If you could pick only 22 Ohio State football players to go win a game for you against 22 other Ohio State football players, which Buckeyes would you choose?
That’s the question Dan Hope and Griffin Strom were tasked with answering on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays as we held our annual Eleven Warriors preseason team draft, going head-to-head to pick the best possible lineups for a hypothetical intrasquad game.
The ground rules were as follows: Each of us had 22 total picks to draft 11 offensive players and 11 defensive players. Offensively, we were required to draft one quarterback, five offensive linemen and five skill-position players (wide receivers, running backs or tight ends). Defensively, we were required to draft at least three defensive linemen, two linebackers and four defensive backs with the other two picks being flexible, though we both opted to draft four defensive linemen and five defensive backs.
Griffin won the pre-draft coin toss which allowed him to choose between the No. 1 overall pick or the second and third picks, and he chose to pick first. Following the No. 1 pick, we alternated selections two at a time in a snake-draft format until we both filled up our 22-man rosters.
To listen to the full draft as it happened, click on the audio player below or subscribe to Real Pod Wednesdays on your podcast listening platform of choice (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts). Below, you can read who we selected with all 44 picks and our explanations for why we picked each player when we did. At the bottom of the article, we each make our case for why we believe our respective teams would win, then turn to you to decide which beat writer drafted better.
The Picks
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR (Griffin)
While common draft sense would typically steer one away from selecting a wideout No. 1 overall, Harrison is just too good to pass up. Undoubtedly the best returning wide receiver in college football, Harrison is not only the top player on the Buckeye roster but perhaps the finest player in the sport ahead of the 2023 season.
2. JT Tuimoloau, DE (Dan)
3. Donovan Jackson, G (Dan)
With Harrison off the board, I wanted to ensure I landed Ohio State’s top two players in the trenches. Tuimoloau could be a top-10 NFL draft pick alongside Harrison next spring and has shown the potential to be one of college football’s biggest defensive stars this season. Jackson is another potential first-round pick who is one of the nation’s best guards, and given the uncertainty with the rest of Ohio State’s offensive line, I didn’t want to risk missing out on the Buckeyes’ best offensive lineman.
4. Josh Fryar, OT (Griffin)
5. Josh Simmons, OT (Griffin)
Dan took my top offensive line target off the board, but I retaliated by taking who I expect to be Ohio State’s two starting tackles in an attempt to cripple Dan’s remaining options. Offensive tackle depth is already paper thin for Ohio State in 2023, and there are still plenty of questions surrounding the projected top Buckeyes at the position. However, I now have the presumptive two best tackles on the roster on my squad.
6. Emeka Egbuka, WR (Dan)
7. Kyle McCord, QB (Dan)
I weighed the possibility of taking Egbuka and/or McCord with my first two picks, so I was thrilled to land them with my third and fourth picks. Egbuka is arguably the second-best player on the team and the second-best wide receiver in college football after Harrison, so I certainly didn’t want Griffin to land them both. McCord is the frontrunner to start at the most important position and gives my team the crucial advantage of quarterback experience as the only QB on the roster who’s thrown a pass for Ohio State in an actual game.
8. Tommy Eichenberg, LB (Griffin)
9. Carson Hinzman, C (Griffin)
In terms of sheer on-field production and accolades, Eichenberg gives me the best returning player on Ohio State’s defense to anchor the middle of the field. Hinzman may seem like a stretch at No. 9, but this is another strategic move to scoop up as many projected starters as possible on the offensive line. While Hinzman hasn’t officially been named Ohio State’s starting center, he’s certainly the frontrunner entering the preseason, and the options after him may leave something to be desired.
10. Matt Jones, G (Dan)
11. Denzel Burke, CB (Dan)
Given Griffin’s aggressive early drafting of offensive linemen, I couldn’t wait any longer to take Jones – who would have been my second pick along the line regardless given that he’s the only sure-fire starter outside of Jackson. Landing Burke outside of the top 10 feels like a steal, as I fully expect him to be Ohio State’s No. 1 cornerback this season; all indications this offseason have been that he’s ready to return to form and be the star of Ohio State’s 2023 secondary.
