Welcome to another week here at the Scarlet and Gray Report.
Here’s the 10 things I’m thinking about heading into this week.
Ohio State had a BIG visitor this weekend.
This is going to be a recruiting-heavy column for the next few weeks.
Ohio State began its stretch of official visit weekends with a high-profile and incredibly necessary target: Matayo Uiagalelei, the No. 31 player in the 2023 class, the No. 4 player in California and the No. 3 weakside defensive end in the class.
He’s a player with everyone’s attention, holding offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Texas, Ohio State and Clemson, where his brother D.J. Uiagalelei plays quarterback.
It’s a position Ohio State hasn’t gained much ground in so far in the 2023 class, with offers out to 15 different defensive ends, including Desmond Umeozulu, Vic Burley, AJ Hoffler and Tomarrion Parker, who each have scheduled official visits with the Buckeyes, without a commitment.
The Buckeyes hope to change that with Matayo Uiagalelei, giving the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive end, and his father, the highest treatment.
Ohio State has been known to make a splash at defensive end despite not bringing in a five-star talent in the 2022 class. While Uiagalelei is not a five-star defensive end, he’s a big name, one that could be the splash the Buckeyes need.
And it seems to have left a good impression on the Bellflower, Calf. native.
The dude is also extremely talented.
What about the other visitors? Where do they fit in?
Along with 2023 quarterback and four-star Baylor commit Austin Novosad, who I caught up with Sunday night, Ohio State had three other official visitors: four-star linebacker Deron Gullette, four-star tight end Riley Williams and four-star cornerback Daniel Harris and four-star offensive tackle Miles Walker.
Let’s look at each of these positions:
Tight end: Ty Lockwood made it clear last week: Ohio State is still looking for another tight end in the 2023 class. And he’s fine with it, viewing it as someone he can compete with and fill out the room a little bit more. It’s a room that’s a pretty tough sell at points, especially with the lack of impact traditionally in the pass game, but it’s a room that develops players that find a place in the NFL. That’s where a player like Riley Williams comes into play, the seemingly Pac-12-leaning tight end from Portland, who is currently FutureCasted to stay with the Ducks.
Cornerback: Ohio State has already started it’s process of forming its defensive backs class in 2023, bringing in four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson out of Tampa. And while Ohio State has offers out to each of the top three cornerbacks in the class — Cormani McClain, Javien Toviano, who has the Buckeyes in his top-eight, and AJ Harris — it doesn’t seem that it is in the lead for any one of them. The Buckeyes will bring in another cornerback or two in the class, someone like Jermaine Matthews, who we have FutureCasted to Ohio State. But Harris seems to be interested in what the Buckeyes have to offer too.
Offensive tackle: This is the ultimate position of need for Ohio State. Already having secured three inside linemen in the 2023 class, the focus turns outside, specifically with No. 1 target Olaus Alinen (more on him later), but also on players like Samson Okunlola. Miles Walker provides another option for a position in desperate need of a boost with a lack of depth coming from the recruiting efforts of the previous regime.
And finally linebacker…
I had to dedicate a whole section to this position because I think it’s the most important and the position that signifies the most change in Jim Knowles’ defense.
And that process of finding that next key player in the middle of his defense officially began this weekend with four-star outside linebacker Derion Gullette visiting from Marlin, Texas, who holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
If you look at the players offered by Ohio State in the 2023 class, all but one of them are at least 6-foot-2, with seven that are at least 220 pounds, including four-star Tackett Curtis, who we have a FutureCast out for joining the Buckeyes’ class.
With that bigger frame, Knowles wants a linebacker who can do a bit of everything, with the majority of the Buckeyes’ main targets — Curtis, Troy Bowles and Raul Aguirre, who are each visiting this month — listed as inside linebackers, even though it really doesn’t determine where they will play in Ohio State’s defense.
The attention on linebacker makes sense with it being Knowles’ position group. But it will be interesting to see how this class shakes out, especially before the new defensive coordinator shows off what an Ohio State linebacker can do in his defense.
What about in 2022?
First, let’s look at size.
Knowles will have 10 linebackers in his room that are over 6-foot-2, with Chip Trayanum, Jalen Pace and… wait for it… Steele Chambers not fitting that mold. And all but one — Gabe Powers — are over 220 pounds, something the four-star linebacker will likely grow into, especially with his rushing ability coming out of high school.
