Welcome to the Skull Session.
One more sleep until the spring game.
Be a part of the Spring Game & greet the Reigning Champs during the Buckeye Walk
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 9, 2025
https://t.co/HIExibBU1C pic.twitter.com/WLfFbVhtHj
And one more sleep until we see these championship rings!
time in Columbus
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 10, 2025
Rings will be revealed Saturday, April 12 at the Spring Game
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Have a good Friday.
THE BEST QUARTERBACK IN THIS CLASS. ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill wrote an almost 4,000-word feature on Will Howard this week. In it, Howard called himself “the best quarterback in this class,” referring to the crop of 2025 NFL draft signal callers that also includes Cam Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Quinn Ewers (Texas) and several others.
I read that and said, “Heck yeah.”
Below, I included some of the best quotes from Merrill’s article. Those quotes come from numerous sources, including Howard, Kansas State coach Chris Klieman, former Nebraska and Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez, Ryan Day and Seth McLaughlin.
Will Howard, reflecting on his performance at the NFL combine
"I believe I'm the best quarterback in this class," the 23-year-old told ESPN. "I think there's unbelievable talent. But if you're going to be a competitor, at the end of the day, you have to have that belief in yourself, and I think that's what helps me get through those adverse times. … S— happens. You've got to be able to deal with it, and it's the mentally tough people that are able to overcome those things. I think in my career I've just had to do that over and over again, and I've realized it's a never-ending cycle."
Chris Klieman, reflecting on Howard’s time at Kansas State
"Will always has an air about him that's confident," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "That's one thing I always enjoyed — even if he had a nervousness or anxiety to something, man, he didn't let it show. I think our players, especially our older kids, really appreciated that this kid's got confidence coming into the huddle with a bunch of fifth-year guys and saying, 'All right, we're going to go down and score.'
"That's what I think sets him apart right now from a lot of people is the confidence and the belief that kid has in himself because of the adversity that he faced. There were some games he didn't play very well as a true freshman. Makes sense; he hadn't had the reps. But I know he learned so much from it."
Adrian Martinez, reflecting on his relationship with Howard during their quarterback battle
"It never seemed like he held a grudge against me," Martinez said. "It never seemed like he felt bitter about that situation, which I think would have been very easy to do. ... It's one of those interesting dynamics where you go from being very competitive and splitting reps to all of a sudden someone is the starter and you have to do everything you can to support that guy. And I felt that support from Will. We would study tape together. We had each other's backs. It felt like we were brothers, you know? And I still feel that way about Will. I think he's an amazing teammate."
Ryan Day, reflecting on his first impression of Howard
"The minute you meet him," Day said, "you just recognize that one, he's got an infectious personality. I mean, he can lead people, and that was important. Then we started talking football. He's bright. He could recall plays; he could verbalize what he had done in games. It was like talking to an NFL player. By the time I got done with that conversation, that won me over more than anything."
Seth McLaughlin, reflecting on Howard bouncing back from his interception against Penn State
"That pick (on the opening drive) never affected him, especially in that emotional environment," McLaughlin said. "That was kind of the moment it clicked for me. I'm like, 'Holy crap, this guy's special.'"
Holy crap, this guy’s special.
Yeah, I thought that about Howard a time or two (or three, or four).
One of those times was when he completed 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns while running for another 57 yards and leading Ohio State to a national championship game win over Notre Dame. Another was his performance in the Cotton Bowl, the Rose Bowl and, of course, the Buckeyes’ dominant win over Tennessee in the College Football Playoff first round.
Will Howard is a gamer… a baller… a playmaker… a shot caller!
“IT’S AWESOME.” On March 10, former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields signed a two-year deal worth $40 million with the New York Jets, where he will reunite with three former Buckeyes: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, tight end Jeremy Ruckert and center Josh Myers.
After a month with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets, Fields described how it’s been reconnecting with Wilson, Ruckert and Myers.
QB @justnfields on being reunited with @OhioStateFB teammate @GarrettWilson_V: pic.twitter.com/GQi6sXZE3T
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 9, 2025
“It’s awesome. Of course, we played together in college. When I saw him, it was really just like the old days. I don’t think our relationship skipped a beat,” Fields said. “I’m definitely excited to play with him, guys like Ruck and Josh Myers. I’m excited for that and things we can do together to get each other better, get back on the same page as we were in college and communicate, make sure we’re always on the same page when it comes to concepts and routes and what he’s doing in certain situations. But, yeah, I’m definitely excited to be back on the field with him, for sure.”
