Welcome to the Skull Session.
Ohio State football players named their favorite video games this week:
Favorite Video game growing up
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 7, 2026
Comment yours pic.twitter.com/2jKv5t71hx
They didn't include Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, so I consider the list invalid.
Have a good Wednesday.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP. It’s been three years since Ohio State had an offseason without a quarterback competition.
Wait, no.
Has it been four years?
The last time Ohio State had a returning starter at quarterback was C.J. Stroud in 2022. The Buckeyes then had quarterback battles between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown in 2023, Will Howard and Brown in 2024, and Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz in 2025.
It’s been four years, confirmed.
Time flies.
Now that I’ve sorted that out — thanks for bearing with me — let’s look at what Ryan Day has seen from Sayin this offseason, as the quarterback’s development is a storyline that will likely fall by the wayside in a program that has 51 new players entering 2026.
“I think the first thing is just his command of the whole operation, understanding that he’s the guy in charge,” Day said. “We’re constantly looking for him to run the offense at a high level. And so the expectation is more than it was last year. Everything he did last year was for the first time. This year, we know what he can do. So he’s gotta take those next steps.”
Day sees several areas where Sayin can improve before September.
“We’ve talked about just the physicality of standing in the pocket, being able to escape and make plays with his feet when that’s appropriate,” Day said. “But he’s gotta be at his best on third down and in the red zone. And in two minutes. We know we’re gonna have to win games in the fourth quarter looking at our schedule, so we need him to be on his stuff when it comes to that.
“And when you’re young, typically what happens is we try to protect the young quarterback through running the ball, defense and all that. Well, he’s not young anymore, so now he’s gotta help some of those other guys around him and make everybody on the field better.”
If the “protected” version of Sayin is a 77% completion rate with 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions, I cannot wait to see him when Day and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith let him loose.
CONNOR IN THE CLUTCH. I know this storyline won’t fall by the wayside this offseason: Baylor transfer kicker Connor Hawkins is clutch… in practice.
When asked about Ohio State’s revamped special teams unit — featuring Hawkins, UCF transfer long snapper Dalton Riggs, new coordinator Robby Discher and returning punter Joey McGuire — Ryan Day said he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen through nine practices. Specifically, Hawkins’ ability to perform under pressure has stood out.
“We have two guys that we brought in, Dalton and Connor, both older guys, both have been through it before. Dalton is older than Connor, but both are pros in how they approach the game. When you get around them, you see how very serious they are,” Day said. “We’re trying to put those guys in situations almost every day — we did it again (Monday) — where we want to see those guys operate. Because the games are gonna come down to this, and we need to step up in a big way.
“Connor is somebody who’s been clutch. We’ve seen that before when he was at Baylor. So he has experience making game-winning kicks and big kicks. We know that’s gonna come up this season.”
Hawkins delivered a moment on Saturday, too. During Student Appreciation Day, he drilled a 30-plus-yard field goal while surrounded by hundreds of players, students and media members. Had he missed it, everyone inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center was running gassers to end practice.
Ohio State closed its Student Appreciation Day with a high-pressure kick for Connor Hawkins. He drilled it down the middle. pic.twitter.com/eASMkj2kRb
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) April 4, 2026
Now, it’s important to note that a kick on Student Appreciation Day pales in comparison to… sighs… a kick with a national championship game appearance or Big Ten title on the line. I’ll believe he’s truly clutch when he does it on Saturdays in the fall. Given Ohio State’s gauntlet of a 2026 schedule, he should have plenty of chances to prove it.
WORLD’S GREATEST PIPELINE. Arvell Reese was featured in the first episode of this year’s Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL. In a minute-long clip shared on social media, Reese reflected on what it meant to follow Buckeye greats like Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith and Marshon Lattimore through the Glenville-to-Ohio State pipeline.
Repping The Land, and honoring those who came before him. @arvxll is ready to become a household name @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/YVkuCko0ea
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) April 7, 2026
Sports Illustrated writer and Ohio State graduate Albert Breer summed it up perfectly: what Ted Ginn Sr. has done for inner-city Cleveland athletes is nothing short of incredible. Hopefully, that pipeline stays strong for years to come.
While we’re at it, thanks to Ginn Sr. for helping guide Cincere Johnson to Columbus. Now let’s see if he can give 2028 cornerback Jaylen Edwards a few well-timed nudges in the years to come.
WORLD’S SECOND-GREATEST PIPELINE. Another one of my favorite pipelines: Alabama to Ohio State.
Since Nick Saban’s unexpected retirement in 2024, the Buckeyes have landed six former Crimson Tide players: safety Caleb Downs, center Seth McLaughlin, quarterback Julian Sayin, defensive tackle James Smith, defensive end Qua Russaw and cornerback Cam Calhoun. You could argue it’s seven if you count Earl Little Jr., who stopped at Alabama before heading to Florida State.
The early returns?
Ridiculous.
Downs became a two-time unanimous All-American at Ohio State. McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy. Sayin was a Heisman finalist as a freshman.
This pipeline isn’t just good.
It’s really good.
But the real question: will it last?
Smith, Russaw and Little were three of the first six transfers to shed their black stripes this spring — an early sign they’re earning trust. Ryan Day has been vocal about all three, especially Little.
“James has flashed,” Day said on Monday. “The biggest thing (Larry Johnson) is challenging him with is being able to sustain a high level of play for a long period of time. Being disciplined in the defense. The plays will come to him. But you can see the talent. You can see how much he loves to play.”
“You’re seeing Qua Russaw really make an impact out there,” Day said on March 31. “He flashed a few times today. Made a couple of sacks on third down.”
And then there’s Little: “Plays fast, plays twitchy, communicates well. You know, did a great job in the weight room with Mick (Marotti). All of those things you could just see naturally as he went into the spring. You felt like this was gonna go well,” Day said on March 31. “Then you start to see his play on the field. First time we’re tackling and scrimmaging, he’s the first guy showing up, making tackles and making plays and just jumped off the screen right out of the gate.”
If this is what it sounds like after just a few months on campus, it’s fair to expect even more noise once preseason camp arrives.
NEW DUBCAST. Today's Eleven Dubcast welcomes back Kyle Jones to discuss the reaction some Ohio State fans have had to seeing a healthy presence of TEs at offensive spring practice and if the Buckeyes should make talent at the position a priority moving forward.
SONG OF THE DAY. "All Eyez on Me" - 2Pac.
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