Welcome to the Skull Session.
The Cotton Bowl is thrilled to welcome THE World Famous Ohio State Buckeyes to Arlington, Texas, next week.
We welcome @OhioStateFB to its third trip to the #GoodyearCottonBowl Classic!
— Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (@CottonBowlGame) December 20, 2023
The Buckeyes are undefeated in the Classic! #LikeNoOther | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2lrVz7pE3J
Let’s have a good Friday, shall we?
BEST IN THE B1G. With the No. 4-ranked class in college football behind Georgia, Alabama and Miami (FL), Ohio State paces the Big Ten with the conference’s best assortment of talent scheduled to arrive in 2024.
The Big Ten Team Recruiting Rankings heading into day two of the 2024 early signing period. https://t.co/IvUKbYOQ11 pic.twitter.com/Zw7Fwqs3Pf
— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 21, 2023
Here’s a deeper look at where all 18 Big Ten programs rank, according to 247Sports:
| SCHOOL | RANK | COMMITS | 5 STARS | 4 STARS | 3 STARS | AVG | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 4 | 21 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 92.92 | 288.81 |
| OREGON | 6 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 91.91 | 285.80 |
| PENN STATE | 14 | 25 | 0 | 17 | 8 | 90.63 | 265.46 |
| MICHIGAN | 15 | 27 | 0 | 18 | 9 | 90.22 | 261.14 |
| USC | 18 | 20 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 90.38 | 250.76 |
| NEBRASKA | 19 | 29 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 88.25 | 247.17 |
| WISCONSIN | 22 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 89.17 | 235.98 |
| PURDUE | 29 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 86.94 | 216.26 |
| IOWA | 33 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 87.92 | 213.76 |
| WASHINGTON | 36 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 88.82 | 211.31 |
| RUTGERS | 37 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 86.96 | 209.10 |
| MINNESOTA | 38 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 87.45 | 207.28 |
| MARYLAND | 39 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 86.64 | 204.68 |
| ILLINOIS | 43 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 86.78 | 199.96 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 47 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 86.60 | 197.38 |
| INDIANA | 59 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 85.86 | 183.81 |
| UCLA | 69 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 88.21 | 167.33 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 96 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 84.86 | 136.54 |
As for the top individual recruits headed to the Big Ten in 2024 – well, Ohio State leads the pack there, too.
| PLAYER | POS | HT/WT | RATING | STARS | NATL RANK | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEREMIAH SMITH | WR | 6-3/198 | 0.9994 | 5 | 1 | OHIO STATE |
| DYLAN RAIOLA | QB | 6-3/230 | 0.9965 | 5 | 7 | NEBRASKA |
| MYLAN GRAHAM | WR | 6-1/170 | 0.9903 | 5 | 23 | OHIO STATE |
| EDDRICK HOUSTON | DL | 6-3/265 | 0.9873 | 5 | 26 | OHIO STATE |
| AARON SCOTT | CB | 6-2/190 | 0.9845 | 5 | 34 | OHIO STATE |
| AIR NOLAND | QB | 6-2/195 | 0.9835 | 5 | 36 | OHIO STATE |
| ELIJAH RUSHING | DL | 6-6/251 | 0.9832 | 4 | 37 | OREGON |
| AYDIN BRELAND | DL | 6-5/290 | 0.9790 | 4 | 46 | OREGON |
| JEREMIAH MCCLELLAN | WR | 6-0/190 | 0.9766 | 4 | 49 | OREGON |
Is that good?
Yeah, that’s good.
O-H
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 21, 2023
#2THE4THE pic.twitter.com/yAMBCAWzqF
However, as we know, Big Ten championships (and national championships) aren’t won on Dec. 20. With the conference's best class in 2024 (and in 2023, 2022, 2021 and so on...), Ryan Day needs to maximize production out of their talented recruits and capture some trophies for Columbus.
Gold Pants.
The Stagg Championship Trophy.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.
Buckeye Nation needs some new hardware, Coach.
DEVIN BROWN, QB1. When Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal on Dec. 4, the assumption in Buckeye Nation was that McCord’s backup, Devin Brown, would start in the Cotton Bowl for Ohio State.
When Brown spoke with reporters at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Dec. 12 and named himself Ohio State’s QB1 – he said, and I quote, “I can’t believe my first start is gonna be in the Cotton Bowl.” The assumption in Buckeye Nation was that Brown received Ryan Day’s blessing to make such a claim.
When Day made an appearance on 97.1 The Fan’s “Morning Juice” on Dec. 14, he didn’t outright call Brown the starter – he said, and I quote, “This is a great opportunity for Devin to take over this team and run with it.” The assumption in Buckeye Nation was… well, I don’t know what it was.
But whatever assumptions remain, put them to the side.
Brown will be QB1 when Ohio State faces Missouri in Arlington, Texas. Day said so!
“The plan is to play Devin,” Day said. “If the situation comes up to get Lincoln (Kienholz) in the game, we would do that. But this is going to be Devin’s game to play.”
Day sees the Buckeyes’ postseason competition with the Tigers as an audition for Brown. If he performs well on Dec. 29, Brown could make himself the early frontrunner to start in 2024. However, he’ll still have to fend off Kienholz and Air Noland in the offseason.
