Welcome to the Skull Session.
Terry McLaurin was back in Columbus on Monday.
Scary Terry in the building @TheTerry_25 pic.twitter.com/mNxHsx3p40
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 24, 2025
Have a good Tuesday.
THE BEST OF THE BEST. It’s almost the end of June. I can smell the fresh-printed Phil Steele 2025 College Football Preview magazine, set to hit shelves next week. While we still have to wait for Steele’s preseason All-American selections, we can look at who Athlon Sports has predicted will be the best college football players in America this fall, including Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate and Sonny Styles.
First Team
- Jeremiah Smith, Wide Receiver
- Caleb Downs, Safety
Second Team
- Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver
- Sonny Styles, Linebacker
These Buckeyes are solid preseason selections, but don’t be surprised if tight end Max Klare also plays like an All-American this year. The same goes, I think, for left tackle Ethan Onianwa, linebacker Arvell Reese and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr.
THE BEST OF THE BEST, PART 2. Over the weekend, ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid revealed their top-five prospects at each position for the 2026 NFL Draft. Four Buckeyes appeared in their rankings: Tate, Klare, Styles and Downs.
Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver
- Miller: No. 5 behind Clemson’s Antonio Williams, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Auburn’s Eric Singleton Jr. and Washington’s Denzel Boston
- Reid: No. 4 behind USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane, Tyson and Williams, ahead of Boston
Max Klare, Tight End
- Miller: No. 4 behind Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, Texas’ Jack Endries and Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, ahead of — old friend alert — Cincinnati’s Joe Royer
- Reid: No. 3 behind Sadiq and Stowers, ahead of Endries and Royer
Sonny Styles, Linebacker
- Miller: NR
- Reid: No. 5 behind Texas’ Anthony Hill Jr., Georgia’s CJ Allen, LSU’s Whit Weeks and Alabama’s Deontae Lawson
Caleb Downs, Safety
- Miller: No. 1 ahead of Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, USC’s Kamari Ramsey, Texas’ Michael Taaffe and Michigan’s Rod Moore
- Reid: No. 1 ahead of Ramsey, Thieneman, South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore and Utah’s Tao Johnson
Get those #DevelopedHere posts ready, Ohio State!
BOLD MOVE, COTTON. Before Alabama travels to Florida State for the 2025 season opener on Aug. 30, Seminoles quarterback Thomas Castellanos took shots at the Crimson Tide in an interview with On3’s Pete Nakos.
“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos said of the matchup. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I’ve played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama…”
So far, so good. Tame. Respectful.
“... They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
Woah! Woah! Woah!
Bold move, indeed.
NEW: Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos tells @PeteNakos_ he's dreamed of playing against Alabama
— On3 (@On3sports) June 23, 2025
"They don't have Nick Saban to save them. I just don't see them stopping me."https://t.co/emSKxktkB1 pic.twitter.com/MMz1I6a4OT
One-time Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien benched Castellanos at Boston College last season. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound quarterback started eight games for the 6-6 Eagles, completing 99 of 161 passes (61.5 percent) for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions while recording 93 carries for another 194 yards and one score.
What Castellanos lacks in statistics (though, I’ll admit, the touchdown-to-interception ratio is impressive), he doesn’t lack in confidence.
“I’m not just playing for Florida State. I’m playing for coaches who are fathers and who have homes and families here,” Castellanos said. “I’m trying to save jobs and win.”
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Florida State’s win total is 7.5 in 2025, one season after the Seminoles went 2-10 and two seasons after the Seminoles went 13-1 with a 63-6 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
We will see if Castellanos has what it takes to lead Florida State to victories over Alabama and the 11 other opponents on the team’s schedule. For now, Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell seems to have as much confidence in Castellanos as Castellanos has in himself.
“Our expectations are for him to be one of the best in the country,” Norvell told Warchant in May.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Nick Myers has taken a page from Ryan Day’s book, hiring an award-winning head coach as his offensive coordinator.
The Ohio State men’s lacrosse team announced Monday the addition of James Purpura to the coaching staff. He comes to Ohio State after five seasons at VMI, where his tenure culminated with leading the Keydets to their most successful season in 37 years.
“We’re excited to welcome James to the Buckeye family,” Myers said in a statement. “He has built a reputation for developing successful programs, and I know he’ll have an immediate impact on Buckeye Lacrosse both on and off the field.”
Excited to welcome @Coach_Purpura to the Buckeye Lacrosse family! #GoBucks | https://t.co/rNsTVIys1q pic.twitter.com/HFnEGzAeaH
— Ohio State Men's Lacrosse (@OhioStateMLAX) June 23, 2025
Purpura increased VMI’s win totals in each of his five seasons in Lexington, improving the Keydets from a one-win program in 2021 to a 10-win program in 2025. This past spring, VMI ranked No. 2 nationally in goals per game (14.64) and No. 3 in both extra-man offense (.541) and shooting percentage (.325).
“I want to thank Coach Myers and everyone at The Ohio State University for the opportunity to join the men’s lacrosse program,” Purpura said in a statement. “From our very first conversation, I became increasingly excited as he shared his vision for the future of Buckeye Lacrosse. I’m eager to get to Columbus, build strong relationships with our student-athletes and get to work.”
And I’m eager to see Myers’ decision pay off the same way it did for Day – with a national championship in year one!
SONG OF THE DAY. "And It's Gone" - CAAMP.
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