In his first four NFL seasons, Fields completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 7,780 yards and 45 touchdowns while also running for 2,509 yards and 19 scores on 418 carries. I would love to see those numbers… take off… in the Big Apple – Jets… take off… get it? – where Wilson has had three 1,000-yard seasons and collected a total of 279 receptions, 3,249 yards and 14 touchdowns before entering his fourth year in the league.
“THIS DREAM WAS TAKEN FROM ME.” The teenager who shot Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso during an attempted carjacking will spend at least the next decade in prison.
Elijah Lee, now 18, pleaded guilty in February to felonious assault with a firearm against Sasso. On Thursday, Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Stephen McIntosh sentenced him to 10 to 14 ½ years in prison.
Before McIntosh sentenced Lee, Sasso described his recovery for the judge and a handful of supporters gathered in the courtroom. He called the process one of the most difficult he’s experienced, describing how the incident derailed his wrestling career.
“I went from that physical therapy room with 70 and 80-year-olds recovering from a broken hip. That was a humbling experience,” he said. “A lifetime dedicated to my sport, my craft, dedicated to becoming an NCAA champion. This last chance of mine to accomplish this dream was taken from me.”
Sasso said he’s grateful for the support he received following the shooting. He described it as a kind of love he’d never felt before.
“I’m here today to just put this behind me and move forward with my life,” Sasso said.
Lee apologized to Sasso through a statement his attorney read aloud in the courtroom. Lee was 16 at the time he shot Sasso and was initially charged as a juvenile. After a series of hearings in Franklin County Juvenile Court, Judge Monica Hawkins ordered Lee to be tried as an adult.
“I wish the best for Mr. Lee, and truthfully, I hope that everything with him works out,” Sasso said.
Sasso’s final quote moved me. C.S. Lewis once said, “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.” To forgive that act? Even more, to forgive the person who committed that act? That required more strength than Sasso’s four All-American accolades, two Big Ten championships and two NCAA runner-ups. I applaud Sasso for his character and hope he continues to live in the freedom his forgiveness granted him on Thursday.
THE GOLDEN BEAR… AND THE KID? The Masters kicked off on Thursday. As is tradition, former Ohio State golfer Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson struck the opening tee shot at a brisk Augusta National Golf Club just after the sun rose.
Look at Nicklaus! At 85 years old, he’s still sending shots down the middle. That’s impressive! (I also loved that he added a comedic touch to his tee shot. The “Maybe!” when Fred Ridley told him the tee was his.)
You know what else is impressive?
MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is at the Masters this week, not as a patron but as a photographer.
Yes, that’s correct. Griffey has reached the pinnacle of sports in a new profession, having photographed the MLB season opener in Japan and now photographing golf’s most prestigious tournament.
On Thursday, Griffey appeared on the Masters YouTube channel to talk about his second career. The former Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds star shared that he got into photography because of his daughter, Taryn.
“It was actually the only way I could see my kids. I was still playing, and I understand what my dad felt like coming to watch me play,” Griffey said. “But now with social media, it’s a little different. ‘Oh, Ken’s here.’ Actually, my daughter literally stopped dribbling a basketball and just looked at me (because I wasn’t watching her play). I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to pay more attention to what’s going on.”
He continued: “I figured nobody’s messing with the photographer. Let me pick it up. Let me try it. And I got a couple of photographer friends who sent me a couple of cameras and lenses and said ‘Here you go’ and didn’t tell me anything about it, just don’t put it on auto.”
Click here to see some of the photos Griffey has taken over the years. I can’t wait to see some of his shots from the Masters!
SONG OF THE DAY. "WASH2" - Jon Bellion.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Justin Fields says his confidence has never wavered, used Steelers benching to change his perspective... Authorities say a babysitter checked under the bed for monsters – and found someone... Tennessee & Nico Iamaleava are in active contract negotiations... The great Torpedo-bat panic... The Magic of the Masters... What happened to Rory McIlroy today? The same thing that always happens at the Masters.
