What a wild weekend in Buckeye sports. It seems like the #brand is still strong.
ICYMI:
- The 2018 NFL Draft hub. Picks! UDFAs! Rookie tryouts! It's all here.
- James Grega spent draft night with Tyquan Lewis, and you'll want to make time today to read his story.
- 2019 three-star safety Bryson Shaw flipped from Wisconsin, and what that means for the DYN19STY.
- 2019 four-star linebacker Cade Stover committed, and what the Buckeyes landed.
- 2019 five-star wide receiver Garrett Wilson committed, and what that means for Ohio State.
- Possible top Buckeye picks in the 2019 draft.
- Charles Woodson wants you to know he smokes big gas.
- You have until tomorrow to reserve your or your business' spot on the plaque next to the life-size statue of Woody Hayes coming to Newcomerstown!
Word of the Day: Chelidonias.
DRAFT NEED TO KNOW. The NFL Draft came and went, and as it turns out, franchises still love selecting Urban Meyer-coached players. Some people have better things to do than watch teams pick players, so here's what you need to know.
From Young Adam Schefter of Eleven Warriors:
Denzel Ward and Billy Price were both selected in the first round, with the Cleveland Browns drafting Ward with the No. 4 overall pick and the Cincinnati Bengals drafting Price with the No. 21 overall pick to keep both Buckeyes in the state of Ohio.
Three Ohio State players were selected on Day 2 of the draft. The Indianapolis Colts selected Tyquan Lewis with the No. 64 overall pick to conclude Round 2, while the Miami Dolphins selected Jerome Baker with the No. 73 overall pick and the Bengals selected Sam Hubbard with the No. 77 overall pick in Round 3.
Finally, two Buckeyes were selected on the final day of the draft. The Minnesota Vikings selected Jalyn Holmes with the second pick of Round 4 (No. 102 overall), while the Seattle Seahawks selected Jamarco Jones in Round 5 (No. 168 overall).
I am still offended Jamarco Jones went in the fifth round, though I am glad he landed with a franchise like the Seahawks. Those are the kind of thrifty picks every Super Bowl hopeful needs.
Jones will make a fine pro, even if he moves to guard. He has a 7'1" wingspan, so he plays bigger than his height.
Was also surprised at Damon Webb going undrafted. I saw enough love for him to figure a seventh-round selection at worst. I'm starting to think the Mock Draft Industrial Complex doesn't know what it's talking about.
THE MARVIN LEWIS PROPHECY. Every coach in America tells recruits their school offers the best route to the NFL. Only a few can provide testimony at every position.
Ohio State is one of those schools, and Sam Hubbard, who you might not know originally committed to Notre Dame lacrosse, is the latest example. His selection with the Bengals was years in the making.
From espn.com:
Lewis was visiting Ohio State's campus about four years ago when Hubbard was still an OSU recruit from Cincinnati. Hubbard happened to give Meyer a call that day, and the Buckeyes coach didn't hesitate to take advantage of Lewis' presence. He quickly put Lewis on the phone to try a different kind of sales pitch.
"[Meyer] said, 'Guess who I'm standing here talking to? You're going to come here and play for the Buckeyes and you're going to get a chance to play for your hometown Bengals,'" Lewis recalled.
Meyer got his man, and eventually, so did Lewis. When Lewis was visiting Ohio State again this spring for the Buckeyes' pro day, Meyer reminded him of that conversation all those years ago.
The most shocking thing here is Cincinnati held on to Lewis long enough for Ohio State to recruit, develop, and send Hubbard to the draft. And knowing Mike Brown, Lewis will be there when Hubbard retires.
Still, these are the stories recruits love, as evidenced by last night's wave of commitments.
HOLMES DID IT FOR THE TEAM. The Seattle Seahawks looked smart drafting Jamarco Jones in the fifth round. The Minnesota Vikings also looked smart in drafting Jalyn Holmes in the fourth round.
In Holmes, the Vikings selected a versatile, team-first defensive lineman.
From inforum.com:
"We spent a lot of time with (Holmes),'' Spielman said. "You can't teach that length, you can't teach that athleticism. ... When we talked about him, we want to continue to develop inside pass rush.''
Holmes said he would fit in well at three-technique.
"I think I could be there for the Vikings (at three-technique),'' Holmes said. "I can be whatever the Vikings need me to be. I played out of position at Ohio State, I played defensive end the majority of the time and my last two years I was kicked inside on third down. Right now, I'm whatever they want to be. I feel like I could be a great D tackle.''
Normally I would take a potshot about how it must be nice to cheer for competent teams that draft Buckeyes. Unfortunately the Bengals and Browns threw that routine in the dumpster this year!
The good news for Vikings fans is losing by 60 to the Cleveland Browns in the Super Bowl will be nothing to be ashamed about.
OH HELL YEAH. For all of Ohio State's draft prowess under Urban Meyer, the No. 1 overall pick still eludes him. That could change next year.
Two NFL personnel men predicted last week that the early favorite to become the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft is....Ohio St. DE Nick Bosa. They believe hes going to be a better player than his older brother Joey.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2018
You might remember that his brother Joey was a pretty good player in his own right.
MICHIGAN VISITS NORMANDY. Michigan went 8-5 last year and Jim Harbaugh rewarded them with a trip to France. While there, a visit to Normandy moved Jack Harbaugh to tears:
We looked at the crosses and youd see a state. The state of Ohio, thats a brother. Thats where were from. It pulled at you a little bit. pic.twitter.com/Q0QdrBuHCE
— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) April 29, 2018
Best rivalry in sports, and it's not close.
THOSE WMDs. Doris Burke has game... Projectile cannon experiments show how asteroids can deliver water... Cliff Huxtable was Cosby's sickest joke... Duterte's war: The bloody drug crackdown in the Philippines... India and China's have too many men.