“I think that competition is very healthy,” he explained. “I think Lincoln’s really been coming on. I’m excited to see Air get going here in the spring. But I’m fired up to see the way Devin has been practicing the last few weeks. It’s been great for him. Now that he’s healthy and his ankle’s feeling better, it’s kind of like, ‘OK. Take this thing and run.’ We’ll see how the next couple of weeks go and how he handles himself. … I’m excited that he’ll play in this game, and then (we’ll) go from there.”
And one can wonder, with the next portion of the quote I will share below, if Day lies awake at night wondering what could have been had he named Brown the starter in 2023 over McCord.
“Devin was real close going into the season,” Day said. “This will be an awesome opportunity for him to take it and run. I’m excited to see that. And again, I think the guys have seen what he’s been. The last couple of practices have been very good.”
But…
“Lincoln and Air, these are talented young men who want to get on the field,” the Ohio State head coach added.
With Brown’s mindset – you know, the “Rounders” tweets, wearing No. 33, his “Burn the Boats” post – I get the feeling Brown won’t be intimidated by the young guns.
No, in the Cotton Bowl, Brown will go out there and ball.
All year, I’ve always prepared like I was the starter. It’s different knowing you’ll get a lot more reps,” Brown said. “There’s nothing to look over my shoulder for or anything. I’ll just go out and have fun and play my game.”
MORROW EVANS, EVERYONE. While Ohio State signed 20 scholarship athletes in 2024, 247Sports showed the program had 21 commitments in the class. The Buckeyes’ extra commitment was walk-on Morrow Evans, the No. 2-ranked long snapper in America and future graduate of Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas.
A former teammate of current Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, Evans’ quick hands and motion, snap speed and punt coverage made him a desirable prospect for special teams coordinator Parker Fleming and the Buckeyes.
Evans committed to Ohio State on Aug. 12.
This week, Colin Gay of The Columbus Dispatch spoke with Evans and his parents about how he became a Buckeye.
Evans worked with Episcopal’s recruiting coordinator to see which schools needed a long snapper. The No. 2 long snapper in the 2024 class according to Rubio Long Snapping, he received a scholarship offer from Mississippi.
And while Ohio State was on Evans’ list, he didn't connect with the Buckeyes until the spring before his junior season.
Evans was just wrapping up a visit at Indiana when Ohio State program assistant Gunner Daniel reached out to invite him to a practice. Evans and his father rearranged their travel plans and headed to Columbus the next day, meeting Daniel and special teams coordinator Parker Fleming for the first time.
“That’s when I fell in love,” Evans said.
Evans returned for a specialists camp at Ohio State the summer before his senior year, working one-on-one with Fleming and Daniel, who Morrow Evans Sr. said challenged his son.
“I’m confident that the coaches were trying to push him and see when he would bend and break," Morrow Evans Sr. said. "The coaches were super supportive and very complimentary. You are there for that many hours, you know, it’s not just football. It’s building relationships. Morrow really enjoyed all of the coaches and getting to know them. That kind of started the familiarity of OK, this isn’t just a ‘Hi, good to see you. Bye.’ It was much more in-depth.”
Morrow Evans Jr. valued not just the relationships that were forming, but also what Ohio State could do to help him reach his ultimate goal.
“My dream is to go to the NFL,” he said. “And it was by far the best opportunity for me with just experience and being able to snap in front of big crowds.”
While walk-ons do not complete National Letters of Intent, Evans is still a member of Ohio State’s 2024 class – just like the Buckeyes’ scholarship additions. That said, Evans deserves some praise!
At Ohio State, Evans will accompany John Ferlmann, Max Lomonico and Collin Johnson as the Buckeyes’ long snappers. Ferlmann, a transfer from Arizona State ahead of the 2023 season, will be the lone scholarship player of the bunch. He is a redshirt sophomore, while Lomonico and Johnson are juniors. Evans could take the reins for the Buckeyes' special teams snapper as soon as 2026.
SIGNED: BRAYDON ALFORD. Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford had his hands full this week. First, he ensured four-star James Peoples and three-star Sam Williams-Dixon became Buckeyes. Then, he ensured his 18-year-old son, Braydon, became a Bulldog.
On Wednesday, Braydon Alford signed his National Letter of Intent to Butler University. He will compete in Indianapolis after four years at Dublin Jerome High School. Alford collected 90 receptions for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He also recorded 612 yards as a kick and punt returner.
Braydon Alford@AlfordBraydon
— Butler Football (@ButlerUFootball) December 20, 2023
Wide Receiver
Dublin Jerome HS (OH)#SIGNED#NSD24 #BUTLERWAY pic.twitter.com/HCr4M9ZvuX
Tony Alford shared excitement for his son on X (formerly Twitter).
Beyond proud of you Bray!! Go be great @AlfordBraydon https://t.co/7dIW01ksQa
— Coach Tony Alford (@CoachTonyAlford) December 21, 2023
What a cool moment for them.
Congratulations to Braydon.
Go be great, kid.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Dance The Night Away” - Van Halen.
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