Welcome to the Skull Session.
Look, it's cool that fans can attend an Ohio State football practice, but $48?! For a practice?!
Ohio State is selling tickets to its first three practices of preseason camp, with tickets starting at $48.https://t.co/rqRJRLdOEr pic.twitter.com/lqcuhAAyYt
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) June 9, 2026
That's a littleeeeee steep, don't ya think?
Have a good Friday.
ONE OF THE TITANS. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a Seahawk, but he's also a Titan.
This week, TIME named the former Ohio State wide receiver one of the 100 most influential people in sports, placing him in its Titan category alongside stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Rory McIlroy, Alex Morgan and Victor Wembanyama.
Smith-Njigba earned the recognition after a dominant 2025 season with the Seattle Seahawks. He caught a career-high 119 passes for an NFL-best 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns, winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors while helping lead Seattle to a Super Bowl championship. He also starred in the postseason, recording 17 receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns across three playoff games.
The recognition matches the résumé. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, @TIME's 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026.#TIME100Sports | https://t.co/nrtwCqGtZJ pic.twitter.com/o9LJ5zqYlr
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 9, 2026
In March, Smith-Njigba signed a record-setting four-year, $168.6 million contract extension with Seattle. The deal carries an average annual value of $42.15 million and includes $120 million in guaranteed money, both records for an NFL wide receiver.
While Smith-Njigba is the only former Ohio State athlete featured among TIME's sports honorees, he's not the only Buckeye connection on the list. Ohio State fans LeBron James and Denny Hamlin also earned recognition in the Icon and Innovator categories, respectively.
James has long supported Ohio State athletics through charitable contributions, while Hamlin's Buckeye fandom has become a recurring topic on his Actions Detrimental podcast. In March 2025, Hamlin celebrated a NASCAR victory by waving an Ohio State-themed "11 Against the World" flag.
PRIMED FOR SUCCESS. The future of college football's recession-proof program is, unsurprisingly, secure.
This week, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg ranked all 68 Power Four teams based on their quarterback situations, offensive and defensive line outlooks, roster management, star power (All-Americans, national award candidates and all-conference contenders) and coaching staffs.
Ohio State checked in at No. 2, trailing only Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame program. Here's what Rittenberg wrote about the Buckeyes in each category:
QB situation: Despite an abrupt ending to the season, Julian Sayin had an excellent first year as QB1, leading the nation with 77% completions and finishing fourth in touchdown passes (32), while passing for 3,610 yards. Sayin could play through 2027, but Ohio State has a successor in Tavien St. Clair, the nation's No. 10 recruit in 2025, who excelled during spring practice.
Offensive line/defensive line outlook: Both groups are under the microscope after the O-line's late struggles in 2025, and the D-line losing No. 5 NFL draft pick Arvell Reese and second-rounder Kayden McDonald. Ohio State returns 91 career starts on the offensive line, led by senior center Carson Hinzman, junior tackle Austin Siereveld and senior guard Luke Montgomery. Junior tackle Phillip Daniels started all 13 games last fall and sophomore Ian Moore emerged this spring as a viable option at tackle. Senior end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who shared the team sacks lead (6.5) with Reese, is back to lead the defensive line, which picked up transfers in Qua Russaw (Alabama), James Smith (Alabama) and John Walker (UCF). Sophomore Zion Grady should be a multiyear contributor at end, and Beau Atkinson returns.
Roster management: The Buckeyes absorbed an NFL draft hit with four first-round picks and three second-rounders, but they weren't overly active in the portal other than defensive line and secondary as safeties Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and Terry Moore (Duke) arrived. The team also added Northwestern tight end Hunter Welcing. Ohio State retained Sayin, All-America wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, running back Bo Jackson, the offensive line core and seasoned defenders such as Jackson. They lost starting guard Tegra Tshabola (Kentucky), running back James Peoples (Penn State) and some depth at wide receiver, defensive line and cornerback. Ohio State signed the nation's No. 9 recruiting class, headlined by wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (No. 7 overall) and outside linebacker Cincere Johnson (No. 26). The team already has two top-10 commits for 2027 (defensive end D.J. Jacobs and wide receiver Jamier Brown).
