In America, this weekend is for honoring our bravest citizens and immigrants who have died while in service of our military (it can also be quite a tough weekend for veterans and survivors - if you're in a dark place, there are people who want to listen to you: 1-800-273-8255)

Unfortunately, Memorial Day weekend has recently become a news dump destination for college football transgressions. Last year Baylor fired Art Briles while the NCAA dropped its 52-page Notice of Allegations against Ole Miss. Four years ago Notre Dame announced Everett Golson would be suspended for the 2013 season for "poor academic judgment." 

And six years ago (six? really?) Jim Tressel "resigned" from Ohio State amidst a scandal that eventually produced two NCAA investigations, a full program shake-up and a one-year postseason ban. The 2011 Buckeyes were expected to be favorites for a seventh-straight outright or shared B1G championship. After being crippled by scandal, they...fell short.

The six seasons that led to Tressel's departure in 2011 create an interesting comparison against the six seasons that have transpired since. Urban Meyer is 61-6 over his five seasons. But the overall production over each period is alarmingly even:

This is obviously not a straight Tressel-Meyer comparison with 2011 included - however, that 2011 season was absolutely necessary for Meyer to end up as Ohio State's head coach. The timing was serendipitous, and here we are.

Tressel is a retired Hall of Fame coach, while Meyer is in Rockne territory. The past six years have delivered one more win, two more losses, three fewer B1G titles (the shared 2005 and 2008 titles under Tressel are credited as half a title - the Buckeyes finished 1st in each of his final six seasons) and of course, that 2014 title march that is without compare. It certainly feels like a gilded age.

Ohio State basically ceded one historic run for another.

But the six seasons that preceded the change produced one additional national championship game appearance and that unrelenting conference title run, albeit entirely within the BCS era and during a time without Leaders, Legends, Rutgers, Maryland or Nebraska to compete with.

Ohio State basically ceded one historic run for another. Alabama, if you're curious, has three more national titles, two more wins and two more seasons vacated by the NCAA over that same stretch.

As for Ohio State, you could debate which span is superior, but one thing is certain: there are very few schools - namely the one mentioned above - that would trade what the Buckeyes have been able to pull off over the past dozen seasons, scandal and all. 

MARYLAND TERRAPINS

15-3, 4-1 B1G ROSTERSCHEDULE

1:00 PM – MONDAY, MAY. 29 GILLETTE STADIUM FOXBOROUGH, MA

ESPN2 WATCHESPN

Monday's NCAA men's lacrosse national championship game will pit a perennial powerhouse against an up-and-comer as top-seeded Maryland is set to appear in its third-straight national championship game while Ohio State is playing in its first ever.

It's an unfamiliar NCAA title matchup, but these are not unfamiliar opponents. The Big Ten foes met twice previously, playing two of the best, most highly-contested lacrosse games of the season. After over 120-minutes of action, the teams enter Monday's deadlocked at an aggregate score of 20-20, splitting a pair of one-point wins.

Monday's game will be the rubber match with the winner being crowned national champions. If the teams' previous matchups are any indication, it's going to be an absolute thriller.

Buckle up.

Maryland Breakdown

After topping No. 5 seed Denver in the semifinals, the top-seeded Terrapins are back in the NCAA championship game for the third-straight season and the fifth time in seven seasons.

Though Maryland is a regular in the title game, the Terps are just as hungry as the Buckeyes. Maryland hasn't won the national title since 1975, falling in nine-straight championship games since then.

This time, though, the Terps are stacked.

Maryland had nine players named USILA All-America this season — the most for the program since 1998 — headlined by four first teamers: Isaiah Davis-Allen, Connor Kelly, Tim Muller and Matt Rambo.

Rambo, a Tewaaraton finalist, leads the high-powered Terrapin attack. He is the program's all-time leading scorer and all-time points leader and is the only player in program history to record 40 goals and 30 assists in a season — and he's done it twice.

Since the start of the NCAA Tournament, Rambo has been on a tear. He has 18 points so far, which is tied for second-most in a single tournament in program history, behind his program-record 23 points last season.

Rambo spearheads a Maryland attack that ranks No. 10 nationally in scoring offense and No. 1 in shot percentage. With those numbers, the Buckeyes will have their hands full on Monday afternoon.

Ohio State Breakdown

Ohio State has already reached its first semifinal — and now first championship game — in program history, set a new program record for wins in a season and downed nine top-20 opponents.

If the season ended in a semifinals loss to Towson, it still would have been the best season in Ohio State lacrosse history. But it didn't. The Buckeyes came from behind to top Towson and are playing for their first-ever national title on Monday afternoon.

“We posed the question to them earlier in the week and just said, 'Listen — at the end of the day this is going to go down as the most successful, competitive season of Buckeye lacrosse. That's done. You've already checked that box,'” Ohio State coach Nick Myers told our Eric Seger.“'Do you want to be remembered as the first Final Four team or do you want to be remembered as the first national championship team?'”

It's no fluke that Ohio State got this far. The Buckeyes are one of the most talented, well-rounded teams in the country.

Ohio State boasts an attack that's No. 5 nationally in scoring offense and No. 5 in shot percentage led by two players who've tallied over 60 points this season: Eric Fannell and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tre Leclaire. Fannell leads the team with 63 points while Leclaire leads the team in scoring with 48 goals.

On the defensive end, the Buckeyes are almost equally stellar, giving up just 8.8 goals per game, good for 13th nationally. The defense is led by senior defenseman Ben Randall, who became the first player in program history to be named a first-team All-American, as well as goalkeeper Tom Carey, who has already come up huge for Ohio State this tournament, stopping 12 shots against high-powered Loyola in the opening round.

Despite the power of those units and the talent of those players, Ohio State's most decisive advantage will not be on offense or defense on Monday, but at the faceoff X. The Buckeyes have the top faceoff save percentage in the country thanks to two-time Big Ten Specialist of the Year Jake Withers. Ohio State wins 73.3 percent of faceoffs while Maryland wins just 49.8.

When you compare Ohio State's season and postseason to the preseason expectations, its run seems a little improbable. But on Monday afternoon, the Buckeyes are hoping to prove that they belonged at the top of the rankings all along.

“When we came into the season No. 22 with no preseason All-Americans for the first time in my tenure here," Myers said. "I'd be lying if I told you that wasn't something we took personally. The rankings are what they are, it's all about how you finish.”

How to Watch

The national championship match between Ohio State and Maryland will be broadcast nationally at 1 p.m. on ESPN2 and the WatchESPN app. 

One of college football's oldest adages is that if you've got a quarterback, you've got a chance.

As Oklahoma eyes its 2017 campaign, one could certainly lump the Sooners into that realm. Though it is not like Baker Mayfield is running around by himself — just without essentially every skill player that scored points last season for Bob Stoops.

When Ohio State ran rampant in Norman, Oklahoma, last September, the Sooners fell off the map on a national scope. Having lost two of their first three games of the season — the other being to Houston and Tom Herman in the opener — pundits wondered if it were time for the administration to really think about moving on from Stoops. Then all he did was win the Big 12 for the 10th time in his 18th season as head coach.

Behind Mayfield, Oklahoma won 10 straight games to close its season ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll — one spot ahead of Ohio State. The Sooner ripped through Auburn in the Sugar Bowl 35-19 and played some wild affairs while going 8-0 in the Big 12, namely against Texas Tech, TCU and West Virginia.

Oklahoma turned into one of the most dangerous teams in college football by season's end and after Urban Meyer and Co. left Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium with a 21-point victory. The team's return trip to Columbus isn't far off, the second game of the season and set to be an under the lights affair with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff from The Horseshoe on ABC.

The Buckeyes will have two extra days to prepare for the Sooners after starting their 2017 slate at Indiana on Thursday, Aug. 31, another night game. Oklahoma opens against UTEP at home. Mayfield's punishment for his February arrest in Arkansas after a drunken night that ended in him attempting to flee from cops remains unknown. The quarterback's attorney pled not guilty on his behalf on April 7. His next court date has not yet been determined, though Mayfield could come to some sort of agreement with the local prosecutors outside a courtroom.

Stoops said this spring he would wait to drop discipline on Mayfield for the incident until the legal process concludes, though the chances he suspends his star player for the Ohio State game are slim. While we wait to see if that happens, let get to know the Sooners a bit more.

Offense

As mentioned before, the favorites to win the Big 12 have one extremely important piece back in quarterback Baker Mayfield. Every top offensive weapon Mayfield and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley had at their disposal in 2016 are now in the NFL, however.

Running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon and wide receiver Dede Westbrook all no longer wear the Crimson and Cream. The latter and Mayfield were both 2016 Heisman Trophy finalists, finishing fourth and third, respectively. Westbrook caught 80 passes for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016, while Mixon finished second on the team with 37 catches and 538 yards. He and Perine combined for 2,334 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns last season.

Put it all together and Westbrook, Mixon and Perine combine for 2,435 rushing and 2,168 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns in 2016.

Yeah, that's a lot.

Still, Stoops and Riley get Mayfield back for another season after the NCAA granted the Texas Tech transfer another year of eligibility. He also has his entire offensive line back for another year, including Big 12 Lineman of the Year Orlando Brown. The redshirt junior left tackle has started every game the last two years and the other four offensive linemen for the Sooners received honorable mention All-Big 12 nods in 2016. So Mayfield's jersey should stay clean and whoever runs the ball will have plenty of help up front.

Who actually does, though, remains the question. Without Perine and Mixon, two guys who averaged 106 rushing yards per game apiece last year, sophomore Abdul Adams is the leading returning rusher with 283 yards and zero touchdowns. Those numbers came late in easy wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Kansas.