For the most part, even with Trayanum, Pace and Chambers, Ohio State has a room stock-piled with linebackers that fit Knowles’ bill for what a linebacker should look like. That’s the problem, though: it’s seemingly overflowing.
It’s not something Ohio State has an answer for at this point, but outside of Chambers, Tommy Eichenberg and Cody Simon, there doesn’t seem to be much of a hierarchy in terms of who fits in where.
There’s the veterans like Teradja Mitchell, Palaie Gaoteote IV and Reid Carrico, who are returning from last year’s team that are fighting for playing time — two of which are likely the first two in when the Buckeyes institute a SAM linebacker against teams like Iowa and Wisconsin.
Then there’s the newcomers: CJ Hicks, who’s been turning heads ever since he arrived in January, Powers and Trayanum.
There’s a lot of options for only two spots.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if this changes the way Ohio State recruits the position, possibly looking at a bigger outside linebacker for the Leo/Jack position instead of a defensive end, or if they look to one to inherit the cover safety position, a’la Sonny Styles.
This is a position that could define what Ohio State’s defense does in 2022. It will be at the center of every change that is made.
It’s the position I’ll be watching most closely both on the recruiting trail and on the field in 2022.
Here’s something I learned about Justin Frye this week.
I really want this to turn into a story, and it’s something I could be working on for awhile, but I can’t help but share my insights from Justin Frye’s personal workout with Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla and Luke Montgomery this week.
Just to give you a bit of a picture, as Ohio State’s recruiting camp was happening Tuesday, I sat on the turf of the indoor field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and watched the Ohio State offensive line coach lead his three commits in a series of balance and explosion drills done with long wooden poles along their shoulders.
Frye’s focus remained on the linemen’s feet, repeating over and over “feet before hands, feet before hands,” while working on stride and flipping hips, alluding to Montgomery’s basketball skills and comparing it to boxing out in the post.
It was a master class, clearly indicating the importance of footwork in Frye’s system as a teacher, starting at the base and moving from there. And it wasn’t something that only Montgomery, Siereveld and Padilla experienced. It was a message that each linemen that worked with Frye at camp got, something that 2025 offensive lineman Jake Cook expressed to me after his workout.
That’s where Ohio State’s explosion and consistency on the line is going to come from this season: footwork. It’s Frye’s focus, and something that will continue to be brought up time and time again as the Buckeyes prepare for the 2022 season opener.
And I couldn’t help but share this moment from Ohio State’s recruiting camps…
When you are watching Brian Hartline, it’s not hard to decipher what he’s thinking at a given moment. I mean, like I wrote about with 2026 WR Chris Henry Jr., the Ohio State wide receivers coach was floored watching him run a 40-yard-dash, declaring him a “future first-round pick” based on what he saw.
You can also tell when he’s not pleased.
And Hartline was not pleased when “All-Star” by Smash Mouth was played during camp last week.
As he walked back behind his receivers during the one-on-one drills as the recruiting camp neared its close, he muttered under his breath “Terrible song.” But then, he began to hum the melody to “All that glitters is gold.”
Even Hartline can’t resist the charm of Smash Mouth.
Here’s three quick things I learned from basketball camp last week.
Austin Parks really thinks he and Felix Okpara can pair up on the basketball court together: Can you imagine? A 6-foot-10 center teaming up with another 6-foot-11 center in the Ohio State rotation at the same time? I honestly can’t. But it’s something Parks was extremely excited about when we talked to him last week, saying that they can both team up as this versatile dynamic duo in the frontcourt. We’ll see if it’s what Chris Holtmann has in mind for the pair.
I really like Dailyn Swain: This was probably the kid who impressed me most over the two-day camp. With his 6-foot-5 frame, he served as both a forward for Africentric, grabbing rebounds and playing nice defense in the post, and an offense-pushing guard, showing range from 3 and a burst into the paint. I don’t know if he’s in on Ohio State as much as they are on him, but he’s going to be fun to watch wherever he ends up.
