Skull Session: Ohio State’s QB Competition “Has to Be Decided” On The Field, Chip Kelly Gushes Over Caleb Downs and Michael Thomas Calls Jeremiah Smith “The Next Great One”

Welcome to the Skull Session.

Caden Curry and Lincoln Kienholz are Ohio State's DUDES of the Week.

@CadenCurry14 x @LincolnKienholz pic.twitter.com/oNWVpFUe7q
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 5, 2024

Have a good Thursday.

NOT IN A HURRY. The Buckeyes enter spring with five scholarship quarterbacks on their roster: Will Howard, Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, Air Noland and Julian Sayin. By the sounds of it, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are in no hurry to name a starter for 2024.

“Every time I’ve been involved in one of these (competitions), when they’re organic is when it’s best,” Kelly said on Tuesday. “I don’t think you can anoint somebody or force the issue because of the players. … The players will understand. They see it every single day. There’s a team chemistry part of this thing.”

DID YOU KNOW… that Ohio State has not settled a quarterback competition in spring practice since Day took over the program in 2019? Aside from the 2020 and 2022 seasons, where Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud were returning starters, each of the Buckeyes’ quarterback battles have lasted into the summer and continued into preseason camp.

Right now, I’m not confident 2024 will be different.

Last March, Day seemed optimistic that a duel between Kyle McCord and Brown would be settled at the end of spring. (That battle took five more months and carried over into the 2023 regular season, resulting in McCord securing the coveted title of QB1 before Week 3). Neither Day nor Kelly expressed such confidence this week.

“You have to let them play it out on the field,” Kelly said. “That’s where it has to be decided.”

For at least the first quarter of spring practices, Ohio State plans to “roll reps” for Howard, Brown, Kienholz, Noland and Sayin. According to Day, that term means all five quarterbacks will receive a mix of reps with the first, second and third teams, following one another in a rotation.

“We’ll compete,” Day said. “It’s hard for us to say someone like Julian, Lincoln, Air or whoever you get to come here and compete (will compete) when the first thing they do is take reps with the threes. We want to roll you in whatever drill it might be. You’re getting reps with everybody so you can show what you do.”

If a quarterback shows out in the early practices, Day said that quarterback will receive more first-team reps down the road.

“We’re hoping to see some delineation as the spring goes on,” he said.

“HE’S AN IMPRESSIVE DUDE.” Buckeye Nation’s excitement to see Caleb Downs in an Ohio State uniform is palpable – that is, it’s so intense it feels tangible.

Our video of Downs’ latest press conference has more than 40,000 views on YouTube, and a short of Downs we posted from Tuesday’s practice has over 8,000 views on the same platform. That’s not to mention the thousands upon thousands of comments, clicks and shares our Downs-related articles have across our social media accounts.

To be clear, the excitement is warranted.

Coming off a season in which he won Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and was a second-team All-American, Downs will be ELITE for the Buckeyes’ defense. And if Chip Kelly got what he wanted, Downs would be ELITE for Ohio State’s offense, too.

“I’ll be very transparent. I was telling Tim (Walton) and Caleb what a great offensive player I thought Caleb would be, could be and should be,” Kelly said on Tuesday with a laugh and a smile. “But I’m not the head coach. I always, during stretching, as an offensive coordinator, I’m always looking at the defensive players like, ‘Oh, I could use him. What could I do if I had him?’ … But I don’t get to choose them anymore. I don’t have the pick.”

Kelly then said he would spend all offseason watching Downs’ performances at Mill Creek High School, where he played running back, wide receiver and returned kicks and punts. While he does, he will think about all the possibilities of Downs contributing to his side of the ball.

“I was just talking with him about (playing offense),” Kelly said. He’s a great young man. And if you want to watch a highlight tape, watch his highlight tape from high school. He’s an impressive dude.”

That he is.

I look forward to watching Downs lock down the back end of Ohio State’s defense this fall. I would also look forward to him running out on the field with the offense, but I won't hold my breath.

If Downs is destined to become “a top-five pick in a couple of years,” I’m sure we will see what the 6-foot, 206-pound safety looks like with the ball in his hands a few times over the next two seasons via plenty of interceptions and fumble recoveries.

THE NEXT GREAT ONE. Former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas sees potential for Jeremiah Smith to become the program’s next standout pass-catcher.

After Jeremy Birmingham of Rivals posted a picture of Smith from Ohio State’s spring practice on Tuesday, Thomas reposted the image. He made a bold prediction about the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class.

The next Great One 100% https://t.co/a1lyrGj9ho
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) March 5, 2024

Thomas is the latest Buckeye impressed with Smith’s talent. As I mentioned in a Skull Session earlier this week, Ryan Day, Will Howard, Devin Brown, Air Noland and Emeka Egbuka have gushed over the 6-foot-3, 215-pound wide receiver since he arrived in Columbus via Hollywood, Florida and Chaminade-Madonna Prep.

“There’s nothing he can’t do,” Egbuka said of Smith. “He runs fast. He jumps high. He’s strong. He’s a natural pass-catcher. I mean, yeah, he’s a freak. … He’s coachable. He’s always willing to listen. He always puts his best foot forward. He hates to lose. He’s a competitor, which is huge, especially in Zone 6. I think he has a bright future here.”

Thomas ran fast and jumped high at Ohio State. He also was a strong and natural pass-catcher. Those qualities made him the New Orleans Saints’ second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He went on to collect 565 receptions for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns in 83 games with the franchise, becoming a two-time All-Pro and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.

IT'S IN THE GAME. Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson was a teenager the last time EA Sports released an NCAA Football video game. His wait for the developer’s next college football product will soon be over.

This summer, EA Sports College Football 25 will be available in stores across America, and Jackson, along with 84 other Ohio State players, will be featured in the game thanks to a name, image and likeness deal with EA Sports.

Whats the ratings going to be pic.twitter.com/KeDFi6MxBT
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 6, 2024

“I already told my parents I’m going to be wearing 74 at quarterback. I’m gonna be a dual-threat quarterback, and we’ll see if they get my speed right,” Jackson said, understanding that he will appear in the game as a 6-foot-4, 320-pound guard.

Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz – an actual quarterback – said he does not plan to change his position in the game. However, he admitted that he may boost his stats and, therefore, his overall rating when he plays.

“It’s gonna be fun,” Kienholz said. “I’ll probably be playing the game a lot. I’ll probably jack my stats up a little bit, but we’ll see.”

While there were lots of discussions (largely from those who represent EA Sports and OneTeam Partners) about how much each athlete should be paid for their participation, Jackson said he never cared about the money; he (and many others, I am sure) just wanted to see themselves in a college football video game.

“That’s something you dream of growing up,” said Jackson, who loved to play the Mascot vs. Mascot game mode in NCAA 14. “I did play it a lot. I played it until the disc basically fell apart. Being able to see myself in the game, it’s going to be a cool experience.”

SONG OF THE DAY. “End of Beginning” - DJo.