Hello all.
As I pinch hit for today’s Skully, I feel like that guy from the Athletics nobody but baseball diehards have heard of who was designated to be one of the American League’s representatives for a three-swing home run derby tiebreaker to decide Tuesday’s All-Star game because Aaron Judge (Chase Brown) had travel plans.
This analogy… actually worked better than I thought it would. As Chase would say, let’s have a great Thursday, shall we?
UNDER THE RADAR. You can always set your watch to what kind of content will be produced by college football outlets in mid-July. Preseason predictions, watchlists, media days content and anonymous-sourced pieces where college coaches give their true thoughts on teams and players for the upcoming year.
Well, one piece that fits the final category was released on Wednesday, as 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz polled sources around the Big Ten to gather intel on 25 under-the-radar players to watch for the 2025 season.
Two Buckeyes were mentioned in the piece: Running back James Peoples and right tackle Austin Siereveld.
Here’s what the sources said on each player.
- On Peoples: “Compact, explosive runner with a thick lower body and has really good short area burst.”
- On Siereveld: “He's been looking like a dude this offseason.”
Peoples is on track to be OSU’s starting running back this season, or at the very least see significant carries. Siereveld has already been confirmed as a starter by Ryan Day, it’s just a matter of whether he’ll play right tackle or guard. Either way, like random not-named Big Ten sources, I too am bullish on big seasons for that duo.
FLY LIKE A JET. You thought we were going to feature just one anonymous source story? Oh no no no, not in these fine mid-July content desert streets. This time, we’re referencing ESPN’s piece on unnamed pro executives, coaches and scouts ranking the best receivers in the NFL, with a familiar name in the top 10.
Garrett Wilson just received gobs and gobs of hazard pay for having to play for the New York Jets and thrive despite being the victim of past dreadful quarterback performances, and it turns out the league agrees the former Buckeye standout is one of the best receivers in the world.
Wilson is ranked No. 10 on the list, with the former OSU pass catcher receiving plenty of praise for thriving in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Wilson makes his top-10 debut after three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, beating Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua and Brian Thomas Jr. for the final spot in this ranking.
On talent, he's unquestionably a top-10 player. The way he slithers in and out of routes with elite flexibility is Justin Jefferson lite.
"He's one of the best separators in the league," an AFC executive said.
On production, the argument is tougher. Some scouts wonder what's holding him back. While Wilson posted 101 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, Davante Adams had more targets than him (68 to 46) over the final six games. Adams' long-standing connection with QB Aaron Rodgers could have played a factor, but it was a shocking disparity for Wilson, who has No. 1 receiver qualities and was poised for a breakout season.
As one AFC executive noted, Wilson is a bit of a "freelancer" as a route runner, which was probably not ideal alongside Rodgers at this stage of the QB's career. An NFL receivers coach called it something different: Lack of detail in his routes.
"All over the map -- does his own thing on the field," an AFC scout said about Wilson. "Vast potential, [but he's] not close to what he could be."
But then there's this reality that speaks to his enormous upside -- and why he's in the top 10, fresh off a four-year, $130-million contract extension.
"He has produced in suboptimal circumstances," an NFL general manager said. "He would only grow in stature in another system more friendly to his skill set."
Former OSU wide receiver Terry McLaurin just missed making the top 10 and was an honorable mention in the piece.
Washington quarterbacks produced a 133.0 passer rating when targeting McLaurin last season. "Criminally underrated." -- NFL general manager
"Excellent route runner, very good hands and elite ball skills. Tremendous football makeup. He will really take off with that QB and offense." -- NFL personnel director
SO YOU'RE SAYIN HE'S RANKED WHERE? The Athletic underwent the daunting task of attempting to rank every single projected starting quarterback in college football this season, 1-136. To do so, authors Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales broke down the signal callers into seven tiers.
Julian Sayin, a five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class who could be in line to start for the Buckeyes this season, found himself at No. 32 in the quarterback rankings, at the very beginning of tier four, which The Athletic classifies as “some are young, unproven starters with high potential; others are veterans who have flashed great talent but hit performance or injury speed bumps somewhere along the way.”
Ohio State is breaking in a first-year play caller, Brian Hartline, and a quarterback who has thrown just 12 collegiate passes. Sayin has the pedigree as the top-rated quarterback recruit in the 2024 cycle. Additionally, Sayin will be surrounded by the best receiving group in the country. However, questions will remain until we see him in live action.
“There’s going to be growing pains any time a guy hasn’t played,” a Big Ten assistant coach said. “How does he handle the fishbowl of being the quarterback at Ohio State?”
MOM AND DAD ARE STILL FIGHTING. An alliance once existed between the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC. Long ago, they fought the SEC together, and one died, because well, the other two plundered its members in a state of total dysfunction. So there goes my revisionist Lord of the Rings reference.
Ahem. Well, a new alliance was created in the modern days of college football between the Big Ten and SEC as the biggest power brokers of the sport. While brief, they once presented the appearance of harmony and agreement on the format of yet another expanded College Football Playoff that nobody asked for. And then they came to honor the past failed, dysfunctional allegiance of conferences once the SEC retracted its support of Tony Pettiti’s preferred autobid model in favor of a five conference champions plus 11 at-large bids model.
The 5-11 format is a non-starter for the Big Ten, unless the SEC does the thing it’s talked about for what feels like a decade now and plays nine conference games instead of eight. And though Pettiti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey have been in frequent communication for the past few weeks, On3 reported Wednesday the B1G is remaining steadfast in its disdain for the preferred model of the other three Power Four conferences absent a change in scheduling, leading to a good old fashioned stalemate ahead of a Dec. 1 deadline to apply any changes to the CFP format for the 2026 season and beyond.
But what if… Mom and Dad fighting results in a net positive for the sport? Personally, I love the current 12-team model, especially with the changes to the seeding implemented. I roll my eyes at the field getting expanded to 16, but if neither of the sport’s power conferences can agree, 12 is exactly where we’re staying.
“We’re staying at 12 teams in 2026 unless something moves,” a source told On3.
If that’s the case… FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
SONG OF THE DAY. “Let Me Clear My Throat” - DJ Kool. Hey man, I opened with a baseball reference and this would certainly be my walk-up song if I were ever a major leaguer.
A HODGEPODGE OF LINKS. Barstool's Dave Portnoy reportedly could join Fox's Big Noon Kickoff ... Columbus Zoo cited by USDA for failed door that resulted in April lion attack, death ... Indian police find Russian woman and her 2 daughters living in an isolated forest cave ... Diego Pavia thinks Vanderbilt can win the national championship.
