Welcome to the Skull Session.
Dan Hope and I will be at High Bank Distillery in Grandview this afternoon for Mash Madness.
Come say hello!
Have a good Friday.
THANK YOU, BRUCE. Bruce Thornton’s record-breaking college basketball career is over. And what a career it was — big, messy, gigantic, spectacular. What a thing he made of it all.
“Bruce is everything that’s right about college basketball,” Jake Diebler said Wednesday, before Ohio State’s 66-64 loss to TCU. “A young man who come to school, stayed during a coaching change, trusted a first-time head coach, and got a degree. Became part of a network that will take care of him for the rest of his life.
“And then he continued to get better each and every single year. I think development is a word that gets lost right now in our sport because you’re seeing the window for development be so small in many, many instances. He’s gotten better each and every year. It’s a testament to his hard work. But I think Bruce is everything right about college basketball. And he is a huge reason why we’re here. There’s no question about it.
“When you’re a first-time head coach, you’re looking around to say, ‘OK, who can help me establish the culture and the standard of this program?’ And he was the guy I turned to first. So our relationship will last long, long, long after his time at Ohio State. But he’s been a special player and an even better young man.”
During the Ohio State vs. TCU broadcast, CBS’ Tracy Wolson said Thornton is one of only 22 high-major college basketball players who have stayed at the same school for four years.
One of 22.
Thornton said after Ohio State’s Senior Day win over Indiana that he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m so proud of myself, at a high level, just being true to who I am,” he shared. “I could have been like everybody else, I could have left. I could have did a lot of different things. But me just staying true to my values and making things how I wanted them to be — you only get one life, you only get one decision playing in college, and I’m glad I’m a Buckeye for life.”
After Ohio State’s heartbreaking defeat, both Diebler and Thornton shared similar emotions.
“I love him,” Diebler said of Thornton after the game, per 10TV’s Adam King. “He’ll always be a part of our family…”
Diebler began to hold back tears.
“I think it’s not just him. It’s all those guys. Those guys bought into what we wanted to do, and we took an important step for our program. He was a huge — he was the reason for that.”
Thornton also became emotional reflecting on his Ohio State career.
“It didn’t go our way, and that’s alright. Life sometimes stuff don’t go your way,” Thornton said. “But I’m just appreciating the teammates, the coaching staff and Buckeye Nation for sticking with me for four years. I’m so appreciative for everything that happened in my life, man. It’s not the way I wanted to end it, but that’s just how it is sometimes.”
Later, he added: “It hits the heart at home. I feel like I did a lot for this program. The program did a lot for me. The memories, the relationships done a lot for me. Mostly me crying because you don’t get to share the locker room (anymore) with the guys you’ve been working with since June. I just told those guys I’m one call away. ‘You need anything from me, just call me and I’ll be here.’ I’m always a Buckeye for life.”
Yes, you are, Bruce.
One of the all-time greats.
Thank you for everything.
DEVELOPED HERE. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve included NFL draft #content in the Skull Session, so I want to feature Field Minister Yates’ latest top 50 prospects in the 2026 class — a list that had four (4!) Buckeyes in the top seven.
Yates launched his list with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, followed by Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 2 and Texas Tech outside linebacker David Bailey at No. 3. Then came the run of four straight Buckeyes: Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate.
No. 4 - Arvell Reese
One of the most distinctive defenders in the class, Reese is following a recent path for NFL stars: inside linebacker to edge rusher. He logged only 17 snaps rushing the passer in 2024, seeing that number boost to 97 in 2025. His range as an inside linebacker pops on the tape, while his explosiveness as a rusher really showed up in the first half of the 2025 season (6.5 sacks in the first eight games).
Reese still needs time to develop, relying more on athleticism than crafty pass-rush moves at this juncture. But that's an understandable reality given his lack of experience as a pass rusher. His upside is extremely enticing given how fluidly he moves at his size.