Rodney Anderson is another sophomore at running back who could team up with Adams to try and form another one-two punch at the position, provided he stays healthy. A former 4-star recruit and freak athlete, Anderson broke his leg in the second game of his career and suffered a neck injury during training camp last fall that knocked him out the entire year. He spent the entire spring in a green, non-contact jersey after wearing a neck brace for the 2016 season and now is someone Stoops and Mayfield hope to depend on against Ohio State and beyond.

Tight end/wide receiver/H-back Mark Andrews is the team's leading returning pass-catcher. He caught one of his seven touchdowns last season against Ohio State late in the third quarter but the deficit from Noah Brown crushing their souls proved too much for the Sooners to overcome.

Seniors Jeffery Mead and Jordan Smallwood and juniors A.D. Miller (scored against Ohio State too) and Dahu Green all played significant snaps last season but now must step into larger roles with Westbrook gone. Stoops also added transfer Jeff Badet from Kentucky and former JUCO star Marquise Brown. The No. 2-rated JUCO receiver in the 2017 class, Brown is listed at 5-foot-11 and 157 pounds. But he's a fun talent.

Whenever the Sooners needed someone to do something amazing during conference play, Mayfield almost always looked toward Westbrook. He needs someone else to step up and has a bunch of options.

Oklahoma led the Big 12 in offensive efficiency, explosive plays, scoring and was second in total offense last season. Yes, the conference is extremely offense-friendly but some of the numbers were absurd. A good bulk of them that production is gone, leaving Mayfield, an extremely strong offensive line, a great mind in Riley and young threats in the backfield to pick up the pieces for a title contender.

Defense

Defenses are more than afterthoughts in the Big 12. You don't need to look past Oklahoma's ridiculous 66-59 victory at Texas Tech, where the teams combined for a NCAA record 1,708 offensive yards, to see that point illustrated.

The Sooners also allowed 331 rushing yards to West Virginia's Justin Crawford in a 56-28 victory. Stats like that make you believe Mayfield, Riley, Stoops and the offense said, "The hell with it. Let's just outscore everybody."

That's pretty much what Oklahoma did to win the Big 12 last season. As conference favorites once again, though, the Sooners need to improve from allowing nearly 29 points and 432 yards per game.

Mike Weber ran for 123 yards at Oklahoma last season.

To do so, Mike Stoops is shifting back to more of a 4-3 base defense to better fit his personnel. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is set to play a flex/Jack linebacker for the Sooners, with the ability to move around and line up in different areas to cause opposing quarterbacks headaches. Okoronkwo led his team with nine sacks in 2016 — no other player had more than 2.5.

Linebacker Jordan Evans (second last year with 10 tackles for loss) now plays for the Bengals and another defensive lineman, Austin Roberts, is also gone. There is plenty of experience in the front seven, however, so one would think the group would take a step forward this fall.

The same goes for the secondary despite losing safety Ahmad Thomas. Steven Parker, Will Johnson and corner Jordan Thomas all return after breaking up 28 passes last season. Injuries forced the Stoops brothers to turn to youth at corner, which J.T. Barrett and Noah Brown took advantage of all night in Norman. The freshman Brown caught touchdowns over twice last year, Parrish Cobb, is no longer with the program after a series of arrests for armed robbery.

Stoops's defense has plenty of formidable pieces back and has recruited well. But the Sooners haven't really ever been able to find the level success on that side of the ball since Brent Venables left for Clemson after the 2011 season.

Oklahoma allowed at least 17 points in every single game last year except against Kansas when the Sooners trucked the Jayhawks 56-3. Kansas finished 2-10 last season.

Ohio State's offense under new coordinator Kevin Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day should decidedly be better than a year ago, at least throwing the ball. The Sooners still gave up 45 points and 443 total yards to the Buckeyes, though.

But the Sooners really have nowhere to go but up on defense.

One of the 2017 college football season's marquee nonconference games, Oklahoma-Ohio State is set to help decide the sports postseason picture once again. It did last season, as Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes became the biggest fans of the Sooners after beating them in Week 3.

Oklahoma's 10-game winning streak to close the season represented a massive reason Ohio State reached the College Football Playoff despite not even playing for the Big Ten Championship. Both teams should enter this matchup unbeaten, and whoever comes out on top will all but certainly find themselves ranked in the top-5.

It was announced Thursday the Buckeyes' season-opener at Indiana on Aug. 31 would be an 8 p.m. kickoff while the Week 2 showdown against Oklahoma in Columbus will begin at 7:30 p.m.

This was hardly a surprise, of course, as Ohio State's opener comes on a Thursday. That Big Ten tilt in Bloomington was always going to be played at night. So, too, was the matchup against the Sooners. Ohio State–Oklahoma is one of the marquee non-conference games of the 2017 season; a night game only made sense.

These surely won't be the only two games the Buckeyes play under the lights this season, however. In fact, there's a decent chance half of Ohio State's games require nighttime viewing. 

The Buckeyes' 2017 schedule can be seen at the right of this story, and a quick look shows us some strong candidates for potential night games. The first, and most obvious, is Ohio State's home game against Penn State on Oct. 28. That's about as close to a lock as it can get for Urban Meyer and Co. to host a home night game. Look for that to be the Buckeyes' big recruiting weekend of the year, too.

Two additional road candidates that seem likely are the Oct. 14 matchup at Nebraska and the Nov. 4 game at Iowa. The Hawkeyes hosted Michigan last season for a November night game — and won — so perhaps Iowa goes back to that plan when Ohio State comes to town this year. Everyone else seems to try it.

If those three scenarios all happen, that would bring the Buckeyes' total to five night games for the season. That number would tie for most in Meyer's tenure in Columbus. Ohio State also played five night games during its national championship 2014 season. 

However, there are two additional games on the schedule that could also be played at night — though selecting both seems unlikely. The Buckeyes played a night game at Rutgers in 2015 and with a trip to Piscataway on the schedule in late September, there's a chance it happens again because whenever Ohio State comes to town, it's a big deal. Another option could be the Nov. 11 game against Michigan State. The Buckeyes played a November night game against the Spartans in 2014, so it could be an option again this season despite the fact Michigan State has taken a couple of steps backward recently.

If all of those play out, that would give Ohio State a total of seven night games for 2017. The more likely scenario, however, is just one of those final two gets played under the lights and the Buckeyes end up with six — exactly half their regular-season schedule. 

As of right now, there don't appear to be any plans for the Ohio State–Michigan game to be played at night.

Six night games would be the most in the Meyer era. As mentioned above, Ohio State played five in 2014. In 2012 and 2013, the Buckeyes played three. And in 2015 and 2016, the number was four.

Kickoff times will be released sporadically throughout the next few months.

But just a word of advice if you're planning to make a trip or two to an Ohio State game this fall: Bring the coffee with you. It may be a long evening.

Maybe you were lucky enough to have a private 'consultant' paid hundreds of dollars an hour to coach you. Maybe you just copied what you saw on tv. Whatever the circumstances, you've probably gotten to this point in life knowing how to hurl an object overhand with one arm. 

Unlike such fundamental acts like learning to swim or ride a bike, however, there is little formal instruction of this seemingly basic practice. Yet it happens to be the fundamental physical act of the most difficult position in sports.

Granted, playing quarterback isn't challenging simply because that person is tasked with successfully advancing a ball aerially to another person - the mental aspect of the role is far tougher. But although many on the outside assume these athletes work to hone their craft as a thrower, little is known about how they do so.

As one might expect from such a niche industry, there is quite a range of opinions among coaches about how to get the most from a quarterback's physical abilities.

While many youth coaches teach only the absolute basics, the bulk of a quarterback's fundamental teaching often comes in high school. However, the variance of one high schooler's tutoring to the next can be vast, given the style of the offense being run, a coach's knowledge of the position, or even their state's practice time limits.

However, some college coaches take a 'laissez-faire' approach to throwing mechanics, afraid to do more damage to the player's confidence by disrupting a routine. Others simply choose to spend more time implementing scheme or other skills, such as reading an option defender in the run game.

At Ohio State, new quarterbacks coach Ryan Day takes over a position room filled with plenty of expectations and even more pressure. Despite inheriting a fourth-year starter who has not only re-written all the record books in Columbus but is also coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff, many fans believe the team's subpar passing game ultimately submarined their hopes for a national championship last fall.

While Day spent a great deal of time implementing subtle changes to pieces of Barrett's throwing technique, such as dropping intermediate passes over the heads of defenders instead of trying to throw through tight windows as hard as possible, the former San Fransisco 49ers assistant hasn't had to do much with his star pupil on the physical front.

Unlike what you may hear from experts, such as the countless QB 'gurus' that are paid to privately train these athletes in high school or before the NFL draft, Day doesn't believe there is one exact way to throw a ball. The anatomy of each quarterback is unique, and the exact arm angle or length of a step will vary as a result.

Instead, Day has compared the throwing motion to that of a golf swing. If done properly, the sequencing of all the motions will result in the unwinding of torque all the way from a player's feet through his fingers, similar to the crack of a whip. Virtually any coach, though, will agree that the most important part of the motion is the transfer of power from the lower body to the upper, which comes when the QB flips his hips toward the target.

Where Day breaks away from some coaches that stress specific ball height or arm angle, is how he coaches them from the chest up. All Day asks is for the shoulders to be level throughout the motion. How the player gets that balance is up to them, whether it be Philip Rivers' side-arm push-shot motion, Drew Brees' compact over-the-top release or Tony Romo's 'chicken-wing' left hand - any release will work as long as is allows the player to keep his shoulders balanced.

Once the player has built up all the torque from his lower body and unfurled it into their release, the final touch of the ball on their fingers should act like the crack of the whip. Again, this should sound familiar for any golfers out there, who wind up on their backswing only to release all that power as they open up and release through the hips, shoulders, and hands.