12. Mike Hall, DT (Griffin)
13. Jack Sawyer, DE (Griffin)
I went offense with four of my top five picks, so I opted to bolster my defensive line with a pair of Larry Johnson’s projected starters. Hall was the most talked about defensive tackle on the roster last season and through the first half of the 2022 season, he was on a shortlist for OSU’s defensive MVP. A surefire starter alongside Tuimoloau at defensive end in 2023, Sawyer will no longer split his time at Jack linebacker, which means he could be in line for a true breakout campaign this year. Not to mention, Hall and Sawyer tied for the team lead in sacks last season with 4.5 apiece.
14. Cade Stover, TE (Dan)
15. Lathan Ransom, S (Dan)
Stover is Ohio State’s only tight end with substantial playing experience, and having a reliable blocker who can also be a receiving weapon at tight end could be particularly important this year with the uncertainty at offensive tackle. Ransom was one of college football’s best safeties for most of last season, making him a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and gives my defense both of the Buckeyes’ only two returning starters in the secondary.
16. Sonny Styles, S (Griffin)
17. Davison Igbinosun, CB (Griffin)
After Dan took multiple starting defensive backs off the board, I had to establish my own secondary with two players that could prove to be massive assets for Tim Walton and company in 2023. Styles’ versatility gives me the flexibility to play him at multiple safety positions while Igbinosun looks poised to be a starting cornerback for Ohio State at some point this season following a stellar first spring in Columbus.
18. Steele Chambers, LB (Dan)
19. C.J. Hicks, LB (Dan)
With Eichenberg and Styles off the board, I didn’t want to miss out on landing Ohio State’s other returning starter at linebacker and five-star second-year defender. So I doubled up on linebackers by drafting Chambers and Hicks, giving me a reliable veteran who should only get better with another year of experience and a potential breakout star. As the Buckeyes’ two most explosive athletes at the position, they give me a pair of rangy playmakers who can make an impact on all three downs, with Hicks also offering the versatility to play situationally as a Jack edge defender.
20. TreVeyon Henderson, RB (Griffin)
21. Julian Fleming, WR (Griffin)
As good as Harrison is, he can’t shoulder all the skill position responsibilities by himself, so I gave him some company with this pair of picks. On the heels of an injury-plagued 2022 season, Henderson appears hellbent on proving he’s not only OSU’s top RB, but one of the elite backs in the country in 2023. At wideout, Fleming took massive strides with a career-best campaign this past year, and that was while battling through injury at the start of the season. Assuming Fleming stays healthy in 2023, he could be even more productive in his fourth year.
22. Ty Hamilton, DT (Dan)
23. Jordan Hancock, CB (Dan)
Hamilton might not be talked about as much as his defensive line counterparts, but he’s a likely starter on the front four who Ohio State coaches believe can make a late-career surge much like his older brother DaVon did as a Buckeye. Hancock could be a starting cornerback this season, as he took most of the first-team reps this spring opposite Burke and looks ready to play a major role in coverage after being plagued by injuries last season.
24. Tyleik Williams, DT (Griffin)
25. Cameron Martinez, S (Griffin)
Pairing Williams with Hall gives me perhaps the two best defensive tackles on the roster, even if Dan preferred Hamilton on his own draft board. Martinez dominated first-team reps as Ohio State’s top option at nickel safety this spring, and while he still has plenty to prove to Buckeye fans, I get another projected starter in my secondary.
26. Ja’Had Carter, S (Dan)
27. Xavier Johnson, WR/RB (Dan)
Pairing Carter with Ransom gives my secondary the two most proven safeties on the roster – Carter was a three-year starter at Syracuse – with both of them having the demonstrated ability to line up at multiple spots. Believing (wrongfully) I could wait one more round to draft Miyan Williams since Griffin had already drafted Henderson, I took Johnson to give my offense a versatile chess piece who can make big plays as both a wide receiver and running back.
