Welcome to the Skull Session.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. is good at football.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 2, 2024
@PFF_College Highest Coverage Grade for returning DBs in 2024 @Jr2Maine pic.twitter.com/RsUGe9B4UN
Have a good Friday.
LOOKING AHEAD. On Thursday, Jordan Reid of ESPN released the Worldwide Leader’s first 2025 NFL mock draft. Of his 32 first-round predictions, Reid had three Ohio State players coming off the board, including cornerback Denzel Burke, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive end JT Tuimoloau. Here is where each of those Buckeyes landed and what Reid wrote about them:
No. 17 - Denzel Burke, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Tyson Campbell entering the final year of his contract and limited depth on the outside, there are a lot of questions about the long-term future at cornerback in Jacksonville. After a disappointing and injury-riddled 2022, Burke bounced back and returned to form as a junior last season. He can play in press man or off coverage, with the read-and-react skills to fit in any scheme. Burke had nine pass breakups in 2023, and if he puts up more good tape in 2024, he has first-round potential.
No. 21 - Emeka Egbuka, New York Jets
Mike Williams joined the Jets on a one-year deal, and they drafted Malachi Corley in Round 3, but they could keep pursuing playmakers beyond Garrett Wilson. With high expectations coming into last season, Egbuka battled a nagging ankle injury that led to surgery. But when healthy, he's a crafty and sharp route runner with enough burst to generate separation by overexaggerating body movements. Egbuka was limited to 41 catches and 515 receiving yards last season, but he's aiming to rebound in 2024.
No. 23 - JT Tuimoloau, Green Bay Packers
The cap number for Preston Smith jumps to $17.5 million in 2025, which means Green Bay might have to make a decision on him. The Packers have focused on adding young depth alongside him with Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare, and Tuimoloau could be next. Tuimoloau likely would have been an early-Day 2 selection had he come out this year. Fierce against the run, he routinely sets a firm edge, but his consistency as a pass-rusher can still improve.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic also revealed his first 2025 mock draft this week. He agreed with Reid that Burke would land with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Brugler sees different destinations for Egbuka and Tuimoloau.
For Egbuka — well, Brugler must have forgotten the Ohio State star exists. There are five first-round wide receivers in Brugler’s mock draft, but Egbuka is not one of them. Instead, Brugler has Travis Hunter (Colorado), Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Luther Burden III (Missouri), Isaiah Bond (Texas) and Deion Burks (Oklahoma) as his top prospects at the position.
That’s certainly a choice.
Brugler has Tuimoloau landing with the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 27 overall. The 6-foot-5, 269-pound Tuimoloau could contribute early and often in the Queen City, as the Bengals' current defensive ends, former Buckeye Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, both have contracts that expire following the 2025 season.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. This week, Billy Tucker of ESPN ranked the “most impactful newcomers for each top 25 team.” One current and one former Buckeye appeared on the list, including Alabama safety transfer Caleb Downs and Ohio State transfer wide receiver Julian Fleming. Here is where Tucker ranked Downs and Fleming and what he wrote about both transfers:
No. 2 - Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Why: How good is Downs? The former five-star became the first freshman in Alabama's storied history to lead the team in tackles (107), including 3.5 tackles for loss. He also added two interceptions, three passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Downs' impressive achievements also include being named the SEC Freshman of the Year and first-team All-SEC honors. The Buckeyes appear to have the pieces to make a championship run and it starts on defense, where they will have one of the better defenders in college football roaming the back end.
What to expect: The 6-foot, 203-pounder has elite range, top-level coverage skills and tackling ability. Downs should develop into one of the best college safeties in recent memory. Following a year of experience diagnosing SEC offenses, he should play more aggressively for Ohio State as a sophomore. His production should lead to one of the best Buckeyes defenses in head coach Ryan Day's tenure. Note that 1B for Ohio State's top newcomers is freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has dazzled this spring.
No. 8 - Julian Fleming, Penn State
Why: The former No. 1 player in the 2020 class, Fleming had 79 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns at Ohio State. His best season came in 2022, when he had 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns. He was at his best creating separation over the middle and utilizing his wide catch radius and long strides. Fleming certainly isn't a bust, but he hasn't been the high-impact player expected from the headliner of an entire class. In Fleming's defense, he had to battle some of college football's top receivers for targets in Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, all first-round draft selections. Still, the vertical separation speed never translated from high school to college, and he never found a rhythm due to injuries.
What to expect: Penn State is in dire need of receiver production. The group underperformed in 2023 and lost its top returners to the transfer portal in the offseason. Fleming will get a fresh start under the direction of new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Fleming should have the chance to compete for the No. 1 spot and become Drew Allar's go-to outside target.
Downs will be one of Ohio State’s best defenders next season, if not the best. I don’t think I need to convince anyone of that.
As for Fleming, I look forward to seeing the former Ohio State pass-catcher perform for Penn State next season. For whatever reason, Fleming never lived up to the expectations Buckeye Nation had for him as a top-five overall recruit in the 2020 class. However, with a fresh start in State College, the 6-foot-2, 209-pound receiver could thrive as Drew Allar’s WR1. I wish him the best of luck next year (except when the Nittany Lions host the Buckeyes in November).
LATHAN RANSOM, JUICE BRINGER. This week, Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom appeared on “Morning Juice” with Bobby Carpenter and Brandon Beam on 97.1 The Fan. In an over 18-minute interview, Ransom discussed several topics with Carpenter and Beam, including Game of Thrones and the Los Angeles Lakers.
