Chirico’s Corner With ’16 Punter Drue Chrisman

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Special teams has been very important in today’s game, especially for the Ohio State Buckeyes, who take special teams very seriously. With that being said, the Buckeyes are on the radar for one of the top punters in the Class of 2016, Drue Chrisman. Chrisman, a punter from Cincinnati, Ohio is another in-state top recruit the Buckeyes have a good chance in grabbing.

Currently, per the 247Sports Crystal Ball there have been ten predictions, all for Ohio State. The 6-4, 200 pound punter would be a great replacement for the current punter for Ohio State, junior Cameron Johnston, who could possibly declare for the NFL draft early. If Johnston were to declare, Chrisman would definitely be the next man up for the silver bullets.

Chrisman has been quite busy these past couple months, receiving offers and taking visits to top programs from different conferences. “It has been pretty crazy to say the least. These past couple of months have been a little overwhelming, although it does feel nice to have attention from these programs.” said Chrisman.

“I get a lot of mail, and phone call from coaches. But, I have my top three as Florida State, Ohio State, and BYU. Which were my top three even before the process started.”

Chrisman made it out for the buckeye spring game this past weekend, following his last visit to Ohio State which was near the end of March. On that March 31st visit, the Buckeyes offered Chrisman. Coach Meyer would like him to attend for an upcoming skills camp sometime in the near future, which would make his third appearance on campus. “The visit went great, I got to stay with Sean Nuernberger, Cam Johnston, and Bryce Haynes. It was exciting to be at the highest attended spring game this year. While I was down there I got to talk to a lot of recruits. Overall, I got to get a feel of what being a Buckeye would be like, which was really neat.” said Chrisman. While talking to Chrisman, he talked very excitedly about his past weekend at Ohio State.

“I have talked to a couple of Buckeye recruits. I mostly talk to the long snapper, Liam McCullough. I got to meet his family and it was pretty cool since he had already committed I was able to hear about what he liked about Ohio State and how he ended up committing there.”

Since Chrisman is a mormon, there is a chance for a two year LDS mission. Which would only happen if he were to commit to BYU. “With Ohio State, I would probably not, because of the entire timing situation. But, with BYU, that would be something I would consider. If I went to BYU, I would most likely go on a two year mission. That is more common at BYU, which would make it easier.” said Chrisman. This could be a major factor for his decision.

A commitment date was set for after spring break, but things have changed. “I was planning on committing after I got back from spring break. Things were not as far away as I thought they were at the time. I want to make my decision when it is really clear for me.” said Chrisman.

You can follow Drue on twitter @Drue_Man

Below, are some highlights:

Minnich’s Thoughts On The 2015 Ohio State Spring Game: Offense

Before discussing the spring game, huge compliments to Buckeye Nation for showing up strong, setting a national attendance record with 99, 391 filling Ohio Stadium. I am happy that my wife, three children, and I could help in that tally.

Anyone anticipating truly informative or revealing plays, formations, or schemes in a spring game are bound to be disappointed. The primary goal of any spring game, no matter what college program we are discussing, is to finish the game with no injuries. Save for sophomore defensive end Jalyn Holmes, who seemed shaken up but walked off the field under his own power, no Buckeyes were injured during the game. I do not believe Holmes’ injury was even discussed by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer or reported by any of the customary Ohio State beat reporters, so it must not have been a serious injury, which is a great thing.

Below are some brief points on various offensive players who played in the spring game. A few of the names are going to be familiar with Buckeye fans, but many are newer players who are rising up the ranks of the depth chart…

Offense

Wide Receivers: Corey Smith, Noah Brown, Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Jalin Marshall all had their moments. Corey Smith was a targeted deep threat for Cardale Jones throughout the game, and may have emerged as the replacement for Devin Smith. Noah Brown has lost weight from his freshman season, and was mentioned by Coach Meyer as being a probable starter in the lineup. Brown had an impressive one-handed grab from Cardale Jones in the first half. Parris Campbell scored a touchdown from the H-Back position for his designated Scarlet team, and was cited by Coach Meyer as having had an impressive spring. Terry McLaurin was targeted repeatedly on deep passes and scored a touchdown to end the first half for the Scarlet team. Jalin Marshall will expand his role beyond his H-Back position this fall as a wide receiver, but may keep his role as the primary punt returner – it was somewhat disconcerting to see Marshall bobble a punt that resulted in a fumble. Hopefully, Marshall can get that area of his game to be more consistent.

