Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Buckeye weekly podcast. I'm Tony Gerdeman. Here, as always with Tom or Tom. How's it going?
Tony, once again, it is a breaking news edition of the podcast. But unlike past breaking news episodes, we did not record this one in advance. So this actually is a breaking news episode in the true sense of the word.
And a surprising one because this is something that we didn't have pre recorded pre written, you know, anything like that. It's Kaleb Brown, redshirt freshman wide receiver hitting the transfer portal. And of late Sunday night as the portal door was closing, he slid under it like Indiana Jones reached back for his hat and grabbed it. And it was out the door in the end. So that's it, it was a surprise for me that I've been the guy on the kala brown hype train since since he arrived and probably before that, so this is a personal attack on me basically, unfortunate. And as I said, a surprise, but if you look at it, I don't know how how much of I don't want to say surprise. But if you look at the decision why it was made, and we're just assuming why it was made. This is the guy that's playing in the slot right now. How do you get on the field as the third or fourth slot this season, knowing that Marvin Harrison is also going to be moving around?
Right? This feels like when we go, you know, post spring we used to sort of have a list of here are the guys who I think might tend to transfer who fit the typical transfer kind of model. And generally, that's guys who are third fourth year guys who've been passed up on the depth chart by younger guys, and where there's not a clear path to the playing field really at any point. And so then they transfer and they go to a lower level school and then they have a clear path to the playing field. And Kaleb Brown really doesn't fit that because Kayla Brown was someone who felt like he was improving this spring felt like he was maybe taking on a little bit of a bigger role this spring. But he didn't necessarily have a clear path to the playing field this year. And, you know, as you pointed out, not only is that you're not going to play this year, but also that delays potentially some of your nio opportunities, you know, pushes that back here and all that. And there are a lot of guys who have left Ohio State over the years where you kind of go well, that's someone you're not necessarily going to see, you know, Jose is not going to see them on the field at any point in the future. And then you do have the occasional Joe burrow, the occasional Jameson Williams and I'm not necessarily saying Kaleb Brown is one of those, but he feels like he's more on that end of that spectrum than probably anyone else. They've lost this spring.
Yeah, I would agree with that. I do think he can play it. I think he will play and I think he'll go somewhere and probably start and be an impact player. It's just at Ohio State. You've got a mecca Buka as the number one slot, you've got Xavier Johnson in there as well. I feel like Xavier Johnson coming back may have expedited this decision. We also saw Bryce and Rogers in the slot and then oh yeah, in the summer, here comes five star slot receiver Brandon Ennis as well. So I'm sure and I'm not going to accuse anybody of tampering. But there's easy math to do and other schools can do it as well. And if you are going to be another school looking for wide receiver, there are few places you're going to look harder at that Ohio State and there are many years that you can get into to make some stuff like this happen but also, I'm sure you as you said the NFL stuff like you see your teammates with that. You see the opportunities that you're not able yet to realize but you could somewhere else. The decision making that goes into transferring or staying these days is so much different than anything before because you we also see guys that get found everywhere in the NFL will find you as they say wherever you go so you don't necessarily need to be in Alabama or Ohio State or Georgia helps if you want to be a first rounder, but you can go elsewhere and and make make a good living as a college player and then also be put in the eyes of the NFL but I am disappointed about this when he was the highest ranked player high strike receiver in the 2022 class. Among the receivers. He was the number 79 player in the the 24/7 composite. A couple spots nine spots ahead of Qian grace, who was still at Ohio State. Caleb Burton who has already left was a number 132 player, Kojo antwi The number 151 player still here so they're down Don't two guys. They kept two when Ohio State and Brian Hartline signed their 2023 receiver class. I think they were there there's plenty of speculation that this 2022 class had been recruited over. Ryan day even said it signing day or before spring, like they're going to have to step up. They're already being pushed by the early enrollees and three of those guys enrolled early carnality. Price and Rogers and no Rogers. And you've seen since loosened spring, two guys, Caleb Burton, and now Kaleb Brown both out how much of an impact do you think the 2023 guys had on these decisions?
