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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

(DS#10 DE) 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, 6-3, 214 (DS#1 QB) + 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

(DS#1 QB) 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, 6-2, 247 (DS#69 ILB) + 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

(DS#69 ILB) rSr/2023

ILB Palaie Gaoteote IV, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/16/22 - Kamryn Babb, rSr/2023, Ohio State, 6-0, 210 (DS#999 WR) + 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

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Kamryn Babb, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/15/22 - Kamryn Babb, rSr/2023, Ohio State, 6-0, 210 (DS#999 WR) + More +

Repeated injuries have not diminished Kamryn Babb's leadership capacity with Ohio State football. Even after another torn ACL - his fourth - prematurely ended his 2021 season, Babb was named one of the Buckeye captains. On Saturday, the program bestowed the fifth-year receiver another honor by naming him the "Block O" No. 0 jersey recipient for 2022. "The last five years have been a long journey," Babb said in an OSU news release. "There were times when I was down and had a lot of questions. But God put people in my life who wouldn't let me give up and it's been a blessing. I couldn't have done this without them." Ohio State began the Block O tradition prior to the 2020 season. Defensive end Jonathon Cooper wore the jersey that season. Offensive lineman Thayer Munford, last season's recipient, wore it during warm-ups but could not wear it in games due to NCAA uniform number rules. The honor is designated for a player who displays the same toughness, accountability and character Willis was known for in his career. Babb was an obvious choice. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Kamryn Babb, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/14/22 - Dawand Jones, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-8, 374 (DS#5 OT) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Dawand Jones, Ohio State, Sr OT,...Is a veteran of 28 games played, including 14 starting assignments at right tackle...Played 788 snaps on offense in 2021 to rank third among all players on the team in offensive/defensive snaps...Helped Ohio State's offense rank No. 1 in the nation in total offense (561.5) and scoring offense. - Ohio State Football

(DS#5 OT) Sr/2023

OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/14/22 - Davison Igbinosun, Sr/2026, Ohio State, 6-2, 195 (DS#6 CB) + More +

Lane Kiffin hasn't relied too heavily on true freshmen in his two years at Ole Miss, but one of the highest-rated prospects he's ever signed looks poised to break that trend this fall. Freshman cornerback Davison Igbinosun enrolled at Ole Miss in January as a four-star recruit from New Jersey. Ranked the No.162 prospect in the 247 Sports composite rankings, Igbinosun was the second-best rated recruit in the Rebels' Class of 2022 and the third-best across the three classes Kiffin has signed in Oxford.

Igbinosun's pedigree matches the rave reviews he's drawn in the first two weeks of preseason practices. Building off a solid spring, Igbinosun has rotated with the first-team defense, using his 6-foot-2 frame and impressive athleticism to earn playing time early in his career. "He really stands out to me as a freshman cornerback," third-year linebacker Austin Keys says. "He came in and he already looked like a vet." Igbinosun's physical tools and instincts are immediately obvious at practice. During one practice he showed the savvy and closing speed to sprint 10 yards with his back turned to intercept a floating pass thrown to a receiver he wasn't responsible for. - The Clarion Ledger

(DS#6 CB) Sr/2026

CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/14/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State, Jr OT,...Johnson Jr. has three seasons of eligibility, including 2022...Started all 13 games at right guard in 2021 but will move over to tackle in 2022...Earned second-team all-Big Ten honors in 2021 by the conference coaches, third-team by the media...Is a veteran of 18 games played and 13 starts. - Ohio State Football

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/14/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

Paris Johnson said new offensive line coach Justin Frye arrived with a plan to facilitate his transition back outside. After an entire season at guard with help on either side, he now had to adjust to being the last bastion of quarterback C.J. Stroud's uprightness. Ohio State's 2021 playoff hopes ended when it could not sufficiently repel Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. As offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said back in the spring, the 2022 season would be defined in part by how well OSU fared in its next matchup with elite edge rushers. Frye said he has been most impressed by Johnson's mental approach, particularly his ability to efficiently synthesize information. "He pushes it right to the peak," Frye said. "He wants to be great. He wants to have all the information. He wants to gather it all. "His biggest thing that he's learning right now - and he's doing an unbelievable job - is like, 'I don't need to like look for everything. Just work my way to the right answer, to the tools, the technique, whatever the front may be."...Because he wants to learn the way to get there, as opposed to being omniscient."

How much is Johnson enjoying pass protection drills right now? His face lights up when he describes it as being "like high school." His dominance for Cincinnati's St. Xavier and Princeton back then had some calling him OSU's best offensive line prospect since Orlando Pace - who is perhaps the best left tackle in college football history. Johnson has been studying a more contemporary offensive line star: Alabama product Evan Neal, who enters his second year with the New York Giants. Neal also spent a year at guard before moving back to tackle. Against certain looks and when facing particular pass-rush moves, Johnson said his guard technique comes in handy and looks "really smooth." On the other hand, he left the aggressive mindset he needed at guard behind. "That patience is really crucial, and having a calm mind, so you can see everything,' Johnson said. "When you're angry, when you're aggressive, your vision is very narrow." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/13/22 - Zach Harrison, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 269 (DS#10 DE) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Zach Harrison, Ohio State, Sr DE,...Harrison is the most experienced defensive end on the roster with 33 games played and 14 starting assignments...The current team leader with 17.5 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 quarterback sacks...A team captain in 2021 who had a fine year with 8.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries. - Ohio State Football

(DS#10 DE) Sr/2023

DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/12/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

Paris Johnson Jr. was a five-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, while Dawand Jones has been the 2019 class' ultimate hidden gem. Together the two give Ohio State football what might be the best offensive tackle tandem in the country. Jones returns for his second year as the Buckeyes' starting right tackle after dropping 10 pounds, hoping to raise his draft stock by showing off his improved ability as a pass protector. "From last year, I feel way better" Jones said. "I feel faster, a little bit healthier I would say." Johnson was always destined to be OSU's left tackle but spent last year having to play right guard.

