The Buckeye 20: Caleb Downs, Denzel Burke Lead Preseason Ranking of Ohio State’s Best Players

Intro [Music] welcome into the first ever edition of the Buckeye 20 show here on 11 Warriors YouTube channel as our Buckeye 20 preseason Edition was released on Monday ranking Ohio State's 20 best players entering the 2024 season we'll be updating the ranking over the course of a season uh for a yearr round ranking of Ohio State's best players uh I have collaborated with about nine other 11 Warriors staffers to put together these rankings and two of them have joined me here today to break down the rankings Andy Anders and Chase Brown uh two of our great beat writers here at 11 Warriors gonna break down these rankings and Andy I know you made the comment to me when you submitted your your ballot and it it's true it was hard to just pick 20 guys for this ranking because this team is so loaded yeah I I mean a lot of guys that there's just so much talent throughout this roster and it made putting this kind of list together really difficult and really tough to leave some guys out but you know I think what we came out with here is a pretty balanced representation of who will be the best players on this roster and uh it's just nice to talk about how loaded this team is entering the season and uh kind of generate that excitement here because the they're going to get a chance to just put it on display with some blowouts ideally in these first few weeks yeah just five days away now from finally seeing this team on the field for the first time when the Buckeyes play akan one of those players who we will be seeing in scarlet and gray for 1. Caleb Downs the first time is Caleb DS and despite all of the returning Talent on this team it is Caleb DS who came out number one in our preseason Buckeye 20 rankings getting 190 out of a possible 200 points five of our 10 voters ranked Caleb Downs at the top of their ballots including both Andy and Chase so Chase I'm gonna go to you why did you put Caleb DS number one on your ballot he just checks all the boxes you know I think from the practices we've watched in preseason camp it's pretty clear that he is just a dude from his athleticism to the way that he impacts plays defensively when the scrimmages we've seen and the way that the coaches talk about him he just seems like someone who is well prepared and it seems like whenever the coaches compliment him they use sort of language as he's a pro he brings what happens in the film room and in the practice room onto the onto the field during practice and by all accounts I think that he will have a great impact maybe not uh an impact that we saw last year at Alabama with 107 tackles because ideally you would have some of the defensive line and then also the linebackers making plays before before they get to Downs on the back end but you should see him make an impact both in the Run game and in the pass game and I think Jim Noles is going to be really excited to use him in a bunch of different ways this season it's hard to argue if that pick based on what we saw with Caleb DS at Alabama last year earning National freshman of the Year honors I don't think any of us have any doubt that he's going to come in and and be a star player for Ohio State right away however I did differ on my personal ballot I I've said it several times for this offseason I 2. Denzel Burke believe Denzel Burke is the best player on this team and I did put Denzel Burke number one on my ballot by in large the staff agreeing with me that Denzel Burke is one of Ohio State's best players as he did come in number two in the voting in my mind I I think nationally I still think Denzel Burke's a little bit underrated I I think that uh you know we know there's some really good Corners in college football this year I mean will Johnson even I think most Ohio State fans would agree with the Michigan cornerback is fantastic Benjamin Morrison he had a great game against Ohio State when they played Notre Dame last year he's another Elite cornerback in college football of course everybody knows about Travis Hunter at Colorado of the two-way star of it he is but I put Denzel Burke right up there with those guys in in my mind I I have him as the number one player on the team going into this year just because of how dominant he was last year he he in my mind was the biggest reason why Ohio state had the number one pass defense in the country last season and I think it's so easy to be excited about the shiny new toy and you don't really get any shinier of a new toy than than Caleb DS but I I don't think Denzel Burke should be overlooked in any way as a star of this Ohio State football team for the 2024 season and certainly plenty of agreement among our staff uh that he is one of Ohio State's best players on the team though not everybody agreeing with me that he's a top two player on the team Andy looking at your ballot you had as 3. Jack Sawyer the number two player on your ballot Jack Sawyer who did in the staff wide rankings come out as the number three player in the preseason Buckeye 20 Andy why did you have Jack Sawyer second on your ballot it was really tough for me to delineate behind Caleb DS uh who who that number two guy was I definitely thought about Denzel Burke but for me Jack Sawyer was the best defensive player or maybe the best player period on this team down the stretch of last season um what he did in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri the huge game he had against Minnesota uh one of the few Defenders who really played his best against Michigan in that second half and um just overall what Jack was able to assemble in the second half half of last year to me when you talk about