It wasn’t easy choosing which Ohio State players we’d most want to have on our team this year.
Ohio State’s star-studded lineup for the 2024 season gave us plenty of options to choose from as we conducted our annual Real Pod Wednesdays draft to build head-to-head lineups for a hypothetical game of Buckeyes vs. Buckeyes between our two hosts.
Eleven Warriors beat writers Dan Hope and Andy Anders conducted a snake-format draft to build 22-man teams consisting of players on Ohio State’s 2024 football roster. Dan won the coin toss for the No. 1 overall pick, after which Andy and Dan alternated selections two at a time until both teams had drafted 11 offensive players and 11 defensive players for a total of 44 selections.
The ground rules for the draft required each of us to draft one quarterback, five offensive linemen and five skill-position players (wide receivers, running backs or tight ends) on offense and at least three defensive linemen, two linebackers and four defensive backs with two flexible selections on defense. Ultimately, Dan and Andy both chose to draft three wide receivers with one running back and one tight end on offense and to draft four defensive linemen, two linebackers, three cornerbacks and two safeties on defense, mirroring Ohio State’s actual base offensive and defensive personnel alignments.
We explain each of our selections below, followed by each of us making our case for why we believe our team would win this intrasquad matchup. At the end, you can cast your vote for which of our teams you think you would be victorious.
To hear us make our selections and react to each other’s picks in real time, watch this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays in the video at the top of the page or listen to it in the audio player below. All episodes of Real Pod Wednesdays can also be found on Eleven Warriors’ YouTube channel and on our Spotify and Apple Podcasts feeds.
The Picks
1. Caleb Downs, S (Dan)
With so many great players to choose from at the top of the draft, I considered the possibility of giving Andy the No. 1 overall pick to have the next two choices. Given the Buckeyes’ lack of proven depth at safety, however, I decided I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to draft Downs, who’s arguably Ohio State’s best player even on a team full of returning stars and gives my team an anchor in the back middle of the defense.
2. Donovan Jackson, LG (Andy)
3. Emeka Egbuka, WR (Andy)
Offensive linemen were at a premium in the draft since there just isn't a lot of depth at the position on Ohio State's roster, so getting the best offensive lineman on the team was a top priority for me. After that I decided to go with who I felt was the best player available, and Emeka Egbuka is going to be one of the best wide receivers in college football this season.
4. Denzel Burke, CB (Dan)
5. Josh Simmons, LT (Dan)
I probably would have drafted Burke at No. 1 if not for Ohio State’s depth at cornerback, so I couldn’t pass up a second chance to draft the dominant cornerback, giving my team two superstars in the secondary who might also be the two best players on the entire roster.
Having learned my lesson from past drafts about waiting too long to take offensive linemen, I wasn’t going to risk letting Andy land both of Ohio State’s top two offensive linemen.
6. Jordan Hancock, CB (Andy)
7. Jack Sawyer, DE (Andy)
After two offensive selections with my first two picks, I hit the defensive side of the football with my next two. Nickel is at a sneaky premium in this draft so I felt getting Jordan Hancock was a priority, then I got Jack Sawyer to anchor my defensive line because I feel he's poised to have the best season of any Buckeye defensive frontman.
8. Will Howard, QB (Dan)
9. Jeremiah Smith, WR (Dan)
I strongly considered drafting Howard with my previous pick, so I wasn’t going to wait any longer to take Ohio State’s likely starter at the most important position on the field. I felt as though I couldn’t wait any longer to draft Smith after watching him dominate practices all spring, and he’ll be well worth a top-10 draft choice if he lives up to the massive hype surrounding him.
10. Lathan Ransom, S (Andy)
11. Seth McLaughlin, C (Andy)
With Caleb Downs coming off the board first overall, I knew I needed a safety since the position isn't all that deep and I waited about as long as I could before scooping up Ransom. Sticking with my mentality that the offensive line is at a premium, especially with Simmons already selected, I took this year's starting center to form a dynamic one-two punch with Jackson on the interior.
12. Josh Fryar, RT (Dan)
13. Tyleik Williams, DT (Dan)
I wanted to make sure I ended up with at least two of Ohio State’s four clear starters on the offensive line, so I countered Andy’s McLaughlin pick by drafting Fryar, who was the No. 3 offensive lineman on my personal draft board. Some consider Williams to be the best 2024 NFL draft prospect on an Ohio State roster full of potential early-round picks, so I feel like I got a steal by landing Williams outside the top 10 to anchor my defensive line.
14. Tegra Tshabola, OT (Andy)
15. Sonny Styles, LB (Andy)
With Simmons and Fryar off the board already I needed a tackle, and I couldn't let Dan scoop up the last available good one and stick him at guard in Tshabola. Then I scooped up who I feel will be the most versatile weapon on Ohio State's defense outside of Downs in Styles, who I will deploy at Will linebacker but can be used to make plays all over the field.