But Devin Royal is as much of a must-win as the Buckeyes can have in the 2023 class: I had an idea of who Royal was heading in, but he looked like a much bigger and more refined player than I saw him last. He’s a sneaky 6-foot-6, one that can do a bit of everything, whether it’s push the tempo and lead the offense or go up against the bigs in the post — something he had to do against 2023 PF Xavier Booker. Royal looked like a player that found his place in the national conversation, which he has. And for a player who’s so close to home, who the Buckeyes have been targeting for a very long time, this seems like a perfect fit. It’s something that will be important for Holtmann and Jake Diebler to close.
Where could Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell go in the 2022 NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft is coming quickly, and both of Ohio State’s former draft picks continue to get buzz.
But will both be first-round picks? Here’s where three of the latest mock drafts have Liddell and Branham going.
CBS
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 24 Milwaukee Bucks: Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
NBA Draft Room
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 22 Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz): Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
Bleacher Report
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 18 Chicago Bulls: Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
Reaction: This Malaki Branham to the Cavs selection is a match made in heaven. Not only is it another connection between the organization and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s — a match that worked out pretty well last time — he also would provide the team with a wing option to compliment Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. If he can develop a consistent shot along with more of a presence as an offensive playmaker, this could be a huge boost for the Cavs.
As for Liddell, each of those spots would fit nicely. With the Bucks, he could be a big small forward or a power forward in a small lineup without much pressure to succeed right away, allowing him to develop. It seems like the Grizzlies and the Bulls would be better spots in terms of starting immediately, with both having pieces to build around. But as an older college player, Liddell could slot in and play whatever role he needs to.
I don’t want to put too much into this, but…
Olaus Alinen wore a Cleveland Browns shirt to his meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
We all know how huge of a get this would be, with Joshua Padilla, Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld each clamoring for the offensive tackle to join them in the 2023 class.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but this is as much of a win as Ohio State can get here, right? RIGHT?
Finally, here’s my song of the week.
I love Radiohead. This band rules. I think of them every time I enter the Schottenstein Center after I saw them on “The Moon Shaped Pool" tour in 2018.
So I knew I would love Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s side project with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner called The Smile.
It’s a classic.
Enjoy.
See you on the board.
Here’s the 10 things I’m thinking about heading into this week.
Ohio State had a BIG visitor this weekend.
This is going to be a recruiting-heavy column for the next few weeks.
Ohio State began its stretch of official visit weekends with a high-profile and incredibly necessary target: Matayo Uiagalelei, the No. 31 player in the 2023 class, the No. 4 player in California and the No. 3 weakside defensive end in the class.
He’s a player with everyone’s attention, holding offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Texas, Ohio State and Clemson, where his brother D.J. Uiagalelei plays quarterback.
It’s a position Ohio State hasn’t gained much ground in so far in the 2023 class, with offers out to 15 different defensive ends, including Desmond Umeozulu, Vic Burley, AJ Hoffler and Tomarrion Parker, who each have scheduled official visits with the Buckeyes, without a commitment.
The Buckeyes hope to change that with Matayo Uiagalelei, giving the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive end, and his father, the highest treatment.
Ohio State has been known to make a splash at defensive end despite not bringing in a five-star talent in the 2022 class. While Uiagalelei is not a five-star defensive end, he’s a big name, one that could be the splash the Buckeyes need.
And it seems to have left a good impression on the Bellflower, Calf. native.
The dude is also extremely talented.
What about the other visitors? Where do they fit in?
Along with 2023 quarterback and four-star Baylor commit Austin Novosad, who I caught up with Sunday night, Ohio State had three other official visitors: four-star linebacker Deron Gullette, four-star tight end Riley Williams and four-star cornerback Daniel Harris and four-star offensive tackle Miles Walker.
Let’s look at each of these positions:
Tight end: Ty Lockwood made it clear last week: Ohio State is still looking for another tight end in the 2023 class. And he’s fine with it, viewing it as someone he can compete with and fill out the room a little bit more. It’s a room that’s a pretty tough sell at points, especially with the lack of impact traditionally in the pass game, but it’s a room that develops players that find a place in the NFL. That’s where a player like Riley Williams comes into play, the seemingly Pac-12-leaning tight end from Portland, who is currently FutureCasted to stay with the Ducks.