this defensive line being one of the better units in the country up front he's the Cornerstone of it and it helps too that he's partially responsible for returning so much talent to this roster uh now mostly thinking about who's just the best player overall when you're putting these rankings together but you know when there's so many guys kind of in that cluster it it's good to have that leadership component is something that kind of tie breaks it for Jack and I I really am excited to see what he can do this year I've been on that Jack Sawyer truther train since uh early in last year you know I think I I got on it before some other members of our staff you know were fully bought into the Jack Sawyer stocks but that's uh I expect him to have a big year this year and emerge as one of the nation's best defensive ends and I think that's gonna I think that's reflected in my ranking yeah I think it's fair to say the staff has caught up with you on Jack Sawyer of him uh coming in third in the balloting uh getting uh two first place votes from our own Jason Priestess and Ramsey nzala and so uh Jack Sawyer certainly with the way he finished last year I I think erased some of the doubts that people had had about him and really proved that if he can play at that level all year he might be an All-American defensive end this season and that's why he's coming in at number three on this ranking three Defenders to start the list uh the next 4-5. TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka two players though do come on offense trayon Henderson coming in at the number four spot he also received a first place vote from our Chris lauderback uh certainly W with trayon I think really the only question with him is can he stay healthy that's been the big question mark the last couple years if he can stay healthy he could be the best running back in college football this was a guy who led the Big 10 in yards for yards from scrimmage per game last season uh such a dynamic player both as a runner and receiver out of the back field and I think he's the guy right there with AA abuka who you really look at as the two established stars of this offense lots of other uh potential stars of this offense this year that we're going to talk about as we go along in the rankings but trayon and hen trayon and acha much like Jack were both voted as captains of this team I think they're really kind of the two foundational pieces of this offense going into the 2024 season and Chase certainly agrees with that because chase you had a Mecca abuka number two on your ballot I did and I think AA is one of those players like trayon that the question will be this season can he stay healthy and can he return to the production that he produced as a sophomore in this offense as a number two wide receiver behind Marvin Harrison Jr I guess I'm just excited to see what Chip Kelly can do with a meca abuka in this offense it seems that there's ways that they want to get the ball in his hands to allow him to be that explosive playmaker that he's proven to be even since when he was a freshman returning kicks for Ohio State you know they just want to get the ball in his hands they want to get him in open space and they want to let him go to work and to point on Trayvon as well he's exactly like that he's a guy that you want to get the ball in space we saw whether it was the Ruckers game the Wisconsin game or whatever last season trayon when he got the ball you know R days always described him as this home run hitter and and he gets the ball in space and it's like look out like he could hit the turbos he could hit the Jets and he could go all the way to the end zone for 60 70 80 yard scores yes with a Mecca I think you could be seeing some of similar stuff with him this season getting the ball in his hand in space maybe he could pop off a few of those runs as well coming in at number six on the rankings Ty Le Williams who 6. Tyleik Williams uh for much of last year you know I think Jack Sawyer kind of overshadowed him in the last few games of the year but for much of last year Ty Le Williams was Ohio State's most productive defensive lineman I know that you know numerous NFL draft analysts outfir have said they think tyleek Williams might be Ohio State's best NFL draft prospect among its senior class going into this 2024 season and Chase I'm gonna come back to you because you had Ty Le Williams as your number three player on your ballot behind Caleb DS and AA yeah I don't mean to offend uh defend Andy with that pick I think Ty Le uh just for me was someone that made quite an impact last season as with more consistency I guess in the lineup you know he I think he was able to sort of unleash if I can go to his trademark calling he was freed 91 was allowed to just kind of wreck havoc on opposing offenses and I think the impact that he makes from the inside of the defensive line also allows the linebackers to thrive whether that's going to be Cody Simon and sunny Styles this season or a mixture of Cody Simon and CJ Hicks even arell Reese and G powers you know those guys are going to benefit from the from the ability that Ty Williams has to clog up space or just to get into the back field and cause disruption and I think that multi-level impact that Ty Williams has is something that I haven't seen from other defensive players on the in the front seven and in that uh defensive line room not many 7 pound the guys that move like that for sure so not not to cut you off Dan but I I think just um I I I had Ty League sixth which is where he ended up and you know it's just I I I certainly see no issue with ranking him third uh you're not offending me with that selection there Chase 327 