Running Backs: The running game was not much of factor, as the passing game was strongly emphasized. With Ezekiel Elliott sitting out the spring due to his surgery on his wrist, Bri’onte Dunn demonstrated a capability to spell Elliott if needed this fall. Curtis Samuel had a drop of a pass thrown by Cardale Jones in the first half, but also demonstrated his elusiveness on an impressive spin move. Samuel also had a fair catch for a punt later in the game; could Samuel possibly be a factor in the punt return game? Warren Ball will always provide maximum effort, but could incoming freshman Mike Weber surge past Ball on the depth chart during fall camp?

Quarterbacks: J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller were excluded from actual participation in the spring game, but impressed in different ways. Barrett competed in the halftime quarterback accuracy, winning versus former Buckeye Troy Smith and Cardale Jones. Miller competed against Elliott in the fastest student race, and possibly won. If Miller cannot play quarterback due to his shoulder issues, rest assured that Coach Meyer will figure out a way to involve Miller within the Ohio State offense this fall; Miller’s speed is too much to ignore and keep off the field. Cardale Jones was somewhat inconsistent, but Jones’ arm strength dazzled many with deep passes to Corey Smith. Jones easily won the halftime arm strength contest against Troy Smith and Barrett, throwing a pass 74 yards. Without Michael Thomas in the spring game, how much did that impact Jones on shorter or intermediate routes? Stephen Collier had some struggles playing behind a makeshift offensive line, and may only serve as a backup throughout his career at Ohio State, but I would remind people that Cardale Jones did not play at all in the 2012 spring game, and look at how well Jones has blossomed over the past few seasons. In other words, do not jump to conclusions about Stephen Collier just yet. Be patient.

If you are curious as to whether Cardale Jones has locked down the starting position after the spring game, I will say no. J.T. Barrett has the edge in accuracy, while Cardale Jones has the size and arm strength that opens up the offense for the deep throws that crushed Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon last season. My early guess, and I want to emphasize the words “early” and “guess”, is J.T. Barrett will win the job in fall camp, but Cardale Jones will play a lot. As for Braxton Miller, I am holding off judgment, as Miller’s shoulder has everyone associated with the program holding their breath. As with Stephen Collier, I stress patience on figuring out who the starting quarterback will be this season. I certainly do not envy Coach Meyer or the coaching staff with this challenging decision.

My offensive player of the spring game? Corey Smith, with 6 receptions for 174 yards and two long touchdowns (58 yards, 37 yards).

Part two will focus on the defensive players who impressed in the 2015 Ohio State spring game…

OSU Night Game Schedule Announced

So with four night games you can look at the schedule and make an educated guess for times for the remaining games.

Possible Noon Games- Hawaii, Western Michigan, Indiana, and Michigan.

Possible 3:30 Games- Northern Illios, Illinois, MSU, and Maryland

2017 OSU Commit Suffers Unfortunate Injury

Bruce Judson a Four Star WR commit from Florida was in the hospital today and just sent out word via snapchat that the injury is a Torn Hamstring…

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This injury is very tough on a guy who relies on his legs as much as a WR does. All you can do is rest and heal. We here at MOTSAG wish him a quick and speedy recovery.

(H/T to AJ Skiba @ajskiba23 for the heads up on this info)

New ESPN300: How Buckeye Commits and Targets Fared

ESPN recruiting has been a roller coaster since they started. They continue to evolve with how much investment they will put into recruiting and how much focus they want to make so take these rankings with a grain of salt but here are how OSU guys ranked….

