Thursday was Dead Sports Day™. Yes, there was the Wimbledon Championship, the first round of the Scottish Open and the Barbasol Championship on the PGA Tour and the Dana Open on the LPGA Tour and the NBA Summer League. That's it – no baseball, football, hockey, soccer, or basketball that matters.
But fear not, dear reader. Ohio State is a machine that never stops. The content train continues, and the Skull Session is here.
Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
LIFE IN THE BIG APPLE. A pair of Buckeyes are about to be big movie stars. On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the NFL and NFL Films selected Garrett Wilson and Jeremy Ruckert's New York Jets for its “Hard Knocks” series before the 2023 season starts.
NFL and NFL Films have selected the New York Jets to serve as this years team on Hard Knocks, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 12, 2023
Jets report to training camp one week from today, July 19, and the cameras will be rolling in full force. pic.twitter.com/v9A7Pb9GP2
Wilson, the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, collected 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns in his first professional season. The Jets selected Wilson with the No. 10 overall pick at the 2022 NFL draft after he racked up 143 catches for 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns across 32 appearances at Ohio State.
Ruckert was the Jets' third-round selection and the No. 101 overall pick in 2022. The Lindenhurst, New York, native appeared in nine games and recorded only one reception for 8 yards as a rookie. At Ohio State, Ruckert had 54 receptions for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in 26 appearances.
Both pass-catchers – but especially Wilson – are expected to experience massive boosts in their production this fall, as the Jets traded for Super Bowl champion and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers on April 26. But with Rodgers, a California-dreamin', ayahuasca-comsumin' quarterback near the end of his career, comes drama. Hence, the appeal for "Hard Knocks" in the Big Apple.
I have an HBO subscription (soft flex) for "Succession," "White House Plumbers" and "The Last of Us," which are all fantastic shows. But with Succession and White House Plumbers now over and the release date for The Last of Us' second season still to be announced, I had considered a temporary pause on my subscription. However, with cameras about to follow Rodgers, Wilson and Ruckert around 24/7 for the next few weeks, I may have to stick around for a while. We'll see.
THE JURY'S OUT ON HENDO. Last week, ESPN's Matt Miller listed Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen and Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson as the top draft prospects at their position in 2024, ultimately choosing Allen as the RB1 of the class:
There is no slam-dunk RB1 headed into the season, but the Big Ten features two of the favorites to carry that title. Allen, coming off back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, has power at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds that shows up in the trenches. Henderson has elite speed – he has run a sub-11-second 100-meter dash – and is a stout 214 pounds at 5-foot-10.
Henderson will have competition in his own backfield, though, with Miyan Williams sharing touches. Allen, meanwhile, will be the focal point of new coach Luke Fickell's offense in Madison.
"Allen just looks like a sure thing," said one NFC scout who covers the Midwest. "He'll need to beef up his receiving skills for some teams, but he has legit first-round talent."
My early pick for the top RB: Allen
Miller's opinion led to some discourse on social media, especially among draft analysts. On Thursday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler responded with his favorite running back prospects for 2024, ranking Allen second behind Michigan's Blake Corum and ahead of Corum's teammate Donovan Edwards. He rounded out the top five with Florida State's Trey Benson and Henderson.
Here is what Brugler wrote about the Buckeye ballcarrier:
What he does best: Runs low, fast and physical
Built low to the ground, Henderson runs like a bowling ball, but he has the feet and acceleration of a scatback. He can be inconsistent finding the cutback lane at times, but when he stays on schedule, the rising junior has the explosiveness to clear holes and make second-level defenders look silly. With his toughness to grind out yards or speed to be a big-play threat, Henderson can win in different ways as a ball carrier.
...
Must improve: Return to 2021 form
You could make the argument that the top two running back prospects in college football during the 2021 season were Robinson and Henderson, but neither was eligible to go pro at that time. Robinson lived up to that hype and was a top-10 pick this past April; Henderson suffered a broken bone in his foot, and his tempo and footwork didn’t look nearly the same. Deemed fully healthy during the spring, time will tell if Henderson can return to form and stay on the field in 2023.
2023 season/2024 NFL Draft outlook
Considered the top running back out of high school in the 2021 class, Henderson was an immediate star for the Buckeyes as a true freshman with 1,248 rushing yards, 312 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns. The Virginia native looked like a future first-rounder on the 2021 tape, but he struggled through injuries last season — mainly, a broken bone in his foot — and was a shell of himself when he tried to play.
Despite breaking in a new quarterback, Ryan Day’s offense will put the ball in the air quite a bit this season, especially with Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and others at receiver. But for the Buckeyes to make another national title run, Henderson’s health and ground success are imperative. Aside from everything he can do as a ball carrier, Henderson’s do-everything versatility is among the best in college football because of his above-average blocking and receiving skills. While I have him as RB5 to start the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, Henderson is built for the NFL and has the talent to finish as RB1.