That’s what you want to listen to and read about, yeah?
I’m jokin'. I’m jokin'.
Ransom did talk about that stuff, though.
He also talked about returning to Ohio State in 2024, recovering from a Lisfranc tear this offseason, the culture of BIA and the Buckeyes’ transfer portal additions of Davison Igbinosun (2023) and Caleb Downs (2024):
On suffering a Lisfranc tear last season, recovering from the injury
“That time was so hard for me. Honestly, I stayed away from the Woody as much as I could. I would go in there, do my training and leave because I was hurt (emotionally). I couldn’t be around my teammates. I couldn’t be around anybody. But as I have gone through these injuries, I have straightened my relationship with God. I looked in the mirror and said, ‘How can I be a part of ‘The Brotherhood’ and be a leader but stay away from the Woody? That’s selfish.’ After I had that realization, I got into the Woody as much as I could. I tried to find ways to impact the game without being able to play. I was trying to get around young dudes and teach them what I know. … Then, we got to the end of the season, and I had a big decision to make. I just felt that my legacy wasn’t finished here yet. There are still a lot of things I want to accomplish and a lot of goals I have. I made an easy decision to come back with my teammates for this last year.”
On Ohio State’s locker room morale entering 2024
“The locker room since I’ve been here has gotten better. Since I’ve been here, it’s changed dramatically. The team this year is the closest team I’ve been on since I’ve been at Ohio State. Speaking for the DBs, (we want to) leave a legacy. That’s all me and Denzel (Burke) want to do this year. We need to make sure that when we leave BIA has a standard. Every day that we get on the practice field, BIA has a standard. We have to execute that standard. If it’s not executed, it needs to be called out. Sometimes, looking back, it wasn’t always called out. I think that’s what we’ve done a great job of this year.
“And then, Coach (Jim) Knowles does a great job of making sure everything is called out. … I love Coach Knowles. I remember when he first got here, we had a whole defensive meeting. They’d show all the good plays and all the bad plays. When I first got here, if you had a bad play, only the DBs would see it. But now, you got the D-linemen laughing, the linebackers talking trash and stuff like that. It makes you want to go out there and execute at a higher level than before. Everything has a microscope on it. It definitely prepares you for the next level.”
On Davison Igbinosun and Caleb Downs
“You can ask anyone in the Woody, especially Coach Mick (Marotti), but IGB came in and changed our culture. The impact he’s had is unlike any player that I’ve seen come in as a transfer. … He is a trash talker. Me and IGB will go at it for a whole hour. The way he talks trash to the other team makes everyone (on our team) better. He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. I love the impact IGB has had on our room and the team. He’s been a perfect fit.
“With Caleb, he’s had such a great impact. He came in and didn’t expect anything. He came in and outworked everyone. That’s something I love. I’m a competitor, and seeing him work hard makes me want to work even harder. Him coming in was one of the best things for this team and also one of the best things for me. He is someone who has come in and continues to push me. I see his hunger, and it makes me hungrier.
“I think Coach Day and the whole recruiting staff did a great job bringing in two great transfers on the field and off the field.”
I appreciate Ransom’s honesty when discussing how hard it was for him to bounce back from his Lisfranc tear. Ransom – like all other players on Ohio State’s roster – pours his heart and soul into the game of football. I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it was for him to realize he could no longer perform for the Buckeyes and lead the team down the stretch. I am thrilled Ransom will return in 2024 and have the chance to accomplish individual and team goals. That man needs some Gold Pants!
As for Ransom’s other comments, I love how Ransom described BIA’s standard and how Knowles has installed a culture of accountability within Ohio State’s defense. Speaking of culture, Ransom said Igbinosun has impacted The Brotherhood more than any other player who has transferred to Ohio State over the past three years. That rocks. And with Downs, Ransom said the freshman All-American is one of the hardest workers in the Woody. No surprise there – the kid will be a top-10 pick in 2026. He’s that good!
WHAT’S UP? The Pittsburgh Steelers could do WHAT with Justin Fields?!
In an appearance on former Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward’s "Not Just Football" podcast, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren said the team’s special teams coordinator, Danny Smith, has discussed the potential for Fields to return kicks for Pittsburgh this season.
"Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields being back there," Warren said when asked if he would want to become a kickoff returner. "And we're like, 'Hold up, hold up...' We looked at him like, 'Justin Fields going to be back there?' You know, I don't know. I think it's cool."
#Steelers RB Jaylen Warren says their special teams coordinator discussed the possibility of having Justin Fields return kicks under the new kickoff rules.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 2, 2024
(via @NotJustFootball)pic.twitter.com/N4WGMwETxV
Smith’s idea comes weeks after the NFL approved a rule change to kickoff returns where only kickers and returners can move until the returner fields the ball. Given those circumstances, an athlete like Fields – who recorded 356 carries for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns across three seasons quarterbacking the Chicago Bears – could become a special teams weapon for the Steelers.
Emphasis on the word “could.”
This fall, Fields will back up Russell Wilson, a 35-year-old quarterback who has dealt with some bumps and bruises over the years. Do the Steelers really want to risk their QB2’s health while returning kicks, knowing at any moment he could be called upon to lead the offense?
I don’t think so.
Still, it’s fun to think about what Fields would look like in the role. With game-changing speed and impressive agility, I’m sure he’d be great.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Brain Stew” - Green Day.
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