TOP 300

Kareem Walker- #20
Demario McCall- #50
Tyler Gerald- #94
Jonathon Cooper- #118
Jake Hausmann- #139
Tristen Wallace- #145
Terrell Hall- #154
George Hill- #183

FOUR STARS

Malik Barrow
Kierre Hawkins

THREE STARS

Tuf Borland

UNRANKED

Jack Wohlabaugh

TOP 300 TARGETS

Rashan Gary- #1
Greg Little- #2
Nick Bosa- #3
Trayvon Mullen- #18
Antwaun Jackson- #21
Ben Bredeson- #53
Caleb Kelly- #54
Jauan Williams- #60
Dredrick Snelson- #93
Michael Jordan- #110
Prince Sammons- #115
Damar Hamlin- #120
Khalid Kareem- #126
Brendan Ferns- #131
Jordan Fuller- #137
Auston Robertson- #143
Luke Farrell- #146
Josh King- #172
Tre Nixon- #177
Brad Hawkins- #180
Terrance Davis- #193
Ahmir Mitchell- #199
Jared Mayden- #202
Josh Imatorbhebhe #204
Austin Mack- #215
Chad Clay- #230
Justin Layne- #234
Donnie Corley- #261
Binjimen Victor- #264

’16 TE Luke Farrell Favorites Ohio State

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Ohio State is known for grabbing the top talent out of the state of Ohio. With all of its D-1 prospects, tight end Luke Farrell is among the best in his class coming out of Buckeye country, even the country. Being rated the 10th prospect and the 7th tight end in his class (per 247Sports), Farrell is on the radar for programs across the country.

The 6’6, 240 Perry, Ohio native currently holds 14 offers, including Ohio State. He also holds offers from programs such as Boston College, Michigan State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Rated a four-star, The Crystal Ball per 247Sports has Farrell going to Ohio State 100%, coming from twenty predictions. With the way the Buckeyes have implemented the tight ends in the last couple seasons, Farrell would be a perfect fit.

The recruiting process began for Farrell back in May of 2014 when he received his first scholarship from Illinois. Following that, a pair of Big Ten offers came along. Recruitment blew up from that  point, with offers from several programs from several conferences across the country awarding a scholarship to the Perry tight end. “The process has been a little hectic lately with the visits over spring break. I am trying to narrow it down and figure it out to where I commit by the end of the summer.” said Farrell.

The schools leading the race include Ohio State, Boston College, Penn State, and Michigan. Farell’s most recent visits came in April as he went on to visit Boston College, Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan State. But, Ohio State has been visited the most. “I’ve visited Ohio State the most. All the support they have and attention they get is great. Also, Boston College really impressed me academically. I also liked Penn State.” said Farrell.

“Our team is going to Michigan State for a 7 on 7, so I will stay there an extra day or two for a visit. Other than that, I have no other planned visits right now.”

Farrell visited Ohio State on March 28th to see a practice, which was not his first visit. “I was able to see how they run their practices. I talked to Coach Hinton and Coach Meyer, both were asking how recruiting was going and if I was close to my decision.” said Farrell.

Ohio State has implemented the use of the tight ends more frequently, which is appealing to Farrell. He likes how there are packages with the use of two tight ends. “They can put two out there at a time. People ask if Jake Hausmann commits, would I still go to Ohio State? Since the Buckeyes use two tight ends this has no factor in my decision. I like how they split them out, as well as their hand on their ground.” said Farrell.

When asked about his type of play, Farrell explained how is an overall well tight end. He can block, and run routes well. Which, Jeff Heurman and Nick Vannett have both been successful at these past couple seasons at Ohio State.

Farrell is planning on committing over the the summer. He gave an estimate around the beginning of August.

 

D’Angelo Russell Makes His Decision

If you had hoped that D’Angelo was going to pull a Sullinger and return to OSU for a second year I hate to be the one to disappoint you but it is not happening. D Russell announced his plans via ESPN….

Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell has decided to go pro, declaring for the NBA draft Wednesday.

“This was a hard decision because I knew I could come back and play with my teammates who I love and to be coached by Coach Thad Matta again would have been awesome, but at the same time I wanted to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA,” Russell told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “I know what I am capable of and the sky’s the limit with effort. I know I have a lot to work on.”

Russell also talked about his love of being a Buckeye….

Russell said he will miss Ohio State and expressed gratitude for his time in Columbus.

“It’s a great place, the fan base is crazy for basketball …hopefully it will open doors down the road after basketball,” he said. “The staff did a great job of challenging me from the X’s and O’s [standpoint], strengthening my body, and academically I got named as one of two players as a scholar-athlete on our team.”

Go forth Mr. Russell and make all of Buckeye Nation proud as you dominate the NBA for many years to come.

Micah Potter Expresses Feelings as a Buckeye

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With an offer from Ohio State in late March, Center Micah Potter committed to Ohio State, officially on April 20th. Potter joins alongside Lakewood St. Edward center Derek Funderburk. Potter, growing up a Buckeye fan and living in Mentor, Ohio did not have a hard time making his mind up when choosing Ohio State.

“The big thing for me was the visit on Saturday. I went down for the spring game and they gave me a tour of the campus. I never seen the actual school side of things until this past visit. They showed me the dorms, classes, pretty much the lifestyle of Ohio State. I always wanted a big school, big city kind of feel.” Potter said. “Growing up an Ohio kid, its a dream come true for me.”

Potter, had no intentions on committing during his visit this past weekend. It seems as if Thad Matta is a magician in getting recruits to commit while visiting Ohio State. “I even told myself, and my dad that I was not going to commit, and I wasn’t ready to commit. I was going to see and visit some other schools that had just started to recruit me really hard along with the schools that already offered me. But, the visit just really set things off for me. Everything I saw and everything that we did. Ohio State felt like the right place to be.”

Potter will fit into the program well, especially with his size. ” I feel that I will fit in well.” Potter said. Buckeye fans know the feeling of a minimal presence from the big men.”The big thing that the coaches urged on me was that they have not been successful as they were in the past couple years was because their lack of size. They wanted a guy that could spread the floor.”

The coaching staff compared Potter to a Jared Sullinger type of player. With his size and ability to spread the floor, this is a good comparison. “They told me that I was a more athletic Jared Sullinger with a more outside game. That is the type of position that I will play at Ohio State along with the bigs that will be there.” Potter said.

When asked about how he went about committing, Potter laughed a little and began to explain his unique commitment. “It was kind of weird actually. Towards the end of the visit we all went into Coach Matta’s office and talked a little bit. There was a lot of pressure because I knew they really wanted me to commit, but at the same time, I still wanted visit other schools. But then, out loud, in front of the coaches I went through the situation with my dad, going through all my future options. I compared Ohio State and all of the options, and Ohio State outweighed those options.” Potter said.

The Mentor High School Head Coach, Robert Krizancic is very proud of Micah’s decision and how far he has come. “Micah has improved daily in the past two years. He went from an unknown to being offered  from ACC, Big Ten schools, because of his improvement. I think he will continue to improve, being able to go inside and outside.” said Krizancic.

“I think Micah knows he is going to have to compete daily. He would not have went out unless he knew he could compete at that level. He knows exactly what he has to do. His goal, having committed is to play the day he arrives on campus. He is playing at a high level, I think he will be ready when he steps on campus.”

Coach Paulus has developed a great relationship with Coach Krizancic through several years, as Paulus went on to offer Krizancic’s son while he was at Navy. Krizancic expressed great respect for the entire coaching staff, and talked about how the coaches made the entire situation personal. “It is a very special school, and Micah jumped on a great opportunity.” Krizancic said.

