Skull Session: Avery Henry Keeps Fighting, Buckeyes Go Back-to-Back-to-Back in a 2024 NFL Mock Draft and Tyvis Powell Tries Basketball With Cotie McMahon

By Chase Brown on July 10, 2023 at 5:00 am
Avery Henry
28 Comments

Welcome to the Skull Session.

It's been too long without a #BOOM. I think I need one.

Let's have a good Monday, shall we?

 "KEEP FIGHTING." One of Ohio State football's core words is "Fight." That word developed a new meaning for offensive lineman Avery Henry when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in December 2021.

After months of fighting the disease, Henry announced his cancer was in remission on May 11, leaving him with a handful of treatments to complete his treatment at the James Cancer Hospital on Ohio State's campus. Three weeks later, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye said Henry's return to the program was still "way down the road."

As Henry recovers, the second-year Buckeye and St. Clairsville, Ohio, native spoke with Adam King of 10TV in Columbus about his diagnosis and treatment. King offered a sneak peek of the interview on Twitter on Friday and announced that the entire story would be released on Wednesday.

I love this.

Henry is an inspiration to us all. I hope he understands that Buckeye Nation keeps him in its thoughts and knows that he will never be alone in the battle as it continues – that Buckeye Nation will always be behind him.

Make sure to tune into 10TV on Wednesday for the rest of Henry's story. Maybe have some tissues on hand, too.

 GOIN' BACK-TO-BACK-TO BACK. Ohio State will be well-represented in the first round of the NFL draft on April 25, 2024 – that's how ESPN analyst Jordan Reid sees it, at least. In a recent mock draft, he predicted five Buckeyes will be chosen in the opening 32 picks, including three players who will be selected back-to-back-to-back with the 16th, 17th and 18th picks.

According to Reid, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, JT Tuimoloau, Mike Hall Jr. and Donovan Jackson are worth premium picks in 2024. Here is where he believes they will land in the draft and what he wrote about them:

Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Reciever

No. 2 - Arizona Cardinals

A strong argument could be made that Harrison is the best overall prospect in the 2024 class, and the Cardinals are starved for talent and lack a true go-to target in the offense. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he has an outstanding blend of size, reliable hands and body control. He finished last season with 14 touchdown receptions, the fourth-best mark in the FBS, and is now expected to be an even bigger part of the Buckeyes' offensive attack in 2023. Harrison reminds me of A.J. Green coming out of Georgia in the 2011 draft.

Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver

No. 11 - Chicago Bears

Another first-round receiver from Ohio State? Harrison receives most of the attention, but Egbuka looked great during his first season as a starter in 2022 (74 catches, 1,151 yards, 10 scores). He is a crafty and detailed route runner with a great feel for attacking creases against zone looks and the body control and instincts to create separation against man coverage. Even after adding DJ Moore and Chase Claypool, Egbuka would boost the passing game around Justin Fields -- and give the Bears a security blanket in case Claypool (a free agent in 2024) doesn't pan out for them.

JT Tuimoloau, Defensive End

No. 16 - Denver Broncos

The Broncos added Zach Allen this offseason, but the defensive line still lacks youth at multiple spots. Tuimoloau opened some eyes against Penn State last season (2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 touchdown), but scouts want to see him flash more often throughout the course of the 2023 season. If he finds some more consistency, his strength as a run defender and his mature hands as a pass-rusher have many NFL teams excited about his future.

Mike Hall Jr., Defensive Tackle

No. 17 - Houston Texans

The Texans need to keep adding talent all over the roster, and the defensive line remains a glaring weakness -- even after Houston traded up for Will Anderson Jr. in April. Hall is a quick-footed interior defender who displays burst out of the starting blocks at the snap. He checks a lot of key boxes as a pass-rusher, but his early-down reps as a run defender must improve in 2023. He had 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss on only 290 defensive snaps last season.

Donovan Jackson, Guard

No. 18 - Miami Dolphins

Expectations are high for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entering his fourth season, but the Dolphins' offensive front remains in flux. Left guard and right tackle could have new starters in 2024, depending on the development of Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson. Donovan Jackson could help on the interior after he allowed just one sack on 796 snaps at left guard last season. He shows strong hands and solid foot quickness, helping him win in tight proximities. Jackson has the potential to be a plug-and-play starter at the next level.