Now the question is whether the former top 10 recruit can turn himself into a first-round draft pick even if he's only played tackle at the college level for one season. "He's been awesome," center Luke Wypler said of Johnson. "It's been really cool to see how he's taken the things he learned at right guard and moving out to tackle. From a pass game standpoint ... he's big, strong and athletic. His in space is lethal." Ohio State's offensive line has a high ceiling, and that starts at its tackles spots, where Johnson and Jones will be tasked with keeping C.J. Stroud clean. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/12/22 - *Luke Wypler, rSo/2023, Ohio State, 6-3, 303 (DS#2 C) + More +

As he prepares for his second year as a starter, expectations are high. Asked how good Luke Wypler can be, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye replied, "Elite. The best. No. 1." "The biggest thing with him is he loves ball," Frye said. "It's really important to him. He wants to know the why. And then he's got a little gruffness to him. Toughness, that's also a skill set, and that's one of his (best) qualities, too. Whether we're asking him to reach-block, back-block, pull, if you have toughness on top of wanting to do it and know what you're doing, then you're going to play at a high level." His linemates clearly look to Wypler for leadership and guidance.

"Luke is definitely the heartbeat of our O-line," left guard Donovan Jackson said. "He knows what everyone does from right to left tackle. If you ever have a question, you're like, 'Luke, what is it?' and he'll tell you in under a second." That hasn't happened by accident. He describes his in-season hobbies as working out and studying film. "I've been that way since high school," said Wypler, who is from Montvale, New Jersey, where he dabbled in plenty of adventures. "My sophomore in high school, I really just accepted the grind of it. It's something I really enjoy. I'm like a little kid that gets to play at what he loves to do." - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#2 C) rSo/2023

C *Luke Wypler, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/12/22 - Cody Simon, rSr/2025, Ohio State, 6-2, 232 (DS#7 ILB) + More +

Cody Simon gutted it out as long as he could last year. The Ohio State linebacker played the 2021 season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, feeling a responsibility to his teammates to do what he could on a struggling defense. But after the Michigan game, he realized that enough was enough. He had surgery and missed the Rose Bowl and was limited in spring practice in hopes of being ready for his junior season in 2022. Simon watched the game from the sideline in Pasadena with a sling to protect his right shoulder. "It hurt to not play in that Rose Bowl," he said. "Guys are struggling every day. Bowl practice is really important, and they're grinding every day. To not be able to be out there with them was tough. But at some point, you know when it's gone too far (to keep playing)." Taking the long-term view appears to have worked out. Simon, who finished fourth on the team in tackles last year with 54, pronounced himself fully healthy on Tuesday. "It's been a long road, but through the whole offseason, I've been rehabbing it," he said. "The summer was really important for me, and I got a lot stronger." - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#7 ILB) rSr/2025

ILB Cody Simon, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/11/22 - Dawand Jones, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-8, 374 (DS#5 OT) + More +

Dawand Jones was holding a plank during a weightlifting workout earlier this summer when the Ohio State strength and conditioning staff put a 35-pound plate on his back. The placement added a layer of difficulty to the abs exercise, but it also served as a reminder for the Buckeyes' big right tackle. Carrying extra weight on his body is tough. While Jones held the plank for 40 seconds as instructed by strength guru Mickey Marotti, it left him exhausted.

The instance is a snapshot of one of Jones' biggest offseason emphasis. Since last season, the 6-foot-8 tackle has slimmed down, losing about 10 pounds. After his weight surpassed 370 pounds last fall, Jones said he has dropped down to 364 pounds. "When you're heavier, it takes a toll on you," Jones said. "It's like everything is slower. Your body moves slower. You move slow." A lot of his strides have come over the past three months. Following a break in May at the end of the spring semester, Jones felt a renewed focus for the summer's strength and conditioning program. "I just told myself I've got to attack the workouts with a different mindset," he said. "It's paying off." The weight loss wasn't owed to a dramatic change in diet. Jones said he largely reduced the portion sizes of meals. "I definitely cut down on some stuff," he said. - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#5 OT) Sr/2023

OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/11/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State, 6-3, 214 (DS#1 QB) + More +

After a year's absence from the playoff, Ohio State football will again open the 2022 season in the conversation for the nation's best team. The Buckeyes received five first-place votes and are ranked No. 2 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. Alabama was the overwhelming No. 1 with 54 first-place votes. Defending national champion and No. 3 Georgia received six first-place votes. Texas, ranked No. 18 overall, received the other first-place vote. The Associated Press preseason top 25 poll will be released on Aug. 15. Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan rounded out the top six in the coaches poll. The Fighting Irish and Wolverines headline the six teams ranked among the top 27 vote-getters who appear on OSU's regular-season schedule. The others are No. 14 Michigan State, No. 20 Wisconsin and Iowa and Penn State, who were the top two teams also receiving votes who did not make the top 25. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 QB) rSo/2023

QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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