The Drought is Over
Caleb Downs scores Ohio State’s first punt return touchdown since 2014.
Wake up, babe. A new Buckeye Productions trailer dropped.
Ohio State has produced NINETY 1st-round draft picks, the most all-time. This is what it's all about, right here. #GoBucks
— Buckeye Frank (Buckeye Productions) (@FrankD_419) July 4, 2023
Unfortunately it looks like the original channel is gone for good, so let's make the new one bigger and better! Subs appreciated!https://t.co/jaJO3ckxqS pic.twitter.com/Tji0EUxKpA
His old channel is "gone for good," so make sure to visit his new channel, smash that subscribe button and tap the bell. He's one of the best Ohio State content creators out there.
Let's have a good Tuesday, shall we?
BACK IN GRAY? Ohio State football has left us with the ultimate tease. At 1:29 p.m. on Monday, the team's social media team tweeted out this photo, authorized with the signature of head coach Ryan Day:
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) July 10, 2023
The numbers in the middle of the photo are the date, Nov. 11, 2023 – the same day Ohio State will battle Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. in Ohio Stadium. The date and color scheme of the photo has led many to believe Ohio State will wear alternate gray uniforms for the primetime contest on NBC.
Ohio State has not worn its all-gray alternates since J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes completed a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Penn State, 39-38, on Oct. 28, 2017. Instead, the Buckeyes have opted for other alternates in recent seasons, including all-black uniforms three times (Nebraska, 2018; Michigan State, 2019; Wisconsin, 2022), all-white uniforms once (Michigan State, 2020) and all-scarlet uniforms once (Penn State, 2021).
The all-gray uniforms would be a welcomed change in the Buckeyes' wardrobe rotation. The win over Penn State in 2017 stands out as one of Ohio State's most impressive victories in recent memory, and while I don't anticipate the Michigan State matchup to be the same heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride, it would still be fun to see the wolf-themed uniforms back in action – or some other form of all-gray threads, for that matter.
We now wait patiently for an official announcement from Ohio State football. Hopefully, where there has been smoke, there will be fire.
JORDAN HANCOCK LOOKS GREAT. Before I dive into this section, I want to thank Eleven Warriors user BuckeyeGuy0615 for the assist on its material. Ol' BG delivered an excellent pass; all I had to do was make the wide-open layup.
Without further ado, here is that material – a clip of Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock working on his craft with trainer Oliver Davis II in Atlanta this offseason:
Keep a eye on this kid @jordanhancock_ I really like his skillset long, athletic, smooth, great ball skills, great feel for the game. Wouldnt be surprised at all if he had a breakout year for the Buckeyes this season. Chasing Greatness!! #SFSP 1% pic.twitter.com/lo2CxQ9JhK
— Oliver Davis II (@I_Am_OD3) July 9, 2023
After he started Sweet Feet Sports Performance in the late 2010s, Davis has trained some of the best high school, college and professional defensive backs in the nation, including former Buckeye and current Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah, Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. and Washington Commanders cornerback Emmaneul Forbes Jr.
With those relationships in mind, we can assume Davis knows ball. That means we should listen when he endorses Hancock, specifically his athleticism, ball skills, and "feel for the game." Those traits could lead to a breakout season for Hancock in 2023.
When you think about it, health has been the only inhibitor in Hancock's Ohio State career. In 2021, he made seven appearances as a backup to Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown. The following offseason, Day, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton praised him for his work on and off the field. But he missed a chunk of 2022 because of a hamstring ailment that hampered him even after his return.
If Hancock can remain healthy in 2023, the Buckeyes' quest to be at a BIA level becomes much easier. Burke and Davison Igbinosun must continue to work, too. Provided they do, Ohio State could have a three-headed monster at the cornerback. Plus, of course, the added depth of Jyaire Brown, Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Jermaine Mathews Jr., Ryan Turner and Lorenzo Styles Jr. That sounds pretty good to me.
RUSH THOSE EDGES. Last week, Eleven Warriors readers voted Mike Vrabel, Chase Young, Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa as Ohio State's "Four Kings" of the defensive end position. However, the votes didn't stop for the latter two Buckeyes with our polls, as the Bosa Brothers were selected as two of the best edge rushers in the NFL, according to league executives, coaches and scouts.
In a recent article for ESPN, Jeremy Fowler surveyed upwards of 80 NFL representatives to help him rank the top 10 edge rushers in the league. Nick, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, predictably came in at No. 1, while Joey secured the final spot at No. 10. Here is what Fowler wrote about the former Buckeyes:
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers - No. 1
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 5
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: 3Four years ago, the 49ers stumbled into the No. 2 overall pick in the draft thanks to a fluky four-win season fueled in part by then-quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending injury. Their selection, Bosa, became the best pass-rusher in the NFL.