Cornerback: Ohio State has already started it’s process of forming its defensive backs class in 2023, bringing in four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson out of Tampa. And while Ohio State has offers out to each of the top three cornerbacks in the class — Cormani McClain, Javien Toviano, who has the Buckeyes in his top-eight, and AJ Harris — it doesn’t seem that it is in the lead for any one of them. The Buckeyes will bring in another cornerback or two in the class, someone like Jermaine Matthews, who we have FutureCasted to Ohio State. But Harris seems to be interested in what the Buckeyes have to offer too.
Offensive tackle: This is the ultimate position of need for Ohio State. Already having secured three inside linemen in the 2023 class, the focus turns outside, specifically with No. 1 target Olaus Alinen (more on him later), but also on players like Samson Okunlola. Miles Walker provides another option for a position in desperate need of a boost with a lack of depth coming from the recruiting efforts of the previous regime.
And finally linebacker…
I had to dedicate a whole section to this position because I think it’s the most important and the position that signifies the most change in Jim Knowles’ defense.
And that process of finding that next key player in the middle of his defense officially began this weekend with four-star outside linebacker Derion Gullette visiting from Marlin, Texas, who holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
If you look at the players offered by Ohio State in the 2023 class, all but one of them are at least 6-foot-2, with seven that are at least 220 pounds, including four-star Tackett Curtis, who we have a FutureCast out for joining the Buckeyes’ class.
With that bigger frame, Knowles wants a linebacker who can do a bit of everything, with the majority of the Buckeyes’ main targets — Curtis, Troy Bowles and Raul Aguirre, who are each visiting this month — listed as inside linebackers, even though it really doesn’t determine where they will play in Ohio State’s defense.
The attention on linebacker makes sense with it being Knowles’ position group. But it will be interesting to see how this class shakes out, especially before the new defensive coordinator shows off what an Ohio State linebacker can do in his defense.
What about in 2022?
First, let’s look at size.
Knowles will have 10 linebackers in his room that are over 6-foot-2, with Chip Trayanum, Jalen Pace and… wait for it… Steele Chambers not fitting that mold. And all but one — Gabe Powers — are over 220 pounds, something the four-star linebacker will likely grow into, especially with his rushing ability coming out of high school.
For the most part, even with Trayanum, Pace and Chambers, Ohio State has a room stock-piled with linebackers that fit Knowles’ bill for what a linebacker should look like. That’s the problem, though: it’s seemingly overflowing.
It’s not something Ohio State has an answer for at this point, but outside of Chambers, Tommy Eichenberg and Cody Simon, there doesn’t seem to be much of a hierarchy in terms of who fits in where.
There’s the veterans like Teradja Mitchell, Palaie Gaoteote IV and Reid Carrico, who are returning from last year’s team that are fighting for playing time — two of which are likely the first two in when the Buckeyes institute a SAM linebacker against teams like Iowa and Wisconsin.
Then there’s the newcomers: CJ Hicks, who’s been turning heads ever since he arrived in January, Powers and Trayanum.
There’s a lot of options for only two spots.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if this changes the way Ohio State recruits the position, possibly looking at a bigger outside linebacker for the Leo/Jack position instead of a defensive end, or if they look to one to inherit the cover safety position, a’la Sonny Styles.
This is a position that could define what Ohio State’s defense does in 2022. It will be at the center of every change that is made.
It’s the position I’ll be watching most closely both on the recruiting trail and on the field in 2022.
Here’s something I learned about Justin Frye this week.
I really want this to turn into a story, and it’s something I could be working on for awhile, but I can’t help but share my insights from Justin Frye’s personal workout with Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla and Luke Montgomery this week.
Just to give you a bit of a picture, as Ohio State’s recruiting camp was happening Tuesday, I sat on the turf of the indoor field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and watched the Ohio State offensive line coach lead his three commits in a series of balance and explosion drills done with long wooden poles along their shoulders.
Frye’s focus remained on the linemen’s feet, repeating over and over “feet before hands, feet before hands,” while working on stride and flipping hips, alluding to Montgomery’s basketball skills and comparing it to boxing out in the post.