pounds five pbus and 10 tackles for loss not a not a common combination yeah the reality is when you kind of look at the the balling there was a pretty clear 7-8. Quinshon Judkins and JT Tuimoloau top eight group that separated themselves from the others in terms of how many voting points they got you know there Caleb DS Denzel Burke Jack Sawyer trayon Henderson AA bua Ty Williams and then quinan Judkins coming in at number seven jt2 moow coming in at number eight there was a 30o gap from jt2 moow at at number eight going back to number nine and so I think there was a pretty clear consensus among our staff those eight players are Ohio State's biggest stars going into the 2024 season now I I think it's interesting a little bit to look at the dynamic there of where quinan and JT are ranked because I think if you look nationally I I think there's a lot of people who think quinon Judkins is Ohio State's best running back and that JT Tu amow is Ohio State's best defensive end yet we as a staff collectively agreed that trayon Henderson is Ohio State's best running back and that Jack Sawyer is Ohio State's best defensive end looking at the ballots that our staffers submitted I think Garrick Hodge was the only member of our staff who ranked quinon Judkins ahead of trayon Henderson and I think looking at JT versus Jack if I'm doing this math correctly quickly I think Kyle Jones was the only member of our staff who put jt2 aaow ahead of Jack Sawyer so it's a little bit interesting to kind of see that dichotomy there between you know those of us who cover the team on an everyday basis and and people who are looking at it from a national perspective and I think that's probably particularly notable when it comes to trayon versus quinon because with with trayon we've all seen trayon do special things for the last three years we've you know maybe watched some games watched some highlights of what quinon Judkins has done for the past two years but we haven't actually watched him play on an every game basis uh like we have with trayon and so uh you know it's going to be an interesting Dynamic I think with both of those positions uh to see how how that kind of plays out over the course of a year who emerges as Ohio State's best running back and who emerges as Ohio State's best defensive end but I think we'd all agree that uh both both of those players at both of those positions are out outstanding players wouldn't we Andy oh yeah um and ranking Jack ahead of JT or dravon ahead of Quin Shan and I had trayon and quinon 78 right next to each other in my ballot um it's no slide against either guy it's just Ohio state is stacked at both positions and uh I think where Quin Shan where I'm interested to see Quin Shan is exactly how they deploy him because I feel like he might be a more consistent chunk Runner like sort of those six to eight yard Pops at a defense then whereas trayvon's more of your home run threat I think they have kind of complimentary Styles in that way so I'll be interested to see how they split up carries who ends up getting more production as the year goes on um and both you know Quin John's per carry statistics dipped last year trayvon's had some injury history as we know and that obviously really him in his second year held him out of some games last year so both of those guys definitely also have things in their past that they can ired out and be more consistent this season but uh exactly who that's a that's a ballot that could very well change as the year goes on it wouldn't shock me if quinon Judkins ends up being the more productive of the two or if trayon Henderson ends up being the more productive of the two and I think both are going to put up some really good numbers I made the comment earlier that you can't have much of a shinier new toy 9. Jeremiah Smith than Caleb DS but you could argue that maybe the next guy on this list is even shinier because jeremi Smith is has gotten I think as much hype as any Ohio State freshman has ever gotten going into his freshman year at Ohio State and that's why even on a team full of Veteran Stars he is ranked as the number nine player in in our in our Buckeye 20 and it at first glance that feels like it should be like a little a little bit like bold or controversial that like we're putting a guy who's never played a a college snap in the top 10 on a team that's B loaded and yet it really doesn't like feel out of place at all all all three of us actually ranked Jeremiah exactly 10th on our ballots but I think putting him in ninth it it does not feel out of place at all you know it would be tough to put him ahead of any of those first eight players we talked about because of how proven they are but I I I I think we could probably all sit here and say it's probably more likely that Jeremiah is going to move up these rankings than he's going to move down them because everything we have seen this spring has been just phenomenal and everything we've heard about Jeremiah this spring has been phenomenal and so I'll I'll go to you chase I mean with with Jeremiah being ninth would do you agree that you know where he's ranked is just right absolutely and I think you're spot on in saying that it's more likely that he goes up this list than to go down when you look at Jeremiah Smith and his performance this spring in the preseason camp you said it earlier Dan you think Denzel Burke is one of the best quarterbacks in America I think we would all agree that Davidson and bosen is also very talented let alone Jordan Hancock which I know those guys are going to be maybe a little bit lower on this list we'll talk about but W State's defensive backs are among the best in America and Jeremiah Smith outperforms