Welcome to the Skull Session.
Thewas brought today pic.twitter.com/uqNmTmS1Wl
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 25, 2025
Have a good Wednesday.
TYLER BOWEN, MAN ON FIRE. Yes, the header of this Skull Session is Tyler Bowen cropped over the theatrical poster for Man on Fire, a criminally underrated Denzel Washington film from 2004.
Why?
Because Bowen has been the Man on Fire since Ryan Day hired him in February.
In seven weeks as Ohio State’s offensive line coach, Bowen has landed commitments from two four-star Ohio offensive tackles: Avon Lake's Maxwell Riley and Akron's Sam Greer.
— Tyler Bowen (@TylerBowen) March 25, 2025
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 25, 2025
Tyler Bowen
— Tegra Masta T Tshabola (@tshabola_tegra) March 25, 2025
While both commitments are impressive as is, context makes them even more significant for Bowen and the Buckeyes. Before their commitments, Riley looked like a Clemson lock while Greer had unofficial visits to Miami (FL), Louisville, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State and Wisconsin. Yet, Bowen convinced both to compete for a national championship with their home state team.
Because of Bowen’s allure, Ohio State has its tackles of the future: Riley, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound athlete ranked No. 114 overall in the 2026 class, and Greer, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound athlete ranked No. 188 overall in the 2026 class.
That’ll do!
A NEW MISSION FOR NO. 4. Jeremiah Smith can beat the nation’s best cornerbacks one-on-one, but can he become an outspoken, verbal leader in the wide receiver room? That’s the question Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline wants Smith to answer this offseason.
“Originally as a leader, he’s a by-example kind of young man,” Hartline said. “He’s not gonna say a whole lot, at least in years past. I would say growing would be that way. He’s being a little more outspoken. I think he’s speaking more in the receiver room. Even conversations that we have, I definitely feel more and more intellect and football IQ and all that has been growing.”
In 2024, Smith’s numbers did the talking for him as he collected 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and earned Big Ten Freshman and Receiver of the Year awards. Still, with former captain Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL, someone needs to fill the leadership role he left behind.
Hartline wants (needs?) that to be Smith.
“He’s a little more outspoken than he was when he first walked in – since when he walked in, it was zero. It’s definitely a little more than that. He’s doing a good job of always leading by example, but we’re all trying to get him out of his comfort zone and see if he can make an impact on some of his peers from a communication standpoint.”
That’s Smith’s mission, should he choose to accept it…
Considering Smith is a two-time Iron Buckeye as a sophomore – yeah, I think he’ll accept it.
“HE’S A GREAT TEACHER.” Larry Johnson has been impressed with Matt Patricia this spring. When asked about Ohio State’s new defensive coordinator on Tuesday, Johnson praised Patricia for how he educates players and prepares them for success.
“First of all, he’s a great teacher, a really great teacher. He makes it simple for players to understand what they’re doing and how to do it. There’s always a process to what we’re doing, and I think that’s really cool. I think the process, the orientation of the defense, has been really good.”
I don’t mean to stir the pot here, but that second sentence, to me, felt like praise for Patricia but also criticism for Jim Knowles. That’s just how it came off to me! I have no idea how Johnson meant it!
After Day hired Knowles in 2022, Ohio State’s defense looked out of sorts in the spring (unfortunately, this was a sign of things to come that fall). Knowles had a “Mad Scientist” reputation and ran an innovative 4-2-5 scheme, and I think the Buckeyes had more than a few issues adjusting to some of Knowles’ language and the scheme’s complexities.
It appears – after five practices, at least – that Ohio State has had a much easier time learning from Patricia, who has benefited from Knowles’ installation but will implement his own flair as the offseason continues.
“I’m just excited. I want to teach. I want to mentor. But right now, I’ve got to learn. I’ve got to listen, I’ve got to learn, I’ve got to understand what all the great coaches that are here are doing fundamentally and what we did last year structurally that are really good and implement that moving forward,” Patricia said Monday. “And then do the best job to teach. I think that’s my job right now. With what we’re doing and when I see it, be able to teach it and get it across to the players and coaches. But right now, I feel like I’m the student. I’m learning and taking in as much as I can.
“And really trying to learn the kids, trying to learn their backgrounds, where they’re from and what they want so I can be that mentor, that teacher and help them along whatever path that is for them and constantly encourage them to do all that stuff they have to do every day and be consistent with it.”
Those aren’t empty words, Johnson said.
“He’s learning the players. He wants to make sure he knows the players, so he’s spent a lot of time with the guys, talking to them, getting an idea and then trying to figure out what they can do,” Johnson explained. “And then being able to tweak the defense based on the technique or the talent they have. I think that’s what he’s doing.”
PRO DAY READY. Quinshon Judkins will be one of 17 draft-eligible Buckeyes to participate in Ohio State's pro day on Wednesday. If this video from the NFL is any indication, Judkins will crush all the athletic tests.
.@quinshon_ is ready to make an impact in the league. (via @doctor_reef)
— NFL (@NFL) March 25, 2025
: 2025 #NFLDraft April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oHBAN974mT
That man is looking like a GREEK GOD.
My goodness.
(Don't) hurt 'em, Q!
SONG OF THE DAY. "Look At That Woman" - ROLE MODEL.
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