Tag: Zach Harrison

Harrison, Munford and Olave to represent Ohio State at Big Ten media days

How excited are you about the college football season? Get amped up by watching these three and Day at Big Ten media days this week.

We’re about to see the circus that is Big Ten media days next week and that is about as refreshing as a cold drink of water on a hot and humid day. This, after the whole thing was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And anytime we’re talking about Big Ten media days, we’re keenly interested in which Ohio State players will represent the Buckeye contingent in Indianapolis. Yes, the event is in Indy this year instead of Chicago because of more friendly pandemic restrictions.

Well, the three players representing Ohio State are defensive end Zach Harrison, left tackle Thayer Munford and wide receiver Chris Olave. Of course, head coach Ryan Day will be speaking to the throng of media, but all three players will also be made available on Friday, the second day of the event when OSU is scheduled to appear.

Day’s press conference is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., with the three players scheduled to meet with reporters from 1:15-2:15 p.m. Day will then be available once more from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

You know the football season is just around the corner when media days take place, and that’s exactly where we are. Can you feel it? Stay with us for coverage of Big Ten media days as well. You can get a full list of appearances and times for the event by visiting Bigten.org

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Cowboys long Super Bowl odds leads to defensive help in 2-round 2022 mock draft

If the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs for the third year in a row, the defense is the most likely culprit. It only makes sense they’d return to the well in a 2022 mock draft.

The Dallas Cowboys are about to embark on a journey they hope leads them to a result different than the ones that keep coming up. Each year, they pull the handle on the slot machine and each year it does something different than land on the jackpot. Can 2021 be any different? According to the latest odds, the chances are long.

Dallas is one of several teams given +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl, according to Bet MGM’s latest lines. That ties them for 15th best in a league where only 14 teams make the playoffs. If those results come to be realized, then the Cowboys are missing the dance for the third time in a row. In the latest Draft Wire 2022 mock draft, a 2-round affair based on Super Bowl odds (and not a direct prediction), they draft 17th overall.

With their haul, Dallas finds themselves with a new edge rusher and a s

17. Dallas | Zach Harrison | EDGE | Ohio St.

 

The Cowboys do not have much consistent edge pressure behind DeMarcus Lawrence. While Randy Gregory has huge potential and seems to finally be in a great place and ready to contribute to an entire season for the first time since, well, ever, there are no assurances to how that will play out. Even if it does end in greatness and a new contract, the club will still need another player to put into the rotation.

Harrison was a big talking point in the Buckeyes spring game, hitting the gym and reshaping his body. The improvements have moved him into the conversation to be the next high-impact edge player out of a pipeline that continues to churn them out.

From Pro Football Network:

Beyond having an elite name for a defensive lineman, Harrison undoubtedly passes the eye test for his scouting report. Standing at 6’6″, 268 pounds, Harrison is long and burly. With his size, he can rush outside to inside, and he also has some positional versatility. Ohio State mainly used him on the edge in 2020, but he has shaded inside on occasion, even to zero-technique at one point against Indiana.

While Harrison possesses some versatility, his best role might be at defensive end. There, his physical skill set meshes best. Harrison has excellent straight-line explosiveness, and he converts speed to power well. His stride lengths cover lots of ground, and he flashes acceleration around the edge. He’s reportedly been timed with a 4.47 40-yard dash, so it comes as no surprise that his explosiveness impresses.

 49. Dallas | Bubba Bolden | S | Miami (FL)

The Cowboys hope that they solved the hole at safety with some low-risk additions in the 2021 offseason. Dallas signed Damontae Kazee out of Altanta to reunite him with his former head coach and the Cowboys’ current defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Kazee however is recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in October. Despite having plenty of firepower, the Cowboys neglected the position until the sixth round of the draft when they selected South Carolina’s Israel Mukuamu with the intent to move him to centerfield.

Bolden stands 6-foot-3 and wieghs 200 pounds and seems like the prototype physically for the NFL’s shift to split (or even triple) safeties capable to playing deep and in the box as well as versatile enough to line up in the slot. He has some red flags associated with himself off the field, which may be an issue for some teams.

Again, from PFN:

The redshirt senior did not disappoint in 2020. While teammate Jaelan Phillips was elevating his NFL Draft stock, Bolden provided solid production from the secondary. In nine starts, he tallied 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 4 forced fumbles. 