them I don't want I can't say consistently because we don't get to see every single practice but there are highlight moments where you watch him going at Denzel Burke where you watch him going at Davis and aenos and even with the the talent that they have in the depth in that position room Jeremiah Smith is going toe-to-toe with them I also think too and this is I don't mean to cast lofty expectations on Jeremiah Smith but I was looking at these numbers the other day and I'd be curious what you guys think about it did you know that Michael Jenkins is Ohio State's all-time leading receiver in terms of yards and he has 2746 yards in his career if Jeremiah Smith is to play as much as we think he's going to play this season and then continues to stay healthy in year two and year three there's no reason why he doesn't end his career though it could even be three years as Ohio State's all-time leading receiver the touchdown numbers are a little bit more lofty you have 35 with Chris olve that's a little bit more lofty but the yards especially Jeremiah Smith could end his career as Ohio State's alltime leading receiver I don't think that's I don't think that's you know something that's unattainable for him and someone of his talent that sounds like a great 11 Warriors poll question right there andy I have a feeling based on what you've said about Jeremiah you would take me over on that yeah I'm I'm on record several times on real pod Wednesday saying Jeremiah is going to be at a thousand yards this year I think I think he's going to be the true number two guy behind Mecca uh and he's just way too talented and way too polished um coming out of high school what he's shown in preseason camp uh there's clearly a plan for him to start and have a major role in the offense already and what we've seen I think it's this he's really going to achieve things we've never seen from a freshman receiver at Ohio State and already has I mean Iron Buckeye earliest black stripe removal ever the staff has done nothing to sort of uh quash the hype about Jeremiah with some of those Selections in the off season and saying hey this guy has not only got talent like you've never seen a receiver he's got preparation and dedication and workmanship with his craft better than any receiver we've had coming in so this is a yeah I I just this just feels like a coronation year for Jeremiah as only a freshman and uh I certainly think he's more likely to move up this list than down the next free players in the Buckeye 20 are all defensive backs 10-12. Jordan Hancock, Lathan Ransom and Davison Igbinosun Jordan Hancock comes in at the number 10 spot lean Ransom comes in at the number 11 spot and davidon igbos comes in at number 12 and another pretty big gap after after that group until we get to the next group of players on the list which I think speaks to just how good this secondary is going to be this year you're talking the number one and number two players on the team plus three of the ever top 12 I mean this this is a secondary that is absolutely loaded uh and I I think you know all all all Five Guys in that secondary have a real case for being among the nation's very best at their respective positions would you agree Chase I would agree and let me put a pin in that real quick I just want to mention so that people don't come at me in the comments AA Iuka is very close probably should surpass Michael Jenkins in terms of alltime receiving yards this season he only needs like 800 or 900 more yards but no matter what EGA abuka gets I just want to say I still think Jeremiah Smith could surpass that number when it's all said and done going back to the defensive backs I totally agree I think that each of those guys are in position to have enormous years for Ohio State especially with the way that each of them have a chip on their shoulder it seems lean Ransom was talking the other day when we had him after a preseason practice talking about how he feels I guess a little bit underrated coming in this year because of Ohio State's addition of Caleb DS that you know he's excited to work with Caleb DS but I think that he may feel a little bit as an afterthought in that back end of the defense and he's someone that when you look at Ohio State's defensive scheme and the way that it operated before and after his injury last season it it it changed Sunny Styles had to move around you had guys like Jordan Hancock playing more consistently um I think the way that he can impact in his leadership especially on the back end of that defense is worth considering when you when you look at his standing here in the buck act 20 the next free players on the list all 13-15. Carnell Tate, Donovan Jackson and Cody Simon received exactly 61 voting points which tells you how close it was Davis and osen at number 12 received 93 the next three guys all received 61 so that shows you there was a gap between those top 12 and everyone else but then it was very close uh the the next five players on the list actually all separated by only five points we'll start with the three players who were tied at 61 points each Carell Tate getting the tiebreaker on the the 13th spot because he was the only one of these three players that was ranked on everybody's ballot Donovan Jackson and Cody Simon both ranked on a majority of ballots but not every ballot with Donovan Jackson uh by virtue of getting uh two 11th Place votes while Cody Simon was not higher than 12 on any individual ballot Donovan Jackson gets the tiebreaker for the 14th spot Cody Simon coming in at number 15 we'll start with Carell Tate here you know this is another guy you know a lot of guys here we've talked about where they're kind of proven