Welcome to the Skull Session.
Question...
All first-round picks, all #DevelopedHere.https://t.co/8p8VM5m8Z4 pic.twitter.com/JmD1evM7ox
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 25, 2025
... is that good?
Have a good Friday.
NEW BEGINNINGS. Four Buckeyes had their lives changed forever on Thursday as Emeka Egbuka (No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Donovan Jackson (No. 24 to the Minnesota Vikings), Tyleik Williams (No. 28 to the Detroit Lions) and Josh Simmons (No. 32 to the Kansas City Chiefs) heard someone announce their names in Green Bay.
Emeka Egbuka's reaction to finding out he is a first-round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/8ppmTp45kr
— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025
Moment
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2025
#DevelopedHere x @buccaneers pic.twitter.com/sf4Ib0eJns
I'll be honest, as I always am, that hearing Egbuka, Jackson and Williams' names made me a little emotional. No, I don't hate Simmons – it's just that I have covered Ohio State football since 2021, the same year Egbuka, Jackson and Williams arrived in Columbus as freshmen. To see them develop and mature into leaders of men, both on and off the football field, has been an honor and a privilege.
I look forward to celebrating fellow 2021 arrivals TreVeyon Henderson, JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Gee Scott Jr., too. And, of course, the same will be true for Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Cody Simon, Lathan Ransom, Ty Hamilton, Seth McLaughlin and Josh Fryar!
TALE OF THE TAPE. Before the NFL draft, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner analyzed Will Howard's college football career at Kansas State and Ohio State.
In the video, which I found incredible, Warner commended Howard's improvements in decision-making, accuracy and overall command of the offense. He discussed Howard's ability to execute various passing concepts amid the quarterback's impressive performances in the College Football Playoff, where Howard completed 82 of 109 passes for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns, and only two interceptions, while leading Ohio State to a national championship.
However, Warner also pointed out areas where Howard can improve. He observed that Howard sometimes has issues with routine throws, suggesting that his mechanics can appear forced rather than fluid. This inconsistency raises questions about his natural passing ability, despite his evident talent and production.
Overall, Warner expressed optimism about Howard's potential at the professional level, emphasizing that while there are aspects to refine, Howard's upward trajectory and adaptability make him one of the draft's most intriguing prospects.
Basically, whoever drafts Howard will receive one of the steals of the draft.
That's basically what Warner said.
OK, that's what I've said.
But I think it's true!
TREVEYON'S PATH TO THE DRAFT. This week, The Courageous Athlete released a 30-minute documentary on TreVeyon Henderson and his path to the 2025 NFL draft.
The video follows Henderson's football career, as well as his life, from his childhood to his national championship season at Ohio State. It also allows Henderson to describe, in his own words, the adversities and hardships he faced to become one of college football's premier running backs.
Henderson collected 667 touches for 4,614 yards and 48 total touchdowns across four seasons and 47 appearances for the Buckeyes. As I have mentioned in previous Skull Sessions – and I still cannot believe this is real – Henderson never lost a fumble in his Ohio State career.
That's absurd.
Like, what?
Henderson seems destined for greatness in the NFL.
I, for one, cannot wait to see him reach it.
FINISH STRONG, BUCKEYES. Ohio State is in hot pursuit of the annual LEARFIELD Director’s Cup, which honors institutions for their success across all of their NCAA sports programs.
Stanford, the mortal enemy of Ohio State's artistic (synchronized) swimming team, ranks No. 1 with 904 total points through the fall and winter seasons. North Carolina ranks No. 2 with 896.75 points, while Ohio State ranks No. 3 with 794.75 points. Penn State (750) and Wisconsin (693.70) round out the top five schools.
As it stands, Ohio State has had 13 of its 36 sports programs compete in their respective NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff, both of which contribute points toward the athletic department's total through the fall and winter seasons:
Men's Sports
- Football: First (Left No Doubt)
- Soccer: Third
- Wrestling: Fifth
- Fencing: Sixth
- Gymnastics: Seventh
- Hockey: Ninth
- Swimming and Diving: 16th
Women's Sports
- Women's hockey: Second
- Fencing: Sixth
- Soccer: Ninth
- Swimming and Diving: 14th
- Basketball: 17th
- Gymnastics: 17th
- Cross Country: 32nd
The Big Ten leads all Division I conferences with nine schools in the top 25: Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, plus [REDACTED] (sixth), USC (seventh), Nebraska (eighth), Minnesota (15th), Oregon (18th) and Illinois (25th). Meanwhile, the SEC has eight schools, so I guess it just means more in the Big Ten.
SONG OF THE DAY. “What Makes a Man” – Ben Rector and Thomas Rhett.
CUT TO THE CHASE. April showers bring cross-country dust instead of flowers to New England via "dirty rain"... Kings serenaded by another national anthem by harmonica chorus from Koreatown senior citizen center... Contestants haul heavy sacks of coal in unusual Yorkshire tradition... Endangered Galapagos tortoise babies debut in Philadelphia; zoo needs help picking names... After nearly 50 years cooped up inside, Rockalina the turtle finds the great outdoors.