As we can see from last year's film, J.T. Barrett already excels at each step, providing an excellent example for his younger teammates:

While some players, like Cardale Jones, are naturally born with more arm strength than others, the term on its own is deceiving. Cardale can't sling it 66 yards in Timberlands because he can curl or bench press more than other guys, this strength comes from his core and shoulders.

Although Barrett may spend a great deal of his time in the weight room, his workouts are drastically different than those of his teammates. He'll certainly work his lower body like the other ball-carriers, but few quarterbacks spend much time building up their bench presses, focusing instead on building those muscles in their core and doing a myriad of push-ups to ensure the strength in their chest, shoulders, and upper backs are all in-tune with one another. 

As we look at the other quarterbacks under Day's tutelage, we can see a similar form. Joe Burrow stands a bit taller in his stance, not bending his knees as much or taking as long of a front step, generating more power from his core and hips instead.

Meanwhile, Burrow's competition for the backup QB role, Dwayne Haskins, creates more torque with his legs, bending his knees like Barrett and taking a longer front step.

After 15 practices this spring, it should be apparent to Day that there is little to correct in terms of his players' throwing motions themselves. Instead, his job will be to get Barrett and the others in and out of their motions quicker.

When facing pressure, which happened a great deal in both Buckeye losses last season, Barrett was forced to move around in the pocket but failed to properly reset his feet before entering his motion, resulting in errant throws.

The key for Barrett to finally take the next step and becoming a great college passer will be his ability to marry the mental aspect of the game with the physical, anticipating open windows and delivering the ball quickly by having his lower body in the correct position already.

As he's shown us over 500 times already in his illustrious career, once he's set his feet he knows how to deliver a strike to his receiver. 

Lacrosse

At one point, the Bucks were down 8-3 to Towson in the NCAA semifinals, but that lead wasn't enough for the Tigers and the Scarlet and Gray staged a huge comeback to win 11-10.

Freshman Tre Leclaire led the team with three goals and four points, but the senior-heavy squad employed plenty of help from its upperclassmen to ensure the win. Seniors Eric Fannell and Austin Shanks each put two goals in, senior Jake Withers won 15-of-25 faceoffs and had 10 groundballs and senior goalie Tom Carey had 10 saves.

In addition, a school-record six Buckeyes were drafted in the Major League Lacrosse draft, including Withers who went inside the top 10 and Fannell as the 13th overall selection. The Ohio Machine have been taking note of the team's success and selected Buckeyes with their sixth, seventh and eighth round picks.

With the win, the Buckeyes will play in the program's first-ever national championship against Maryland. This season, the Bucks have played the Terrapins twice and have split those two games.

The NCAA Championship Game is less than 24 hours away.

Look back at how the Buckeyes advanced. #GoBucks#NCAALaxhttps://t.co/PI3qZBkL18

— Ohio State Men's LAX (@OhioState_MLAX) May 28, 2017

Tennis

In a week where the women's tennis team was eliminated from the NCAA team tournament in a heartbreaker (4-3 loss to Stanford on May 22) and all singles players were knocked out of the singles bracket — including an upset of sophomore No. 1 Francesca Di Lorenzo — it can be hard to find the positive.

Luckily, the duo of Di Lorenzo and senior Miho Kowase are here to make sure you know what it is as the two will be competing for the NCAA doubles championship at 1 p.m. Monday. 

This is the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA doubles championship. You can find more details here and see the live stream of the championship match here.

NCAA Championship match today at 1 p.m. #GoBuckspic.twitter.com/7REVnoO6Hg

— Ohio State W Tennis (@OhioState_WTEN) May 29, 2017

The men's squad also entered the week with high hopes but suffered a loss last Monday and was eliminated from the team tournament.

In the singles bracket, No. 1 seed Mikael Torpegaard and No. 7 seed Hugo Di Feo both seemed poised to make deep runs, but Di Feo suffered a first-round upset loss while Torpegaard was beaten in the round of 16. Freshman JJ Wolf also took part in the singles tournament and was beaten in the first round, but his opponent — North Carolina's William Blumberg — went on to the championship round.

Other Events

Ohio State women's rowing placed fifth at NCAA Championships. The team's best finish in any event was in the 1V4 race, where the Scarlet and Gray placed third.

Ohio State track and field will send eight individuals to the NCAA Championships June 7-10 after impressive performances in the NCAA East preliminaries. The competitors advancing are Rachel Weber (800m run), Deshawn Marshall (200m dash), Zack Bazile (long jump), Nick Demaline (shot put), Champ Page (400m dash), Maggie Barrie (400m dash) and Donovan Robertson (110m hurdles). In addition, the men's 4x400 and 4x100 and the women's 4x400 will also try for a championship in Eugene, Oregon.

Ohio State women's golf advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, but the team was eliminated 3-1-1 by USC. 

Upcoming

• May 29 - Men's Lacrosse NCAA Championship vs. Maryland 1 p.m. (Watch the game on ESPN2)
• May 29 - Women's Tennis NCAA Doubles Championship vs. Alabama 1 p.m. (Watch the match live here)
• June 7-10 - Track & Field NCAA Championships (Eugene, Oregon)

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Jeffrey Okudah, a cornerback from Grand Prairie, Texas.

Okudah had offers from every major program across the country, stretching from Florida State to USC and all points between. Ohio State offered Okudah in May 2015, which is early into the process but only after every other program of consequence in his recruitment had already made its move. Ohio State's offer may have been lost in the shuffle if not for a one-day camp at Ohio State in the summer of 2015. Okudah visited and fell in love with Ohio State. That interest made Ohio State the team to beat, ultimately leading to his commitment at the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

I retell his recruitment below and discuss why he chose Ohio State. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report of the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the country who is already enrolled on campus. I project some early playing time for Okudah before closing with some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Jeffrey Okudah was already a standout as a true freshman at South Grand Prairie High School. His freshman season resulted in some strong interest from in-state programs, even the heavy-hitters like Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Christian. No offers immediately followed, but it was clear Okudah was going to be one of the best Texas prospects in his 2017 class.

The offers started coming early into his sophomore year. The first offer appears to have been Oregon State, which targeted Texas under then-head coach Mike Riley. Texas Tech offered in late November 2014. The major attention started to come in February 2015 in which Okudah acquired offers from Oklahoma, Michigan, Missouri, Florida State, Auburn, and Ole Miss in a 10-day span. Florida State and Oklahoma resonated most among these offers. Oklahoma, in particular, would solicit strong attention from Okudah and prove to be an important player in Okudah's recruitment.

Ohio State offered on May 4, 2015. This is early into the recruitment process, all things considered, but Baylor, LSU, Tennessee, UCLA, Texas A&M, Florida, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Stanford, Texas, Miami, USC, and Alabama (among the others already listed) had beaten Ohio State to the punch. Okudah had already visited Oklahoma, Texas, and Georgia and had already fielded visits from visiting coaches from Alabama and Florida State.

It's any wonder anything came of the offer for Ohio State. Okudah had no shortage of options, certainly great ones closer to his Grand Prairie home than Ohio State. Here, a camp visit in June proved to be definitive. Okudah dedicated much of the summer of 2015 to taking visits across the country and performing in football camps to improve his craft. It started with a trip to Tuscaloosa, then Knoxville. Columbus was the next stop.

The trip and one-day camp made a lasting impression on Okudah. He recounted that he loved his visit to Ohio State and that it was amazing to be there. Okudah still had visits to Florida State, Auburn, and Oklahoma (again) on his schedule. His recruitment was still young. That said, the next time Ohio State fans heard his name, he had declared Ohio State as his leaders in October of his junior year.

Right now, I can say that Ohio State is my leader in the process... It’s my first time naming a leader in the process. I’m pretty confident that Ohio State is the school that is number one with me right now with the relationships I have developed with the coaching staff... It’s also kind of going back towards the East Coast near New Jersey where I’m from... Academics are big too. I know Ohio State has a really great network. Coach [Urban] Meyer helps the job fair every year. So that is something great after football ends.

This feature would be lacking if it did not note that Chris Ash was instrumental in attracting to Ohio State while Okudah was still on the recruiting trail. Okudah noted that, should Ash leave Ohio State for another position, it would lead him to re-evaluate Ohio State's replacement and whether he still thought Ohio State was his leader. Fortunately, that replacement was Greg Schiano, who made Okudah one of his first orders of business on the recruiting trail. 

Okudah liked his new bond with Schiano, securing Ohio State's status as leader. Through March of last year, Okudah was even wearing Ohio State gear for camp appearances.

Jeffrey Okudah at the Dallas Nike camp in Ohio state gear pic.twitter.com/qfrXlHalte

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) March 13, 2016

Okudah's recruitment continued into the fall of his senior year with an eye toward an early graduation and early enrollment. He started taking his official visits, starting with Oklahoma for the highly anticipated clash with Ohio State. Okudah's presence at this game in Norman was conspicuous. While Oklahoma had been one of his early favorites, he was fighting off rumors that his strong interest in Ohio State belied the fact he was already silently committed to the Buckeyes.

He next visited Georgia for its homestand against Tennessee and Florida State for its game against Clemson.

His most anticipated visit came at the end of November when he traveled to Ohio State alongside Baron Browning for the Michigan game. Okudah enjoyed the visit, and fielded an in-home visit from Urban Meyer a few days later as Meyer worked to shore up commitments from both Browning and Okudah. Okudah formalized a commitment ceremony for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl even if the decision was ultimately academic.

HIS COMMITMENT

Jeffrey Okudah committed to Ohio State on Jan. 7 2017 as the 17th member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over offers from across the country, though the two other finalists at the decision table were Oklahoma and Florida State.

