Tag: Buckeyes in the NFL

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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Ohio State football NFL draft declaration tracker

A look at Ohio State football’s key players that decisions to make on the NFL draft and where each stands. #GoBucks

It’s been a whirlwind of an end to the 2023 college football season already. The early signing period has come and gone, there’s been a lot of movement in and out of the transfer portal during the first wave, and there’s only more to come.

In addition to that, there are several players that still have to make decisions between returning to college ball for one more season or entering the NFL draft. And — at a place like Ohio State, that’s an annual event in and of itself with so many going on to play at the next level.

Fear not, because we are here to keep track of it all for you. All told, there are fourteen key Ohio State football players that have or had decisions to make, and we’re updating what each decides as the news becomes available.

There have been rumors that a significant contingent of the loaded junior class may decide to come back to the banks of the Olentangy for one more run, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Here is where things stand with each as we soldier on through the “offseason.”

Watch: Former Ohio State defender Ronnie Hickman gets pick six on Thursday Night Football

Hickman has been a difference maker for Cleveland recently. #GoBucks

Former Ohio State defender, Ronnie Hickman, has stepped into a starting role with the Cleveland Browns after an injury to Grant Delpit and has played exceptionally thanks in large part due to a pick six against the Jets on Thursday Night Football.

Hickman was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes and was a consistent presence for the Ohio State defense playing in a hybrid linebacker safety role. He was named to all Big Ten teams in both of his seasons of starting in 2021 and 2022.

After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Hickman won a roster spot after recording three interceptions in the preseason. He continues to prove that he deserved to get drafted with a phenomenal play to read the eyes of Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian for the interception before reserving fields to the return to bring it back to the house for six.

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WATCH: Former Ohio State receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, makes game-winning touchdown catch

Former Ohio State and current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a game-winning 29-yard touchdown catch.

Monday night football produced a battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks. A 29-yard touchdown catch from former Ohio State, and now Seahawks wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, put the Seahawks up 20-17 with 28 seconds left. They held onto that lead to secure a huge victory.

After an outstanding career at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver selected in the 2023 NFL draft as he went 20th overall to the Seahawks.

Smith-Njigba has produced a solid rookie season for Seattle. Primarily utilized out of the slot, he now has 541 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.

His best performance for the Buckeyes came in the Rose Bowl where he had 337 yards and three touchdowns. He created his best catch from that game as his game-winning 29-yard touchdown catch on Monday night was very similar to his go-ahead touchdown catch in the Rose Bowl game.

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Dawand Jones ruled out for the season with knee injury

Former Ohio State and current Cleveland Browns right tackle, Dawand Jones, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Former Ohio State and current Cleveland Browns right tackle, Dawand Jones, missed the Browns matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with a knee injury. On Monday, it has been announced that Jones is out for the season, with the injury requiring season-ending surgery.

The rookie tackle was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round.  He moved into a starting role at right tackle after Jack Conklin went down in the season opener.

Jones has quickly raised eyebrows with his play as he has been regarded as one of the best rookie offensive tackles this season in his 11 appearances and nine start. It all suggests that he deserved to come off the board sooner than he did in April’s NFL draft.

This is unfortunate news for the former Buckeye and we wish him the best in his recovery from the injury.

 

Watch: Jaxon Smith-Njigba makes unreal catch on Thanksgiving night

What a catch from the former Buckeye. #GoBucks

The Thanksgiving night matchup between the Seahawks and the 49ers features many former Buckeyes on both teams. Among those former Buckeyes is rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver off the board in the 2023 NFL draft going 20th overall to the Seahawks after a stellar career at Ohio State. The rookie receiver beat a Big Ten single season record with his 1,595 receiving yards in 2021 which was headlined by a 337-yard, three touchdown performance in a Rose Bowl victory.

The rookie wide receiver got off to a slow start but has emerged recently as a reliable weapon for Seattle. Coming into the matchup against San Francisco, Smith-Njigba has recorded 302 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his last six games.

The former Buckeye made one of the best catches of the season on a spectacular outstretched one-handed snag for a 34-yard completion on third down.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Evan Bachman on X.

Buckeyes in the NFL: Offensive player stats through Week 10

Many former Ohio State players are producing on the offensive side of the ball in the NFL this season. #GoBucks

It’s always fun to look around the NFL and see former Ohio State players doing great things. That is the case for many Buckeyes around the league.

The most notable of these is C.J. Stroud, whose historic rookie season with the Houston Texans has been one of the biggest storylines of the NFL as he’s drawing legitimate MVP consideration midway through the season.

Stroud has single handedly changed the narrative around Ohio State quarterbacks struggling in the NFL already, but one thing that has never been in doubt is Ohio State receivers developing in the League. This has been evident this season as seven former Buckeyes have at least 300 receiving yards so far this year.

In this article we’ll go through the numbers put up by Stroud and other offensive players out of Ohio State around the league this season.