Skull Session: Brice Sensabaugh Could Join LeBron James in Los Angeles, Courtland Sutton Wants to Emulate Michael Thomas and Canaan Smith-Njigba Returns to the Show

By Jacob Rhee on June 12, 2023 at 5:00 am
Brice Sensabaugh
Joseph Maiorana - USA TODAY Sports
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Hello everyone, and welcome to Monday’s Skull Session.

With Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave both looking like stars in their rookie seasons, it’s only natural for the comparisons to begin. So, who would you rather have between the two former Ohio State wideouts?

If you’re a member of Buckeye Nation, you can sit back and watch the other fans argue. We got both of them.

A new week is underway, folks; let’s all come out swinging.

 HOLLYWOOD BRICE? The Los Angeles Lakers brought in Brice Sensabaugh for a pre-draft workout on Thursday, a move that excited the fans in Tinseltown.

Plenty of NBA teams have their eyes on Sensabaugh, but Los Angeles is one of his more likely destinations. The Lakers hold the No. 17 overall pick - right around where the former Buckeye is projected to go - and desperately need an elite outside shooter.

Don’t discount the LeBron James part of this, either. The man teased retirement minutes after his team was eliminated from the playoffs to scare the front office into a productive offseason. On top of that, we all know The King is an Ohio State superfan; he’s probably watched plenty of Sensabaugh. If James decides to pound the table for him, will Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka take anyone else?

This is all assuming, of course, that Sensabaugh is still on the board. The No. 11 pick belongs to the Magic, which I argue is the most fun landing spot for Sensabaugh, an Orlando native. It's always cool when guys play in front of their friends and family each night. Plus, the Magic are quietly building a really nice young core; they could be a sleeper to make the postseason next year if they grab their hometown hero.

 BE LIKE MIKE. Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton told reporters at OTAs that he has been watching 2019 film of a Buckeye great.

If Sutton wants to explode in his first season with Sean Payton, Thomas is a great guy to imitate. The 2014 national champion blossomed into the best wideout in the sport under Payton in New Orleans. Thomas’s 2019 campaign was one for the ages, as he shattered the single-season receptions record and won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

Unfortunately, Thomas has played very sparingly ever since and isn’t totally healthy at the moment. But he seems to be in good spirits and has been building tight relationships with his teammates.

Thomas should be good to go by training camp and is ready to remind everyone that you Can't Guard Mike. If you want a glimpse into his vengeful mindset, just read his Twitter bio.

 BUSINESS AS USUAL. The Atlanta Dream got blown out at home by the New York Liberty on Friday, but it was still a momentous day for Taylor Mikesell. The Massillon native made her WNBA debut, scoring six points in five minutes.

The game had already been decided by the time Mikesell checked in, but her impressive showing still caught the attention of Atlanta fans.

It is beyond me how the Indiana Fever couldn’t find a roster spot for Mikesell. Ohio State supporters are familiar with her scoring prowess because we watched her torch defenses for two years, but it doesn’t take some scouting deep dive to recognize Mikesell’s talent. You can watch the kid launch threes for 30 seconds and see that she is a flat-out special shooter.

It’s only a matter of time before Mikesell starts playing meaningful minutes for the Dream. Her rise to stardom has officially begun.

 CALLING ON CANAAN. The young Pittsburgh Pirates shocked the baseball world when they raced out to a 20-8 start this year. However, things cooled off considerably in May, and they are now turning to Canaan Smith-Njigba to help spark them again.

Smith-Njigba - the older brother of former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba - broke camp with the big league club but was sent down to the minors after a rough first few weeks. His stint with Triple-A Indianapolis did not last long, as he hit seven bombs in just 28 games and flashed the leather defensively, forcing his way back to Pittsburgh.

When Jaxon was a freshman at Rockwall High School in Texas, Canaan was a senior who was putting up crazy numbers on the baseball team. The outfielder was so dangerous at the plate that opposing pitchers simply stopped throwing to him. In 24 games that season, Smith-Njigba was intentionally walked 32 times.

Fast-forward to now, and I can only imagine how exciting of a time this is for the family. Two brothers, all grown up, playing their sports at the highest level. September 10th should be quite an emotional afternoon; Canaan’s Pirates take on the Braves just before Jaxon makes his NFL debut with the Seahawks.

 BEST IN THE WORLD? It was an action-packed week for Justin Fields. The Bears’ signal-caller drilled a shot from the logo at the United Center, linked up with Michael Vick, and signed an endorsement deal with Reebok.

But the most eyebrow-raising thing that happened involving Fields was teammate Jaquan Brisker casually labeling him the best quarterback in the league in a press conference.

First and foremost, it still doesn’t compute to me that Fields and Brisker are probably great friends. Whenever I hear those two names together, I immediately picture them battling it out in their college uniforms.

Secondly, Brisker is getting way ahead of himself here. As much as I love Fields, he’s 5-20 as an NFL starter. He doesn’t belong in the conversation with the top quarterbacks in the game. Not yet.

The blame for that ugly record does not fall totally on Fields; before finally waking up this offseason, Chicago’s front office had spent two years neglecting to give him any help. Now that Fields has an exciting wide receiver duo and at least some semblance of an offensive line, just about everyone can feel the full-fledged eruption coming.

Where would you rank Fields among NFL quarterbacks at the moment? I personally have him in the 10-15 range, but I would absolutely love it if the Buckeye legend went out and proved Brisker right this season.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest. An all-time classic, brought to you by the greatest hip-hop group ever assembled. Enjoy.

 CRUNCH TIME. Nick Taylor buried a 72-foot putt to win the Canadian Open... Elly De La Cruz thinks he’s the fastest man alive... A family found one million pennies in the basement... Oral Roberts delivers more postseason magic... Rose Zhang is changing women’s golf... A 17-year-old earned three college degrees while in high school.

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