Commodities Carnell Tate is not but much like with Jeremiah Smith we we've heard a lot of good things about Carnell Tate dating back to last year Andy I know that you recently wrote about Carell what are your expectations for Carell Tate this season it the expectations I think are shaded by how many good receivers are around him right so I'm not going to put any like yard markers on it like I you know like I've been stamping the thousand yard thing with Jeremiah but I do expect him to emerge as a star and he expects to emerge as a star this year it's clear when you talk to him he's got that sort of quiet confidence that a lot of great receivers are built out of that I think we heard out of Marvin Harrison Jr the three years he was here very different players on the field but I I I think that sort of mentality and that self assurance that you know quietly hey yeah I'm gonna get this done I'm gonna be this guy Brian hartlin he say said he has maybe the toughest hands on Ohio State's team and when you watch him in practice his catch radius is really good and I think that's going to be something that stands out about him this year ability to snag a ball that's maybe over his head or um reach behind him and make a nice play but he's also really athletic and they're going to move him around the offense a little bit I think too which is something that acha obviously has the ability to do as well but they can play Cardell in the slot they can play Carell outside where I think he'll be primarily uh but I I do expect big things from Carell Tate uh the other guy you know tied in that grouping that I had I think higher than some others I had Donovan Jackson 12 on my ballot and it disappoints me when you say you know Carell is the only one that's tied here that wasn't on every ballot I I think that Donovan Jackson should clearly be one of the 20 best players on this team yes he had his hiccups last year had some lapses um obviously you know the play against Michigan but there this is at his best one of the best offensive guards in the country and he's got to do that on a more consistent basis this season I'm not going to deny that at all he's going to have to do it game in and game out and it's going to be really important for this offensive line to have him doing it game in and game out but he had games last year where he did look like an All-American and I think he's definitely capable of playing to that level and all around I would put him highest among Ohio State's offensive lineman and and did on my buck IE 20 obviously all right Chase I got to give you an opportunity to defend yourself now because you were one of the two that did not include Donovan Jackson on your ballot what went into that reasoning I'll be honest I don't even know you know I I messaged Dan when I made my bracket and I think maybe some of us some of the staff members had a similar approach was I kind of just went with Vibes you know I kind of was just like all right I'm just going to throw Jeremiah Smith on there because he's looked good I'm going to make Caleb DS my number one player because he's looked great I'm going to take will Howard somewhere in the 10 to 20 range because he's impressed me as his quarterback performance um you know I think with Donovan Jackson maybe just the offensive line it's hard for me to rate them when it comes to the best 20 because you don't really get verifiable numbers or quantifiable data that you can look at for how they perform really I go off the Pro Football Focus grades that they receive and um I know I think with Donovan Jackson you're exactly right Andy there's the consistency thing there that I think you can deliver this season I think he will benefit from having an experienced center next to him in Seth McGlothlin and I think Josh Simmons's development at the left tackle position could provide some more stability on that left side to where I will definitely make sure to have Donovan Jackson on my next iteration of the Bucky 20 yeah I I think Donovan really ultimately came out about where he should be I had him 13 on my personal ballot and so I think him being kind of in that 13 to 15 grouping I think that's about where he should be and I think that was pretty much of a consensus from our staff now I do think he's a guy that could move up the rankings as the year goes along because and this is a guy I think if he puts it all together he can be an All-American left guard I mean he's he has that kind of talent I think we would all agree he did not consistently play to that level last year yet he still got first team all big 10 honors and so I think it it it you know the offensive line to chase his point it's a unit that tends to get kind of graded as a group rather more of an individual a lot of times it it's such a unit-based position it's It's So based on you know all five P Parts have to be working together for that unit to succeed and so I think in some ways I think Donovan maybe gets hurt by the fact that you know because the offensive line as a whole struggled last year that reflected poorly on Donovan and maybe you know maybe he gets knocked down a little bit further than he should be but you know I I I think the the reality is the reason why there's no offensive lineman higher than 14th on this list is because the offensive line was not good last year and so the offensive line goes into this season with a lot to prove Donovan is not immune to that but he does still come in as the highest ranked offensive lineman on the list at number 14 now interestingly Andy you did not have Cody Simon on your list uh as Cody Simon comes in at number 15 and and I think you know I I I think Cody's an interesting guy on this list because I