Henderson receiving mixed reviews is not new. Heck, he's received mixed reviews from Ohio State fans since the midway point of last season, with some convinced that Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden would be better options in the Buckeyes' offense.
For Henderson to receive unanimous praise from Buckeye Nation, draft analysts and professional scouts, he must return to his 2021 form. And what was that form? Perhaps the best season from an Ohio State freshman running back since Maurice Clarett in 2002, as he recorded 210 touches for 1,560 yards and 19 total touchdowns.
With Ohio State's pass-heavy offense – one maximized by the best wide receiver room in America – and a busy backfield with Williams, Hayden, Chip Trayanum and Evan Pryor, it could be hard for Henderson to reach that same level of production in 2023. But for a former freshman All-American and second-team All-Big Ten honoree, there's reason to believe Henderson can overcome a couple of obstacles.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. When Fox Sports released its latest "Big Noon Conversations" episode with Joel Klatt and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, the discussion points from the podcast were Day's views on CFP expansion and targeting – and deservedly so. People love to talk about expansion and stupid rules.
But one discussion point that flew under the radar from the podcast was Klatt's question to Day about the college football head coaches he appreciates and respects as he enters his 22nd season as a coach and fifth season as the leader of the Buckeyes.
"There are a lot. The level of play now is higher than it's ever been. The coaching is that way on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinators are really creative with what they do, but I also think defensive coordinators are really on their stuff. They make it really, really hard. ... There are a lot of great coaches out there. I look at Chip (Kelly). I look at what Sonny Dykes did last year at TCU. He did an unbelievable job to bring them (to the College Football Playoff title game).
"Kalen DeBoer, he does a great job at Washington. He was at Indiana when Indiana made a great run there. He's a really good coach. I think Bret (Bielema) is doing a great job at Illinois. They play tough, and he's a really good coach. His guys play well on both sides of the ball. They run the football. I have a lot of respect for him and a lot of respect for all of these coaches."
It doesn't really matter, but I find it curious that Day didn't mention coaches who have beaten him in the past: Dabo Swinney at Clemson, Nick Saban at Alabama, Mario Cristobal at Oregon (now at Miami) and Kirby Smart at Georgia. I leave off Jim Harbaugh at Michigan because he would never, ever admit that. I am sure Day respects them, save for Harbaugh, but the competitor in him won't let him confess that while the cameras roll.
The coaches Day picked, however, he has either learned from or can learn from now and in the future.
Kelly was Day's coach at New Hampshire, so their relationship has existed for two decades, and Day has learned plenty from him. As for the other coaches, DeBoer revolutionized Washington's offense and transformed it into one of the best units in the country. Day can learn from that. Sonny Dykes took his team to the national championship last season. Day can learn from that. Bielema – oh, that Bert Bielema – he always has a team that plays smashmouth football and is tough beyond belief. Day can certainly learn from that.
Hopefully, Day does learn from them. It would make Ohio State better. I like it when Ohio State is better. I know you do, too.
THIS AND THAT. As the Skull Session ends, there are a couple of headlines to share about the Buckeyes' other sports and a cherry on top from the football team:
Ryan Armour had an almost-perfect performance on Thursday at Keene Trace Country Club, where the former Buckeye fired an 8-under 64 in the first round to finish the day tied for second place at the Barbasol Championship. Current Ohio State golfer Maxwell Moldovan is tied for 24th at 4-under, while former Buckeye golfer Bo Hoag is tied for 38th at 3-under.
A rough stretch of putting led @RyanArmour24 to try every putter around the practice green on Tuesday.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 13, 2023
He put the new one in the bag and is now T1 @BarbasolChamp pic.twitter.com/loYmfaZKQy
Ohio State wrestling announced its Big Ten schedule for the 2023-24 season. The Buckeyes will welcome Illinois, Indiana, Maryland (respectfully) and Michigan (disrespectfully) into the Covelli Center and will hit the road to face Michigan State, Rutgers, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Future Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer Tom Ryan and his squad finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships last season. It will look to carry momentum from those tournaments into the fall and winter behind All-Americans Sammy Sasso, Carson Kharchla and Jesse Mendez, among others.
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) July 13, 2023
https://t.co/iFOxyRJ1pY#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/4YOhoIGD8G
And here's the cherry on top from Ohio State football. A “Gray Out“ announcement has to be coming for the Buckeyes' matchup with Michigan State on Nov. 11. The program's media team hit Ohio State fans with another post that teased the outcome on Thursday:
What do you mean by that https://t.co/I4RqiDQzOu
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 13, 2023
OK, folks – that's it for me. Have a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve.
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