Skull Session: OSU Needs to Land More Defensive Stars in Recruiting, an Elementary Student's Dream Came True When He Met Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeff Okudah Can Return to Glory in 2023

By Chase Brown on April 12, 2023 at 5:00 am
Jim Knowles
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ohio State's spring game is this weekend.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's have a good Wednesday, shall we?

 THE FALL OFF? The Athletic's Ari Wasserman had a message for Ohio State fans: While the Buckeyes have been the hottest program in the country on the recruiting trail as of late, Ryan Day and his staff still have plenty of work to do until they can feel comfortable their class will measure up with Alabama and Georgia.

Wasserman explained that message on a recent episode of the Stars Matter podcast and claimed Ohio State has trended downward in recruiting in recent years:

Following four-star quarterback Air Noland's commitment over the weekend, a reader of The Athletic submitted a question for Wasserman's mailbag article: "Do you think maybe your statements of Ohio State trending downward were premature now?"

Wasserman's response: "No, I don't."

But, of course, Wasserman added more. With the commitments of four-star running back James Peoples, five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham and Noland last week, Ohio State has recruited well, Wasserman wrote, but he still contends that doesn't mean all is well with Day's program in Columbus.

Nobody ever questioned whether Ohio State would be able to recruit really well. My statements were about what direction the Buckeyes were trending, and those statements don’t all of a sudden stop being true because Ohio State got a few commitments. Things would be really, really bad if commitments like these stopped coming in for Ryan Day and his staff.

There’s no question, however, that things are headed in the wrong direction. Some of that has to do with Ohio State and some of that has to do with the teams the Buckeyes are focused on trying to beat. The Buckeyes have lost to Michigan two years in a row, and the Wolverines just came into Ohio for the first time in over a decade and landed a top-100 player.

But what’s really concerning — at least to me — is how Ohio State’s 2023 class stacked up against Alabama and Georgia. Last year, the Buckeyes’ class finished No. 5 overall and included seven top-100 players. Again, that’s very good when compared to the majority of the country. But only one of those players was a five-star prospect. Then when you look at the fact that Alabama signed nine — nine! — five-stars and Georgia signed five five-stars and 12 top-100 players, there’s a big gap between what the Buckeyes did and what the two major powers in the sport accomplished.

Ohio State is also coming off consecutive seasons in which it (somehow) hasn’t had a true defensive star. If you’re an Ohio State fan, look in the mirror and ask yourself this question: Are the Buckeyes’ recruiting efforts on the defensive side up to a national championship standard? The reality is that Ohio State has signed some top-level classes, but they have been buoyed by five-star wide receivers. That’s true again in 2024.

Oof.

I think he may have a point.

Since Day took over as head coach, Ohio State has possessed a top-five total offense and scoring offense each season, including the nation's top-ranked unit in 2019 and 2021. But defensively, the Buckeyes have fallen flat year after year – save for 2019 (that team was really good, wasn't it?) when Chase Young and Jeff Okudah were unanimous All-Americans – and repeatedly ranked outside the top 25 in total and scoring defense.

With Ohio State returning most of its defensive production from last season, adding depth with Davison Igbinosun and Ja'Had Carter, and the continued growth of young talents like Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks, the Buckeyes' defense is expected to take a step forward in 2023. But what happens when those players leave? Who will replace them?

The best defensive player Ohio State signed in 2023 was Jermaine Mathews, the No. 51 overall prospect and No. 6 cornerback in the class. I'm sure the Buckeyes will develop him into a fine player, but he wasn't covered as one of the next stars in college football, as in the players Ohio State used to land all the time. The Joey and Nick Bosas, the Youngs, the Okudahs, the Baron Brownings and, more recently, the JT Tuimoloaus and Jack Sawyers of the world.

Ohio State made a splash Tuesday when it landed the commitment of four-star Payton Pierce out of Texas, but the Buckeyes can't stop there.

Jim Knowles and Co. must keep returning to the diving board and go after five-star targets like KJ Bolden, Eddrick Houston, Kobe Black, Charles Lester, Dylan Stewart, Sammy Brown, Colin Simmons, Elijah Rushing, Justin Scott and Williams Nwaneri. Land a few of those players, and the Buckeyes will have as good a chance as any program to have one of the best defenses in college football for years to come.

 WELL, THAT'S COOL. A few weeks ago, Ohio State media visited the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to interview select coaches and players after a spring practice. As the players who were not set to participate in those interviews left the field, they were greeted by boys dressed to the nines in suits and ties.

Guys With Ties
Carrolton Elementary School third-grade student Kashton Jackson attended an Ohio State football spring practice as a reward for his work in the "Guys With Ties" program (Photo: The Carroll County Messenger).

I'll admit. I was a little confused when that happened. But as I searched for Skull Session topics on Tuesday, I found an article that clarified the matter. Those boys were part of an organization called “Guys With Ties,” a program started by Ohio State assistant Devin Jordan and others in 2016-17 with 35 elementary students in Northeast Ohio but is now present in 35 schools nationwide.

The Guys With Ties motto is “Look good, feel good, DO good.” Its members are third-grade boys who agreed to trade their recess and lunch to participate in a monthly luncheon where they dress for success in matching shirts and ties. The program's most recent luncheon occurred at Ohio State's practice on March 23.