If all of Reid's picks came true, which would be a miracle considering we are 290 days away from the draft, there would be a lot to love about his predictions for the Buckeyes.

With the No. 1 overall pick, Reid has USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams headed to Arizona, where he would create an electric duo with Harrison – one that Lincoln Riley and Co. were rumored to have wanted in Los Angeles for 2023 but Harrison's allegiances lied with the Buckeyes, as they should have. It sucks to suck, Lincoln.

Egbuka, college football's best WR2, would pair up with former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in Chicago. While it wouldn't be the most encouraging development to see Chicago possess the No. 11 overall pick, as that would indicate a not-so-great season for Fields and the Bears, I would love to see Fields pass it to Egbuka in the Windy City.

As for the rest of the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau, Hall and Jackson would have NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tired of the words "The Ohio State University," as he would say them repeatedly for three consecutive picks. Still, that would be a lot of fun for Ohio State fans, who would see three offensive players and two defensive players off the board in the first 18 picks of the draft.

 TYVIS TRIES BASKETBALL. When Tyvis Powell isn't recording "Tradition Talk" videos with Lathan Ransom or radio shows on 97.1 The Fan, the former Buckeye tries his best to keep up with current Ohio State student-athletes in a video series produced by The 1870 Society called "Tyvis Tries."

In the first three weeks of the video series, Powell has faced off with 280-pound wrestler Tate Orndorff at the Jennings Wrestling Facility, All-American tennis player Robert Cash at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center and women's basketball star Cotie McMahon at the Schottenstein Center.

The most recent release in the series was Powell's battle with McMahon on the hardwood. According to an anonymous source with knowledge of the events (me), Powell was cooked by McMahon in a game of one-on-one, and Powell requested footage not be shared with a larger audience (I have no idea if this is true, but let's assume it is – because it is).

What is true is that the national champion safety was defeated by the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in a game of P-I-G. Here is how it went down:

This series looks like a ton of fun for all involved.

Powell, a well-known trash talker, builds himself up only to be humbled by some of the best athletes Ohio State has to offer before he graciously accepts his defeat. I can't wait to see what more is to come. How about Tyvis Tries Rowing? Tyvis Tries Pistol? Or... and this would be great... Tyvis Tries Synchronized Swimming?

Let's make it happen, 1870.

Oh, and if you would like to see what else is hatnin' over at 1870, such as a member-exclusive Ryan Day Podcast and other perks like tickets and pre-game field access to an Ohio State football game and tickets to a "Heisman Lunch" featuring past Ohio State Heisman Trophy winners, click here. 

 BRING OUT THE BEANIE. Ohio State redshirt freshman wrestler Nic Bouzakis competed for the United States at the U20 Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Santago, Chile, on Saturday. After five consecutive victories, he will come home with a gold medal for the red, white and blue.

Bouzakis pinned Blayne Helou (Canada) in the first round before victories of 12-1 over Eli Kirk (Puerto Rico), 10-0 over Enrique Herrera (Peru) and 10-0 over Joao Da Silva (Brazil) to advance to the U20 Pan-American Finals.

In the championship bout, Bouzakis faced Herrera for a second time in the tournament after the Peruvian battled his way back from the consolation bracket. If Hererra had any idea of revenge in the title match, Bouzakis put them to rest quickly, as the Tampa, Florida, native dismissed his opponent, 14-4, across three periods of action.

With his medal secured, Bouzakis placed his trademark red beanie on his head. The beanie honors his late brother, Greco, who died of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare form of spine cancer, at 6 years old.

Cheers to Bouzakis for his performance on Saturday. Five wins in less than 24 hours against any competition is impressive, let alone some of the most talented wrestlers the Western Hemisphere has to offer at the U20 level.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "505" by The Artic Monkeys (Dogpark Cover).

 CUT TO THE CHASE. An extremely overdue book has been returned to a Massachusetts library 119 years later... Underwater music show in the Florida Keys promotes awareness of coral reef protection... Iowa man’s collection of 70,000 pencils being evaluated as possible world record... He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride... Unspeakably stinky and unpredictable: two corpse flowers are blooming in the U.S.... Friends break aviation world record by flying to all lower 48 states in 38 hours.

28 Comments

Prognosticating: Indiana

Dry Goods Contest

Ryan Day Gives Mic-Drop Response When Pat McAfee Tells Him Indiana is “The Real Deal”: “So Are We”

Ryan Day
View 28 Comments