Draft Scout Ohio State Player News, College Football: Ohio State

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Ohio State

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08/31/22 - Zach Harrison, Sr/2023, Ohio State + More +

ESPN TOP 100 PRESEASON 2022 CFB PLAYERS (Selected Aug. 17): No. 88. Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State, Senior. Notable 2021 stats: 33 tackles (22 solo), 3 sacks. Last year's ranking: NR. Harrison had 33 tackles (22 solo) with eight TFLs and three sacks for Ohio State during his junior year. With 33 games played and 14 starts, he's the most experienced player on the defensive line for the Buckeyes. Harrison earned All-Big Ten second-team recognition last season. - ESPN.com

Sr/2023

DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
News Source: ESPN.com
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08/31/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State + More +

2022 COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S TOP STAR DUOS/TRIOS: Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, not Young, is actually the Heisman Trophy favorite going into the season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He will haverunning back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at his disposal. Both are first-team preseason first-team AP All-American picks and potent weapons for any quarterback. - AP College Football

rSo/2023

QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: AP College Football
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08/29/22 - *Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jr/2023, Ohio State + More +

Jaxon Smith-Njigba went from being the third wheel among Ohio State football's starting wide receivers to having the best statistical season in program history. Now he's back for Year 3 in 2022, and there's really only one question: Can he top it? Smith-Njigba is C.J. Stroud's best and favorite weapon while also playing in the slot, which has routinely been a high-usage spot in the Buckeyes' offense. As the only returning starter in the wide receiver room, that could be taken to another level.

Nevada's Trevor Insley is the only player to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season when he did it in 1999. His 2,060 yards were 454 more than Smith-Njigba. But by potentially playing two more games this season, it's not crazy to think he could top that total. Doing so is at the very least at the back of his mind heading into the season. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it," Smith-Njigba said. "I think about everything, honestly. I don't try to let it control me. I try to control what I can control, and that's me showing up Saturdays and pouring my heart out." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

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WR *Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/29/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State + More +

2022 PRESEASON MANNING AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: C.J. Stroud, So., Ohio State,...Stroud led the best offense in the nation as a freshman in 2021 with Ohio State No. 1 nationally in total offense (561.5 yards per game) and scoring offense (45.7 ppg) while also finishing No. 2 in passing efficiency and and No. 3 in passing offense (380.9 ypg)...Completed 317-of-441 passes for 4,435 yards with 44 TDs vs. just 6 INTs. - Ohio State Football

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QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/22/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State + More +

Hours after the Big Ten announced a new TV deal on Thursday, a record-setting agreement with multiple broadcast networks that will be worth billions of dollars for the league, Ohio State star quarterback C.J. Stroud expressed support for the idea of players receiving a portion of the revenue. "I definitely think it should be shared," Stroud said, "but if not, at the end of the day, we have the NIL space. We can do it that way. The new college world is turning around, and I'm here for it." Opportunities for compensation have grown over the last year with NCAA rules changes allowing players to make money from their name, image and likeness.

But limits remain. Athletes are not paid salaries by schools. Their income comes from endorsement deals struck with third-party companies and booster-led collectives that pay them for promotional work. The benefits schools provide players include tuition, room and board and stipends to cover cost-of-living expenses as part of scholarships. In Stroud's views, players deserve a larger piece of the growing financial pie. "This game is amazing, especially the college atmosphere, because it does have amateurism to it," Stroud said. "That's definitely a plus. But at the same time, I'm not 100% sure what our tuition is, but I'm sure it's not the worth of what we're actually worth. My mom has always told me to know my worth." - Columbus Dispatch

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QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/22/22 - Tyler Friday, rSr/2023, Ohio State + More +

When Ohio State defensive end Tyler Friday learned he had been selected as one of the team's six captains following last Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, it caught him off guard. "I couldn't even process it at the moment," Friday said. "I was thinking about practice." Three days later, the news had sunk in. "It's a great feeling," he said. The recognition came after Friday spent most of the past year rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament. His extensive recovery stood out among teammates who watched him take months to return to full strength ahead of his fifth season with the Buckeyes. "He came back grinding," sophomore defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said. "He came back like he never left."

