Welcome to the Skull Session.
Ohio State football is almost here.
Just eight more sleeps and a wake-up.
Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
THE BEST OF THE BEST. Before the college football season starts on Saturday – as in, tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET when Notre Dame faces Navy in Dublin, Ireland – The Athletic's Dane Brugler, Nick Baumgardner, Diante Lee and Chris Burke ranked the top-50 prospects for the 2024 NFL draft.
And surprise, surprise. The Buckeyes were heavily featured in the article. From star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to standout offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, here is where each Ohio State player was ranked and a brief breakdown of their talents:
No. 2 - WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Strengths - Big frame, huge catch radius, savvy route runner, quick and athletic movements
Must improve - Pad level
Profile - Harrison is the most complete wide receiver prospect we’ve seen in years and, perhaps, the most complete college football player in America. The son of a Hall of Fame WR, Harrison is a prospect without any holes. In full control of his 6-foot-3 frame at all times, he has an awesome ability to make just about every route on the tree look easy. He can win at the line of scrimmage, at the top of a route, at the catch point and everywhere in between. Harrison could be the highest-drafted WR we’ve seen since Calvin Johnson was selected at No. 2 in 2007.
No. 13 - DE JT Tuimoloau
Strengths - Diverse pass-rush repertoire, heavy and well-timed hands, big frame, strong and athletic
Must improve - Anchoring vs. the run
Profile - Once the top-ranked recruit in America, Tuimoloau had multiple Power 5 basketball offers when he signed with Ohio State out of Eastside Catholic near Seattle. Tuimoloau is quicker than he is fast, with all sorts of twitch. His pass-rush arsenal is advanced, diverse and polished, and his awareness around the line of scrimmage allows him to get his hands on a number of passes/strips. His work on the edge as a run defender does leave a bit to be desired, but he’s still just a true junior.
No. 18 - WR Emeka Egbuka
Strengths - Advanced feel for getting open, YAC threat, crafty and nuanced routes
Must improve - Making defenders miss, potential to be a slot-only prospect
Profile - Egbuka is a former five-star recruit who put together a dominant prep career in Washington — he set his school’s receiving TD record as a freshman and maintained a 4.0 GPA. He’s now part of Ohio State’s lethal 1-2 WR duo alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. He averaged better than 3.0 yards per route run a year ago on his way to a 1,000-yard season. Egbuka also has breakaway speed and is an expert at finding space in the middle of the field without losing any juice. Capable of playing inside or out, Egbuka also plays with terrific body control.
No. 35 - DE Jack Sawyer
Strengths - Athleticism, versatile within front seven, motor never stops
Must improve - Consistent production
Profile - A high school quarterback and terrific all-around athlete, Sawyer has played the “Jack” or “Leo” spot for Ohio State since Jim Knowles took over the defense in 2022. He showed flashes during his sophomore year (24 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks). Between growing as a player and learning a new position, though, his game lacked consistency. Still, Sawyer’s toolbox is deep, and his future is bright.
No. 49 - G Donovan Jackson
Strengths: Explosive mover, long and strong, improved consistency
Must improve: Counter and sustain skills
Profile: A former five-star prospect who excelled at discus in high school, Jackson is the most athletic interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class. His ability to cover ground with agility and balance is outstanding, and his feet are incredibly fast. Though he improved as a run blocker last year, he still needs to show more polish in pass protection in 2023, especially with his hands. The Buckeye star has first-round tools, though.
In a recent mock draft from ESPN's Matt Miller, four of those five Buckeyes went off the board in the first round, with Jackson as the lone exception. Miller predicted Harrison would be selected second by the Arizona Cardinals, Tuimoloau 10th and Egbuka 11th by the Chicago Bears in back-to-back picks, and Sawyer 19th by the Seattle Seahawks. He also featured defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. as the 26th pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There seems to be a preseason consensus that Ohio State's top 2024 draft prospects are Harrison, Tuimoloau, Egbuka and Sawyer. With the additions of Jackson and Hall – and perhaps even running back TreVeyon Henderson and cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock – the Buckeyes could have several players worthy of first-round picks in April, depending on how the 2023 college football season shakes out.
Interestingly, all nine of those prospects are from Ohio State's class of 2021. The Buckeyes also landed the class' No. 1 overall recruit in Quinn Ewers, the No. 8 overall pick of the Washington Commanders in Miller's mock. I don't know what Mark Pantoni and Ohio State's coaches did to recruit that well back then, but if the Buckeyes could replicate that success now and in the future, that would be great.
GOT SENIORS? While Ohio State's third-year players will be integral to the team's success in 2023, so will Ohio State's fourth-year, fifth-year and sixth-year players. That became evident when 12 veteran Buckeyes appeared on a watch list for the Reese's Senior Bowl on Feb. 3, 2024:
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2023
@seniorbowl #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/UKWX0Lpygq
- DT Ty Hamilton
- LB Steele Chambers
- LB Tommy Eichenberg
- LB Cody Simon
- S Lathan Ransom
- S Josh Proctor
- TE Cade Stover
- RB Miyan Williams
- RB Chip Trayanum
- WR Julian Fleming
- OL Matt Jones
- OL Josh Fryar
Ohio State's 12 nominees are among 720 prospects named to the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list. Ole Miss led all schools with 20 nominees, while Tennesee (19) and Michigan (18) were close behind.
In 2023, Ohio State had two prospects – offensive tackle Dawand Jones and safety Ronnie Hickman – travel to Mobile, Alabama, for the festivities. After a couple of practices, Jones became one of the Senior Bowl standouts. The 6-foot-8, 374-pound lineman impressed scouts with his massive frame and ability to neutralize defensive ends on the pass rush. The Cleveland Browns later drafted Jones with the No. 111 overall pick in April.
