I wanted to take a moment and give some props to the guys who are leaving the Ohio State football program after the CFP championship run. Feel free to add to my comments or add a player or two.
Will Howard: When Will came in from Kansas State, I viewed him as a possible game manager for Ohio State. Kind of like a "Just don't screw things up" situation. Howard turned out to be so much more. Will played well during the season, outstanding at Oregon, but always seemed to have one head-scratching play each game. During the CFP, Howard took his game to another level that I wasn't sure was possible for him. Will was the QB and leader that this team needed to go all the way. Always positive and a great leader.
TreVeyon Henderson/Quinshon Judkins: Tre was always a great back who had top end speed and could hit the home run from anywhere on the field. Over the previous couple of years he was usually so beat up and/or injured by the end of the season that his physical gifts didn't really stand out. Enter Q. Judkins came from Ole Miss, where Kiffin was running him into the ground with a ton of carries in his first two years. Tre showed a great team spirit when he was okay with Q coming in and splitting the carries at the RB position. Neither running back had a ton of carries during the season but both eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season and both looked fresh and explosive during the CFP run. Kudos to both for being willing to share the load and the spotlight to become a true lightning and thunder combo for Ohio State.
Josh Simmons: When Simmons came in from San Diego State he didn't look like he would become a player that was "Ohio State caliber". Under Justin Frye, Josh was developed into a starting left tackle that could be a first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. It is a shame that he got hurt against Oregon because we were robbed of watching him put a cap on this season as an excellent anchor on the left side of the OL.
Seth McLaughlin: When Seth came to Ohio State from Alabama, there were questions about his ability to consistently and accurately snap the ball to the QB. He seemed to struggle through his final season in Tuscaloosa. Seth answered all those questions and then some. He anchored the middle of the OL, was a leader, and the glue that helped hold the OL together for much of the season. Even after his Achilles injury, Seth stayed engaged with the team and showed his leadership ability by "coaching up" Hinzman as his replacement. He became an All-American and the Rimingtin Award winner this year.
Donovan Jackson: Jackson was an All-American guard whose play was always solid for the Buckeyes, if not always spectacular (given he was an OL, not a huge shock). I don't think that I appreciated him for his OG play during his time at Ohio State. Then, the unthinkable happened. Simmons got injured and his backup also got hurt late in the Nebraska game. Donovan was asked to move out to LT to help the Buckeyes put its best OL on the field (we had way more OGs than OTs). He selflessly made the move to LT for the team and actually, IMO, played better there than he had as an All-American OG. If Donovan doesn't make that move, Ohio State might not have made the run to the CFP title.
Josh Fryar: Josh was a player who was a solid guy on the right side of the OL. His play at RT in his last season was above average. He improved his play against speed rushers (which caused him issues in the past) and gave Ohio State a good, reliable player at the position. Fryar was probably more suited to play OG than OT but was willing to do what was best for the team.
Gee Scott Jr.: Gee came to Ohio State as a top ranked WR. He struggled to keep his weight down so he and Ohio State agreed to a move to TE. Both parties knew that it would be a project that could take a few years to become successful. Gee worked at his blocking skills and slowly developed into a good TE. His play during the CFP run was, arguably, the best stretch of play he showed at Ohio State. He matured greatly in his last two years and was someone that the coaching staff could rely on in important situations.
Emeka Egbuka: What can I say about EE? He was a great leader on and off the field for the Buckeyes. Another WR might have created waves or left the program in his situation. Emeka always put the team first and could have been WR1 at any other team in the country. While MHJR and JJ Smith got a lot of the spotlight, EE just did his job to the best of his ability and became the all-time receptions leader at Ohio State. He is a class act and will be missed by this fan more than anyone else on the team. It brought a tear to my eye after the Tennessee game when he paused, before leaving the field, to look back at the 'Shoe for the last time as an Ohio State player.
Jack Sawyer: Captain Jack! The first recruit for head coach Ryan Day. Jack had a slow start to his career and the attempt to put him in the "Jack" position in the Knowles defense didn't go well. Once he was put at DE permanently, he proved to be a solid player on the edge. IMO, part of his lack of production through his first three years was scheme related. He was tasked with setting the edge and making sure that nobody got outside his containment. After the Oregon game, the changes made to the defense unleashed the potential that was always there. Jack became a player that our opponents struggled to block. The only thing that slowed him were the uncalled holding done by the opposing OL. In the CFP Jack became an Ohio State legend and leader with his play and his "Scoop and sawyer" TD against Texas will live in the minds of all Ohio State fans.
JT Tuimoloau: JT was a player who was a celebrated recruit when he decided to attend Ohio State. JT was a very good player but seemed to be a little inconsistent in his play. One thing for sure, when he played Penn State, he was going to have a monster game. Big Game James is still having nightmares about JT. As with Jack, JT seemed to be harnessed because of the scheme that our defense ran during the year. Once the change was made to a stunting type of DL, JT's level of play skyrocketed and he seemed almost unblockable. Along with Captain Jack, JT became a terrifying force in the CFP.
Tyliek Williams: Tyliek played a good portion of the year on an injured ankle. It seemed like no team could really block him, when healthy, and he was a very disruptive force in the run game. When Ty was in the game, the opposing team struggled to run the ball, enabling our DEs to feast on the QB. During the CFP run, there was nobody that could keep him out of the backfield.
Ty Hamilton: The second component of TNT (Tyliek and Ty), Hamilton was the one constant on the DL. Ty played a lot of snaps and was a stalwart in the middle for the last two years. He will be a player who won't be noticed or missed as much as others because he just "did his job" and did it well. I am one Buckeye who appreciated him taking on double teams and clogging the middle.
Cody Simon: Block O! What more can be said (yes, I will say more). Cody really came on in the last couple of years. He played sparingly in 2023 because Knowles didn't really like to rotate his LBs. This past season Simon showed that he was both athletic enough and smart enough to play the Mike LB for the Buckeyes. He was all over the field and the guy who made sure that we were lined up correctly on defense. Cody really shined in the CFP and it was a pleasure to watch him play his final season at Ohio State.
Latham Ransom: Latham suffered a broken leg in the Rose Bowl against Utah and also a Lisfranc injury in another year. He persevered and always came back stronger than he had been before. His play from the safety spot was remarkable all year long and he really laid the wood during the CFP. Caleb Downs got a lot of the press but Latham was, IMO, just as outstanding.
Jordan Hancock: I always loved the way that Jordan played the game. He was never afraid to lay a big hit on a RB. His INT return for a TD against Rutgers turned that game around for the Buckeyes. Hancock played the slot the last couple of years even though he could have played CB. His versatility served him and Ohio State well. The move to safety late in the year turned out to be a stroke of genius. Having Jordan, Latham, and Caleb as a 3 safety defense just stymied opposing offenses.
Denzel Burke: Denzel was a rare 4 year starter for Ohio State. He was always a solid player at CB for the Buckeyes. He did have a really bad game against Oregon the first time around but really bounced back nicely to help anchor the defensive backfield. Many times, teams wouldn't even throw his way because he was that good.