think he is not as flashy as any of the 14 guys who have we have already discussed before him yet you just hear the way everybody on the team talks about him the fact that he got the blco the fact that he was named a captain this is somebody who the team has a lot of trust in and it is my opinion that in the last five six games or so of last season that Cody Simon was Ohio State's best linebacker backer now some of that was because of the fact that Tommy ikenberg was injured but I I think down the stretch of last season I think Cody Simon was Ohio State's best linebacker and and I think you know he is Ohio State's best linebacker as much excitement as there is for some of the other talent in the room I think he is going to be the leader of this defense this year and so I think 15th is a very fair place to rank him be because of all the stars that he has around on his team but I I do like him being in that top 15 Andy why did you end up omitting him from your ballot yeah I can't argue with the 15th placement and and full disclosure you know I just I submitted my ballot before the but the blocko came out you find out he was the single top vote getter to be a captain and all these things but um you know I think for me it was there are just there's just a lot of guys on this team that are super talented and that I have a lot of respect for and that you know Cody did it in the second half of last season I do think there's some sneaky pass coverage things that he needs to work on and develop a little bit heading into this year um against the Run he's the best they have I think Point BL period uh and will'll hopefully you know some of those p and he's going to be the backbone of the defense um so not a guy that I'm low on per se I'm just like higher on some other guys I think uh and you know he could very well work his way into my top 20 by the next time we do this I I think he'll he'll probably make me look stupid in in the first handful of weeks of the season and and go out there and ball and I'll uh I'll have them well within the top 20 next time now I'm sure there's a lot of people who have been listening for the last 31 minutes and are going where's will Howard well here's will Howard will 16. Will Howard Howard is ranked as the number 16 player on theeye 20 going into the 2024 season and if you're asking why is Will Howard so low well raised now it's my turn to defend my pick because I did not include will Howard in my top 20 and and and truthfully my reasoning for that is very similar to these guys it's hard to pick only 20 players on on this team this team is so talented that it's hard to pick only 20 guys and there was enough uncertainty around will Howard based on what we saw in in the spring that I felt like there were 20 other players I I should put on my ball over will Howard will Howard would have been my 21st player so I'm not sitting here saying I think will Howard is going to be bad I think if Will Howard is what he I expect him to be it's very likely he will be in my ballot next time around but I I I wanted to kind of take a wait and see approach with Will Howard because of the fact that you know we did see that un unevenness of MPR I I still while I think we have seen a lot of good things in preseason camp I I'm not quite there yet on him being a Star Quarterback I I think he can be good enough for this team but I think a lot of that is going to be being able to take advantage of the weapons that he has around him some of whom we've already mentioned here now certainly uh not surprising for a quarterback I I think one of the more polarizing players in terms of a B in on this list you know he he was ranked uh as high as I think eighth on on one ballot Andy I believe you had him 13th on your ballot you had a lot of the same concerns that I did about will coming out of spring so what sold you to to move him up to 13th on your ballot coming out of preseason camp I think everything that isn't talking about his deep ball accuracy and you know is that's a component of his game that even if it doesn't get to you know the consistency completing somewhere around 50% of your deep throws that sort of thing the offense can still succeed without that component but what we've heard about him as a leader taking commanded the Huddle what we saw with him in those handful of practices we got to watch and uh just the accuracy he has all around the field you know kind of 20 yards and under and really good Snappy decision maker the rushing threat is huge H and I think ultimately he's separated from the rest of the quarterbacks for a reason and there are some good quarterbacks in Ohio State's quarterback room um so for for me I think what we saw in preseason camp is what ultimately vaulted my opinion of him upward and if if he proves to be a guy who can stretch defenses deep and um that it's not only going to be a huge dividend for Ohio State's offense because I think that vertical stretch is something that can always like impact your ability to move the ball um but it it'll also catapult him up I guess everyone's ballots even further I'd imagine another player who I think 17. Sonny Styles is firmly in the camp of guys who could rise in the Buckeye 20 this season is sunny Styles who starts the year out 17th on the Buckeye 20 and you know that has a lot to do with the fact that he's playing a brand new position he was a safety last year now he's a linebacker so he has to prove himself at this new position but his upside uh to a star at that will linebacker position is very high I mean you're talking about a guy who was ranked in the top 20 of Bruce Feldman's freaks list for a reason this guy is uh he he he runs like a safety but he's 64 235 