Welcome to the Skull Session.
Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.
Familiar faces in the 614 today
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 24, 2026
#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/XGX4JyC4a4
Have a good Wednesday.
ALEXA, PLAY “AT LAST.” The 2025 Buckeyes received their Gold Pants on Tuesday, and man, oh man, did I love to see it.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 24, 2026
https://t.co/P6F3uhxAV8 pic.twitter.com/sQX2pZzCzc
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 24, 2026
It had been six years since an Ohio State coach or player received Gold Pants. That’s six years too many. Time to get another pair, and another pair, and another pair — until the world runs out of gold!
“I’M FOCUSED THIS YEAR.” Brandon Inniss was motivated to be an Iron Buckeye this offseason. Extra motivated.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Inniss said he worked hard to earn top honors for his performance in winter workouts. He also declined a vacation on the Silversea Silver Ray to ensure he received the accolade.
“There’s a rule that if you’re going on the Buckeye Cruise, you can’t be an Iron Buckeye,” Inniss said. “I was solely focused on being an Iron Buckeye and being one of the hardest workers on the team. I’m glad that I was able to hit that goal.”
Why would Inniss pass on an all-expenses-paid trip to Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Barts, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to participate in grueling workouts with strength coach Mick Marotti?
Because that’s what captains do, especially for a team with 51 new players.
“A captain last year doesn’t mean anything to the new guys, honestly,” Inniss said. “I wanted them to know how hard I work and that comes with being an Iron Buckeye. They know the Iron Buckeyes are the hardest workers in the facility.”
Inniss did it for his teammates. He also did it for himself.
“I’m focused this year. I got one year left, and Imma do everything I can to be a first-round pick,” the senior wide receiver said.
Inniss knows that means becoming a more explosive player before and after the catch.
“I need to be more explosive. I need to have all the production I can,” Inniss said. “When I have the ball in my hands, I got to catch everything, I got to create a lot of separation and be dominant on the perimeter.”
This will be the second time I quote Remember The Titans this week, but it’s necessary (also, is it even possible to quote an iconic film too much?): Attitude reflects leadership, captain. When a team’s leaders are also its hardest workers, that’s a beautiful thing, and I hope Inniss’ hard work continues to pay off.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY… MONEY! Brandon Inniss could join Jeremiah Smith in extending Ohio State’s streak of first-round wide receiver selections to six consecutive years.
The run started with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave in 2022 and continued with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024 and Emeka Egbuka in 2025. Carnell Tate is poised to make it five straight in 2026.
Wherever Inniss ultimately lands, he and Smith will enter a fraternity of former Buckeyes who are cashing in at the next level.
After Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a record-breaking four-year, $168.6 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks — making him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history — the total value of current contracts for former Ohio State wideouts has surged to nearly half a billion dollars:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: $168.6 million
- Garrett Wilson: $130 million
- Terry McLaurin: $97 million
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: $35.4 million
- Chris Olave: $19.3 million
- Emeka Egbuka: $18.2 million
- Total: $468.5 million
If you want to stretch the definition and include Ohio State-turned-Alabama star Jameson Williams (I don’t, but some will), his $83 million deal pushes that figure to $551.5 million.
As wild as it sounds, it’s not unreasonable to think former Ohio State wide receivers could surpass $1 billion in combined earnings within the next four to five years.
$1 billion.
With a B.
Yeah, Ohio State is Wide Receiver U.
CARSON HINZMAN, THE COMEDIAN. When Carson Hinzman completes his fifth season at Ohio State in 2026, I hope he has a long career ahead of him in the NFL. When that career ends, I hope he tries stand-up comedy because he’s hilarious.
Here’s a compilation of all the jokes Hinzman made during his Tuesday press conference:
Carson Hinzman may have a future in stand-up comedy pic.twitter.com/GLxQne7xCq
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) March 24, 2026
People tell me I should be a stand-up comedian.
I tell them I prefer to sit.
I’ll be here all week, folks.
NEW DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast brings on Kyle Jones to discuss the criticism that former Ohio State basketball player-turned sports media personality Mark Titus levied at Buckeye fans after the team's exit from March Madness last week.
SONG OF THE DAY. "At Last" - Etta James.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Trevor Brown named Ohio State's interim executive vice president and provost... Hubert Davis will not return as North Carolina’s head coach... Longest line at Philly airport? Cheesesteaks, not security... Green fireball captured on dashcam video as a meteor streaks across the Pacific Northwest sky.
