal, but there is a $4.5 million offer on the table for him to do just that.

The race is on for one of the best receivers in the country.

After having arguably the best freshman receiving season in NCAA history, Jeremiah Smith has secured a massive offer to hit the transfer portal, and Carnell Tate has as well.

While details of the offer are unclear in terms of who is giving it, there has been a report that Smith is seeing a $4.5 million deal in order to hit the transfer portal. Tate’s deal is valued at around $1 million.

Considering how NIL has virtually made the offseason a free agency of sorts for college athletes, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Smith, who still has two years at the amateur level left before he can take his talent to the NFL, at least look into the portal to maximize his current value.

Smith ended his freshman season with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, both of which led the Big Ten. He was the main weapon for the Ohio State offense, often requiring at least two defensive backs on his side of the field. Smith was paramount in the Buckeyes national championship run.

While there’s no real inclination that he’ll leave Ohio State, there’s no denying that the generation money that could be thrown his way may change his mind.

Pat McAfee makes case for Will Howard as a premier NFL prospect

Pat McAfee sees Will Howard’s success at Ohio State as an indicator that he might thrive at the highest level in football.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Despite the success of Ohio State this season, its leader, Will Howard, isn’t often talked about when discussing the best quarterback prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

However, ESPN’s Pat McAfee is looking to change that mindset as he seems fully on the Will Howard wagon. Here’s a clip from the The Pat McAfee Show where McAfee discusses Howard’s potential.

He’s not necessarily wrong either.

While one could argue that Howard has an elite weapon set around him and that his play hasn’t been overly impressive, it is difficult to go through Tennessee, Texas and Oregon, beating those top-ten teams in the last few months.

Howard ended with a Big Ten-best 33 touchdowns and went for a career-high of 3,779 passing yards. He has career-best numbers basically across the board, and at 6-foot-4, he could be a strong option as a rusher as well.

Having had a successful career at Kansas State prior to joining the Buckeyes, Howard should be chosen in the upcoming draft. Where he gets selected is a completely different discussion though.

Jack Sawyer calls playing with Ohio State football a “dream come true”

Ohio State football was able to get star defensive end Jack Sawyer back for his senior season, and the star has enjoyed every moment of it.

Jack Sawyer penned an incredible column in The Players’ Tribune on Thursday, showing a brilliant writing ability. In it, he went over just about everything from when he first committed to his life growing up in Ohio.

One thing he made sure to mention was his senior season and just how special that has been.

It surged to a new level when he made arguably the most impressive play in the Cotton Bowl, a fumble return for more than 85 yards that sealed the game for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

That might not be the cap of his year though as the Buckeyes are prepping to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

That said, one thing is certain, and that is that Sawyer has loved every minute of playing for the Buckeyes.

“It’s been a dream come true for me to play football at this school, and I mean that literally. I dreamed of playing here — and then it came true,” Sawyer wrote.

Sawyer was the No. 1 player from the state in the Class of 2021 and was easily offered, although he’s certainly had to earn playing time. He was the No. 6 player in the class.

Sawyer has shown that ultra-high upside and has thrived this season. In the team’s first-round battle, he had 1.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Against Oregon, he had two of each, and against the Longhorns he had one of both.

One of the most impressive players to come through Columbus, Sawyer bleeds Scarlet and Gray. Let’s just hope he can reach the pinnacle of college football success on Monday.

Ohio State football will get visit from key FCS transfer lineman

The Ohio State Buckeyes will get a visit from a top transfer lineman, and they will have to fend off Michigan State in the pursue for him.

Ohio State football is a premier spot for players in the transfer portal.

Just this past season, the program was able to add Alabama’s Seth McLaughlin, the No. 4 interior offensive lineman in 247Sports transfer portal rankings. He made a massive difference in the Buckeyes’ success this season.

Ohio State may be able to look back to the transfer portal to retool its offense line for next season.

One player to keep an eye on is left tackle transfer Conner Moore, who will be changing teams after being an All-American lineman for Montana State, a side that lost in the FCS Championship Game recently.

Moore checks in at 6-foot-5 and weighs 310 pounds. He earned Freshman All-America honors as well. Moore played sparingly in 2022 and had a real breakout season in 2024, earning First Team All-Big Sky honors as well.

