Tag: Donovan Jackson

Chiefs scouting report: Ohio State Buckeyes OL Donovan Jackson

The Kansas City #Chiefs could beef up their offensive line by selecting Ohio State Buckeyes guard Donovan Jackson in the 2025 NFL draft.

Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith becomes a free agent after the 2024 season. Smith’s massive value on the open market could push Kansas City to let him walk in favor of a cheaper option through the 2025 NFL draft.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Donovan Jackson is a left guard who needs to gain experience operating on the right side of the line if he lands in Kansas City. The Buckeyes asked Jackson to finish this season playing left tackle after superstar Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury. Unfortunately, this means Jackson won’t be at his natural position in any of his games in the College Football Playoff.

Jackson’s thick frame sports arms with elite length for a guard. Jackson sits low in his pass set and absorbs power rushers with a wide base. Defenders struggle to play through his frame and can’t escape his grasp once he latches onto them. He channels nice power through his hands, which makes him a nightmare for undersized defensive tackles and second level blitzers.

Jackson lacks the agility to redirect and cut off twitchy pass rushers. He bends at the waist a little, which makes him vulnerable to swim moves. Defensive tackles with powerful upper bodies like Nebraska’s Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson knock him out of his stance with club moves. This weakness appeared on Jackson’s tape in previous seasons too.

Jackson is a versatile run blocker with the power to generate vertical displacement and the mobility to lead block on the perimeter. He showcases nice speed in the open field. Jackson uses his burst to execute reach blocks and has the power to strain and finish through the whistle.

Jackson is a well-rounded prospect with physical upside because of his length and power. He projects as a second or early third-round selection.

Ohio State is currently facing off against Northwestern at the Wildcats’ temporary stadium on Lake Michigan. The game kicked off at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Northwestern only has two wins against Big Ten opponents this year, but pass rusher Anto Saka could provide a challenge for Jackson as he fills in at left tackle.

Ravens among NFL teams in attendance for Penn State vs. Ohio State matchup

Baltimore Ravens among NFL teams in attendance for Penn State vs. Ohio State matchup

No. 3 ranked Penn State (7-0) is hosting the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, and the NFL scouts and executives are out and taking in the star power on both squads.

The Nittany Lions’ top draft prospects include defensive end Abdul Carter — a potential top-10 pick — as well as quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kayton Allen, tight end Tyler Warren, defensive tackle Zane Durant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Jaylen Reed.

For Ohio State, Will Howard (QB), TreVeyon Henderson (RB), Quinshon Judkins (RB), Emeka Egbuka (WR), and Donovan Jackson (OL) are among the players to watch.

Ohio State football star receives massive bump in ‘College Football 25’

Ohio State football star receives massive bump in College Football 25 #GoBucks

Ohio State football will be kicking off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Noon on Saturday and will hope to show off some defensive improvement after a disappointing loss to the Oregon Ducks. On the virtual gridiron, however, we don’t need to wait until Saturday to see improvements as the latest update for EA Sports’ “College Football 25” gave a large ratings boost to one Buckeye superstar.

Jeremiah Smith has been setting the college world on fire and EA Sports’ has apparently noticed as he is now rated at 90 overall, which is an increase of six total points. Few would argue against this bump because the freshman phenom receiver has already tallied 32 receptions for 553 yards and seven touchdowns.

Offensive tackle, Josh Simmons, also received a ratings boost of five to make his new overall 90. Edge rusher, Jack Sawyer  and interior offensive lineman, Donovan Jackson, received moderate bumps increasing their ratings by one. Sawyer is now a 90 overall and Jackson sits at 92.

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 Josh Keatley on X.

3 scouting standouts from CFB Week 4 to know

Breaking down three 2025 NFL Draft prospects who played very well in CFB Week 4 and helped boost their scouting profiles

The college football weekend was more low-key than expected, with several top programs taking the week off and others cruising in noncompetitive matchups. But as is always the case, the draft eyes never sleep.

Here are three guys who boosted their 2025 NFL Draft status with impressive outings over the CFB Week 4 weekend.

Josaiah Stewart, EDGE Michigan

I was fortunate enough to be inside the Big House to see Stewart’s tour de force performance in Michigan’s win over USC. In a game with several impressive defensive efforts, Stewart definitely deserves special recognition.

Stewart abused the Trojans offensive line with a bevy of power-to-speed moves, showing excellent burst off the block and quick feet to close ground on USC QB Miller Moss in a hurry. I was surprised postgame to find the 240-pound stand-up rusher only got credited with four QB hits; it felt like Stewart was in the backfield on every pass play.

He uses his shoulders and strong hands very adeptly, showing improvement week by week. The body control Stewart showed in not overshooting the point of attack despite screaming around the edge was definitely impressive.

The Senior Bowl also took notice of Stewart:

 

Terrence Spence, CB, James Madison

James Madison hung 70 on North Carolina in one of the weirdest games of the college season. The Dukes offense was a hot knife through Tar Heel butter all night, but a JMU defensive player stood out the most in terms of elevating a draft profile: CB Terrence Spence.

Spence, a transfer from FCS-level Holy Cross, was only on the prior radar due to his uncanny knack for blocking kicks (he has 6 in his career) on special teams. The 6-foot-1 corner added another blocked punt in this one, which was ultimately returned for a touchdown. Spence also got on the scoreboard himself by returning one of his two INTs on the night for a touchdown.

https://twitter.com/Pavel6813/status/1837568878525685824

Spence had his moments on Holy Cross film (which I watched for WR Jalen Coker in the 2024 draft), but he had some tackling and grabbing issues. The fantastic night against North Carolina was very clean in those regards, aside from the big plays Spence pulled off. With his special teams prodigiousness, that could be a tiebreaker for a late-round flyer or UDFA invite for some NFL teams.

Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State

Jackson made his 2024 debut for the Buckeyes against Marshall after missing the first three games with an undisclosed injury. The big left guard looked better than ever in Ohio State’s 49-14 win.

Jackson is well-known in draft circles for his power and extremely long arms. In watching the tape, Jackson appears to have dialed in his punch placement from his All-Big Ten status from the last two seasons. His ability to create jolting power off the snap was already appealing, but now it looks even better. Marshall didn’t take a single rep from Jackson all game.

If he can continue to play anywhere close to the level he showed against the Thundering Herd, Jackson should be a top-40 overall pick based on talent and upside. He answered any questions about a possible injury-related regression or rust to his game.

Ohio State football getting offensive starter back

Ohio State getting offensive starter back #GoBucks

The Ohio State football season is going extremely well so far with the team sitting at 2-0 and coming off an idle week. The Buckeyes are taking on the Marshall Thundering Herd this Saturday at noon on Fox and when they take the field, we will finally get a chance to see the entire starting offense for the first time this season.

Ryan Day recently said that starting interior offensive lineman, Donovan Jackson is “ready to roll” for this week. Austin Siereveld has done an excellent job in his place so far this year, but Jackson has been named first team All-Big Ten twice and has the talent to elevate this entire offensive line.

It is a tad surprising that they are rolling out the star against such a lesser opponent, but it may serve as a good test for his health and performance without jeopardizing a potential win. It is important that the Texas native find his groove before the big contest against the Oregon Ducks.

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 Josh Keatley on X.

Ohio State football issues availability report for Western Michigan

Ohio State football issues availability report for Western Michigan #GoBucks

The Ohio State football team has released its availability report for its contest against the Western Michigan Broncos and there appears to be some good news to share. Last week against the Akron Zips, the Buckeyes played without starting interior offensive lineman, Donovan Jackson and without starting linebacker Cody Simon. Neither player is listed on today’s injury report.

Now with that said, just because they are not listed on the report does not mean that they will play. Ohio State is more than a five-touchdown favorite against Western Michigan and it would be wise to assume that neither star will play too much against such a lesser opponent.

The rest of the report is as follows:

Out

  • RB TC Caffey
  • WR Reis Stocksdale
  • OL Devontae Armstrong
  • SAF Jayden Bonsu

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 Josh Keatley on X.

Ohio State football issues availability report for Akron game

Ohio State football issues availability report for Akron game #GoBucks

The Ohio State football team has released its availability report for its contest against the Akron Zips and it appears that the Buckeyes will be missing a starter on both sides of the football. On the offensive side of the ball, OSU will be missing Donovan Jackson and on the defensive side of the ball, Cody Simon will be absent from the season opener.

Losing Jackson is a huge bummer because this offensive line needs to gel and be a cohesive unit before the Bucks play an opponent on the same talent level as them. The Simon injury is also upsetting due to his injury history but should provide a unique opportunity for the rest of the backer depth. Here is the rest of the availability report:

Out

  • OL Devontae Armstrong
  • S Jayden Bonsu
  • DL Cade Casto
  • RB TC Caffey
  • OG Donovan Jackson
  • LB Cody Simon
  • WR Reis Stocksdale

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 Josh Keatley on X.

Ohio State offensive lineman named preseason All-American

Ohio State offensive lineman named preseason All-American #GoBucks

The 2024 college football season kicks off in less than a week and we are getting the final push for preseason lists all week long. We are all aware of how talented the Ohio State football team is, but we are once again reminded thanks to the most recent Associated Press preseason All-American team.

Four Buckeyes made the first team with two more players on the second team making Ohio State the leader with six total players. One of those players was Donovan Jackson. The offensive line received a ton of flak for their performance last season, but Jackson was the clear leader earning his second first-team All-Big Ten selection in a row and has huge expectations for 2024 as he made the first-team of this All-American list.

Jackson will once again be the leader of an offensive line unit that is expected to be much improved from last year given the added experience an incoming transfer.

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 Josh Keatley on X.

Three Ohio State players make Outland Trophy preseason watch list

Three more Buckeyes on a preseason watch list! #GoBucks

‘Tis the season of watch lists for college football, and we had two of them drop Tuesday. We saw four Ohio State players make the Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list, and that was followed up with three Buckeye football players making their way on the Outland watch list.

The Outland Trophy was originally handed out in 1946 by the Football Writers Association of America and is given to the best interior lineman in college football annually.

The Georgia Bulldogs lead the way with four players on the preason watch list, but Ohio State is tied with Alabama and USC for second place with three each. For the Buckeyes, offensive linemen Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson, as well as defensive lineman, Tyleik Williams, are all appearing among the 75 names.

The Outland Trophy will be awarded on December 12 during the Home Depot College Awards show broadcast by ESPN.

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 Phil Harrison on X.

Three players named ‘Dudes of the Week’ by Ohio State football

Dudes of the Week! #GoBucks

We are deep into the offseason for Ohio State football, but there’s still plenty of workouts and action going on behind the scenes at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. In fact, by the looks of it, there’s some serious business being put in by players as they continue to prepare for preseason camp and what everyone hopes is a season to remember in the Scarlet and Gray.

Throughout the offseason workouts, the OSU football creative team has been sharing what they call “dudes of the week,” and this past week’s honorees were just shared.

We don’t know what goes into being a “dude of the week” but we’re pretty sure it involves hard work, toughness, and effort, and attitude, among other stereotypical things. According to the announcement on X, the “dudes of the week” for Ohio State were linebacker Cody Simon, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and offensive lineman Donovan Jackson.

See some of the highlights of the week and what went into this unofficial award below.

We’ll keep bringing you news that comes out during the offseason as it happens.

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 Phil Harrison on X.