Welcome to the Skull Session.
Sonny Styles is coming back for more!
6 is coming for more https://t.co/v4E5FONtch pic.twitter.com/DNTBk1FUkb
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 1, 2025
And there's more Styles content on the way in this Skull Session!
Have a good Wednesday.
GROWING PAINS? In the Eleven Warriors Beat Writer Chat on Monday, someone asked me about Julian Sayin’s performance during Ohio State’s scrimmage on Saturday. I responded that I hadn’t heard about it. Twelve hours later, I come across this video from Greg McElroy, who said Sayin… didn’t look great?
Have a look, a listen or a read:
“Ohio State, for the fourth year in a row, will have a different starting quarterback. That’s pretty amazing when you think about the success of Ohio State. The last time they had a guy start multiple years was C.J. Stroud. That was a long time ago. … Now, it’s gonna be one of three guys. A lot of us coming into the spring season were under the assumption that it was gonna be Julian Sayin. Well, by all accounts, that’s not really the way it’s working out right now. Julian Sayin, by all accounts, did not have a great scrimmage last week. It sounds like he kind of struggled on Saturday.
“That doesn’t mean you need to freak out, but it is the first extended scrimmage of the spring, and the expectation level of Julian Sayin was nowhere near what we ended up getting, and that’s a little bit concerning. On the other side, Lincoln Kienholz — who is also in the mix for this starting quarterback role and played some a couple of years ago, most notably in the Missouri game in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the season — he had a pretty consistent day. It sounds like he had a pretty good day. You also have the freshman Tavien St. Clair that’s involved in this quarterback trifecta, if you will. They’ve been rotating throughout the spring this far, and all three guys have had some chances to run with the ones, the twos and the threes.
“Everyone assumed it was gonna be Julian Sayin who was gonna be the guy. Here’s what’s concerning here. Like I said, I’m not pressing the panic button here. I’m not. It’s the first scrimmage. The defense is always ahead of the offense in the first scrimmage — most of the time, most of the time, that’s understandable. Like I said, I’m not pressing the panic button.
“(But) there’s a little bit of a reason to be the tiniest bit concerned. What was the situation last year when it came to the Oklahoma Sooners? Last year, what were we saying about Oklahoma and where their quarterback situation was going to go? Well, it was that Jackson Arnold was gonna step right in and replace Dillon Gabriel. That there would be no drop off, but that he was gonna be better than what Dillon Gabriel was the year before. We all said that this five-star, can’t miss, No. 1 recruit at the position from his class, he’s gonna go right in and the sky is the limit. Well, what happened a couple of games into Jackson Arnold’s debut season as the starting quarterback? He was benched. Why? Because he was pressing. When he was pressing, he made mistakes. When those mistakes happened, it ultimately put (the team) behind the 8-ball, most notably early on in the game against Tennessee.
“While I’m not yet at the point where I’m super concerned about Julian Sayin, all I’m saying is that if he doesn’t clean it up in the next scrimmage and the scrimmage after that and then clean it up throughout the summer and then clean it up throughout fall camp, then it’s something to be mindful of. We’ve seen the pressure get to one five-star plus super recruit in Jackson Arnold just a year ago.
"I hope it doesn’t happen for Julian Sayin, but with social media, with the pressure, with coming off a national championship, there is pressure, and it is worth noting that it has had a drastic impact on guys in the past. It might not for Julian Sayin — hopefully it doesn’t — but it has had an impact on guys who had the world expected of them when they were stepping into a starting role. And we’ll keep track. If he has a great, great scrimmage on Saturday, we will be the first ones to talk about it next Monday. Certainly hope that’s the case, that would be tremendous.”
Whoa, Nellie.
That was a lot of words.
Me, personally? I do not have concern over Sayin’s performance in the first spring scrimmage. However, I, like McElroy, would like to see Sayin look sharp during the next one.
Good news: Ohio State has its Student Appreciation Day on Saturday, and Eleven Warriors will be there to cover the scrimmage, where Sayin can earn his stripes in front of his classmates and the media. I expect him to take full advantage of the opportunity.
