Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.
Quinn Ewers, trendsetter
The recruiting class of 2022 didn't just lose its top football prospect this week, it also lost its top two men's basketball prospects.
After Quinn Ewers announced Monday that he would enroll at Ohio State this year, Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates – who were the No. 1 and No. 2 overall prospects in the men's basketball recruiting class of 2022 – both announced later in the week that they would also reclassify to the class of 2021.
Duren announced his commitment to Memphis on Friday, and he'll be joining the Tigers for the 2021-22 season. Bates, who revealed his decision to reclassify on Wednesday, could potentially join Duren at Memphis – though he's also considering Michigan State (where he was once committed) and Oregon as well as the possibility of playing in the NBA G League.
Reclassification for top basketball prospects isn't a new phenomenon – Meechie Johnson did it last year to begin playing for Ohio State a year early – but if the past week was any indication, it's only going to become a more common trend now that college athletes can profit off of their name, image and likeness.
Ducks in hot water
Ohio State's marquee non-conference opponent for the upcoming season is dealing with some major uncertainty in the secondary.
Jamal Hill and DJ James, who are both projected to be starting defensive backs for Oregon this year, have both been suspended indefinitely from the football team after they were charged with reckless endagering, assault, unlawful discharge for a firearm and disorderly conduct for allegedly shooting three people with an Airsoft gun on Tuesday.
Hill is a returning starter for the Ducks at the nickel safety position, while James was expected to start at boundary cornerback. If they aren't reinstated to the team by Sept. 11, the Ducks will need other defensive backs to step up if they're going to slow down Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and the rest of the Ohio State offense.
Michigan State AD steps down
There's been no shortage of athletic director turnover in the Big Ten this year.
Jim Phillips left Northwestern to become the new commissioner of the ACC, Barry Alvarez retired as Wisconsin's athletic director and became the Big Ten's special advisor for football and Bill Moos abruptly retired as Nebraska's athletic director in June. Derrick Gragg is the new athletic director at Northwestern, Chris McIntosh is the new athletic director at Wisconsin and Trev Alberts is the new athletic director at Nebraska.
Another athletic director job opened up in the conference on Thursday, when Bill Beekman announced he was transitioning into a new role as the university's vice president for strategic initiatives. He will remain in his current role as athletic director, however, until his successor is found. Michigan State says it is conducting a national search for its new athletic director.
ICYMI
Why Quinn Ewers Becoming Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback At Some Point In 2021 Isn’t As Crazy As It Sounds
The biggest news of the week, as aforementioned, was Ewers' decision to enroll at Ohio State a year early, and Eleven Warriors had it covered from just about every angle.
Above, Colin Hass-Hill made the argument that Ewers starting at some point this season – even though many believe it to be a long shot – shouldn't be ruled out. Colin also wrote about the implications of Ewers enrolling early and compiled a motherlode of video if you want to watch Ewers throw.
Dan Hope wrote about the roster management challenges that could come with Ewers’ decision, how the other quarterbacks will embrace the competition and how his reclassification makes Ohio State's freshman class of 2021 even more loaded.
Ramzy Nasrallah wrote about why the conundrum Ewers' reclassification could create is a good conundrum to have, and Chris Lauderback wrote about how it's just one more first-world problem Ohio State fans have to deal with.
Demario McCall Will “Stay Positive” In Sixth Ohio State Season Amid Position Change, Outside Noise
Preseason stories about Demario McCall's potential for a breakout year have been a rite of passage here at Eleven Warriors for the past half-decade, but this year's edition comes with a twist. After spending the first five years of his Ohio State career playing offense, McCall is now a cornerback for his sixth year with the Buckeyes. Colin wrote about why McCall made the switch to defense and how he's kept a positive mindset throughout his long, winding journey in Columbus.
Miyan Williams Continues to Push for Major Role at Running Back
Could Miyan Williams go from a three-star recruit to the starting running back at Ohio State in just one year? Dan wrote about how it's looking like a distinct possibility that Williams could be at the top of Ohio State's running back depth chart this season even with Master Teague's return.
Up Next
- Monday-Saturday: Ohio State's second week of preseason football camp (practices 5-10)
- Thursday, Sept. 2: Ohio State's season opener at Minnesota
- Saturday, Nov. 27: Ohio State plays Michigan in the 117th edition of The Game