28. Miyan Williams, RB (Griffin)
29. Enokk Vimahi, G (Griffin)
I didn’t intend on selecting a second running back, but I threw a spur-of-the-moment curveball at Dan here by taking Ohio State’s No. 2 back – or possibly even the team’s best – off the board. No matter who you prefer, Henderson and Williams give me the Buckeyes’ two top ballcarriers in 2023. After Dan took both of OSU’s starting guards, I selected the best available option in Vimahi, a sturdy veteran that can hold his own on the inside.
30. Tegra Tshabola, OT (Dan)
31. Kenyatta Jackson, DE (Dan)
I couldn’t risk missing out on all of the top three offensive tackles on the board, so I took Tshabola here to ward off the possibility that Griffin could draft him to fill his remaining vacancy at guard. Jackson showed a ton of upside as a pass rusher this spring, so I’m confident betting on him to pair with Tuimoloau and give my defenses a dynamic duo of defensive ends.
32. Caden Curry, DE (Griffin)
33. Jyaire Brown, CB (Griffin)
I’ll admit that Jackson was my top remaining DE target. Up until his recent impressive spring, however, Curry was widely considered to be ahead of the pack among Ohio State’s second-year pass rushers. Perhaps that could still be the case once the season begins in earnest. I thought about taking top-60 2023 recruit Jermaine Mathews as my other cornerback, but instead opted to go with the more proven commodity in Brown.
34. Josh Proctor, S (Dan)
35. Carnell Tate, WR (Dan)
Admittedly surprised that Griffin allowed Proctor to stay on the board this long, it was an easy choice to begin the fourth quarter of the draft by adding another projected starter at safety to round out my secondary. Tate looked like one of the best players on the entire roster despite being a true freshman this spring, so I couldn’t pass up on his upside this late in the draft.
36. Kye Stokes, S (Griffin)
37. Cody Simon, LB (Griffin)
While he didn’t receive a wealth of opportunities as a true freshman, Stokes might have been the most impressive performer in the 2022 spring game and possesses track speed at safety. Along with Styles, Stokes gives me plenty of flexibility to move pieces around in the defensive backfield. I also selected Simon to round out my linebacker corps, and for all the hype surrounding Hicks, the former may still be the third-best LB on the Buckeye roster behind Eichenberg and Chambers.
38. Jakob James, C (Dan)
39. Zen Michalski, OT (Dan)
With Griffin still needing one more offensive lineman, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer to fill out my front five. James is a real candidate to push for the starting center job in preseason camp even though he was sidelined this spring, and Michalski is still in the mix to be a starting tackle after holding the backup left tackle job throughout last season.
40. Brandon Inniss, WR (Griffin)
41. Victor Cutler Jr., G (Griffin)
I threw another last-second change-up here by selecting an incoming freshman wideout instead of a tight end as my final skill position player on offense. When that incoming freshman is five-star prospect Brandon Inniss, though, the upside is obvious. I wasn’t quite as excited about my next pick, as Dan’s selections of both Jackson and Jones at guard left me with Louisiana-Monroe transfer Cutler – who played center during the spring but moves to guard here – to finish off my O-line.
42. Tywone Malone, DT (Dan)
43. Chip Trayanum, RB (Dan)
Malone is expected to be an immediate contributor at defensive tackle after transferring to Ohio State this summer, so I sided with him after also considering Hero Kanu to round out my defensive lineup. Trayanum is a physical freak who would be the starting running back for most college football teams, so I don’t feel like I’m settling too much here even though he’s likely to be RB3 for Ohio State this year.
44. Devin Brown, QB (Griffin)
In what world does one select their starting quarterback with their final pick in the draft? Well, this one, given our one-QB parameter didn’t allow Dan to steal both of OSU’s top passers off the board. He may be behind, but Brown isn’t out of the running to become QB1 for the Buckeyes this preseason, and he gives me the more dynamic runner of the two.
