Tag: Buckeyes in the NFL

Former Ohio State cornerback signs with Houston Texans

Former Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah has signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans in free agency.

The NFL free agency frenzy kicked off on Monday which saw a former Buckeye fan favorite land a contract with a new team.

That is Jeff Okudah who signed a one-year, $4.75 million deal with the Houston Texans that is worth up to $6 million with a snap count incentive.  It is a new start for Okudah who returns to Texas where he grew up.

Okudah arrived at Ohio State with a lot of expectations as a five-star recruit. He lived up to those lofty expectations as Okudah was a lockdown corner in his time in Columbus and one of the leaders of an outstanding defense in his junior season in 2019.

Following a stellar career at Ohio State, Okudah was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Detroit Lions. Okudah unfortunately dealt with injuries at the start of career as he suffered season-ending injuries in his first two seasons.

After three seasons in Detroit, Okudah was traded to the Atlanta Falcons where he appeared in 13 games with nine starts this season.

Okudah’s new start in Houston is intriguing in particular due to DeMeco Ryans who led a quick turnaround in just his first season as head coach of the Texans and is considered one of the best defensive minds in football. Perhaps, the former Buckeye star can fulfill his potential in Houston under Ryans’ tutelage.

Former Ohio State offensive lineman lands big NFL contract

Former Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson signs a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams in NFL free agency.

The NFL free agency tampering window kicked on Monday as deals are being announced left and right. One player who came into free agency as one of the best interior offensive lineman available is now off the board.

That is former Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson who is signing a three-year, $51 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams.

Jackson began his Rutgers where he spent four seasons before transferring to Ohio State for the 2019 season. He was phenomenal for the Buckeyes as he helped pave way to one of the best rushing attacks in college football as well provide good pass protection for Justin Fields.

He was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.  Jackson immediately carved out a starting role at left guard and has been a very solid player for a highly regarded Lions offensive line for four years since being drafted.

Jackson now lands a much deserved payday and begins a new journey in the NFL after signing with the Los Angeles Rams.

2024 NFL Draft: Five potential landing spots for Marvin Harrison Jr.

Where do you see Harrison Jr. going?

With both the college football and NFL seasons in the rear-view mirror, all eyes move to the offseason and the NFL draft in April.

There’s always a lot of debates on different prospects among the media and fans this time of the year, however one player most analysts can agree on as an exceptional prospect is Ohio State wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison was one of the best players in college football over the last two seasons.  His combination of explosiveness, change of direction and speed at his size is rare. That, combined with his elite technical ability as a route runner and ability to make catches through contact, make it hard to see him lasting past the first four or five selections on draft night.

Buckeye fans will be ecstatic to watch what the star wide receiver can do at the next level. Here are five teams with the best chance of landing him.

Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud wins Pepsi Rookie of the Year award

Former Ohio State star quarterback C.J. Stroud won the Pepsi fan-voted rookie of the year award on Thursday.

One of the biggest stories in the NFL this season was the play of the rookie class.  With Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud each putting together historic rookie seasons they both have cases to take home the rookie of the year award.

The winner of the AP offensive rookie of the year award will be crowned on Thursday night, but the fans have spoken on who they believe should take home the award. Pepsi’s fan-voted rookie of the year was announced on Thursday morning with the winner being former Buckeye quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stroud had one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in the history of the NFL.  After throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in the regular season he led the Houston Texans to an AFC South title.

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Watch: C.J. Stroud makes highlight reel throw in Pro Bowl

Stroud can get it done in all formats of football. #GoBucks

Three former Buckeyes were named to the Pro Bowl this season as San Francisco 49ers edge rusher, Nick Bosa, Cleveland Browns cornerback, Denzel Ward, and Houston Texans quarterback, C.J. Stroud, were all named to Pro Bowl rosters.

Stroud received the Pro Bowl nod after a sensational rookie season where he threw for 4,105 yards and 23 touchdowns in the regular season, leading the Texans to an AFC South title and wild card win just one season after finishing with three wins.

The Pro Bowl games don’t have the same intensity as they used to, however it is still a fun event for fans and gives the stars of the game a chance to compete and show off their talents. Stroud is doing exactly that with this phenomenal touchdown pass in the second quarter.

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Nick Bosa tallies two sacks in 49ers win in NFC Championship game

Watch Nick Bosa’s two sacks in the NFC Championship game. #GoBucks

Your best players have to come to play in the biggest of moments, and former Ohio State and current San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa showed up on Sunday night against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game.

While his team was struggling to move the ball on offense, falling behind by 17 points after a half of football, Bosa was doing his best to keep his team in it on the defensive end but coming up with two sacks in the first half against Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

In his first sack, Bosa got around the edge virtually unblocked and threw Goff to the ground like a WWE scripted move with his team down 14-7.