With a visit to Michigan State and Cincinnati on his radar, the Buckeyes may have to fend off teams in the Big Ten and Big 12 to get a commitment from the massive lineman.

Moore wasn’t ranked coming out of high school and is a four-star transfer.

ESPN analyst details the biggest ‘point’ for Ohio State football

As Ohio State football prepares for Texas, one ESPN analyst said the biggest point moving forward is playing fast football.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are in Arlington for the Cotton Bowl, and they are going to need to put their best foot forward to come out on top against an aggressive Texas Longhorns side.

The Longhorns can match the play of Ohio State’s wide receivers and defensive ends, a few battles that will garner the utmost attention in the College Football Playoff semifinal match.

However, if there’s one takeaway to what the Buckeyes must do, after being with the team, ESPN’s Holly Rowe says it is going to be all about fresh and fast football.

The Buckeyes have a strong offensive line to couple with a few of the best weapons in the college ranks. Players like TreVeyon Henderson and Jeremiah Smith detonated against the Oregon Ducks on January 1.

To put Texas out early, much like Ohio State did in its quarterfinal battle, it must play fast football. As Rowe notes, that will be something the team wants to do, but it’ll be more telling if it’s something they can do Friday night.

LOOK. What Quinn Ewers said about his time at Ohio State.

Quinn Ewers spent some time with the Ohio State Buckeyes several years ago, and he has no regrets about making that decision.

Ohio State football is one of the most prestigious places to play in the country, and it creates an almost unparalleled atmosphere for its games at Ohio Stadium.

While making it a fun experience for recruits, the Buckeyes also have some of the top names at the NFL level, often opening the door for an avenue to get to the highest level in the sport.

That’s likely part of what initially attracted former five-star recruit Quinn Ewers to Ohio State. Ewers originally was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021 and then was the No. 2 prospect in the transfer portal when he opted to leave Ohio State after his first season in Columbus.

Originally from Texas, the Longhorns seemed like a perfect fit, but he has no regrets about that initial decision

“I learned a lot while I was there,” Ewers said via The Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz. “Coach Day and C.J. (Stroud) and that whole room was awesome to be around. I’m super thankful for that time I got to spend there. I don’t regret any decision I made on going (there).”

The Buckeyes and Longhorns will square off in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, so Ewers will face his former head coach on one of the brightest stages in college football.

Let’s just say all parties should be ready for what will undoubtedly be a terrific battle between two of the best teams in the country.

Ohio State football vs. Oregon most-viewed CFP quarterfinal matchup

The Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl to kick off 2025, and they were viewed by north of 21 million people.

The Ohio State Buckeyes put on a show against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2025, annihilating their opponent 41-21 and taking a 34-8 lead into the half. They were led by Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith.

The former threw for 319 passing yards and three touchdowns while the latter put up 187 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The defense also consistently stood strong against one of the best offenses in the country.

The Buckeyes throttling their opponents in front of over 21 million people. They were the most-viewed quarterback College Football Playoff matchup.

The Buckeyes will now face the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on January 10th, and there’s no doubt that millions will be tuning in for that battle as well.

Ohio State already draws a crowd just by its brand recognition, and now with it playing at a scorching-hot level, it might be even more of a must-watch game, especially as it faces former Buckeyes quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Let’s hope that the same Ohio State team comes to play on Friday.

Ohio State football wasn’t happy even up 34-8 at half against the Oregon Ducks

Ohio State football’s wide receiver Brandon Inniss did not hold back when giving the expectations put on this team moving forward.

Ohio State football has its mind on one thing — a College Football Playoff national championship.

At this point, anything short of that is going to be a disappointing outcome for the Buckeyes, especially after they slaughtered the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks this past Wednesday.

The Buckeyes ended the first half up 34-8, granted they did give up a last-second touchdown to allow the Ducks their first points of the game going into the break.

Nonetheless, they weren’t excited as they knew they had to both finish the game and make it through two more opponents before being crowned the best team in college football.

That’s a summation of what wide receiver Brandon Inniss said about the Ohio State attitude entering the half.

Inniss didn’t end with a reception in the game as much of the Ohio State offense flowed through Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egubka. That said, he did have a strong season with the Buckeyes, playing 14 games and totaling 13 receptions for 157 yards and a score.

He should see some snaps against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl this Friday.