Friday suffered his ACL injury last summer before the start of preseason training camp, a setback that kept him from stepping foot on the field during the season. He had missed a handful of games due to injuries in previous seasons, but this was his most significant battle to get back on the field. "It was very difficult," Friday said, "but I got a great team here full of brothers. Instead of one brother, I got over a hundred here at Ohio State. During the tough times, I just leaned on them and my family and keep my faith in God, and I was able to get through it." Defensive line coach Larry Johnson said Friday showed leadership prior to his season-ending knee injury, but it was his attitude during the recovery process got everyone's attention. "You saw him every morning, every day, trying to get himself back," Johnson said. "That was impressive to a lot of kids. It set the bar for who he was as a young man." - Columbus Dispatch

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DE Tyler Friday, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/22/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State + More +

C.J. Stroud wasn't known for his running ability in his first season as Ohio State football's starting quarterback. In fact, his lack thereof was a constant talking point for why he didn't do so more often. He's heard every complaint possible from fans and even his own friends and family teasing him about his willingness to do so. Entering his second year as an established quarterback, Stroud is hoping to use his legs more and has also done the necessary work to be able to do so. "I feel the best I've ever felt in my life," Stroud said. "I (hit my personal record) in squat. I PR'd in bench. In my running, I forgot the mileage I hit, but I PR'd in that. I'm the fastest I've been since I've been alive." Stroud's physical transformation is the result of him choosing to take the weight room and his nutrition seriously in a way he didn't want to do in high school, thinking his arm talent would be enough. "It's pretty cool to see Coach Mickey (Marotti's) mindset and his thought process," Stroud said. "When you get here, you really don't understand. But now, since I understand, I've definitely seen the growth not only physically but mentally as well." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSo/2023

QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/22/22 - Jack Sawyer, Sr/2025, Ohio State + More +

Jack Sawyer's freshman season suffers by comparison to his spring game debut. He terrorized mostly backup linemen and recorded three sacks that day. The buzz about the edge rusher from Pickerington North grew to a deafening roar. He compiled three sacks and a couple of quarterback hurries at the lower end of the defensive end rotation. While classmate J.T. Tuimoloau came in more physically prepared for an expanded role, Sawyer was limited to a more specialized pass-rush identity. Yet that identity is changing at the same time as Sawyer's body.

He told cleveland.com he has gained 35 pounds since arriving at OSU in January 2021. He carries that extra weight well, distributing it across his 6-4 frame and impressive wingspan. Johnson said Sawyer gained 10 pounds to 265 since last season. Sawyer, though, said his most crucial gains have come in adjusting to the speed of the game. "Just playing fast, and I think that was our problem when we first got here is we were thinking too much," Sawyer said. "Obviously we all need to get a little bigger and stronger. But I think just playing fast was a key for all of us in our grade. Right now I feel like we're really playing fast and we're back to how we used to be." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sr/2025

DE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/22/22 - Gee Scott Jr., rSr/2025, Ohio State + More +

Gee Scott Jr. took some important steps this offseason in his development as he continues to make the transition from wide receiver to tight end for Ohio State football. His first year at the position produced five catches for 42 yards on 55 snaps. Decent for the former top-100 receiver. But it also showed why his usage was so small, even if an offense that rarely targets its tight ends to begin with. He wasn't ready to contribute to the offense yet. At least not in a way that wouldn't do more harm than good. "When I was in the game, they dang-near counted me as a receiver," Scott said. "They just figured there would be a route being ran and it's not very realistic. My goal as a tight end is to not have a role. I can do everything. ... I want to be a guy that's an every down (tight end)." Scott arrived in 2020 as a 210-pound wide receiver before changing over to tight end last season, where he played at 220 pounds.