Star power: Despite the NFL departures, Ohio State should populate All-Big Ten and national honors races with Smith, the Biletnitkoff Award favorite, and Sayin. Siereveld, Montgomery and Jackson all earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2025, while cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. was a third-team selection. Little was second-team All-ACC at Florida State, and Welcing earned honorable mention All-Big Ten.
Coaching staff: Ryan Day is getting a second season from defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who oversaw a historically elite unit in 2025. After offensive coordinator Brian Hartline left to become South Florida's head coach, Day again went to the NFL for Arthur Smith, an experienced playcaller who will allow Day to take on a full CEO role. Longtime SEC assistant Cortez Hankton replaced Hartline as wide receivers coach, and Illinois' Robby Discher arrived as the new special teams coordinator.
A question I'll ask because it's the offseason — when hypotheticals run rampant as we patiently wait for college football to return: If Ryan Day ever left Ohio State, likely for the NFL if it were to happen, who should be the Buckeyes' first call to replace him?
The answer used to be Mike Vrabel, but... well, you know.
Now, I'd argue it's Marcus Freeman. It wouldn't be easy to pry the 40-year-old away from Notre Dame, and it would be even harder for some Ohio State fans to overlook the misguided comments he made about the Buckeyes early in his tenure with the Irish. Still, Freeman has already led Notre Dame to a national championship appearance and has the program trending in the right direction. It's easy to envision him achieving similar success in Columbus, especially with his close friend James Laurinaitis serving as both his defensive coordinator and one of the nation's top recruiters.
THE NEXT TED GINN JR.? You all know I'm a simple man. I see Ted Ginn Jr. Ohio State content, and I read, watch or listen.
After Jamier Brown won Ohio's Division II state titles in the 100 and 200 meters for Big Walnut last weekend, The Columbus Dispatch's Joey Kaufman compared the Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit to Ginn, suggesting Brown could be every bit as fast as the former Buckeye All-American and return-game legend.
In his article, Kaufman cited an Ohio State media guide that listed Ginn's fastest 100-meter time at 10.5 seconds while at Glenville High School, a mark Brown has already surpassed twice in recent weeks. Brown ran a 10.42 to win the Division II state championship and clocked a 10.35 at a regional meet in Lexington.
Jamier brown 100M STATE CHAMPION
— AzBuckGuy™ (@AzBuckGuy) June 7, 2026
pic.twitter.com/1XW40prZZb
Both Ginn and Brown also excelled in the 200 meters. Ginn posted a time of 21.44 seconds as a junior at Glenville, while Brown captured a state title last weekend with a blazing 20.91.
Kaufman also noted that another former Ohio State player, Brandon Saine, held the fastest 100-meter time among future Buckeyes before Brown. Saine ran a 10.38 for Piqua High School in 2006, setting an Ohio Division I state record that stood for 16 years before Pickerington Central's Troy Lane broke it with a 10.25 in 2022.
As Eleven Warriors' Josh Poloha correctly opened his article reporting the news of Brown's state championship, Brown is fast. I mean, he's so fast he makes fast people look not fast.
I look forward to seeing him in an Ohio State uniform next spring, but I'll be sad to see him miss his senior track season. If he's this fast now, imagine what another year of training could have done for his times.
ONE OF THE GREATS. Columbus media legend Dom Tiberi has announced his retirement.
Well, kind of.
They can't get rid of him that easily.
Tiberi announced Tuesday that he is retiring from his full-time role at WBNS, where he spent the past 45 years covering Ohio State, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Columbus Crew and more for 10TV.
Tiberi isn't going far, however. He's set to lead 10TV's Ohio State football coverage when the season kicks off in September, continue his weekly conversations with Ryan Day on the Buckeyes' coaches show and partner with 10TV on Maria's Message, an initiative that teaches teens about the dangers of distracted driving.
For now, though, Tiberi said it's time to spend more time with family, including his wife, Terri, and their four grandchildren.
Congratulations on a remarkable full-time career, Dom.
I look forward to seeing you around this fall.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Sister Golden Hair" - America.
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