Speaking of Jones' massive frame, have a look at this photo:
Jakeem Grant (5'6," 170 LBS) standing next to Browns teammate Dawand Jones (6'8," 374 LBS)
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 22, 2023
(via @abby_mueller_, h/t @NanduriNFL) pic.twitter.com/qwnpeFCxOi
Jakeem Grant, a normal-sized human. Dawand Jones, not a normal-sized human.
MAKING AN IMPACT. Among the over 1,500 college football players who transferred to FBS schools in the offseason, Ohio State has two of the best. They are cornerback Davison Igbinosun and offensive tackle Josh don't-call-him-Jimmy-anymore Simmons. That's what Max Olson and Bruce Feldman believe, at least.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Olson and Feldman ranked the top 100 transfer portal additions in 2023. The writers did so after they received feedback from several college football coaches and staffers on which newcomers "have the potential not just to become starters but emerge as all-conference performers and possibly NFL draft picks."
With that feedback in mind, Igbinosun was ranked No. 9 overall, and Simmons checked in at No. 17. Here is what Olson and Feldman wrote about the new Buckeyes:
No. 9 - CB Davison Igbinosun, Ole Miss → Ohio State
Igbinosun was the No. 1 recruit in New Jersey in the 2022 class and quickly proved himself as a true freshman at Ole Miss, earning 10 starts and recording 37 tackles and five pass breakups while allowing just three catches of 20-plus yards. He’s fast and long at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and has made a big impression on Ohio State’s coaches. Their cornerback play should be much improved this fall thanks to this pickup.
No. 17 - OL Josh Simmons, San Diego State → Ohio State
Buckeyes offensive line coach Justin Frye knew that Simmons was pretty gifted back when he first watched him as a recruit. Back then, Frye was a coach at UCLA and Simmons was a four-star prospect. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder started at right tackle last season and began to blossom for the Aztecs, and he hasn’t disappointed since coming to Columbus. His agility, ability to bend and balance is the stuff of a future NFL tackle, and he has shown enough to not only get shifted to left tackle but win the job, replacing All-American Paris Johnson.
Igbinosun accompanies Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman (Wake Forest), Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (Georgia) and Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter (Jackson State), among others, in the top 10. That tells me coaches and staffers across the nation believe he is the real deal. After Igbinosun said he "can check" Marvin Harrison Jr., it seems like that is the correct interpretation.
As for Simmons, every Ohio State coach and player asked about him raves about his athleticism and football IQ. Day named Simmons as Ohio State's No. 1 left tackle on Monday, and in doing so, he showered the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder with praise.
“Ability, off the charts. Talent, off the charts. It just jumps out,” Day said. “Movement, strength – he just needs more and more reps. He needs to keep playing, but he has a chance to be as good as he wants.”
One final note: I expected to see Ole Miss transfer defensive tackle Tywone Malone in the top 100, and I believe his omission from the list was an error from Olson and Feldman. I could say the same about Ja’Had Carter too.
While Malone will not receive as many snaps as Mike Hall Jr., Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, he is expected to contribute in Larry Johnson's defensive line room.
“I think he’s going to have a great impact. I think all those guys are,” Johnson said of Malone last week. “The thing about the inside guys, they’ve got to complement each other. They each have something different that I like.”
A MINOR SETBACK. After announcing he was cancer-free in May, former Ohio State offensive lineman Avery Henry shared that he was back in the hospital this week after a separate health-related issue.
On Wednesday, Henry tweeted that he was in the emergency room after getting "really sick" before learning he had a low white blood cell count and absolute neutrophil count, which measure a body's ability to battle infections.
I went to the ER yesterday because I got really sick out of know where. To find out I have an extremely low white blood count and ANC. Which fights infections. To then finding out I have Covid and the Flu at the same time. Ill be in the hospital for a awhile. Read below
— King_Henry2.0 (@AveryHenry731) August 23, 2023
I was in critical condition the first day. I am feeling much better now though! It is important to let people know what this process has been like! And show you guys the ups and downs Ive had throughout my journey. Just know its never over till you say it is!! GO BUCKS #FIGHT
— King_Henry2.0 (@AveryHenry731) August 23, 2023
Henry started treatment for osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in January. He announced that he was cancer-free four months later in May. At Big Ten Media Days in July, Ryan Day confirmed that Henry medically retired from football after his various treatments made it impossible to continue in the sport. Still, Day said Henry will be an important part of the Ohio State program.
"He's still part of the team," Day said. "He's got a whole team behind him, and that will be behind him. He's in remission, which is great, but there are still a lot of things to come with that. We are really proud of him for fighting, for living our culture of the fight."
Day's remark that Ohio State would be "behind him" proved true after Henry tweeted about his recent hospital visit, as TreVeyon Henderson, Tony Alford and others supported Henry in the tweet's replies.
Prayers brother!
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) August 24, 2023
— Coach Tony Alford (@CoachTonyAlford) August 24, 2023
BONUS SECTION. Ramzy Nasrallah has asked me to share a special invitation with Skull Session readers:
On Sept. 14, The Ohio State Alumni Club of New York City will host a Golf and Racquet Sports Outing to support students in NYC who choose to continue their academic careers at THE Ohio State University. So, if you like golf, tennis, pickleball or padel – or want to spend some time around "The Senator" Jim Tressel, who will make a special appearance at the event – please consider purchasing a ticket to participate in the outing.
For more information about the event, such as the location of the event and ticket prices, click here.
SONG OF THE DAY. "The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder.
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