Okudah followed it with an article on The Players' Tribune in which he writes a letter to his mother, ill with lymphoma. The whole thing is worth a read but the passage contains an illustrative quote of what may have led Okudah to choose Ohio State.

Mom, of all of the memorable experiences I had, there’s one in particular that stands out. I think you’ll understand why.

Last June, Coach Schiano at Ohio State said something that really stuck with me. In fact, I think it ultimately played a big part in my decision to go there. He told me, “Jeff, you’ve had a tough life up to this point. It’s time for some good things to happen to you.”

Okudah enrolled at Ohio State two days after his commitment.

Next Chapter, The Ohio State University. pic.twitter.com/w2JONSKXn8

— Jeffrey Okudah III (@TheJeffOkudah) January 7, 2017

WHERE HE EXCELS

Jeffrey Okudah is one of five five-stars in Ohio State's 2017 class, which ranks as the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Okudah is also the highest-ranked prospect in that class, out ranking Chase Young by one ten thousandth of a point on 247's composite scale.

A five-star No. 1 cornerback prospect in the country will have a lot of superlatives and will be well-rounded overall. That certainly describes Okudah. Okudah will do almost every aspect of the cornerback job well, making it difficult to highlight one superlative to highlight first.

I'll start with Okudah's ability in run support. Strength in run support is an ability sine qua non for Ohio State's defense, i.e. without which, a cornerback does not play. Yet, cornerback at the high school level are stereotypically skittish in run support and Ohio State will even accept servicable corners in run support if their ceiling is high elsewhere. Okudah might be the best run-support corner Ohio State has recruited yet. He flies through defenders, tackles well, and importantly takes excellent pursuit angles to the ball carrier.

Okudah's back-pedal shines in coverage as well. It's among the fluid Ohio State has recruited to the program in several years. Importantly, watch Okudah after his back-pedal stops (i.e. after he diagnosed the play). His ability to break from his back-pedal to pursuit is seamless. It's one of many reasons Okudah shines as a sideline-to-sideline defender.

This feature would be remiss without highlighting his overall athleticism (see his score of 142.56 during the The Opening). He's a high IQ player too. Jeffrey Okudah is the total package.

MUST WORK ON

This section is difficult because five-stars are five-stars because they don't have a lot of weaknesses. One misgiving I have concerns where he ultimately lands. Ohio State thinks he's a cornerback right now. I think he's a cornerback. 247 evaluated him as a cornerback but think he's ultimately a safety. Scouting reports are torn on whether he has "corner speed" or "safety speed." The implication is Okudah's ability to get bigger in the weight room without losing his speed would make him an All-American cornerback with high first-round potential. If he slides to safety, he could still well be an all-conference performer, but his ceiling is higher at cornerback. This will be worth watching as Okudah's career develops.

REDSHIRT?

Okudah is too good, started his Ohio State career too early, and is on a depth chart with too many holes right now for Okudah to not ultimately play as a true freshman. I think he at least cracks the two-deep at secondary

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are junior-year highlights for Jeffrey Okudah, the most complete on the web.

Sophomore Francesca Di Lorenzo and senior Miho Kowase won the NCAA women's doubles championship 6-7, 6-4, 10-7, over Alabama's Maddie Pothoff and Erin Routliffe. The win was the school's first national championship in women's tennis.

The Buckeyes' Crimson Tide counterparts included a two-time champion in Routliffe, and they were able to end a three-season SEC streak of winning the doubles championship.

Di Lorenzo and Kowase came back from down 5-3 in the first set but couldn't finish with a win. The opponents drew even at 6-6 and went to a tiebreak where Alabama was able to secure a 7-6 victory to take the first set.

In the second, the teams continued to draw even until Ohio State was able to get a 4-3 advantage that they wouldn't relinquish. In this set, Di Lorenzo showed off her ability on the serve to propel the Buckeyes to victory and to send the match to a third-set tiebreak match.

In the tiebreak, Kowase displayed prowess on the serve and Di Lorenzo expertly returned Alabama's serves to give the Buckeyes a quick 3-0 lead before the Crimson Tide scored their first point. Alabama battled to go ahead 6-4 before Ohio State won five straight points to go ahead 9-6.

From there, the Buckeyes didn't waste much time and put away the Crimson Tide 10-7 to secure the first victory in program history. 

Francesca and Miho take the breaker 10-7 and win the NCAA Doubles National Championship!! #GoBuckspic.twitter.com/4GCDaXjgNi

— Ohio State W Tennis (@OhioState_WTEN) May 29, 2017

Kowase will end her career as one of the most decorated women's tennis player in school history. She is currently the school's all-time singles wins leader and one of only two Buckeyes to have 100 singles and 100 doubles wins.

Di Lorenzo could potentially leave to go pro after this season or next, but should she stay at Ohio State, she will have a chance to rewrite those record books by her final season. Di Lorenzo will likely begin next season as the top-ranked singles player in the NCAA.

Ohio State was unable to add a national title to what was already the most successful season in Buckeye lacrosse history after a late comeback fell just short.

Facing a five-goal deficit late in the game, the Buckeye staged a furious fourth-quarter stretch, cutting the lead to just two goals with two minutes left to play. But that's as close as they got, falling 9-6 to the Terrapins in their first national title appearance ever.

Initially, it looked it was going to be a back and forth affair. Ohio State led twice early, notching the game's first goal to make it 1-0, then answered a Maryland equalizer to make it 2-1. From that point on, it was all Maryland.

The Terrapins scored four straight goals while suffocating the Buckeye offense on the other end. Ohio State was held scoreless for the final 20 minutes of the first half, managing just four shots and turning the ball over three times. Maryland led 5-2 at the half.

Ohio State got on the board first in the second half, scoring the first goal after intermission to cut the lead to two, but Maryland responded by netting three-straight goals to give Maryland an 8-3 lead.

But the Buckeyes didn't quit. Ohio State scored three goals late in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 8-6, but a huge Maryland save and an empty-net goal sealed the game and the first national championship for the Terps since 1975 as they topped the Buckeyes 9-6.

The loss ends a tremendously successful season on a bitter note. 

Ohio State reached the semifinals for the first time in program history this season, where the Buckeyes topped Towson to advance to their first NCAA championship game in program history. Ohio State won a program-record 16 games in 2017, had a program-record six USILA All-Americans and had a program-record six players drafted in the MLL Draft.

It's not the ending the Buckeyes had written, but it's hard to be too disappointed with the best season in program history.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER LIST

The spring evaluation period is winding to a close, which means prospects from all over the country have started to narrow down their list of offers. St. Louis Christian Brothers College four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb, who many assume will eventually land at Ohio State, will do so later this evening.

Releasing my top schools at 7pm..

— Kamryn Babb (@kamm_o) May 29, 2017

The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Babb is considered the seventh-best wide receiver and No. 41 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, though he missed five games last season with an undisclosed injury. He still managed to haul in 45 passes for 784 yards and 14 total touchdowns to be named first-team all-state.

Babb is without a doubt Ohio State's top wide receiver target, but Michigan and Missouri loom large in his recruitment. He visited Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' Spring Game last month and the Tigers have the home-state pull on their side.

Babb plans to take an official visit this fall, which will mark his second trip to Columbus in a year. He isn't expected to announce his college intentions until the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January, however.

ALMOST THERE

The remainder of Ohio State's Select '17 recruiting class will arrive on campus this coming weekend, and the player of the bunch expected to make to biggest impact in Year One is none other than four-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes.

The Buckeyes are in desperate need of playmakers out wide, and the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Grimes has all the tools to become a go-to receiver at the next level — that is, if he fully recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in St. Thomas Aquinas' nationally televised triple-overtime loss to Bishop Gorman last September.

It's the exact same situation as what defensive end Nick Bosa — who attended the same high school as Grimes — went through last year, and he ended up recording 29 tackles, seven sacks for a loss and five sacks as a true freshman. Grimes is still going through rehab, of course, but told 247Sports he'll be ready by the time fall camp rolls around.

“I'm around 85 to 90 percent [right now],” he said.

Doctors have told Grimes his knee could potentially be stronger than what it was before, and he anticipates being an even better receiver as a result. Wide receivers coach Zach Smith would love nothing more.

“You never know until they get here,” Smith said at a media availability this spring. “Obviously, on film, recruiting and evaluation, he is [someone who could play early. Rehab is going really well. He's killing it. He's doing really well. It's gonna be about when he gets here, how he transitions and how mature is he is. And if he's one of those kids that comes in with the mentality to play as a freshman. Because they all want to. They all think they're going to. But some kids come in and they can't seem to feel the speed of the game at this level. The offense feels fast. For whatever reason, we're going to have to see where he's at. I anticipate he makes a push for it, though.”

Ohio State had the 81st-best (or 48th-worst) passing attack in the country last year. New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day are tasked with improving that, but a healthy Grimes — who averaged more than 18 yards per reception in high school — would certainly help.

HOOAH

Nineteen Ohioans and all but one of Ohio State's 10 commits were recently nominated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. They are all in the running to be among the 100 officially selected to play in the all-star exhibition in San Antonio, Texas, in January 2018.