No. 5 - Sonny Styles
Though Styles' profile has risen to new heights after a combine performance for the ages (including a 43½-inch vertical jump), the former safety is much more than just an athletic dynamo. His game is also highlighted by forceful tackling, a quick trigger defending the run and natural coverage instincts.
Tackling was one of Styles' most improved traits in 2025. He had only two missed tackles compared to 17 in 2024. Styles brings pass-rush ability to the table too, recording six sacks in 2024. Positional value will be considered by every team on Styles, but the quick-study linebacker is one of the cleanest prospects in the class.
No. 6 - Caleb Downs
Downs spent one year at Alabama before two at Ohio State, holding massive roles as a tone-setter at both stops. He has solid size for the position, packing an extensive punch as a tackler and force player.
Downs was used in a litany of ways throughout his college career, as he has the versatility to patrol in the center of the field or function as a linebacker in the box against the run. His physicality at the point of attack stands out, as he has impressive power blended with a tenacious mentality. He picked off two passes in each of his three seasons, with strong ball skills and an opportunistic mindset.
No. 7 - Carnell Tate
To cap off this run of Ohio State players is Tate, who made the most of his opportunities in a jam-packed wide receiver room this past season. He set career highs in receiving yards per game (79.5), contested catches (10) and touchdowns (nine).
Tate has wiry strength and plays faster than his 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds. His superpowers are his hands (one drop in 2025 and 10¼-inch hands), disciplined route running and body control. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception this past season, with strong vertical tracking skills and catch strength on the sidelines. Tate also has versatility to play in a big slot role in the NFL.
Kayden McDonald was also comfortably in the top 50.
No. 34 - Kayden McDonald
The rugged McDonald blossomed in 2025, anchoring Ohio State's run defense in 14 games and 440 defensive snaps. He mostly lined up as a head-up nose tackle under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, overwhelming centers in the running game and consistently resetting the line of scrimmage. He also made life easier on second-level defenders by creating space.
McDonald showed a little bit of pass-rush juice this past season, logging 3.0 sacks, but his more important contributions will be his ability to change the shape of the interior of the pocket. He is scheme versatile and will appeal to teams looking to crack down on chunk runs allowed.
Four Buckeyes in the top seven and five in the top 50?
Someone send this to Ryan Day and Mark Pantoni immediately.
ONE OF A KIND. Need some weekend #content for your screen while your other screens play the NCAA Tournament, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Valspar Championship, or whatever else is on this weekend? May I recommend Ben Solak and Sonny Styles breaking down the Ohio State linebacker’s college film ahead of the NFL draft?
My favorite line in the video came around the eight-minute mark as Solak and Styles looked at a play Styles made against Purdue in 2025. Styles, the one-stack backer in Matt Patricia’s 5-1 Penny formation, stuffed a Boilermaker run by meeting the pulling right tackle in the gap. Solak asked Styles what was going through his mind in this moment.
“Go and try to make the tackle with (the right tackle’s) back,” Styles said.
Sonny has that dog in him.
There’s no other way to put it.
“NATTY BOY.” Quinshon Judkins took another victory lap over Notre Dame this week.
Judkins quote-posted an X post from The Buckeye Show (the Ohio State meme account, not 97.1 The Fan’s Brandon Beam) on Tuesday. Captioned “Happy St. Patrick’s Day,” the post featured Judkins shrugging off leprechaun-sized Notre Dame defenders during the 2024 national championship game.
Natty Boy https://t.co/tJuZfAT3wy
— Quinshon Judkins (@quinshon_) March 19, 2026
Fitting.
In his lone season at Ohio State, Judkins carried the ball 194 times for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns. He saved one of his best performances for last, too — 100 yards on just 11 carries with three total touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 34-23 win over the Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff final.
And if it wasn’t already clear, Judkins has no plans to let Notre Dame fans forget it anytime soon. I love him more for it. Well done, Q.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Gratitude" - Earth, Wind and Fire.
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