Bosa’s second sack game near the end of the first half with the 49ers in a deeper hole, down 21-7. This time the edge rusher bullied his way up the middle, wiggled free and then came into the backfield with a head of steam.

Bosa and the 49ers would eventually rally in the second half and come all the way back to win the NFC Championship and head into the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. He and teammate Chase Young will be the only two OSU players to play in the annual spectacle in a couple of weeks.

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Two former Ohio State players to appear in Super Bowl LVIII

There will be two former Buckeyes to root for in Super Bowl LVIII. #GoBucks

We finally know which two teams will be taking part in Super Bowl LVIII after the conference championship games took place on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be representing the AFC after defeating the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10, in the AFC Championship game. Patrick Mahomes and company will be taking on the San Francisco 49ers after they came from 17 points down in the second half to defeat the Detroit Lions, 34-31, in the NFC Championship game.

And with that in mind, that also means there will be two former Ohio State football players participating in the biggest sporting event of the year. Both are on the same team, and in fact, both play the same position, defensive end. You of course know who we are talking about. Defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young will both be coming off the edge to try and bring home the 49ers first Super Bowl victory since 1994 when they defeated San Diego Chargers, 49-26.

It’s not a ton of guys with Scarlet and Gray in their past, but it’s at least some rooting interest for Buckeye fans to pull for a couple of Sundays from now.

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Former Ohio State player signs with Denver Broncos

Former Buckeye signs with Broncos. #GoBucks

The NFL season is still underway with the conference championships kicking off this weekend, but teams are eligible to start signing guys to “future contracts,” which are contracts that are utilized as placeholders until the league year kicks off again. We typically see this with practice squad players or Canadian Football League stars moving back down south.

Tanner McCalister was a solid safety for the Ohio State football team during the 2022 season after transferring from Oklahoma State, where he was All-Big 12. He elected to join the Buckeyes after his defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, moved on to Columbus. McCalister led the Silver Bullets with three interceptions during that season.

He signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL draft and spent the majority of the season on the practice squad, but did see limited action in three games. Evidently, the Denver Broncos liked McCalister enough to sign him to a future contract today.

We wish nothing but the best for McCalister as he tries to carve out his own path at the game’s highest level.

C.J. Stroud becomes youngest NFL quarterback to win playoff game

The milestones just keep coming for one whale of rookie season for former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud. #GoBucks

It’s been a remarkable first NFL season for former Ohio State quarterback, C.J. Stroud. Coming off of being a Heisman finalist in college, Stroud was selected as the No. 2 pick by the Houston Texans behind Alabama’s Bryce Young. To say that he’s hit the ground running would be an understatement after he’s put together arguably the best rookie season by a quarterback ever in the NFL.

He’s almost assuredly going to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns so far in the 2024-2025 season. The accolades and respect just keep coming, and he just added to that with becoming the youngest rookie quarterback to ever win an NFL playoff game with the Houston Texans’ 45-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in a first-round wild card matchup on Saturday.

Stroud also tied an NFL rookie record with three touchdown passes in a playoff game, completing 16-of-21 passes for 274 yards against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

Stroud was just 22 years old and 102 days old on the day of the victory, passing Michael Vick who was 22 years and 192 days old when he won a playoff game for the Falcons vs. the Green Bay Packers in 2002.

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Three former Ohio State football players featured in CBS Sports’ All-Rookie Team

Some good news for former Buckeyes. #GoBucks

It’s always great to look around the NFL and see former Ohio State football players finding success. This year, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leading the Houston Texans to an AFC South title a year after winning just three games was one of the biggest storylines in the NFL.

Between Stroud, Puka Nacua, and many more it was a strong rookie class in the NFL this season. CBS Sports NFL writer, Chris Trapasso, recently released his 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team on Monday.

The list included three former Buckeyes which were Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud, Browns’ right tackle Dawand Jones, and Browns safety Ronnie Hickman.

Stroud’s success with the Texans has been well documented as he had a historically good rookie year as he even generated MVP buzz before missing two weeks with a concussion.

Jones was a fourth-round pick to Cleveland and quickly was put into a starting role after Jack Conklin went down with a season-ending knee injury.  He stepped up big time in particular as a pass protector in his 11 appearances before a knee injury in week 13 unfortunately ended his season.

Hickman was signed by the Browns after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft. He earned a roster spot with a strong preseason where had three interceptions. When Grant Delpit went out with a groin injury, Hickman stepped into a bigger role and has found success most notably with a pick six in a week 17 matchup with the Jets on Thursday Night Football.

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