His performances earned him multiple ACC Defensive Back of the Week awards. The first came against Louisville, where he terrorized the Cardinals’ offense to the tune of 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and a tackle for loss. Even in a heavy defeat to Clemson, his 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 blocked field goals were enough to land the honor. Additionally, he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and received second-team All-ACC recognition. 

 

Zach Harrison makes 2021 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list

Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison is one of 42 players named to the 2021 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list.

OK. The first college football watch list of 2021 is out and there’s an Ohio State player involved.

The 2021 Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list was announced on Tuesday, and defensive end Zach Harrison was one of 42 players appearing among the notable names.

According to the Lott IMPACT Trophy’s website, “College defensive players are nominated to the Watch List based on the IMPACT on their teams on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. The 42 represents Ronnie Lott’s number during his legendary career.”

Most of you probably know him, but Ronnie Lott was an All-American for USC before spending the majority of his 14 years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. He has four Super Bowl titles to his credit and is an NFL Hall of Famer.

Harrison is looking for a breakout year in 2021. He came to Ohio State out of the 2018 recruiting class and was expected to do big things as a consensus five-star prospect. The tools are there, and we’ve seen flashes, but there’s no denying that he has yet to fulfill his promise. This could be the year.

Off the field, Harrison has been a key figure in shaping racial equality. He is a member of the Anti-hate and Anti-racism Coalition in the Big Ten. Those activities are just as important to winning the award as what happens on the gridiron.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis is the only OSU player to take home the award. He did it in 2008. Paddy Fisher of Northwestern was honored last season.

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Three Ohio State players in Mel Kiper’s early top 25 NFL prospects for 2022 draft

Mel Kiper is already on the prowl, looking at the top 25 NFL prospects for 2022. He has three Ohio State players listed early on.

If things hold true to form, Ohio State should have another bushel of players go in the 2022 NFL draft. This time though, rather than most of the Buckeyes going in the middle rounds like 2021, there are quite a few high-end prospects that could go on day one and day two. We’ve seen as many as six or seven OSU players projected across multiple draft experts’ sites in the first round for next April.

One of those experts is ESPN’s Mel Kiper, and he just released his top 25 players for the 2022 NFL draft (subscription required). And wouldn’t you know it, there are three Ohio State players among that elite crop. It’s some of the same names that you’ve seen across other mock drafts, but the order and inclusion are a little different.

Here’s what Kiper says.

NEXT … One from a dynamic wide receiving duo

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CBS Sports’ early 2022 NFL mock draft has five Ohio State players included in first round

There are a whopping five Ohio State players in the latest 2022 NFL mock draft appearing in the first round. Here’s who they are.

We’ve already seen a boatload of mocks for the distant future 2022 NFL draft, but we’re game when it comes to tracking Ohio State players and what the national media is saying. So, when CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards put out his first round mock draft, we were all eyes, ears, and tastebuds. After all, we’re thirsty fans just like you.

As is the case with most mock drafts we’ve seen at this point in the long shelf life, there are plenty of OSU players projected in the first round. In fact, Edwards has a whopping five Buckeye players projected in the first round. That’s a departure from 2021 when quarterback Justin Fields was the only Ohio State player selected on day one.

Ah yes, the universe might be restored after all. We shall see. These things have a way of changing drastically. Still, it’s worth looking at, so we’re going to go through each one and provide you with some watercooler talk, or whatever the equivalent is of that in these virtual, pandemic days of ours.

So, let’s get after it.

NEXT … An explosive wide receiver

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Todd McShay’s early 2022 NFL mock draft has four Ohio State players in the first round

ESPN’s Todd McShay has released his early 2022 NFL mock draft and Ohio State has four players included in the first round.

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The 2021 NFL draft had ten Ohio State players selected through the seven rounds, tied for the most with Alabama, but it was more in the middle and late rounds, not the usual parade of early-round talent we saw walk across the stage. Some of it had to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and a small sample size of games for the Buckeyes, but some of course had to do with production on the field in those games.

So, instead of guys like Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis jumping into the first round, they fell, leaving just quarterback Justin Fields as OSU’s lone first-round pick.

But the college football universe looks to be in a potential self-correct mode next year. Many of the early NFL draft projections have multiple Ohio State players mocked in the first round, including one of the best out there, ESPN’s Todd McShay.