It's a good start but wasn't anywhere close to where he needed to be to have any real success. Now he's up to 241 pounds and completely looks the part. Now that he has the body, the next step is developing the skills that come with it. Just as was the case with his physical transformation, that development will take some time. "It's a never-ending process," Scott said. "I'm still getting used to it right now. This position that we're playing is a journey. It's a lot of jobs that you have to be able to do. A lot of tasks you have to be able to get done. It's not something you develop overnight. I'm still working on it right now, and it's going good." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSr/2025

FB Gee Scott Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/21/22 - JT Tuimoloau, Sr/2025, Ohio State + More +

The leadup to defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau's freshman season at Ohio State was cramped. His prolonged recruitment, a result of the coronavirus pandemic, made for a late arrival last summer. After holding off on a commitment until the Fourth of July, he enrolled only a couple of weeks before the start of preseason training camp. But this has been a traditional offseason of preparation with spring practice and strength and conditioning workouts following his debut. "It just feels great to have a full season and everything under your belt," Tuimoloau said. The routine has left him in position to emerge as a potential breakout star on the Buckeyes' defensive line. It's a leap veteran defensive line coach Larry Johnson sees as a possibility.

Johnson remarked after practice on Tuesday that a lot of promising linemen take their biggest step in development in their second seasons. "If he continues to move forward," Johnson said, "he'll have the chance to do something special down the road." Few players on the roster are as talented as Tuimoloau, who was the crown jewel of the Buckeyes' recruiting class in 2021 and one of the highest-ranked prospects in the nation in the cycle. Even after stepping foot onto campus later than the rest of his freshman class, he showed glimpses of his potential last fall, finishing with 17 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. "I've seen him grow a lot in a lot of areas," Johnson said. "I've seen him mature. I've seen a guy who's gotten much stronger. He's more flexible. He can bend. He can run. And he's playing practice really well." - The Columbus Dispatch

Sr/2025

DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
News Source: The Columbus Dispatch
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08/21/22 - Michael Hall Jr., rSo/2024, Ohio State + More +

Kevin Wilson considered it amusing, absurd, maybe even unfair. Ohio State football's offensive coordinator watched redshirt freshman defensive tackle Mike Hall go up against Ohio State's third-string offensive line early in camp. One of those things was not like the other. "I always laugh when Mike Hall goes out there as a (third teamer)," Wilson said. "I mean, come on dude. Jeez, that's as good a three as I ever saw in my life. He ain't no three." Defensive line coach Larry Johnson made a small correction a day later when asked about Wilson's comment. Hall was with the threes - as in past tense. That made perfect sense early in preseason camp, with veterans such as Taron Vincent, Jerron Cage and Ty Hamilton leading the tackle rotation.

Nowadays, though, Hall is running with the ones and twos. At last Thursday's open practice, he opened the inside offense vs. defense drill with a group of established first-string defenders. In that specific period, Hall lined up as the nose guard. Johnson said the Streetsboro native's role cannot be that narrowly defined yet. He has a plan to use Hall both there and at 3 technique on a defensive line that may rotate 11 or 12 deep. "He's got a chance to do something really special," Johnson said. "He's had a great camp. He's really gotten stronger, and he's gotten bigger. He's fast, he's athletic, and we hope for great things from Mike." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSo/2024

DT Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/21/22 - Zach Harrison, Sr/2023, Ohio State + More +

Even without the title, Zach Harrison still views himself as a leader of Ohio State football's defensive line. The senior defensive end served as one of Ohio State's captains in 2021, along with defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, wide receiver Chris Olave, offensive tackle Thayer Munford, wide receiver Kamryn Babb and linebacker Teradja Mitchell. Now, heading into the 2022 season, Babb is the only returning captain for Ohio State despite both Harrison and Mitchell returning for another season. The redshirt senior wide receiver and the team's 2022 Block O recipient joins defensive lineman Tyler Friday, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, quarterback C.J. Stroud, tight end Cade Stover and safety Kourt Williams. Ohio State has not had a captain from a previous team return and not been named a captain since Jordan Hall.