Notable nominees include, in alphabetical order:

• Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman
• Stockbridge, Georgia, four-star defensive end Brenton Cox
• Toledo St. John's four-star linebacker Dallas Gant
• Westerville South four-star running back Jaelen Gill
• Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller four-star defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins
• Franklin, Georgia, Heard County five-star quarterback Emory Jones
• Cincinnati Winton Woods four-star linebacker Christopher Oats
• Owasso, Oklahoma, four-star safety Josh Proctor
• Dayton Dunbar four-star wide receiver Joseph “JoJo” Scates
• Huber Heights Wayne four-star wide receiver L'Christian “Blue” Smith
• Cleveland Heights four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith
• Seffner, Florida, Armwood four-star running back Brian Snead
• Springfield four-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor
• Dayton Dunbar three-star running back Tavion Thomas
• Bradenton, Florida, IMG Academy five-star defensive tackle Taron Vincent
• Bellflower, California, St. John Bosco four-star safety Jaiden Woodbey
• Franklin, Tennessee, four-star offensive tackle Max Wray

Gill and Jones have already accepted their nominations, while Proctor and Woodbey have committed to play in the Under Armour All-America Game that same week. Nine Ohio State commits played in San Antonio last season, and it looks as if the Buckeyes are on their way to being well-represented in both games once again.

Round of applause for everyone that managed to party this weekend without driving drunk at 7 a.m. on Memorial Day. 

ICYMI:

• Francesca Di Lorenzo and Miho Kowase won the first women's doubles tennis championship over Alabama in three sets.
• Men's lacrosse lost to Maryland, 9-6, in the NCAA championship.
• Film Study: The proper quarterback throwing technique, as taught by Ohio State's staff.
• A way-too-early look at Oklahoma vs. Ohio State.
• Along with Oklahoma and Indiana, a look at other possible night games.
• Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.

Word of the Day: Distended.

 COMPLIMENTS TO THE BAKER. As fans, we sometimes get caught up in thinking one great campaign in Columbus = future Hall of Fame status. Hey, it happens. That's why we watch sports.

And I'm not tabbing Jerome Baker for a Canton bust. Though it wouldn't surprise me, I'm still as confident in Baker as anyone on the team (other than the GOAT, Demario McCall) in taking that next step in development.

Full disclosure: I have been in Baker's corner since he made 11W's former beat reporter, Kyle Rowland, drive to Cleveland for a ceremony that ended with Baker committing to Florida and fielding zero questions.

Still, the tape speaks for itself.

From landgrantholyland.com:

One way that offenses attempt to target undersized linebackers is by running the ball directly at them. It might seem counterproductive to run the ball at an elite defensive player, but smaller and more athletic defenders often make the bulk of their plays in pursuit when they can utilize their speed. Forcing those types of linebackers to play downhill and deal with lead blockers is one way to potentially neutralize their athleticism.

Jalyn Holmes’ walk-off sack against Wisconsin was great. You know what was also great? Baker knifing through the Badgers’ blockers to tackle Corey Clement for a loss a play earlier to force a fourth-and-goal from the five-yard line.

Baker made big plays like this all season. He’s stout enough to fill an A-gap and take on an ISO, but his ability to disrupt and finish any run to either side of the field is what makes him special.

The biggest thing with me for Baker is the staff didn't bring Booker back, and he's back to starting this year. My prediction is it will be fun watching his final season as Buckeye.

 COOL CAMPUS NOD TO HISTORY. Let historians tell it, and Ohio State did not always play in a 107,000-seat arena. According to them, the Buckeyes' football origins were of a much humbler nature. The local team we love to know today started at Ohio Field in 1898.

From humanity's paper of record, Wikipedia:

Ohio Field was a multipurpose stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It was built in 1898, dedicated in 1908, and served as the first on-campus home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team as well as the track and field team through the 1921 season. Initial seating capacity was approximately 500 until 1907, when a grandstand and bleachers were added. Another renovation in 1910 saw a second grandstand added, with amenities such as brick ticket booths and iron fences, boosting capacity to 14,000.[1]

[...]

After the opening of Ohio Stadium, Ohio Field was torn down. It was located on North High Street, between 17th and Woodruff Avenues. Presently, the space is occupied by Arps Hall, Ramseyer Hall and a parking garage.

Now it looks like Ohio State is throwing some north campus nods to the original home of the football team.

From the venerable Twitter account @UDHCMH:

Really pleased to see this park taking shape on the site of old Ohio Field, where Ohio State football was born. pic.twitter.com/q22lQRoLSS

— Univ Dist History (@UDHCMH) May 29, 2017

We all know Chic Harley, but people forget about ol' John Wilce.

Also, whoever thought of this idea should get a raise. That's top class all around.

 GRIMES FULLY OPERATIONAL. The rest of Ohio State's vaunted 2017 recruiting class arrives on campus next month. Five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes, who tore his ACL last season, says he's back to 100%

Better then ever! Back running Full speed again https://t.co/4ekYblshol

— GrimeTime (@Trevongrimes8) May 27, 2017

Obviously easier to tweet than make a cut across the middle against Chris Worley in practice, but it's good to see Grimes will be healthy from the jump. He's a freshman that could contribute this fall.

 THINK OF THE WEED WARRIORS. The Memorial Tournament is this weekend. I'm not a golf guy but I am always pro-Columbus propaganda, even if it is based in Dublin.

If you are watching those sweeping shots cut from a TV truck, please keep in mind the small regiment of volunteers and the ethnic cleansing they committed for those panoramic views.

From dispatch.com:

The lofty standard was constantly in the back of their minds as they led fellow Ohio State University Extension master gardeners in preparing the grounds around the clubhouse and front gates of Muirfield Village Golf Club for the influx this week of professional golfers and spectators.

“The reputation of Muirfield Village and the golf club kind of precedes me,” said Morrison, of Clinton Township. “It’s one of the best golf courses in the country; there are high expectations, and with high expectations comes a good product.”

For the past few months, as many as 50 volunteers from the Franklin County wing of the Master Gardener Program have had a hand in pruning, planting, mulching and weeding roughly 15 acres of the 220-acre club.

My Memorial dark horse: Jack Nicklaus, a local man.

 THOSE WMDs. Things that carried him... Alexander Graham Bell predicted life in 2017... MBA student risks his life to bust a kidney racket in New Delhi... A candy heir sneaked into pro hockey and made his name as a savage... Why aren't Jim Thorpe's Olympic records recognized?

Ohio State is in there; as of now, the Buckeyes sit at No. 2. LSU, Florida State and Michigan, too, all currently have top-10 classes. Clemson, the defending national champion, sits at No. 10.

It's only late May, so plenty can change, but there is one noticeable absence from the list: Alabama. In fact, you won't even find the Crimson Tide on the first page of the 2018 class rankings. 

That's because Alabama currently has the 63rd-ranked recruiting class for 2018, according to 247Sports' composite ratings. You read that correctly. Sandwiched in between Houston and East Carolina are Nick Saban's Crimson Tide at No. 63.

Now, we should probably make this clear: Alabama will not finish there. The Crimson Tide will finish inside the top-10 when it's all said and done. But will Saban and Co. win the recruiting national championship again? Even though we're nine months away from February of 2018, it's still a fair question to ask at this point. Alabama isn't used to being this far behind.

You have to go back to 2010 to find the last time the Crimson Tide did not take home the recruiting national championship. Alabama brought in the nation's No. 1 class every year since. Right now, however, with just two commits in the 2018 class currently in the fold for the Crimson Tide, that streak appears like it could be in jeopardy.

The biggest threat to take end Alabama's reign as recruiting champion might just be Urban Meyer and Ohio State. The Buckeyes are recruiting at an incredibly high level — and have been throughout Meyer's tenure — and 2018 looks like it could be the time they finally break through.

"If they're keeping score," Meyer said on National Signing Day in 2017, "then we'd like to win that thing."

Ohio State currently sits at No. 2 in the 2018 class rankings and trails only Miami. But the Buckeyes only have 10 commits at this point in time; the Hurricanes already have 18. Pound-for-pound, though, recruit-for-recruit, nobody is close to Ohio State. Eight of the Buckeyes' 10 commitments rank inside the top-100 nationally and nine rank inside the top-eight at their respective positions.

There is a ton of time between now and National Signing Day in 2018 — though some prospects will sign in December during college football's new early signing period— so Alabama will make a run at some point and shoot up the charts. The Tide is surely coming.

But there's no denying Alabama has plenty of ground to make up if it wants to retain its recruiting crown. If not, there will be a new king in the college football recruiting world.

It's quite possible that could be Meyer, the man who last topped Saban for that title.

More so every year, it feels like Ohio State is good at everything. It seems like there's always a Buckeye team or athlete competing for a title, breaking a record or turning heads in some fashion.

This athletic season was no different. Ohio state won national titles in synchronized swimming and men's volleyball, had runner-up finishes in wrestling, men's lacrosse, men's gymnastics and fencing, and made the semifinals in football as well as men and women's tennis.

All that is almost impossible to keep up with even for the most dedicated Buckeye fans (though, that is a good problem to have). For that reason, we're going to get out ahead of things for the 2017-18 athletic season. 

This season is not even completely over yet — Ohio State still has a few athletes competing in the NCAA track and field championships later this month — but we decided to take a way-too-early look at which Buckeye teams will compete for national titles this upcoming season.

Synchronized Swimming

If there's any team in Columbus that can be classified as a perennial powerhouse, it's the synchronized swimming team. The squad has won the national championship an astounding 30 times, which is far and away an Ohio State record across all sports.

It gets even more impressive, though. See, the synchro team has 30 national titles, but the program has only existed for 40 seasons, meaning the team wins national championships 75 percent of the time. To put that in perspective, the football team's all-time win percentage is .724. So, the synchronized swimming team wins national titles more consistently than the football team wins games.

The team won the 2017 title, which should surprise no one, and will look for the repeat in 2018. Based on past trends, it's hard to pick against them.

Football

As long as Urban Meyer is the head coach, the Buckeyes are going to be national title contenders and 2018 is no exception.

The Buckeyes will once again have to reload a bit after another NFL exodus that led to seven Buckeyes being drafted and three going in the first round, but the team returns a strong core from last season including one of the most decorated quarterbacks in program history and its entire defensive line, which looks to be the most talented in the country.