Lineup Comparison
| Griffin’s Team | Position | Dan's Team |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| DEVIN BROWN (44) | QB | KYLE MCCORD (7) |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON (20) | RB | CHIP TRAYANUM (43) |
| MIYAN WILLIAMS (28) | RB/TE | CADE STOVER (14) |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. (1) | WR | EMEKA EGBUKA (6) |
| JULIAN FLEMING (21) | WR | CARNELL TATE (35) |
| BRANDON INNISS (40) | WR | XAVIER JOHNSON (27) |
| JOSH FRYAR (4) | LT | ZEN MICHALSKI (39) |
| VICTOR CUTLER JR. (41) | LG | DONOVAN JACKSON (3) |
| CARSON HINZMAN (9) | C | JAKOB JAMES (38) |
| ENOKK VIMAHI (29) | RG | MATT JONES (10) |
| JOSH SIMMONS (5) | RT | TEGRA TSHABOLA (30) |
| DEFENSE | ||
| JACK SAWYER (13) | DE | JT TUIMOLOAU (2) |
| CADEN CURRY (32) | DE | KENYATTA JACKSON (31) |
| MIKE HALL (12) | DT | TY HAMILTON (22) |
| TYLEIK WILLIAMS (24) | DT | TYWONE MALONE (42) |
| TOMMY EICHENBERG (8) | LB | STEELE CHAMBERS (18) |
| CODY SIMON (37) | LB | C.J. HICKS (19) |
| DAVISON IGBINOSUN (17) | CB | DENZEL BURKE (11) |
| JYAIRE BROWN (33) | CB | JORDAN HANCOCK (23) |
| CAMERON MARTINEZ (25) | NS | JA’HAD CARTER (26) |
| KYE STOKES (36) | FS | JOSH PROCTOR (34) |
| SONNY STYLES (16) | SS | LATHAN RANSOM (15) |
The Case for Each Team
Griffin
Let’s get this straight: I drafted Ohio State’s best overall player (Harrison), top two running backs (Henderson and Miyan Williams), both potential starters at OT (Fryar and Simmons), and another pair of starters at DT (Hall and Tyleik Williams). Oh, and two of the most-buzzed-about underclassmen on the roster in Styles and Inniss AND the most impressive new transfer in Igbinosun.
Dan may have some defensive advantages, but I still have the MVP of last year’s defense in Eichenberg. And yes, Dan has OSU’s likely starting QB, but from what we saw this past spring, there didn’t appear to be a world of difference separating McCord's caliber of play from that of Brown.
In short, I’m confident my squad gets the job done against Dan’s own. And if you aren’t, just ask yourself this question: Do you really want to bet against No. 18?
Dan
Griffin may have landed Ohio State’s top two offensive tackles, but I landed its two best offensive linemen as well as its likely starting quarterback, which is a big advantage for my offense. My roster is also more well-rounded at the offensive skill positions, starting with the fact that Griffin’s team doesn’t even have a tight end and continuing with Egbuka’s ability to play both outside and inside, Johnson’s ability to play as both a receiver and running back and Tate and Trayanum offering huge upside.
Defensively, I love the fact that my secondary could theoretically feature all five of Ohio State’s actual starting defensive backs. My lineup features the Buckeyes’ top defensive end (Tuimoloau), cornerback (Burke) and safety (Ransom). Hamilton and Chambers are also core pieces in the defensive front, while Hicks and Jackson are two major candidates to emerge as difference-makers as second-year Buckeyes.
I am concerned about my offensive tackles and center, but I’d feel that way even if I had Griffin’s draft picks; simply put, Ohio State has no sure things at either of those positions right now. My advantages at guard and tight end will help offset any advantage he has at tackle and center, as will having the more experienced quarterback and seven of the first 12 defenders off the board.