The Buckeye running back was named a captain in Urban Meyer's first season as head coach in 2012, but had limited playing time that season after a knee injury, and was granted a fifth season with a medical redshirt. When Hall returned in 2013, Jack Mewhort, Christian Bryant, C.J. Barnett, Corey Linsley, Kenny Guiton and Corey Brown were Ohio State's captains. But Harrison's mentality as a leader has not shifted heading into his fourth season with the Buckeyes. "They are not captains (just) because they were voted captains," Harrison said. "They are captains because they embody leadership and the program. I feel like just because my name wasn't voted captain, that I won't have a "C" on my short doesn't mean I'm not a head of the program. I know that guys are still looking up to me, so I have to maintain that standard regardless of whether I'm a captain or not." Heading into his fourth year with the program, Harrison said he's seen that mentality from Friday, who will be the defensive line's captain in his fifth year at Ohio State. - The Columbus Dispatch

Sr/2023

DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
News Source: The Columbus Dispatch
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08/21/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State + More +

It may be a top-five matchup per the preseason AP Top 25 poll, but Ohio State football remains a big favorite over Notre Dame in sportsbooks. The No. 2 Buckeyes opened as 13.5-point favorites over the No. 5 Fighting Irish, per VegasInsider.com. That line rose to 14.5 by Wednesday morning. The point total also rose slightly to 58.5, up half a point from its opening. If that spread holds, OSU will be a larger favorite for this season opener than it was a year ago at Minnesota. That line was an even 14 points.

The teams have not played since the Fiesta Bowl after the 2015 season. According to the OddsShark.com database, Ohio State covered a 4.5-point spread with a 44-28 victory. It also covered the same spread in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2005 season with a 34-20 victory. This is the teams' first regular-season meeting since Sept. 30, 1995. The Buckeyes were 7.5-point favorites that day and easily covered with a 45-26 victory. Ohio State has not opened against a ranked opponent since a 2003 home game against Washington. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSo/2023

QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/18/22 - Palaie Gaoteote IV, rSr/2023, Ohio State + More +

With the exception of an occasional stand-up pass rusher, Larry Johnson built his menacing Ohio State football defensive fronts with a standard four down lineman approach. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles brought with him a new wrinkle for that front - a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position known either as the Jack or the Leo. Instead of attacking only off the edge, that player can float around the defensive line in Knowles' attempt to create confusion. Johnson said Tuesday that defensive ends Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Jack Sawyer and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV are the three players primarily training for that position.

That oversight falls to him - an evolution he said he has enjoyed. "I like the new tool," Johnson said. "I like what we're doing right now defensively. I think coach Knowles has got a great system, and I like how he's allowed the guys who have the ability to play and use their ability, and I think that's cool. I think that's what defense is all about." All three players make sense as potential Jacks considering the combination of mobility, spatial awareness and strength necessary for Jack duties. Jean-Baptiste straddled the line between outside linebacker and defensive end as a high school prospect in New Jersey. Sawyer, while always considered a more conventional edge rusher, was also athletically versatile enough to play quarterback for his Pickerington North High School team. Gaoteote was a top 15, five-star prospect who began his career at USC and transferred to Ohio State last season. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

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ILB Palaie Gaoteote IV, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/16/22 - Kamryn Babb, rSr/2023, Ohio State + More +

2022 PRESEASON WUERFFEL TROPHY (COMMUNITY SERVICE) WATCHLIST: Kam Babb, Ohio State, Jr. WR,...Babb is in his fifth season with the program and has graduated with his degree in communications...He is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and has two seasons of eligibility...Was voted a team captain by his teammates in the fall of 2021, but missed playing the season because of a knee injury...Also missed the 2018 and 2019 seasons with knee injuries, respectively. - Ohio State Football

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