Catching Up With ’16 Austin Mack

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Who wouldn’t want a four-star wide receiver on their program? Currently, twenty programs have went out and offered Class of 2016 standout, Austin Mack. Mack, rated the 29th receiver out of his class, and the 2nd player out of Indiana (per 247Sports), has sparked his recruiting process a while ago. It was all the way back in June of 2013 when Mack received his first official scholarship, coming from Indiana University. He ended 2013 with just two offers, now in a completely different situation, holding twenty offers from programs across the country.

Standing 6’2 and weighing in at 205, and coming from Fort Wayne, Indiana (Bishop Luers), Mack had an impressive 2014 season, totaling 69 receptions for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns. Ultimately, this lead Bishop Luers to an 11-3 record to finish out their 2014 campaign.

Currently, per 247Sport’s Crystal Ball, there is an 82% chance for Ohio State, a 12% chance for Notre Dame, and a minimal 6% for Michigan. Ohio State’s offense would be a great fit for the Indiana standout. The Buckeye’s Class of 2016 is already filling up with offensive studs, such as running backs Kareem Walker, Demario McCall, and George Hill. As of today, the 2016 class has one wide receiver commitment, coming from Kierre Hawkins. Adding Mack to the class would be another top weapon for the dominant Ohio State offense.

Mack’s recruiting process has been very occupied, his last offer came from Alabama in the end of March. When asked about the process, Mack described how he has been enjoying it, even though it has been stressful. “The recruiting process has been really good. Recently, I have picked up some big time offers. Coming into my senior year where I want to make my decision before the season has taken up a lot of time with coaches, visits and what not. Also, it is pretty relieving that the process is done. A lot of people don’t realize how much stress and time it takes to be in this process. Overall, it is going real well.” he explained.

There is no official list this far in this process. Mack wants to keep everything even, mainly because he has not had the opportunity to visit every school that has offered him. He was planning on getting to Michigan state last weekend, but did not have the time. “I’d like to get to Michigan State and Tennessee sometime before the process is over.” said Mack.

There have been several visits to Ohio State throughout the process by Mack. Most recently, visiting April 11th for a spring practice, which was also Student Appreciation Day. “Overall, it was a great day. I got to witness 2,000 students come in and watch practice. Since some guys were injured, I was able to talk to them during practice. I talked to guys such as Mike Thomas, Devin Smith, and Dontre Wilson. It was inspirational to hear their stories and hear their wisdom.”

“I got to talk to a lot of coaches. Since I been there so many times it was not anything new. We talked about the chances of me playing early, how I would fit into the system and all that.”

Wide receiver’s coach Zach Smith has had a huge impact while recruiting Mack. They have grown very close and comfortable with each other, which started during Mack’s first visit to Ohio State back in September of 2014. “Our relationship is special. Our relationship is pretty fun and jokingly. It is pretty unique, he makes the process fun.” said Mack.

With the high powered Ohio State offense, it is known that the Buckeyes recruit top offensive players. Mack along with others believe he will fit into the Mike Thomas role if he decides to join the Buckeyes. “I see myself in the offense well. They want me to come in and play the role of Mike Thomas. With my frame, I am just like him, all I need to do is get a little bigger. To play that position and play outside and be on that one on one scenario a lot is definitely the best thing for me. Also, after I learn that position, they may move me around a little more, like Jalin Marshall.” said Mack.

“Knowing that in your class that you have a dynamic quarterback such as Tristian Wallace is definitely an eye changer. Knowing that you have great quarterbacks in the system that can produce is a big influence.”

To describe his type of play, Mack explained “My best aspect is routes. I am really trying to perfect my routes. I can get separation from the defender. I am physical and a big body receiver, allowing me to play big. I want to work on size to fit into my frame and gain muscle mass before playing at the collegiate level. I want to improve on my yards after catch. Just perfecting my craft, and keep getting better are my goals.”

Mack is set to commit on June 7th at the RAS Camp in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

You can follow him on twitter @Austin_Mack10.. Below are his highlights from his previous season.

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1972066/highlights/161223378/v2

 

Buckeyes Go To Washington (Watch Live Here)