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Andy Anders’ Report
Buckeye Bash Rundown
With all the content churned out on the Buckeye Bash between Joseph and myself, I wanted to gather the intel we’ve collected into one cohesive section here in the Skull Session.
First, the timeline of events. Players arrived at five star defensive end Jack Sawyer’s house between Friday evening and Saturday morning. They hit up Buffalo Wild Wings for Ohio State’s noon game against Nebraska Saturday, then took a bus tour around campus and the greater Columbus area.
The prospects also took an opportunity to check out The Griff, an apartment complex that houses Ohio State freshman football players.
Following the bus tour everyone returned to the Sawyer’s for a cookout with the Sawyer family. Afterward they returned to town to check out North and South Columbus.
Full list of attendees:
- Five star defensive end Jack Sawyer (commit)
- Five star running back TreVeyon Henderson (commit)
- Four star running back Evan Pryor (commit)
- Four star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (commit)
- Four star offensive tackle Ben Christman (commit)
- Four star quarterback Kyle McCord (commit)
- Four star wide receiver Jayden Ballard (commit)
- Four star tight end Sam Hart (commit)
- Three star outside linebacker Jaylen Johnson (commit)
- Three star offensive tackle Zen Michalski (commit)
- Four star safety Derrick Davis (uncommitted)
Two other key uncommitted five star targets were also unable to attend: defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
In our interviews with attendees, Joseph and I have only heard good things about the atmosphere during the visit. As an uncommitted target, Derrick Davis enjoyed his time with the future Buckeyes.
"I mean, we were just laughing for real," Davis told BuckeyeGrove recruiting writer Joseph Hastings. "We weren’t really talking about just how it is, really, because they all have the same mindset. We were all just having a good time, laughing, joking around. Stuff like that."
Davis announces his collegiate decision Nov. 7 -- Joseph has more on him below.
Otherwise, the Bash was a tremendous bonding experience for the group of future teammates.
“Really what we wanted to accomplish is, all of us wanted to get together and hang out,” Sawyer said. “Keep building the bonds and relationships we’ve already built previously. It’s been awhile since we’ve all seen each other, our class.”
Read my story from the conversation I had with Jack Sawyer HERE.
Read my story from the conversation I had with Jaylen Johnson HERE.
Blake Miller talks top five
Four star 2022 offensive tackle Blake Miller released his top 5 Oct. 19, a list that included Ohio State, Clemson, Michigan, Auburn and Florida.
“The reason that all those schools are on that list for me is that -- there’s really three things,” Miller said. “They put dudes in the big league. But then, more important than that, they have cultures that really try to get as much excellence out of their players as possible.
“Then as well, they’re places that I could see myself playing football at.”
While Miller told me all five schools are in the hunt for his services and he still has some work to do before he makes a decision, he plans to decide before the conclusion of his junior year of high school in May.
Asked to make a prediction for this one, I’d say Ohio State has the inside track here, and my FutureCast prediction now reflects that. Miller holds great relationships with Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and other staffers within the program.
The fact he’s from Ohio doesn’t hurt, either.
I’ll have a full story out on Miller tomorrow morning that goes into much greater detail, so be on the lookout for that.
Joseph Hastings’ Report
What I’m hearing about the recent tweets from Christian, Hicks and McCullough
Back on Sunday, a trio of 2022 Ohio State commits each sent out interesting tweets. Bennett Christian said, “Something HUGE on the way,” CJ Hicks said, “We [going to] break the internet, just watch,” and Dasan McCullough said, “We got something really big coming…”
Based on what I have gathered, it appears as if more than one pledge could be on the way for the Buckeyes in the near future, according to a source. One name that I’m keeping my eye on is Xavier Nwankpa, the No. 11 safety on Rivals.
Nwankpa's name isn't one I heard from any any of my sources; just reading the tea leaves based on his social media activity.
I say this because in the midst of these tweets that were sent out, Nwankpa tweeted out, “They on to something” with a sweat emoji. This was retweeted by Christian and McCullough, which is worth noting. Also, Nwankpa had an Instagram story where he put the eye-looking emojis next to a graphic created by the Twitter account @BuckeyeEdits15, a must follow for Ohio State fans.
I have also heard another name that would be a game-changer for the Buckeyes. I’m not going to reveal the name so I don’t ruin the kid’s moment and how it’s not a 100 percent guarantee at this time. If this does happen, however, it is the type of commitment that would solidify Ohio State as a powerhouse recruiting program that will contend for top classes every year.
It would be that big if it happens.
Whenever these pledges occur, assuming they do transpire, I’m hearing it will be probably over the next couple of weeks. We will have comprehensive coverage for whenever they pop.
Buckeye Bash Roundup
With every event, it is my goal to get in touch with all the prospects in attendance after it concludes. Unfortunately, that is not the case every single time, and there are a few recruits that were at Saturday’s Buckeye Bash who have yet to return our phone calls.
Even so, Andy and I did speak with a half-dozen attendees, and I’ll break down my conversations with each player I spoke with down below. I will also link the articles to the recruits’ names so you can read the full piece in case you missed them.
Derrick Davis: The only uncommitted prospect at the Buckeye Bash, Davis was shown a lot of love from Ohio State’s commits. He showed up in a bright red Buckeyes hoodie, and enjoyed his time in Columbus by all accounts.