pounds and based on everything we've seen this pre season uh he he he has looked like a very natural linebacker and so uh I don't dispute the ranking of him being 17th just based on the fact that you know he's going to play a new POS position that he's not unproven at yet I won't be surprised if that ultimately proves to be too low over the course of a season Chase I I believe you had him 13th on your ballot so what were the Vibes you were getting on Sunny Styles the ranking where you did I just think his athleticism intrigues me more than anything else I think this comparison Andy will like probably you too Dan for him playing safety last season it was kind of like a wrestler on Ohio State's wrestling team going below weight you know he had to keep himself at a weight to maintain his speed to maintain some of that athleticism to cover opposing wide receivers not that now he can let loose and not pay attention to his nutrition and his uh weightlifting at all but he's a little bit more free to you know eat some more food here and there to lift some more weights here and there and I think now you're going to see maybe even a more athletic version of Sunny Styles or guess maybe the more natural fit to his athleticism at the linebacker position to where he can be someone that can impact the game in multiple ways Andy mentioned earlier that Cody Simon is an excellent Defender against the run I think Sunny Styles can contribute in that way but then he also has the versatility to cover some of the offenses maybe their bigger tight ends maybe some of their uh Sizer their bigger slot receivers I think the ways that Jim NES will use him and Jim N has said as well that he has lots of success bringing safeties down closer to the line of scrimmage in his history of being a defensive coordinator I think now you're going to see Jim nolles really unlock a version of Sunny styles that we haven't seen yet in his time at Ohio State the Buckeye 20 for a 18-20. Josh Simmons, Ty Hamilton and Seth McLaughlin preseason is rounded out by a trio of big men in the trenches Josh Simmons coming in at 18 on this list Ty Hamilton coming in at 19th on the preseason Buckeye 20 and Seth mcglocklin edging out Josh frier on a ballot tiebreaker for the final spot in the Buckeye 20 as he comes in at number 20 uh I think Josh Simmons is interesting because when we did our pre-spring Buckeye 20 Josh Simmons did not make the top 20 yet now he comes in at number 18 I think that speaks to some of a good things we've been hearing about Josh Simmons coming into this season uh you know just the the growth that he seems to be making paired with the upside he has this is another guy you talk about freaky athletes uh this is a guy who's widely considered to be the most athletic offensive lineman on the team had some issues of penalty some inconsistency last year but if he can put it all together you this is another guy who has the potential to to really make a big move up the ranking as the year progresses would you agree with that Andy I would and we've seen it some in preseason camp you know he's looked pretty good and pass rush one-on ones against some of the elite defensive ends Ohio state has I really thought he took a lot of strides last year down the stretch he made my ballot personally I think right at 20th if memory serves but uh yeah I had him right at 20th but he's a guy that again that upside is there to where he can climb quickly and emerges even like a day two NFL draft piit is kind of what you feel he could become with the right season this year and if that happens you know and Donovan Jackson finds his consistency this left side could actually be a strength for Ohio State on the offensive line and what a turnaround that would be from last year if if that proved to be the case I do think Tai Hamilton's a guy who's maybe slightly underrated here and I think we'd probably all agree with that because we all had him either 16th or 17th on our ballots I think this kind of goes right in tandem with Larry Johnson calling him sleeping giant I think again you talk about flashier players on the team he he's not in that group but I think he's a guy who can be a really good nose tackle for this Ohio State Defense this year and so that's another guy that I won't be surprised if he uh you know gradually moves his way up the list over the course of the year if he can have that kind of breakout Fife senior season much like his older brother Devon Hamilton did as a buckeye Seth mcglaughlin another guy too where I think think you know I think for me I left him off my ballot personally uh because of the snapping issues that we saw him have last year at Alabama I think that uncertainty uh he's again a guy he would have been 22nd or 23rd of my ballot you know he was right there in that conversation but I didn't quite feel comfortable enough with him yet to put him in the top 20 but he certainly has the cape ability uh to uh you know move up the rankings uh and be a really good Center for Ohio State as long as those snapping issues prove to be a thing of the past now I want to go Brandon Inniss, Jermaine Mathews Jr. Among Toughest Snubs around the room here and and talk about who are the guys who are not in the preseason Buckeye 20 that either should be or you think will be by the time this season is over Chase I'll start with you who who's one guy who jumps out to you in that regard I would probably say the wide receiver we didn't mention being Brandon inis um you know the way that Ohio state has talked about him it it's a similar archetype or a similar model to a mecha bua you know Chip Kelly's going to use him in these ways where they're going to try and get him the ball and try