It was a master class, clearly indicating the importance of footwork in Frye’s system as a teacher, starting at the base and moving from there. And it wasn’t something that only Montgomery, Siereveld and Padilla experienced. It was a message that each linemen that worked with Frye at camp got, something that 2025 offensive lineman Jake Cook expressed to me after his workout.
That’s where Ohio State’s explosion and consistency on the line is going to come from this season: footwork. It’s Frye’s focus, and something that will continue to be brought up time and time again as the Buckeyes prepare for the 2022 season opener.
And I couldn’t help but share this moment from Ohio State’s recruiting camps…
When you are watching Brian Hartline, it’s not hard to decipher what he’s thinking at a given moment. I mean, like I wrote about with 2026 WR Chris Henry Jr., the Ohio State wide receivers coach was floored watching him run a 40-yard-dash, declaring him a “future first-round pick” based on what he saw.
You can also tell when he’s not pleased.
And Hartline was not pleased when “All-Star” by Smash Mouth was played during camp last week.
As he walked back behind his receivers during the one-on-one drills as the recruiting camp neared its close, he muttered under his breath “Terrible song.” But then, he began to hum the melody to “All that glitters is gold.”
Even Hartline can’t resist the charm of Smash Mouth.
Here’s three quick things I learned from basketball camp last week.
Austin Parks really thinks he and Felix Okpara can pair up on the basketball court together: Can you imagine? A 6-foot-10 center teaming up with another 6-foot-11 center in the Ohio State rotation at the same time? I honestly can’t. But it’s something Parks was extremely excited about when we talked to him last week, saying that they can both team up as this versatile dynamic duo in the frontcourt. We’ll see if it’s what Chris Holtmann has in mind for the pair.
I really like Dailyn Swain: This was probably the kid who impressed me most over the two-day camp. With his 6-foot-5 frame, he served as both a forward for Africentric, grabbing rebounds and playing nice defense in the post, and an offense-pushing guard, showing range from 3 and a burst into the paint. I don’t know if he’s in on Ohio State as much as they are on him, but he’s going to be fun to watch wherever he ends up.
But Devin Royal is as much of a must-win as the Buckeyes can have in the 2023 class: I had an idea of who Royal was heading in, but he looked like a much bigger and more refined player than I saw him last. He’s a sneaky 6-foot-6, one that can do a bit of everything, whether it’s push the tempo and lead the offense or go up against the bigs in the post — something he had to do against 2023 PF Xavier Booker. Royal looked like a player that found his place in the national conversation, which he has. And for a player who’s so close to home, who the Buckeyes have been targeting for a very long time, this seems like a perfect fit. It’s something that will be important for Holtmann and Jake Diebler to close.
Where could Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell go in the 2022 NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft is coming quickly, and both of Ohio State’s former draft picks continue to get buzz.
But will both be first-round picks? Here’s where three of the latest mock drafts have Liddell and Branham going.
CBS
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 24 Milwaukee Bucks: Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
NBA Draft Room
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 22 Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz): Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
Bleacher Report
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State SG Malaki Branham
No. 18 Chicago Bulls: Ohio State PF E.J. Liddell
Reaction: This Malaki Branham to the Cavs selection is a match made in heaven. Not only is it another connection between the organization and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s — a match that worked out pretty well last time — he also would provide the team with a wing option to compliment Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. If he can develop a consistent shot along with more of a presence as an offensive playmaker, this could be a huge boost for the Cavs.
As for Liddell, each of those spots would fit nicely. With the Bucks, he could be a big small forward or a power forward in a small lineup without much pressure to succeed right away, allowing him to develop. It seems like the Grizzlies and the Bulls would be better spots in terms of starting immediately, with both having pieces to build around. But as an older college player, Liddell could slot in and play whatever role he needs to.
I don’t want to put too much into this, but…
Olaus Alinen wore a Cleveland Browns shirt to his meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
We all know how huge of a get this would be, with Joshua Padilla, Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld each clamoring for the offensive tackle to join them in the 2023 class.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but this is as much of a win as Ohio State can get here, right? RIGHT?
Finally, here’s my song of the week.
I love Radiohead. This band rules. I think of them every time I enter the Schottenstein Center after I saw them on “The Moon Shaped Pool" tour in 2018.
So I knew I would love Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s side project with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner called The Smile.
It’s a classic.
Enjoy.
See you on the board.
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