16. JT Tuimoloau, DE (Dan)
17. TreVeyon Henderson, RB (Dan)
Tuimoloau and Henderson both rank among Ohio State’s seven best players, so both of them were no-brainer selections this far into the draft. I did consider the possibility of drafting both Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to prevent Andy from getting either of OSU’s top two running backs, but I didn’t want Andy to get both of the Buckeyes’ standout defensive ends, which I figured he would if I waited any longer to draft Tuimoloau.
18. Quinshon Judkins, RB (Andy)
19. Davison Igbinosun, CB (Andy)
With Henderson off the board Judkins was a logical selection, giving me a physical running game with my interior offensive line pairing of Jackson and McLaughlin. Igbinosun stuck out as my next choice given I still needed my top outside corner, and the best run-defending cornerback I've ever seen play at Ohio State is certainly not a bad asset to have.
20. Jermaine Mathews Jr., CB (Dan)
21. Cody Simon, MLB (Dan)
I didn’t want to risk allowing Andy to land three of Ohio State’s top four cornerbacks, so I snapped up Mathews, who would likely be a starter for any other team in college football. Simon was the top linebacker on my board as Ohio State’s projected leader at the position this year, so I’m excited about the value of getting him outside the top 20.
22. Brandon Inniss, WR (Andy)
23. Ty Hamilton, DT (Andy)
I personally think Inniss could be poised to be Ohio State's second-best receiver production-wise after Egbuka, so I'll stick him in the slot and put the senior on the outside. With Sawyer charging off the edge, Hamilton will be a physical presence on my interior defensive line to stuff the run game.
24. C.J. Hicks, LB (Dan)
25. Carson Hinzman, C (Dan)
Hicks has huge upside and could very well end up being Ohio State’s starting Will linebacker this season, so I feel great about my linebacker tandem after pairing him with Simon. Figuring there was a possibility that Andy could take Hinzman to be his right guard – the position where Hinzman could potentially start for the Buckeyes this season – I didn’t want to wait any longer to draft him to be my center, where he was Ohio State’s starter last season, with McLaughlin off the board.
26. Luke Montgomery, G/T (Andy)
27. Malik Hartford, S (Andy)
With Montgomery I completed a quartet of potential starters on the Buckeyes' offensive line in 2024, since both he and Tshabola are competing to start at right guard this fall. Montgomery will slot in at right guard for me and complete what I believe is a high-end interior trio. Hartford was easily the best safety available, and taking him prevented a large dropoff to my second starter at the position – which I also wanted to stick Dan with given he had Downs.
28. Carnell Tate, WR (Dan)
29. Gee Scott Jr., TE (Dan)
Another set of no-brainer picks here as Tate and Scott were the only players left on the board who are likely to start for Ohio State this season. I was relieved that Andy didn’t take Tate with either of his previous two picks, as Tate is likely to be OSU’s No. 2 or No. 3 receiver this season and could have easily come off the board much sooner; Scott, meanwhile, is the frontrunner to be OSU’s No. 1 tight end in 2024.
30. Caden Curry, DE (Andy)
31. Gabe Powers, LB (Andy)
I was left with a choice between Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry at my second defensive end spot, and I went with the player I expect to have more production in 2024 in Curry. Powers is a clear-cut choice to play Mike linebacker, he's next at the position after Simon for the Buckeyes this year and his strength will pair well with Styles' athleticism.
32. Kayden McDonald, DT (Dan)
33. Lorenzo Styles Jr., CB (Dan)
Andy made the rookie mistake of openly considering McDonald and Styles to be his picks before he drafted Curry and Powers, allowing me to draft them both before he could. While I also considered drafting Hero Kanu as my second defensive tackle, I like the fit of playing McDonald at nose tackle alongside Williams at 3-technique, giving me two massive DTs with plenty of quickness for their size. Had I missed out on Styles, I would have likely had to move Mathews inside to slot cornerback, so I wanted to make sure I secured the Buckeyes’ projected backup nickel.
34. Bryson Rodgers, WR (Andy)
35. Jelani Thurman, TE (Andy)
Rodgers has drawn plenty of praise since exiting the transfer portal and returning to Ohio State so I'm confident in the young upside he can bring as my third wide receiver. With Scott off the board, I needed a tight end and I'm betting on Thurman's upside entering his second season as a highly-touted recruit.
36. Austin Siereveld, G (Dan)
37. Joshua Padilla, G (Dan)
With two spots left to fill on my offensive line and Andy still needing one offensive linemen, I took the two best interior offensive linemen available to fill out my front five. While Padilla has practiced primarily at center for the Buckeyes, I drafted him to play right guard since Hinzman has a season of experience playing center and there were no other non-freshman scholarship interior offensive linemen available.
38. Jason Moore, DT (Andy)
39. George Fitzpatrick, OT (Andy)
Moore brings a long pass-rushing presence to the interior of my defensive line to pair with Hamilton. On the offensive side of the football, I needed to complete my offensive line and was left with an underwhelming collection of offensive tackle options. George Fitzpatrick stood out the most to me from that group.