According to him (subscription required), he has four Buckeyes going in the first round, and we’ve got the names and what he says about them for you.

NEXT … A big-play wide receiver

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Four Ohio State players in USA TODAY’s early 2022 NFL draft top fifteen players

USA TODAY ranked the top fifteen players well ahead of the projected 2022 NFL draft and has four Ohio State players listed.

The Ohio State football program didn’t have as many first-round picks as we are all accustomed to in the 2021 NFL draft, but don’t get used to it. The Buckeyes are expected to be back at the first-round party next season and plenty of national media outlets are projecting several hues of scarlet and gray to walk across the stage in Las Vegas next April.

In fact, according to Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Ohio State has four players ranked in the top fifteen that will be eligible for the draft in 2022. That’s almost one-third of the first fifteen players selected, and that’s before we even get past that number and through the rest of the first round.

Now, before we celebrate, remember that it’s way too early to get excited about such prognostications and projections. All you have to do is look at both Wyatt Davis and Shaun Wade falling outside of the first round despite almost everyone projecting them to be there for the 2021 draft early in the year.

Still, it’s an impressive list so early on. So, what four players does Middlehurst-Schwartz have in the top fifteen (with a bit of a caveat)?

NEXT … A defensive end that’s primed to breakout

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Way-too-early look at Ohio State football’s 2022 potential NFL draft class

The 2021 NFL draft has barely finished, and that means it’s time to focus our gaze on what 2022 might have in store for Ohio State players.

The 2021 NFL draft is in the books and it’s now time to turn the page towards the next one. After all, there are media personalities employed by several of the big boy media types who are paid to look at these sort of things year-round.

For Ohio State, there is always going to be a decent crop of talent ready to go on to the highest of levels in the National Football League, and it looks to be no different for 2022 when the draft takes place from April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Heck, the Buckeyes had ten more players drafted in 2021, so the machine keeps on churning NFL widgets out.

So what players are likely to be in all the NFL shenanigans next year? It can all depend of course based on who decides to leave early, injuries, and a host of other factors, but here’s our best guess and projection as things sit with contracts yet to even be signed with the class of 2021.

This will of course change once the season gets going and in full swing. Someone else will jump up to get on NFL boards, and maybe a player or two will decide to put off dreams of NFL grandeur to play with the brotherhood one more season.

WATCH: Defensive end Zach Harrison mic’d up for spring practice

During Ohio State football’s spring practice on Monday, junior defensive end Zach Harrison was mic’d up. Hear the unusual sounds of battle.

It’s always interesting to get a little behind-the-scenes peek at something you don’t normally get to be a part of. Or, in this case, some behind-the-scenes sounds more than video — or so we have come to realize.

On Monday, Ohio State junior defensive end Zach Harrison was mic’d up for spring practice, and he had a lot of unusual sounds coming out of his mouth as he went through drills at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. There were some good sound bites in there too of his interaction and conversation with teammates, but as he rushed around defenders, hit pads, and practiced his tackling techniques, he was a literal sound and play football toy.

The fine folks on the Ohio State creative team captured it all and shared it on the Ohio State Football Twitter page, and if you haven’t gotten around to watching and listening to it, it’ll only take a couple minutes of your time.

We are of course poking fun, because a lot of those sounds are what you get when you’re in the trenches trying to push and dominate the man across from you.

This could be a breakout year for Harrison, and if he can play anywhere near the elite sounds he makes heading into battle, the OSU defensive line will be in great shape.

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Top 10 returning Ohio State football players on defense according to PFF

Ohio State has to replace some key starters on defense, but it’ll be working with these top ten returners according to Pro Football Focus.

Ohio State has some key pieces it must replace if it has designs of competing for a fifth straight Big Ten Championship and third straight College Football Playoff appearance. As they say though, they don’t rebuild at a place like OSU, they reload with talent already chomping at the bit to get its turn.

Despite losing guys like defensive back Shaun Wade, defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, and all three starting linebackers from last season, there’s still a lot of talent returning. Pro Football Focus graded all of those players at the end of last year and we can take a peek and see what the ten best OSU defenders returning are based on those.

Some you’ll know, others might be a bit of a surprise based on sample size, but let’s get at it and see who might be the best performers this season based on 2020. And in case you missed the same drill with the offense, you can read up on that as well.