The hires of Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day should provide even more optimism. Meyer brought in the offensive mastermind and the quarterbacks guru to help mend the ailing Buckeye offense, particularly the passing game and with former NFL head coach Greg Schiano running the defense once again, hopes should be high in Columbus.

Plus, Meyer has a history of rebounding from a bowl loss with a national championship the next season.

Wrestling

The Ohio State wrestling team posted a runner-up finish last season without sending a single senior to the championships. That said, the Buckeyes are going to have a pretty loaded lineup next season.

Though the departure of Jose Rodriguez leaves a hole to be filled, Ohio State returns three national champions and five 2017 All-Americans — four of whom placed in the top three of their weight classes.

This is all without mentioning that they have literally the best wrestler in world on the active roster.

Ohio State will be good at wrestling next season.

Women's Basketball

If the Ohio State women's basketball team is ever going to make a run at a national title, it will be this upcoming season.

The Buckeyes will have a veteran-laden roster led by arguably the best player in program history during her senior season. And should they make it to the Final Four, they would play virtual home games as Columbus is the host city in 2018.

Ohio State did lose a good but of production following the season with the graduation of Shayla Cooper and the transfers of promising freshmen Tori McCoy and Kiara Lewis, but the team's core remains intact.

The Buckeyes will have the best combination of talent, depth and experience they've had since Kevin McGuff's arrival this upcoming season. They'll hope it leads them to a title in their home city.

Men's Gymnastics

The Ohio State men's gymnastics team posted a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships this season, the team's best finish since its second-place finish in 2005.

Five Buckeyes earned All-American honors with their performances at the championships — Sean Melton, Alex Yoder, Jake Dastrup, David Szarvas and Joey Bonanno — all of whom will be returning to the team next season.

In addition to the returners, Ohio State adds a pair of talented freshmen — Sean Neighbarger and Max Andryushchenko — who posted top-20 finishes at the Junior Olympic Nationals. Andryushchenko finished fifth in the all around while Neighbarger finished 17th.

This is not even a complete list. It's possible, if not likely that Ohio State teams will be in the thick of title races in more sports than even these.

The men's lacrosse team posted a runner-up finish this past season and has one of the best young players in the country in Tre Leclaire. The fencing team posted a runner-up finish this season — its 15th-straight top-5 finish.

It's possible both tennis teams and the men's volleyball team will have the top player in the country next season, though the rest of the rosters took a hit to graduation. And how could we forget the rowing team that became the first team in history to win three-straight NCAA rowing titles just two years ago?

Things are going pretty great in Buckeyeland, and there's no indication that's going to change any time soon.

Almost half of Ohio State's most recent recruiting class is already enrolled.

Ten of its 21 members — nine freshmen and junior college transfer cornerback Kendall Sheffield — began their Buckeye careers at spring practice in March and April. #Select17 finished as the No. 2 class in the country behind Alabama, though the average recruit rating of 94.47 ranked first.

National Signing Day didn't provide any surprises nearly four months ago, just the addition of tackle Thayer Munford. But each member of the 2017 recruiting class is now on Ohio State's official team roster, as listed on its athletics website. The 11 players who didn't participate in spring football are scheduled to move in this weekend to their new dormitories and begin their lives as college student-athletes.

Only Sheffield has had his black stripe removed so far, so the others have work to do to become "official" Buckeyes in the eyes of their coaches. But each one of them has a new number, which you can see below. Note: Kendall Sheffield and Amir Riep both have No. 10, which is bound to change considering they play the same position. Sophomore Demario McCall also said he is switching to No. 2 in the fall, which means a new number is coming for J.K. Dobbins.

Their social media profiles are added as well, so follow away:

Ohio State won't hit the turf at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, for four more months (plus another day) but before you allow that to seep into your pores and incite depression, think about how the five #takes below are bound to be incorrect upon completion of another college football season.

If all (or any, really) of them are correct, I'll try my darnedest to not be overly abrasive on Twitter as I tell you how right I was. The #wellactuallys when I'm wrong will be both superfluous and irritating but that is why the social media channel was created. Right?

Don't be shy to drop your own predictions on the personnel Urban Meyer and Ohio State are set to work with for the 2017 season below. Kickoff is 93 days away. Let's get through this together.

Johnnie Dixon Leads Ohio State in Receiving Yards, Catches 10 Touchdown Passes

Might as well come out blazing, right?

Johnnie Dixon hasn't played a full season of college football since he enrolled at Ohio State in January 2014. You know the issues with his knees and the surgeries that resulted. He caught one pass for 29 yards in the 2015 season opener at Virginia Tech, then had six more receptions for another 26 yards in six total games last year.

Meyer and wide receivers coach Zach Smith said Dixon would work out for two days, then have to sit and watch for two days because his knees wouldn't cooperate. He participated in everything this spring, however, and caught a pair of touchdowns in the Spring Game as the only player to eclipse 100 receiving yards in Scarlet's 38-31 victory.

That means nothing. But here we are making wild predictions about him blossoming into one of J.T. Barrett's go-to targets on the outside, or at least I am. Dixon's speed is his best asset, so if he can get behind some defenders and Barrett is able to have enough time and accuracy downfield to find him, anything is possible. He also must stay healthy, of course.

For perspective on how wild it would be to see Dixon — or someone else — catch 10 touchdown passes, that has only happened twice in Meyer's five-year tenure. Philly Brown did it in 2013 and Devin Smith scored 12 times the following year. But I'm buying Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day getting Ohio State's passing game back on track. Dixon will benefit.

A Member of the 2017 Recruiting Class Will Lead the Team in Interceptions

Ohio State intercepted 21 passes in 2016. Those players who picked off 16 of them are no longer with the program. Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley left as first-round NFL Draft picks and Rodjay Burns transferred to Louisville.

Damon Webb and Denzel Ward are the lone returning starters in the secondary, and the former is someone Greg Schiano and Meyer said established himself as the clear leader in the entire unit. Ward is clearly the best player and most experienced player at his position of cornerback but neither player has displayed remarkable ball skills in their first few years with the program.

Yes, Webb picked off Tommy Armstrong Jr. and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown in Ohio State's 62-3 shellacking of Nebraska last November. But the influx of high-level secondary talent from the 2017 recruiting class should not be ignored. Jeffrey Okudah, Shaun Wade, Marcus Williamson, Isaiah Pryor and junior college transfer Kendall Sheffield participated in spring practice and each of them showed the ability either in high school or elsewhere to make plays on the ball in a similar fashion as those players who just left.

No, this isn't me putting Okudah, Wade, Williamson, Pryor or Sheffield in the same category as Lattimore, Conley or Hooker. They could end their careers as first-round picks but that is a long way off considering they haven't played a down that matters at Ohio State yet.

I just think one of them — or Amir Riep, another corner who arrives this weekend — will intercept more passes than everyone else. Teams might avoid Ward because they know he is the top player at his position Ohio State has to offer. Webb doesn't have the range of Hooker (no one does). And Damon Arnette struggled some last season. I expect a jump from Arnette, but the potential of the freshmen and Sheffield is spectacular.

Wyatt Davis Supplants Demetrius Knox as Starting Right Guard

Greg Studrawa didn't speak to reporters throughout the duration of spring practice, so it is difficult to gauge the exact order of the names at right guard. Meyer said a combination of Demetrius Knox, Malcolm Pridgeon and Matthew Burrell rotated in with the first team at the spot. Knox took first snaps during the bits of practice the media got to see.

Davis is set to arrive from California this coming weekend, a 5-star prospect and No. 1 offensive guard in the country as determined by 247Sports. The Buckeyes started Michael Jordan, a 2016 signee, at left guard for 13 games last season. So while it isn't too wild to think Ohio State would pull the trigger if Davis is clearly the guy and can pick up on the playbook quickly enough, it would be pretty crazy if Meyer tapped a freshman for the second straight year.

Davis's film is excellent, he moves well for someone who is 6-foot-5 and more than 300 pounds and has the nickname "Wavy Dub." Sign me up.

Dante Booker Leads the Team in Tackles With More Than 100

In each of Meyer's first five seasons in Columbus, the Buckeyes have had at least one player push his tackle numbers into three digits. Raekwon McMillan and Joshua Perry both did it in 2015.

So while the second part of this prediction isn't that far-fetched, the player it involves is. Booker hasn't been able to play much so far in his career, first buried on the depth chart then because of a knee injury last season against Bowling Green that knocked him out the rest of the year. Jerome Baker's rapid rise in his place also caused Booker to stay on the sideline but with McMillan gone, that isn't the case anymore. Chris Worley moved to middle linebacker and Booker stepped back in on the outside this spring.

A tremendous looking athlete, Booker is long, fast, athletic, tenacious and just about everything else you want in a linebacker. I expect him to run all over the field this fall and eke out Worley and Baker for the tackling crown.

Blake Haubeil Wins the Starting Kicker Job

Sean Nuernberger is healthy and took all the starters reps at kicker this spring. But it is pretty clear that Meyer is looking for someone to really take charge at that position.

If we're being honest, placekicking has been kind of iffy since Meyer arrived ahead of the 2012 season. Walk-on Tyler Durbin looked solid in 2016 but faded fast in the end. I think Haubeil is the guy to change that tune for Ohio State, a consistent leg who can nail field goals from 40 yards and in. That is all Meyer wants.

Meyer all but said that if Haubeil (or someone else) is better than Das Boot in training camp, it is their job in 2017. As the No. 2 kicker in the country who apparently got even better this winter, Haubeil gets my vote even as a true freshman.

Ohio State football is still over three months away. This doesn't mean you can't invest in the local team, though, if you live in the land of the free.

Tuesday, South Point released a smattering of 2017 college football odds. Ohio State, an expected title contender (probably redundant in Year 6 of Urban Meyer), is favored in its three marquee match-ups by at least eight points.

