Skull Session: Jake Diebler Wants to Add Toughness to His Roster, Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs Are College Football’s Best Players and Marshon Lattimore Goes Back to His Roots

By Chase Brown on April 4, 2025 at 5:00 am
Jake Diebler
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Well, dear reader, it's time for another RAPID FIRE SKULL SESSION! ... because the #content never stops. It just keeps coming and coming and coming! There's never a letup! It's relentless! Every day, it piles up more and more and more!

Have a good Friday.

 HERE'S BRUCIE! Oh, Bruce Thornton. You are as loyal as they come.

"That's something that should be celebrated," Ohio State coach Jake Diebler told 97.1 The Fan of Thornton's (likely) return. "It says something about what we have going here. Someone in today's landscape who is gonna be a Buckeye. We have a saying in our program: 'Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.' Who better lives that out than Bruce?"

Answer: No one.

Take this man to the NCAA Tournament, Coach!

 "WE'RE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN." In addition to his comments on Thornton, Diebler told 97.1 The Fan how he plans to build Ohio State's roster this offseason. Coming off three consecutive seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance – something the head coach called "motivating" – Diebler is doing all he can to return the Buckeyes to postseason relevance.

"We're working as hard as we can to turn things around as quickly as we can," he explained. "It starts with having guys who have an appreciation and love for Ohio State and the tradition of this program. It's important to me that guys represent this program well."

But there's more to it than that, Diebler said.

"I don't think (who we add to the roster) has to exclusively be old guys, but on our roster, there needs to be experience. There needs to be toughness and a winning first mentality," he continued. "Those are the kind of characteristics we are looking for in the portal."

Extra emphasis on the toughness, please.

 WELCOME, CHRISTOPH! Hours after Diebler discussed Ohio State's transfer portal approach, the Buckeyes added a much-needed size to their roster.

Former Santa Clara starter Christoph Tilly, a 7-foot, 240-pound center who averaged 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this past season, committed to Ohio State on Thursday.

I will reserve curiosity for after I see him face Big Ten competition next January and February; however, his hoop mixtape – and the fact that he's German – has earned my attention.

May Tilly (Tilly) bring with him to Columbus the German discipline (and toughness!) that makes Bayern Munich the best soccer team in the world.

 THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. OK. OK. Enough hoops talk.

Did you know that Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs are good at football?

Having the two best players in college football the season after winning a national championship is a luxury only a school like Ohio State can have – and I'm not complaining.

 "THERE YOU GO." This week, RJ Day posted videos of a throwing session he had with Ryan Day at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

As I watched video Nos. 1-4, I wondered if Ryan Day was the man behind the camera. Video No. 5 confirmed it, as Ryan said, "There you go," after RJ completed a well-timed pass to his receiver. (He also said, "Nice," in video No. 6.)

I share these videos because I find them both heartwarming and hilarious.

Ryan Day, national champion and head coach of one of the most prestigious college football programs in America, was just a proud dad recording his son doing what he loves and working on his craft. I am sure some of you have done the same with your child (or children) before. I know I can't wait to do the same with mine in the (distant) future!

 #VINNYSDAD. How about another dad moment?

This week, former Ohio State linebacker and current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman posted that his son, Vinny, committed to wrestle at Cornell.

According to InterMat, Vinny Freeman has been dominant the past two seasons at Penn High School, collecting a combined 64-14 record as a sophomore and junior. With his senior season still to come, Freeman will look to close out his career as a champion before joining a Cornell program that finished the 2025 NCAA Championships with three fifth-place wrestlers: Chris Foca (154), Simon Ruiz (174) and Meyer Shapiro (184).

 BACK TO HIS ROOTS. Marshon Lattimore will wear No. 2 for the Commanders next season, the same number Lattimore wore as an All-Big Ten cornerback and national champion for THE Ohio State Buckeyes.

I cannot comprehend how massive this W is, bossman.

 OHIO STATE IS DBU. Friendly reminder for all LSU, Alabama and Florida State fans:

 SONG OF THE DAY. "We Built This City" - Starship.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. Demand for viral "torpedo" baseball bats has sent a Pennsylvania factory into overdrive... Bodega cats make New Yorkers’ hearts purr, even if they violate state regulations... Granville-based Whit's Frozen Custard bought by Kentucky businessman, to move HQ there... Sacramento State plans to file an application with the NCAA this week to transition from FCS to FBS.

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Former Santa Clara Center Christoph Tilly Transferring to Ohio State

Christoph Tilly

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