During our interview, Davis said the event was somewhat low-key due to them going to Buffalo Wild Wings, touring the campus in a party bus and going to Jack Sawyer’s house. The conversations he had with each commit did not even revolve around football; it was mainly them just laughing and getting along.
I noted that it was an added bonus for Ohio State to win in blowout fashion the same day Penn State lost to Indiana. The Rivals100 DB did not see it that way, however, as he said he won’t be holding the loss against the Nittany Lions due to the unusual offseason they experienced.
You could argue the biggest takeaway here is that Davis is looking for a program with honesty and one that wins his mom over. Davis’ mother did not make the trip to Columbus with him and his dad, so that is pretty telling.
My Quick Thoughts: I still believe Ohio State is a closer choice here than the FutureCast reflects, but I just did not get the vibe that this visit was a game-changer. He was initially supposed to be in Georgia this weekend, too, so going to the Buckeye Bash was more so to have some fun and get a final quick look at the school.
I’m going to wait until his visit to LSU this weekend and Ohio State’s game against Penn State to make my final prediction. If I had to choose today, however, the Nittany Lions would be my pick.
TreVeyon Henderson: Saturday’s visit to Ohio State marked the first time Rivals100 running back TreVeyon Henderson has made his way out to the school.
As reiterated by the other pledges I spoke with, Henderson told me this was more of a way for them to bond than anything else. He was not able to actually step foot on campus, but spending time with his future teammates was a valuable experience. In fact, Henderson believes this type of experience, coupled with when they get on campus in January, will help them for when they get on the field together.
I’ve mentioned before that Henderson is a very active recruiter for the Buckeyes, though he did not force the issue with Davis on Saturday. What Henderson and his fellow pledges did do, however, was let Davis know about what Ohio State is doing compared to how Penn State fared last weekend.
Along with Henderson constantly trying to get other players to join the Buckeyes’ 2021 class, you have to admire his work ethic. He trains at least two times a day – either on the track, in the weight room or on the field – and is looking to earn a starting role as a freshman.
My Thoughts: Henderson is locked in 100 percent with Ohio State, and I believe he has all the qualities to be a captain at the next level. I am impressed with Henderson every time I speak with him, and I have no doubt he’ll be contending for a starting role as soon as he arrives on campus.
Evan Pryor: For the first time this year, Pryor had an opportunity to check out Ohio State after visiting the school twice in 2019.
Pryor also enjoyed the time spent with his fellow commits as everything up to this point has been virtual and through text messages. He also gave an interesting tidbit on how all of them talked about choosing their jersey numbers. The third-ranked all-purpose back on Rivals wants either No. 3 or No. 21, while Henderson is looking to wear No. 23.
Although he’s been committed to the Buckeyes since March, Pryor said this visit reassured him of the decision he made earlier this year. Pryor is set to sign and enroll early, and will look to earn a spot on the depth chart in 2021.
My Thoughts: Not much to say here that wasn’t said in my section on Henderson. I am really excited to see the tandem of Henderson and Pryor at the next level, and how they are utilized in Ohio State’s offense.
Zen Michalski: This wasn’t a must-visit for Zenuae Michalski as he already got a taste of the school in late September before committing to the Buckeyes on Oct. 3. With a bye this week and nearly a dozen of his future teammates in town, however, Michalski took advantage of the opportunity to bond with his fellow commits.
Michalski actually told me that offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and o-line assistant Kennedy Cook FaceTimed him before the game. They also chopped it up via text message after Ohio State obliterated Nebraska 52-17. This goes to show how the Buckeyes’ staff continues to stay in touch with commits as if they were uncommitted, a common theme I’ve heard since joining BuckeyeGrove.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pounder, who put on 70 pounds in the offseason, was more than impressed with Ohio State’s o-line and how Studrawa had them prepared for the game. Overall, he liked what he saw from the offense, specifically Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s ridiculous catch.
My Thoughts: Michalski knows that he may have to wait a little bit before getting on the field consistently for the Buckeyes, but believes Studrawa will give him all the tools needed to compete at the next level and beyond. He’ll begin his playoff run with Floyd Central High School on Friday, and will be enrolled at Ohio State in just over a couple of months.
Commits in Action
By Andy Anders and Joseph Hastings
You can view our full recap of Ohio State’s commits here, but here’s a brief rundown with their team result and stats:
Andre Turrentine: 16-7 (L). Stats: N/A
Ben Christman: 28-21 (L). Stats: N/A
Donovan Jackson: 19-7 (W). Stats: N/A
Jantzen Dunn: 49-8 (W). Stats: 42-yard touchdown run, led defense to shutout
Jayden Ballard: 48-23 (W). Stats: Incredible touchdown catch
Jaylen Johnson: 49-0 (W). Stats: N/A
Michael Hall: 54-21 (W). Stats: Four tackles, two solo, one tackle for loss
Reid Carrico: 42-0 (W). Stats: Eight carries for 117 yards, two receptions for 38 yards, three total touchdowns
Sam Hart: 35-21 (W). Stats: N/A
CJ Hicks: 42-0 (W). Stats: 11 tackles, two sacks
Dasan McCullough: 19-7 (W). Stats: N/A
Jyaire Brown and Tegra Tshabola: 23-7 (W). Stats: N/A
Denzel Burke: 13-7 (L). Out with injury
Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr.: N/A (game canceled)
Zen Michalski: N/A (Bye)
Jordan Hancock: N/A (Bye)
Jakailin Johnson: N/A (Bye)
Bennett Christian: N/A (Bye)