From sbnation.com:

Some other Big Ten games of note:

Perhaps most notable: Michigan being 14-point underdogs at Beaver Stadium against a team it destroyed in 2016.

Either way, it should be another season of highs and lows for bettors and mostly highs for casinos and sportsbooks. 

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BACK AT IT AGAIN 

I'll let you in on a little secret.

In the wild world of recruiting, it's best to work ahead. Whether it's commitments, top lists or official visits, you don't want to get caught without at least the framework of a story done. Such was the case last night, when I was prepared to just plug in a few details into The Hurry Up about St. Louis, Missouri, Christian Brothers College four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb when he released his top schools at 7 p.m.

Ohio State has long been considered the leader in his recruitment, and it was only a matter of typing out the names of the eight other schools to make the cut.

The only issue... he meant 7 p.m. Central Time. Whoops.

Unfortunately — and fortunately, depending on how you look at it — I realized at 7 o'clock on the East Coast that his list wasn't dropping for another hour. A few quick edits and you got a little taste of where the Buckeyes stand with the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Babb.

A little refresher:

Babb is without a doubt Ohio State's top wide receiver target, but Michigan and Missouri loom large in his recruitment. He visited Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' Spring Game last month and the Tigers have the home-state pull on their side.

Babb plans to take an official visit this fall, which will mark his second trip to Columbus in a year. He isn't expected to announce his college intentions until the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January, however.

As expected, Babb — the seventh-best wide receiver and No. 41 prospect overall in the Class of 2018 — included Ohio State in his Top 9 alongside Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and USC.

Top 9@Hayesfawcett3pic.twitter.com/WzGcnPwT7H

— Kamryn Babb (@kamm_o) May 30, 2017

BATTLE FOR THE PIPELINE

Though Ohio State currently has three players on its roster from Detroit Cass Tech in running back Mike Weber, safety Damon Webb and offensive tackle Josh Alabi, the pipeline has not been flowing as well since Jim Harbaugh arrived at Michigan. It's understandable, too, considering the Technicians' head coach, Thomas Wilcher, played alongside Harbaugh in Ann Arbor in the mid-1980s.

The Buckeyes remained in the hunt for Cass Tech five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and four-star safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell in the 2017 recruiting cycle, but the home-state draw — and a little bit of Wilcher's influence — helped the Wolverines land two of their top targets earlier this year.

The two teams will undoubtedly go to battle again for four-star cornerback Kalon Gervin, so long Ohio State offers him a scholarship during a visit to the Buckeyes' one-day positional camp on June 17.

“I’m going to work out for coach [Kerry] Coombs,” Gervin told 247Sports.“Coach Coombs stopped at our school twice [this spring]. He’s excited to get me down there, excited to work me out.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Gervin is considered the 22nd-best cornerback and No. 190 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, as he recorded 23 tackles, 14 pass deflections and one interception to help the Technicians to the state championship last season. He committed to Notre Dame one week after the Fighting Irish offered him a scholarship in February, but reopened his recruitment earlier this month to explore his options.

Gervin has camped at Ohio State before, as he attended Friday Night Lights last July. But this trip, which he'll make with his mother, should give him more time with Coombs and head coach Urban Meyer. I fully expect an offer to be extended during the visit and for the Buckeyes to shoot to the top of Gervin's list as a result.

WE HARDLY KNEW YE

There was a point in time about two months ago when it seemed as if Butler, Pennsylvania, three-star offensive guard Jake Kradel would soon commit to Ohio State as a center. But following a subpar performance at Nike Football's The Opening Cleveland Regional in mid-April, the staff seemed to cool significantly on the 6-foot-4, 290-pounder.

Nevertheless, he forged ahead with a Top 7 of Maryland, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia earlier this month and set his college announcement for June 10 — just one day after he was set to attend the Buckeyes' one-day positional camp. But he then decided last week to throw away that commitment date in hopes of looking around at other schools, namely Iowa and Wisconsin... and that sound you hear is the window of opportunity to play for Ohio State closing.

This happens a lot. A prospect earns an offer and it seems like only a matter of time before he commits, but then time goes by and the two sides pull apart for various reasons. With IMG Academy four-star Verdis Brown's switch to center, the Buckeyes no longer looked at Kradel in the same way. And with that said, he may very well be on the verge of a commitment to Pittsburgh, a school he's extremely familiar with and visited this afternoon.

PITT IS IT!! #L1TS8URGH#H2P

— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) May 30, 2017

That is the Panthers' version of #BOOM, which — much like Penn State's #WeAre...Better — I find to be a little disrespectful and ruin most kids' announcements. But I digress...

The same thing occurred with New Jersey four-star athlete Iverson Clement earlier this year before he committed to Florida. He was on the verge of making the call during a visit in late January, but Ohio State only had room for one H-Back and Jaelen Gill was inevitably going to pledge his services to the Buckeyes.

HAS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE?

Rivals.com updated its rankings for the Class of 2018 on Tuesday afternoon, and a number of Ohio State commits were included among the Top 100 players nationally. The network last released its rankings in late February, and the Buckeyes — as you know well — have added seven pledges since.

#Rivals100: NEW & UPDATED!@RivalsMike spotlights the 3 new 5-Stars: https://t.co/UMpJVmiwbU
FULL RANKING: https://t.co/HeFkVcT8oApic.twitter.com/s41wYKpBDN

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) May 30, 2017

Dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones remains Ohio State's highest rated commit at No. 17 overall, while defensive tackle Taron Vincent joins him as the only other five-star pledge at No. 18. The rest of the rankings are as follows:

• No. 28 – Seffner, Florida, four-star running back Brian Snead
• No. 32 – Stockbridge, Georgia, four-star defensive end Brenton Cox
• No. 49 – Westerville South four-star running back Jaelen Gill
• No. 51 – Bellflower, California, St. John Bosco four-star safety Jaiden Woodbey

Cox was actually the biggest mover in the rankings, jumping all the way from No. 156 overall. Rivals.com Recruiting Director Mike Farrell called Cox “a very imposing figure at defensive end” who is “only going to get bigger and better over time.” This update also moved Cox to a five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, giving the Buckeyes a nation-high three five-star commits.

Woodbey also improved his stock with stellar performances on the 7-versus-7 circuit this spring, while Gill and Snead somehow dropped five spots apiece from the last update.

Other notable Ohio State targets include:

• No. 2 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida, American Heritage five-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr.
• No. 5 – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, five-star defensive end Micah Parsons
• No. 6 – Laurinburg, North Carolina, Scotland County five-star running back Zamir White
• No. 9 – Houston, Texas, Lamar five-star cornerback Anthony Cook
• No. 13 – Fairfield five-star offensive tackle Jackson Carman
• No. 31 – Huber Heights Wayne four-star wide receiver L'Christian “Blue” Smith
• No. 45 – Virginia Beach, Virginia, Bishop Sullivan four-star linebacker Teradja Mitchell
• No. 63 – American Heritage four-star cornerback Tyson Campbell
• No. 89 – St. Louis, Missouri, Christian Brothers College four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb

Today's Skull Session is dedicated to The Blind Assassin, the best novel I've read this year. If I ever write something a third as good, I'm retiring from sports to pursue a Patreon as a novelist.

Personal news: I signed another one-year contract with Eleven Warriors Worldwide LLC on Tuesday. I am celebrating by taking a week off next week to live as a hermit in the wilderness of Western Canada. If I return, you will be stuck with me through at least the 2017 local team campaign. Thank you.

ICYMI:

• Local team (-8) vs. Oklahoma, (-8.5) vs. Penn State, and (-8) vs. Michigan.
• New freshman jersey numbers and social media profiles.
• Five wild personnel predictions for 2017.
• Keeping track of Ohio State's satellite camp schedule.
• Is this the year someone (local team?) dethrones Alabama for a recruiting national championship?
• Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.

Word of the Day: Moll.

 START THE PLAYOFFS NOW, THEN. The regular season is a grand time. Few things in life can beat a fall Saturday in Columbus cracking cold ones with the boys in a parking lot before the local team butchers a sacrificial school from a state that's not ready to die over this shit like Ohio.

But if we had to skip it to ensure no injuries to start the playoffs on Aug. 31, it's a decision I would make if the field looks like betting odds say it will.

From sbnation.com:

Among the relevant 9.5 teams, Oklahoma and USC are given better odds of cracking 10 wins than Washington or Florida State is (the Huskies also have a weaker schedule, meaning 11-1 records by all four would likely mean UW ranking last in this group), and the Sooners have a slight odds edge (with no SOS worries for OU, thanks to Ohio State on the schedule, a likely improving Big 12, and a potential 13th game), with the Trojans slightly ahead of the Noles.

That'd mean your Playoff would be:

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 USC, Sugar Bowl
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma reeeematch, Rose Bowl

Don't let Oklahoma take a loss in September and January to Ohio State. If that happens, Oklahoma should be forced to donate 20% of its tax revenue to Ohio during the next fiscal year. Sooner fans would also be banned from trashing the Buckeyes until at least 2035.

What I like most about this bracket, though, is it clears the way to watch Alabama scrubbing Southern California again as well as a Nick Saban–Urban Meyer title fight. America deserves that fight. 

 THE SPOT WAS GOOD, TOO. So, remember that big double overtime win over that clown rodeo up north? Good times.

And what's great about following a century-old blood feud between two institutions of higher learning is savoring the different flavors of victory for the next 364 days.

Despite the loss to Clemson, we could be dealing with a much darker timeline. 