WHEN THE BROTHERHOOD HAS… BROTHERHOOD. There was a moment during Tuesday’s press conferences where Andy Anders, Andrew Gillis and I were the only reporters speaking to Lorenzo Styles Jr. That led to a laid-back Q&A with the veteran cornerback (I found this to be very cool), who discussed his increasing role in the Ohio State defense, his relationship with new coordinator Matt Patricia and more.
The “and more” includes his relationship with his brother, Sonny, whom Lorenzo said has made him “proud” this spring – especially as Sonny continues growing as a leader for the Buckeyes.
“I’ve seen him be in those leadership roles prior to this. He was stepping into it already last year, but we had eight guys on the defense leave, so now he has to really elevate,” Lorenzo said.
How has Sonny elevated?
Lorenzo had the answers.
“He knows how to talk to different players,” Lorenzo said. “Different players require different approaches. Some players, you can rip them a little bit. Some guys, you might need to pull them to the side. Some guys, might have some off the field things that he can relate to. It just depends on the guy, just being able to relate to each individual player, see them as a person and connect. I think that helps build trust as a leader.”
Set the odds for Sonny Styles Block O recipient at, like, -20000.
GET YOUR (FREE) POPCORN HERE! OK, Coastal Carolina. I see you!
This week, Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller announced that it has partnered with concessionaire Aramark to allow fans to eat for free at Chanticleers football games inside Brooks Stadium this fall.
“Our fans are the heartbeat of Teal Nation, and we’re always looking for ways to elevate their game day experience,” Miller said in a press release. “With the CCU Kickoff Meal Deal, we’re excited to offer free concessions this fall as a way to say thank you for the energy, passion and support they bring to Brooks Stadium every game.”
All games. All fans. Feast for free.
— Coastal Carolina Athletics (@GoCCUsports) March 31, 2025
More info https://t.co/8MsDxq5FDY
Season tickets https://t.co/ouFKOSzPWg#ChantsUp I #TealNation pic.twitter.com/ox7qWHhCvS
According to the press release, “ticket-purchasing patrons visiting the concession stands will be able to acquire four items per concession stand visit from a selection of hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and fountain drinks.” There is no limit to the number of times a ticket-purchasing patron can visit the concession stand; however, each patron must scan each trip through the line with the school’s soon-to-be-launched Coastal Carolina Athletics App.
Soooooo...
When is Ohio State following suit?
BING BOP BOOM BOOM BOOM BOP BAM. That was one heck of a Tuesday afternoon, huh?
In a span of an hour-and-a-half, we posted five different news items on elevenwarriors.com.
- 2:08 p.m. – Aaron Bradshaw enters the transfer portal
- 2:25 p.m. – Meechie Johnson transfers back to South Carolina (insert the Michael Scott snip, snap, snip, snap meme)
- 2:46 p.m. – Dominic Kirks and Simon Lorentz shed their black stripes
- 3:08 p.m. – Five-star wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. shuts down his recruitment
- 3:38 p.m. – Men’s basketball assistant Talor Battle leaves Ohio State for Penn State
All that news, plus Quick Hits for Ohio State’s cornerbacks and safeties, the Eleven Dubcast and an update on Caleb Downs, made for a hectic afternoon on the 11W news feed and forums.
I hope you liked all the #content! Here's one more piece to end the Skull Session:
If Ohio State players could choose to play another position, what position would each of them choose?
New positions for spring pic.twitter.com/3AKvsySo0t
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 31, 2025
SONG OF THE DAY. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado ft. Timbaland.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Dog of captain who lost boats in Lahaina wildfire barks with delight during whale encounter... When the star of the movie is a very good boy... April Fools’ Day celebrated with pranks and hoaxes worldwide... (Oh, heck yes) "John Wick 5" is officially happening with Keanu Reeves confirmed... Ohio House budget would help the Cleveland Browns build a new stadium.