40. Kenyatta Jackson Jr., DE (Dan)
41. Mylan Graham, WR (Dan)
I was content to land whoever Andy didn’t take between Jackson and Curry to be my second defensive end, so I waited until my third-to-last pick to take Jackson even though he’d rank comfortably higher than 40th on a ranking of Ohio State’s best players. I considered the possibility of drafting Will Kacmarek as my final offensive selection to give my team some extra beef and run a two-tight end offense, but I decided to make another bet on five-star freshman receiver upside by drafting Graham to round out a young but uber-talented receiving corps.
42. Devin Brown, QB (Andy)
43. Calvin Simpson-Hunt, CB (Andy)
Brown became my quarterback once Howard got chosen by Dan, though I did consider Julian Sayin – ultimately I just feel it's more likely Brown sees the field this year, despite some things I may have said in the spring (opinions can change, I'm sorry!). Calvin Simpson-Hunt rounds out my starting lineup at cornerback, and has fantastic athletic upside as a former track star with plus length at the position.
44. Keenan Nelson Jr., S (Dan)
Nelson was the only scholarship defensive back left on the board who’s played a snap at the collegiate level, so he was the safest choice to pair with Downs and round out my secondary. Considering Nelson started four games at South Carolina last season, I could have done much worse with the last pick of the draft.
Lineup Comparison
| Dan’s Team | Position | Andy’s Team |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| WILL HOWARD (8) | QB | DEVIN BROWN (42) |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON (17) | RB | QUINSHON JUDKINS (18) |
| JEREMIAH SMITH (9) | WR | EMEKA EGBUKA (3) |
| CARNELL TATE (28) | WR | BRANDON INNISS (22) |
| MYLAN GRAHAM (41) | WR | BRYSON RODGERS (34) |
| GEE SCOTT JR. (29) | TE | JELANI THURMAN (35) |
| JOSH SIMMONS (5) | LT | GEORGE FITZPATRICK (39) |
| AUSTIN SIEREVELD (36) | LG | DONOVAN JACKSON (2) |
| CARSON HINZMAN (25) | C | SETH MCLAUGHLIN (11) |
| JOSHUA PADILLA (37) | RG | LUKE MONTGOMERY (26) |
| JOSH FRYAR (12) | RT | TEGRA TSHABOLA (14) |
| DEFENSE | ||
| JT TUIMOLOAU (16) | DE | JACK SAWYER (7) |
| KENYATTA JACKSON JR. (40) | DE | CADEN CURRY (30) |
| TYLEIK WILLIAMS (13) | DT | JASON MOORE (38) |
| KAYDEN MCDONALD (32) | DT | TY HAMILTON (23) |
| C.J. HICKS (24) | LB | SONNY STYLES (15) |
| CODY SIMON (21) | LB | GABE POWERS (31) |
| DENZEL BURKE (4) | CB | DAVISON IGBINOSUN (19) |
| JERMAINE MATHEWS JR. (20) | CB | CALVIN SIMPSON-HUNT (43) |
| LORENZO STYLES JR. (33) | NB | JORDAN HANCOCK (6) |
| CALEB DOWNS (1) | FS | MALIK HARTFORD (27) |
| KEENAN NELSON JR. (44) | SS | LATHAN RANSOM (10) |
The Case for Each Team
Dan
The Eleven Warriors staff agreed earlier this offseason that Burke, Henderson and Downs are Ohio State’s three best players going into the 2024 season, and I landed all three of them on my team. Add in Williams and Tuimoloau, and my team includes five of the top seven players in the Buckeye 20, giving my roster a level of star power that Andy’s can’t match.
Smith could easily join them among Ohio State’s biggest stars in short order based on what we’ve seen from the freshman receiver so far. My team also includes Ohio State’s likely starting quarterback and both of its starting offensive tackles, giving my team a clear advantage at the two positions most crucial to an offense’s success.
Even without Egbuka, the quartet of Smith, Tate, Graham and Scott gives my team the potential to have a more explosive receiving corps. My defensive line and secondary both include multiple All-American candidates while Simon is the Buckeyes’ only proven commodity at linebacker.
I’ll concede that Andy has the better interior offensive line, but my roster is arguably better at every other position group.
Andy
Dan believes that the interior offensive line is the only strength of my team over his, I'd disagree strongly with that assertion. I have a massive edge at nickel with Hancock over Styles and I feel a lot more confident in my safety tandem, Nelson is a big wildcard playing deep where I have two proven assets, even if I'll concede Downs could be the best overall player on Ohio State this year. Our defensive lines are comparable at worst for me, and I think I have the best overall defensive lineman this year in Sawyer.
Henderson might have been top-three in the Buckeye 20 but there's minimal dropoff to Judkins realistically, and I think I'll have a better ground game on offense with my aforementioned advantage on the interior offensive line. Padilla and Siereveld will be more porous on the inside than a bucket stabbed by Flex Seal's Phil Swift, and Howard is going to be taking a lot of damage. I feel there's only one weak point on my offensive line at tackle and having four strong bodies will help compensate for it.
With my ground game on offense and overall outlook at defensive back, while Dan might have more star power after getting the first overall pick, I think my roster is more balanced and built better for long-term success, especially with the young upside at certain positions.