From footballscoop.com:

Michigan would have (most likely) beaten Wisconsin in the following week’s Big Ten Championship and advanced to face Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Maybe they blow past the Tigers and beat Alabama for the national title. Maybe they lose to Clemson worse than Ohio State did. Neither outcome is really the point, because, at this stage in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure in Ann Arbor, simply beating Ohio State, winning a Big Ten title and advancing to the College Football Playoff would have been a victory in and of itself. It would have been tangible proof that Harbaugh’s madness has a method to it, that all the noise he’s produced culminates into a melody.

Harbaugh would have put any pointed Brady Hoke comparisons to bed for good. (As it stands, Harbaugh is 20-6 through two seasons, 0-2 against Ohio State with one top-10 finish and a New Year’s Six bowl loss. Hoke was 19-7 with a win over [a significantly down] Ohio State, a top-10 finish and a New Year’s Six bowl win.)

But Michigan didn’t beat Ohio State, and cue the narrative.

But Michigan didn't beat Ohio State.

Cue the damn fight song and toss me a Loko. I'm not doing any work for the rest of the day (after I type the rest of this article).

 STAY TIPPIN' BUTCH. Few things better in the #business world than when your enemies fill powerful positions with incompetent men.

For example, many Tennessee Volunteers thought their blasphemous local team was back when they hired Butch Jones. Instead, he went 30-21 overall and 14-18 in the SEC in his first four years.

Apparently, it's the first part of winning a championship.

Butch Jones: The first element that goes into winning championships is contending to win championships and our program has done that. Hmm.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) May 30, 2017

My unsolicited advice to ol' Butchie: Win a divisional title before talking about national championships. Him talking championships is like me writing a financial advice column for millionaires.

 CAN'T WIN THEM ALL. Ohio State is fortunate to produce articulate and interesting football players that go into visible media careers after hanging up their cleats. 

Unfortunately, a local alumnus can't fill every media position. Which, by extension, leaves room for notorious undesirables like Desmond Howard, who re-upped with ESPN yesterday.

From espnmediazone.com:

ESPN has secured Desmond Howard – a longtime voice on College GameDay Built by The Home Depot – to a multiyear agreement to remain with the network. Howard has been a part of the seven-time Emmy-Award winning College GameDay – college football’s longest-running and most-celebrated Saturday morning pregame show – since joining ESPN in 2005. He is also a staple on ESPN’s daily, weekday news and information show – College Football Live, in addition to calling select mid-week games during the season. Howard will continue to play a large part on ESPN’s College Football Playoff programming.

“I am both excited and reflective as I embark upon my 13th season with ESPN,” said Howard. “When I transitioned from playing the game to talking about it for a living, I could not have landed on a better team than College GameDay, where I’ve been fortunate to learn from and grow with some of the very best in this industry.

All this means to me is he'll have another front row seat at Michigan taking a loss to end its regular season.

 TOUCHDOWN SEASON ALMOST OPEN. Big Ten coordinators thinking about defending Demario McCall, the greatest footballer in Ohio State history, should wake up at night covered in cold sweat like an alcoholic going through withdrawals.

From Demario McCall's Instagram:

How do you defend a man with that much swagger? The simple answer is you can't.

If any of us tried to wear that outfit, we'd be rightfully clowned until our families publicly repudiated us.

Yo @marion_ohio you'll enjoy this on another level pic.twitter.com/NLhQCGHG8n

— Zach Chambers (@zchambers8) May 31, 2017

Just give him the damn ball 30 times a game this fall, please.

 THOSE WMDs. 24 best bars in America... What life is like in prison for white collar criminals... On a sailor's life at sea... Millions of dollars of nuts are disappearing in California... Rolling with the lords of the craps table... Denis Johnson's ecstatic American voice.

When Bill Davis first saw Jerome Baker work out, he, like most people came away impressed.

“Jerome is a very talented young man,” Davis said early in spring practice.

You remember the plays Baker has made so far in his brief two-year Ohio State career. There was the one-handed interception during the spring game two years ago, the time he made Wilton Speight pay for an errant pass over the middle to keep the Buckeyes in The Game and the ball he snatched out of the air at Oklahoma and raced 68 yards untouched to the house.

The kid just makes plays. But it is his mentality that has Davis particularly intrigued about what he calls Baker's "huge upside."

“I think he’s got a big upside but again, he’s got a lot of work in front of him too. The potential is there but potential is a very dangerous word,” Davis said. “It’s got to be backed up by work and he’s working very hard right now so we’re excited about him.”

Baker's rapid rise from backup to household name last season came at the expense of Dante Booker, who hurt his knee in the opener against Bowling Green. Booker is in line to start opposite Baker at outside linebacker this fall with Chris Worley's move to the middle in place of Raekwon McMillan.

And while his name is already popping up on way-too-early 2018 NFL Draft boards as a true junior, along with fitting comparisons to Ryan Shazier, Baker said he still wakes up daily acting like his name isn't penciled in atop the depth chart.

“I still play, I'm not a starter or anything like that,” Baker said. “It's the same mindset to go hard, make everyone better and help our team win.

“I'm not [a starter]. I take it as a guy getting the job done. That's it.”

Davis spent 24 seasons as an NFL assistant coach before coming to Ohio State and working in quality control last season. He steps in for Luke Fickell to coach the linebackers, with a professional pedigree of working under names like Bill Cowher, Dick LeBeau, Wade Phillips and Dom Capers. He also has coached his fair share of Pro Bowlers at linebacker, like Darnell Dockett, Keith Brooking and D'Qwell Jackson.

Baker is an intriguing NFL prospect at linebacker, being that he is listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds. Not exactly the ideal size for a professional at the position, but his speed, ability to change direction and adoration for hitting combines to make him a rare blend of player.

“He’s a very knowledgeable football player. He’s got a high football IQ. You tell him once and he gets it, and he asks real deep questions about it,” Davis said. “I’m very encouraged with where Jerome can go and his athleticism. He’s got a lot of position versatility. I really think I can play him at any of the positions and he’d be fine.”

Ohio State likes to stay the SAM and WILL linebackers are interchangeable within its defense and Davis wants every player in his room to know all three spots. But some players are better fitted for certain spots and others make plays in space, like say a Darron Lee, Shazier or Baker. Booker might be able to do that too but we haven't seen enough of him yet to know for sure.

Baker's tape is impressive. There is a reason he was one of four members in the 2015 recruiting class to not redshirt on a loaded roster, even if he trolled all of us and originally committed to Florida as a Cleveland kid.

Now, that Cleveland kid's potential is through the roof and at an NFL level. Baker is taking it even a step further with Davis since he has himself convinced that he does not own a starting spot despite tallying 83 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, those two interceptions and a forced fumble in 2016.

“It's preparing us for the future,” Baker said of Davis's influence. “That's my goal — to play in the NFL. It's definitely preparing me and it's fun just to be a part of it.”

“Right now, the guy who performed like a starter [at safety] is Damon Webb,” Ohio State’s defensive coordinator said at the conclusion of spring practice. “He had his best stretch of football that I've ever seen in him.”

“I haven't seen that much, but from what I've seen, it was his best stretch of football.”

That’s certainly music to the ears of Ohio State fans.

Webb is one of two returning members to the Buckeyes’ secondary with any significant playing experience; cornerback Denzel Ward is the other. And Ohio State has its hands full even with those two back in the fold as it looks to replace Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Malik Hooker — three first-round NFL Draft picks — from last year’s back four.

An improved Webb would give the Buckeyes a nice lift in that regard.

“[Webb] has a look about him, a focus that I think this is going to be a huge summer for him,” Schiano said. “He's going to come back and have a great senior year.”

A former top-40 prospect in the 2014 recruiting class, Webb came to Ohio State with rather lofty expectations. A product of Cass Tech High School in Detroit, Webb was the first of three from the Michigan powerhouse to sign with the Buckeyes. Mike Weber and Josh Alabi joined him the following year.

He came to Columbus as a cornerback, but after spending his first two seasons working in Kerry Coombs’ meeting room as, primarily, a special teams contributor, Webb moved to safety prior to the 2016 season.

In his first season as a starter, Webb ranked fifth on Ohio State’s defense with 57 tackles. He had one interception, too, a 36-yard pick-six against Nebraska. However, Webb struggled, at times, more than the other Buckeyes’ defensive backs in pass coverage. According to CFB Film Room, Webb allowed 20 completions on 39 targets (51.2 percent) in 2016, far and away the highest percentage of the five secondary members who played significant snaps for Ohio State.

An improved Webb, however, would certainly help burden the losses of Conley, Hooker and Lattimore. The senior said he enjoyed the best spring of his career this year.

"I would say this is my best spring, just working on the stuff that Coach Schiano is talking about I need to enhance," Webb said. "I just thinking about learning the game more and the ins and outs of the defense and just being more of a leader for the young guys.”

During spring practice, Webb went as far as to say he was approaching things as if he wasn’t a starter. He will be, but that was the mentality he opted to take.

Ohio State’s other starting safety position, however, appeared as if it was still up for grabs at the conclusion of spring ball. Erick Smith and Jordan Fuller will continue to battle throughout fall camp and Schiano even hinted at the possibility of safety rotation— much like the Buckeyes do with their cornerbacks.

But if Ohio State is going to replicate the success it had as a secondary just one year ago, it is going to need Webb to take the leap in Year 2 as a starting safety.

“Well, I think he has a lot of experience now under his belt, so I think when you go through that first year with really playing the position, every snap, you have all that tape to go back and learn from,” Schiano said this spring. “You have the good experiences to expand upon and then you have the bad ones that you say, 'I've got to get that fixed; that hurt me.' He did an incredible job of studying himself and then he tried to take those things and implement them this spring and really worked hard.”

“He's also got that, ‘This is it.’ He's got one year left before he's done with his college career and you can see an increased urgency in everything he's doing.”