"Size, strength, power, speed, quickness, solid length, repertoire of moves and high motor," a high-ranking NFL official said. "He's got it all."
He was the league's sack king last season with 18.5. He produced a 15.3% pressure rate on his pass rushes in 2022, per Next Gen Stats, and his 48 quarterback hits led the field by 12.
Evaluators say Bosa's leverage, "get-off," technique and attention to detail set him apart.
"He's just so fast and twitchy," an NFC exec said. "He turns the edge so well and has a knack to get the ball back. [He] seems to make a game-changing play every week."
Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers - No. 10
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 27 | Last year's ranking: 4A top-five fixture for years, Bosa is another edge rusher who slipped due to injury. A groin tear that required surgery cost him most of last season. He finished with 2.5 sacks in a season punctuated with a costly helmet-throwing penalty in a playoff loss to Jacksonville.
Bosa has long set a standard for technician-type edge rushing, attention to detail and ideal length to fluster offensive tackles. But the production -- 60.5 sacks in seven seasons -- doesn't match many of his elite peers.
"He's been really good for a long time at the art of knowing how to beat your opponent -- I just wonder if the body will start breaking down," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "He's still a relatively young guy, but he's played a lot of football."
An NFL personnel director pushes back on that a bit, calling Bosa a "game-plan-type player," high on the opponents' scouting report.
"Not as disruptive as his brother but still super talented," the director said.
The Bosa Brothers. Good at football. Who knew?
Seriously, though, the Bosa Brothers are two of the top 10 edge rushers in the NFL. The term "edge rushers" also includes linebackers Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers, so even though Nick would have no room to improve, Joey would have been ranked considerably higher if the list only included defensive ends.
Larry Johnson has #content for days to show high school prospects. Those prospects can sign with Ohio State, develop into one of the best defensive ends at the collegiate level and then experience the NFL double-whammy: Collect a bag and climb the ranks to become a top edge rusher in the league. It's that simple!
WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES. It's been a busy couple of days for Ohio State baseball alums. Over the weekend, former outfielder Dominic Canzone received an MLB call-up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Monday, former left-handed pitcher Isaiah Coupet was selected No. 109 overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 2023 MLB draft.
Canzone, a Sagamore Hills, Ohio, native and Walsh Jesuit graduate, had a phenomenal half-season for the Diamondbacks' Triple-A franchise, the Reno Aces, and collected an impressive .354 batting average with 91 hits, 16 home runs and 71 RBI across 71 appearances. He was also named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Month with a .430 average, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs and 25 RBI in June.
Canzone got the call.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 8, 2023
And today, he makes his debut. pic.twitter.com/eDwkdtxk64
In three seasons with the Buckeyes from 2017-19, Canzone earned first-team All-Big Ten, first-team All-Region and third-team All-American honors. His best year was 2019 when he recorded a .345/.444/.620 split with a conference-best 88 hits, 66 runs scored and 158 total bases in 63 starts.
As for Coupet, the Flossmoor, Illinois, native became the 115th Buckeye to be drafted from Ohio State and is the program's highest draft pick since the Detroit Tigers selected Dillon Dingler 38th overall in the 2020 draft.
He's heading to Colorado With the 109th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the @Rockies select @Icoupet34#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ludJGvaWzl
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) July 10, 2023
With a 9-11 record and 4.68 ERA across three seasons for the Buckeyes, Coupet's introductory statistics don't pop off the page. However, he struck out 199 batters and held opponents to a .211 average in his Ohio State career. Combine those numbers with a high-velocity fastball and a knee-buckling curveball, and the Rockies believe Coupet's raw talent makes him worthy of a premium pick in this year's draft.
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) July 10, 2023
: https://t.co/SrOMETedQy#GoBucks | @Icoupet34 pic.twitter.com/9AXY124q1r
Canzone, welcome to the Big Leagues. Coupet, welcome to the Slightly Smaller Leagues. Cheers to both for their dreams coming true. This kind of news makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy, which I am a fan of.
SONG OF THE DAY. "You Make My Dreams" by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
CUT TO THE CHASE. The FDA is being asked to look into Logan Paul’s energy drink... Spurs decide that Wembanyama’s Summer League is over after two games... Reluctant Twitter users, influencers and others are flocking to Meta’s new Threads app... Hot dog eating contests are a distinctly American tradition... New York Times dissolves sports department in favor of coverage from The Athletic.