A recent report from The Carroll County Messenger – a newspaper that covers events in Carrollton and other towns located southeast of Akron and Canton – detailed Carrollton Elementary School's Kashton Jackson and his visit to the Woody for practice.

Jackson was selected by his peers to represent the program at Ohio State after being the only Carrollton student who chose not to vote for himself. "He did what he felt was right and instead voted for one of his other peers," Thomas Clapper wrote for the Messenger.

At the practice, Jackson wrote a Thank You letter to Ryan Day for letting him and other members of Guys With Ties attend the event. He also wrote another letter for Marvin Harrison Jr., his favorite player on the Buckeyes, and provided Harrison with a Guys With Ties wristband that the star receiver immediately put on afterward.

That rocks.

Many moons ago, I included a photo of myself with David Lighty in the Skull Session. I was starstruck when that photo was taken, and I will probably remember that moment forever. No offense to Lighty, who had a tremendous career at Ohio State and has balled out overseas, but Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the best players in college football and has the potential to be one of the best NFL players when he reaches that point.

Every time Jackson watches Harrison play for the next 10-15 years, he will be able to reflect on the moment he met his idol, and he had that opportunity all because of a selfless act rooted in love and kindness for his peers. I think we could all learn a thing or two from that, don't you?

 A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION. Before the 2022 NFL season started, Jeff Okudah opened up about how ailments and injuries had affected him in his young career with the Lions, stunting his development and keeping him off the field with his teammates.

“I just had big hopes for that last year,” Okudah told Tim Twentyman of Lions.com. “It kind of felt like I was living a nightmare.”

Still, Okudah felt confident that 2022 would be his opportunity to remain healthy for the entire season and prove his worth to the Lions organization that drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick in 2020.

From Twentyman's article:

“They just gave me the confidence that the Achilles will be the least of your worries. It will be about getting back mentally, taking care of the rest of your body. For me, that was really reassuring going into the process,” Okudah said. “I feel like I’ve been hungry, like I haven’t ate in years. That hunger has just been inside of me since the injury. Really, even before the injury, so I’ve had that feeling, man, it’s about to be two years. Just that hunger. So, I’m ready to go out there and just play to the best of my ability.”

Okudah had his best year for the Lions this past season, appearing in 15 contests and collecting a career-high 73 tackles with seven pass deflections and an interception of former Ohio State teammate and current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields that he returned 20 yards for a touchdown.

So why would the Lions trade Okudah to the Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick?

I don't know, but money is always a safe answer. With Okudah about to enter the fourth year of his contract in 2023, Detroit would need to accept or decline the Ohio State product's fifth-year option by May 1. Given Okudah's injury history, the Lions decided to avoid that scenario altogether and move on.

In Atlanta, Okudah's best ability will be his availability. If he is in the lineup, he will make plays. And with A.J. Terrell locking down the opposite side of the field, Okudah doesn't need to live up to the expectations that previously existed in Detroit as a No. 3 overall pick. His path toward redemption becomes clear: Just play ball.

I think Okudah will have some fun with that.

 TEAM UP IN HOUSTON? Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt proposed an outcome for the 2023 NFL draft that I had not considered until I listened to his podcast this week: C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba both land in Houston and play for the Texans.

“So you can give my best wide receiver on the board to his college quarterback who’s going to be our rookie quarterback? Sign me up. Jaxon Smith-Njibga of Ohio State goes to Houston. I really liked this pick, pairing these guys up. They obviously have a great relationship. They’ve got great timing. You’re immediately getting a combination that’s going to gel quicker at a young age than most. And you’re getting a guy specifically that’s not just the teammate of C.J. Stroud, but he’s also a guy that I think is the best wide receiver in the draft. 

"I don’t care what he ran (in the 40-yard dash). I really don’t. If you’re hung up on what he ran in the 40, you’re thinking about the wrong things. This guy will lead the league in receptions at some point in his first three or four years. I think he has 75 catches as a rookie. I think if he’s got a great quarterback, which in this instance would be a rookie in C.J. Stroud, I don’t think he would get to the mark I’m about to say. But let’s say, for the sake of argument, Smith-Njigba goes to someplace with a veteran quarterback. I think you have 90 catches in his first year. He’s that good. He understands space. He’s got great hands. And when you talk to Garrett Wilson and when you talk to Chris Olave... even they admit that the best player on that offense two years ago was Jaxon Smith-Njigba."

I agree, Joel. Sign me up.

Would I love to see Stroud be the No. 1 overall pick of the Carolina Panthers? Of course, I would. But if the Panthers pick Bryce Young, which is a possibility if not the likelihood, Stroud will likely land in Houston. If that scenario plays out, the Texans would need to think long and hard about drafting JSN at No. 12 if he is available.

If Stroud and JSN can become anything close to what the Bengals have created with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase in Cincinnati, the Texans would have hit a home run in this year's draft. That's the kind of potential pairing the two Ohio State products has on the future of their franchise.

Will it happen? I'm not sure. But it's something Houston must consider when the draft arrives in 15 days on April 27.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Suit and Tie" by Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z.

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