Skull Session: ESPN Ranks Ohio State’s Transfer Class No. 5 Nationally, Mark Pantoni Shares How He Evolved From Pre-Med Student to College Football’s Second-Highest-Paid GM

Welcome to the Skull Session.

This year's NFL honors were all about the World Famous Ohio State Buckeyes.

MIKE VRABEL IS THE COACH OF THE YEARhttps://t.co/StdbSbGGmc pic.twitter.com/QqQnug9rNi
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 6, 2026

JSN IS THE OPOYhttps://t.co/mOqHlgcegr pic.twitter.com/ON9ay42jK6
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 6, 2026

Have a good Friday.

A TOP-FIVE TRANSFER CLASS. Ohio State finished with the Worldwide Leader’s No. 5 transfer class entering 2026. The Buckeyes ranked second among Big Ten teams, trailing only No. 3 Indiana. Here’s what ESPN’s Craig Haubert wrote about Ryan Day’s haul:

Ohio State fielded college football's most feared defense during the regular season, and its most prominent portal additions focused on reloading defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's group.

The Buckeyes hope they can coax a bit more production out of a pair of Alabama transfers: defensive lineman James Smith and outside linebacker Qua Russaw. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Smith has great size, active hands and the versatility to move around the defensive line, though his play didn't grade out as favorably in 2025 compared to 2024. Russaw is a one-time five-star prospect with some physical markers that jump on tape, but staying healthy and productive has been a struggle.

They'll also need to replace a major hole left by the departure of Caleb Downs. Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr. has some of the same rover-style tendencies that made Downs so impactful around the line of scrimmage, and don't be surprised if Duke transfer Terry Moore outperforms his portal pedigree if he can get healthy in 2026. He has tremendous closing speed and great instincts on the back end.

Four of Ohio State’s 2026 opponents ranked in ESPN’s top 25, including Indiana (No. 3), Texas (No. 4), Michigan (No. 9) and Oregon (No. 19). The Buckeyes will face the Longhorns (Sept. 12) and Hoosiers (Oct. 17) on the road and host the Ducks (Nov. 7) and Wolverines (Nov. 28) this fall.

I must credit Day and his staff for landing talented prospects out of the transfer portal this offseason.

I also must credit Eleven Warriors writer Andy Anders, who wrote earlier this offseason that patience would be a virtue for Ohio State’s transfer class. Remember when the Buckeyes had landed only a tight end from Ohio and a long snapper from UCF? The next 15 additions silenced any early anxiety – and then some – as Ohio State closed January with a top-five haul.

That’s pretty good… pretty, pretty, pretty good!

EARNING HIS STRIPES. Luke Fickell is holding himself accountable as Wisconsin’s head coach.

At his request, Fickell was not among the coaches who received a customary one-year contract extension from the school’s athletic board on Wednesday. In a statement to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh said Fickell asked not to be extended, choosing instead to earn it.

The former Ohio State defensive lineman and assistant coach received extensions in both 2023 and 2024, but after consecutive losing seasons and a 17–21 record across three years in Madison, Fickell opted against having one handed to him.

“I respect his request and determined that the current terms of Luke’s contract will be maintained,” McIntosh said in the statement. “Luke is completely focused on a successful 2026 campaign. There is no one more competitive than Luke, and he holds himself to the highest standards. He is committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of everyone connected to Wisconsin — his own, the team’s, the university’s, alumni, supporters, fans, and the entire state.”

McIntosh issued a vote of confidence in Fickell following the 2025 season despite a losing record and declining attendance at Camp Randall Stadium. The athletic director, who hired Fickell in 2022 and signed him to a seven-year contract, said Wisconsin would increase its investment in the program’s infrastructure, staff, and roster construction.

Wisconsin’s 2025 schedule was a gauntlet — much like Ohio State’s will be in 2026. The Badgers hosted Alabama in nonconference play and welcomed Iowa, Ohio State, Washington, and Illinois to Madison while traveling to Michigan, Oregon, and Indiana during Big Ten play.

The path is considerably easier in 2026. Wisconsin will open the season against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, then host Michigan State, USC, Rutgers, and Minnesota. Road games include trips to UCLA, Iowa, Maryland, and Purdue.

I’m not penciling Wisconsin into the College Football Playoff, but I do think Fickell can steer the Badgers back to respectability with a seven or eight-win season with a bowl berth — a result that would generate some much-needed optimism after 5-7 and 4-8 campaigns the past two years.

“I WAS JUST A SPONGE.” I learned something new about Mark Pantoni this week.

In an appearance on The Program with Woj — hosted by former ESPN NBA insider and current St. Bonaventure general manager Adrian Wojnarowski — Pantoni said he was a pre-med student at Florida before a passion for team-building led him into college football. He started at the very bottom with the Gators, handwriting 400 envelopes every morning at 6:30 a.m. for Urban Meyer’s staff.

“After the first couple of weeks, I’m like, ‘Man, I’m really turning down medical school to pick up this path,’” Pantoni said with a laugh. “But I was just a sponge, and I wanted to soak it all in. I didn’t play football, so I knew if I wanted an advantage, I had to learn as much as possible.”

Two decades later, Pantoni’s hard work has paid off — and then some. According to USA TODAY’s Front Office Salaries database, Pantoni is the second-highest-paid general manager in college football, trailing only North Carolina’s Michael Lombardi ($1.5 million). He earns $900,000 annually and can make up to $423,000 more in performance-based incentives.

In his interview with Wojnarowski, Pantoni shared what it’s like to be Ohio State’s GM in the NIL and revenue-sharing era, and it’s no walk in the park. Now in his 14th year with the Buckeyes, he explained how the role has evolved from managing VHS tapes and high school visits into a professional, NFL-style operation — negotiating with agents, managing a salary cap and overseeing personnel decisions.

It all made for a fascinating conversation. If you have time this weekend, it’s well worth a listen or watch.

WE GAVE 'EM A HELL OF A RUN. Here’s another video to check out if you have time this weekend: FOX posted a one-hour, 39-minute highlight compilation from Ohio State’s 2025 season. I loved the first hour and 24 minutes — but especially the stretch between 1:12 and 1:24. I think you’ll see what I mean.