Another day has passed and Chris "The Drugunov" Chugunov is still not in the transfer portal. Rejoice.
ICYMI
- Depth chart projection.
- A lack of quarterback depth could be Ohio State's new reality.
- Recruiting options at the quarterback position.
- Joey Lane community interview.
- Urban Meyer says Dwayne Haskins will be a franchise quarterback.
- Alec Yoder wins the pommel horse national title.
- Men's tennis wins its 14th-straight Big Ten title.
- Women's golf wins the Big Ten championship.
Word of the Day: Lief.
“EVERY DOWN LIKE IT'S HIS LAST.” I remember a few years ago when Jadeveon Clowney was hailed as a football god ahead of his junior season at South Carolina, but really didn't live up to the hype to many because he took plays off – as defensive linemen do sometimes, to be fair.
Nick Bosa had comparable hype heading into his junior season, but the key difference was he only had one speed.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle:
Offered (former Rutgers offensive coordinator John) McNulty, who saw Bosa collect one sack and two other tackles behind the line of scrimmage in September: “The talent is one thing, but when it’s matched by the relentless effort on every snap … it’s just very hard to deal with.”
...
(Former Michigan offensive coordinator Tim) Drevno says Bosa, who is 6-foot-4 and 266 pounds, plays “every down like it’s his last.” And McNulty and NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah cited specifics when discussing Bosa’s hair-on-fire approach.
McNulty recalled when Rutgers was in a two-minute drill against Ohio State and he had a tackle block Bosa one-on-one, thinking Bosa would be slowed by the frenetic pace. Instead, the tackle got gassed, Bosa blew past him, and, McNulty recalls, “he just about crushed our quarterback.”
“There’s a lot of guys that are talented in the draft,” McNulty said. “But I don’t know if there’s anyone that plays as hard. Can’t say I’ve watched every guy in the draft, but I just know that there aren’t too many people in football that play that hard on every snap.”
...
“There are a handful of plays where he’s triple-teamed and he’ll crawl to the quarterback — like he just finds a way to get it done,” (NFL.com Draft Analyst Daniel) Jeremiah said. “If you want somebody that can win early with speed, he can overpower you. He’s outstanding with his hands. The effort is off the charts."
I don't think we properly appreciate how absurdly unblockable Bosa was through his first 2.5 games. He had 14 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks. Those are season numbers for some pass rushers.
If you extrapolate his sack numbers based on the pace with which he opened the season, he'd own the Ohio State single-season sack record before the end of the ninth game of the season.
I might never get over how insane his numbers could have been opposite of Chase Young.
THE PRINCE THAT WAS PROMISED. Isaiah Prince had a rocky, up-and-down career at Ohio State and probably didn't play as well as he wanted to all the time, but when you're 6-foot-7, 310 pounds, you're gonna have no problems getting a chance in the league regardless of how you played in college, especially when you started multiple years at a school like Ohio State.
From Jim McBride of the Boston Globe:
Prince has a reputation as a leader among his teammates and was lauded for his ability to adapt and for his consistent improvement by Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Prince is coming from a program that should allow him to transition to an NFL organization — including the Patriots — smoothly.
“Practice every day was a war,’’ Prince said. “If you didn’t show up to practice mentally prepared, you definitely were exposed . . . Every day is serious. Every practice is serious. You go against the best every day. Just the opportunity to grow for the next level every day. You’re playing for something big every day. It’s very important that you pay attention and learn how to contribute.’’
...
“I think what I bring to the NFL is my adaptability,’’ he said. “You put me in any situation, I’ll make the most of it. I’ll make things happen. You put me in at right guard, left guard, left tackle, right tackle, I’ll make the most of it.’’
Prince isn't getting a ton of hype entering the draft, but I'm not about to rule out the guy Nick Bosa once called the best tackle in college football, especially if noted-football wizard Bill Belichick gets his hands on him.
If Prince – or any Buckeye, for that matter – ends up in a Patriots uniform, I'm just going to go ahead and assume he'll be a 10-year starter and 5-time Pro Bowler.
MORE HOOPS HELP? From the way Chris Holtmann talked his last media appearance, he was extremely confident that the Buckeyes would not be adding anyone else with immediate eligibility after the addition of Ibrahima Diallo.
Well, it looks like somebody is fibbing somewhere!
Northeastern transfer Shawn Occeus tells me he's receiving interest from Miami, Ohio State, and FAU.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 21, 2019
Holtmann sincerely meant what he said, but then couldn't pass up an opportunity to improve his team. I mean, he was the 2018 CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
But it seems other options are on the table as well.
Source: Cincinnati transfer Nysier Brooks is receiving interest from Miami, Virginia Tech, LSU, Arkansas, Ohio State, N.C. State, Marquette, Baylor, and LaSalle.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 21, 2019
This transfer, though, would seem to make a hell of a lot more sense and align much more with what Holtmann said about his roster. It sounds like he wants to add one more player, but wants to add someone who is going to sit a year, and Brooks fits the bill.
Worth noting, I still have eligibility and have recently completed multiple games of basketball outside without injury or exhaustion!
ALONZO GAFFNEY ON DISPLAY. Speaking of next year's Basketbucks team, Alonzo Gaffney got to play in the Jordan Brand Classic over the weekend and he certainly did some stuff.
Some moments from Ohio State-bound Alonzo Gaffney in the Jordan Brand Classic. He had 12 points in his teams 132-125 loss. pic.twitter.com/2ZLqfXZAyt
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) April 21, 2019
I think Gaffney is the rawest member of the 2019 class (outside of the 7-footer who's only played basketball four two years, of course), but he also might have the most upside. Give him a year with Holtmann and he'll be a go-to scorer when the Buckeyes mount their NCAA Title defense in 2020-2021.
BIG ZEKE. This Instagram post by Ezekiel Elliott has Cowboys fans freaking the hell out because it looks like Zeke put on some weight this offseason.
My personal favorite comment was "Oh you be on Ed lacy diet."
Cowboy's fans, you'll be pleased to know that I saw Zeke at Standard Hall after the spring game and he was drinking a vodka water on purpose, meaning he clearly cares about his weight.
LINK LOCKER. Austria drafts a law that would Internet commenters to use their require real names... Arizona woman wakes up with a Scottish accent... Colonizing space means reproducing there, and we still don't know if that's possible... Why robocalls are almost impossible to stop... A YouTube channel streams AI-generated death metal 24/7...