and get him in space um he has a history as a running back he has a history as a wide receiver he has a history probably even as a quarterback you know this guy's just a a a one-of-a-kind athlete like so many people on Ohio State's roster that I can Envision him having uh an early season surge uh maybe just something that puts them on the map of Ohio State fans uh now watching these early games against akan against Western Michigan against Marshall where a lot of depth is going to play so you know he might not be that top three receiver in terms of the starting lineup with acha and Jeremiah and Carell but you're going to see him get a lot of reps and I think with those reps he'll do good things all three of us had Brandon inis on our ballot so if it had been just us threee making the rankings would have been in in the Buckey 20 Andy I think you had Brandon in as 15th so you certainly agree with him being a snub here uh yeah and that was I I believe probably the top guy on my list that didn't make the top 20 uh I'm really high on what Brandon can accomplish this year not just in the offense he's such a dynamic weapon and very explosive in space very Shifty um kind of reminds me of Garrett Wilson in in some of those regards what he can do out of the slot but as a returner I think he's gonna turn some heads this year uh get that he said he wants a Punk return touchdown and I I wouldn't put it past him to get one he's a very Dynamic player in space uh and for me like Chase I think probably the number one player left off of the Buckeye 20 that I would have put on it the other guy for me the guy who was actually highest on my ballot that did not make the Buckey 20 was Germaine Matthews Jr because I've said it before I think Germaine Matthews Jr would be starting for any other team in college football I think if Germaine Matthews Jr had a path to a starting lineup he'd be a guy that he might be a top 10 player on this list by by the end of the year I think he's that good uh I think you know for both of those guys really the only reason those guys aren't in the top 20 is because of how loaded their position groups are you know you most likely neither one of those guys are going to be starting for Ohio State this year but again they would start pretty much anywhere else in in the country and and I think that's especially true for for J Germaine Matthews Jr I understand why he didn't make this list because we don't know how much he's gonna play this year just because he has den zberg and Davis and osin and Jordan Hancock in front of him but I think you feel very good about if you know you don't want to lose any of those top three guys to an injury because they're all so good but if any of them do have to miss time I I think you feel very good about having Germaine Matthews as a guy who can step up and play at that spot much like you would at wide receiver with with Brandon inis uh just looking at our balloting there were five total players who received votes who did not make the Buckeye 20 as you mentioned Josh frier uh he actually tied with Seth mcglaughlin for voting point so he was the first man left out followed by Brandon inis venger Matthews Jr and then receiving one vote each were CJ Hicks and Kaden Curry chase you had CJ Hicks at number 20 on your ballot I did I had him behind Cody Simon and sunny Styles and I think for me it's it's all all about CJ hicks's potential and I feel like we've kind of been talking about his potential for a few years now and I don't mean to put an ultimatum on his ability but I do think that there is sort of this narrative building around him like if not now when you know if if this is the opportunity for him to seize control of reps to seize control of snaps and opportunities to rack up tackles for loss as he said in his press conference earlier this uh preseason and rack up those sacks rack up those tackles you know Ohio State fans have been waiting a long time because he's kind of just been I guess not as far as a household name but I think a lot of Ohio State fans know who he is because in his recruiting class he was the leader he was the one that was bringing everybody else along he was the one you know he's from Ohio he's an Ohio kid all these things built up to this reputation that he hasn't quite met yet and I think that there's uh some Intrigue to him just in terms of what production he can have this season as maybe a third linebacker behind Simon and styles well it's going to be really fascinating to see how these rankings develop over the course of a year I think if this team lives up to expectations it's not going to get any easier it's only going to get harder to to pick only 20 players uh to to make these rankings going forward because uh there could be guys we didn't even mention who uh you know have breakout years end up having bigger roles than expected you know it always happens every year there's always a guy uh who you know you're not talking about a ton in a preseason and then he ends up really end up making a big impact for the team and so you know we'll see who does that guy end up being is that guy uh in the next edition of the Buckeye 20 which will come out midseason will get through that first half of the Season get through that big Oregon game uh in the middle of October and then that second bye uh we will be back with another edition of the Buckeye 20 ranking Ohio State's 20 best players through the first half of the season and so we appreciate you all joining us for the first edition of the Buckeye 20 show we hope you enjoyed it and make sure you stay tuned with 11w warriors.com for much more coverage of Ohio State football as the Buckey's 2024 season gets underway this week