I think it has to you have to assume it had a decent decent size impact there because you've got guys like Carnell Tate losing his black stripe already. And the guy who was the highest ranked of those guys, those 420 2023 recruits isn't even here yet in Brandon Ennis. So, the path to the playing field. You know, they did not lose a bunch of wide receivers from last year's team. You've got a mecca Buka he got Julian Fleming back. He got Marvin Harrison back. So already it was gonna be hard to get time this year. Jayden Ballard feels like he stepped up. He kind of took that next step towards the field. Carnell Tate took a big step towards the field. Me looked at the starting wide receivers for the spring game. It was Marvin Harrison, and Jayden Ballard, and Carnell Tate, and it was none of the 2022 guys and it felt like they were trying to find a role for someone like Kaleb Brown, we saw him returning kicks at one point and we saw him returning punts as well. So they were it felt like they were trying to find a role for him, to you know, that that's sometimes what they do to give give guys an opportunity to get touches have a role, you know, be able to be able to feel like an active part of the team, even if you're not, you know, starting at the wide receiver position. That was something that happened with Julian Fleming a couple of years earlier. And Mecca buco. You saw him before he was a starter at wide receiver, he was a starter at kick returner. It felt like that was sort of the path that Kaleb Brown was on but you know, when you have Coronel Tate, when you have no Rogers and Bryce and Rogers, you know, starting to look like okay, there's, there's definitely something here that you know, that that's tough that that's that's the kind of thing where you can feel like oh, you know, there's the road ahead of me as crowded. Now, there's a bunch of guys coming up behind me, there's not a whole lot, you know, that that that's a tricky tricky spot to go. And these are these are guys, killer Brown is someone who had offers from just about everyone in the big 10 He had offers from he had an offer from Alabama. He was at one point considered someone who Michigan who might be headed to Michigan, that he offers of Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan State, I mean, Kentucky, Louisville, this is someone who has options and when you are, you know, you're talented, but you're gonna have a tough time finding finding a spot in that rotation this year. You know, some some guys will choose to be patient and try and wait it out and try and you know, get you know, get those kick return reps or whatever. And sometimes it's you know, they feel like it's in their best interest to go somewhere else and try and get on the field earlier. And you got to remember this is someone who has had the benefit of working with Brian Hartline now for a year so you've gotten the teaching on route running and teaching on all the little stuff and hand position and all that all the stuff that Brian Hartline is so good at teaching. Okay, you've had a year at Brian Hartline finishing school so now now he's gonna go somewhere else and try and make it more of an immediate impact.
You mentioned Michigan Tom I don't want to throw this out there but he'll Michigan loses Ronnie bell to the NFL slot receiver AJ Hanning transfers out i That's a guy that could go in there and really make some noise from the Chicago area does he end up somewhere in the Midwest? USC loves to bring in transfers. They love to throw the ball that can maybe be an option. Deion Sanders Colorado I know they're already after other Ohio State transfers. So like why wouldn't you be after Kaleb Brown? I think he's going to have his options. And it will be interesting to see what wins out like opportunity. And I L What is it that you're missing right now? And, you know, I still think he's gonna be one of these guys that I follow on because I do think he is he's I think he's an explosive player who can play. It's just interesting to me how Ohio State just can't get these types of receivers to work. And whether whether it's Kaleb Brown whether it's Mookie Cooper, trying to get Jalen Gill trying to get Rondale Moore trying to get Wal Dale Robinson, where I think the only one that they've gotten in this vein might be Dontre Wilson and really that's it That's almost a different world now, but they just can't get these 510 Crazy slot receiver type of guys to work out at some points do they do they keep trying? I don't know. And now with this 24 class, which I think has two outside receivers right now and Jeremiah Smith and Maryland gram, I consider you to be an x and a Z basically. Now that go, you gotta go find somebody to replace this loss of Kaleb Brown and I know Brandon Inniss is already in 2023. But this is a spot that you now have to replace and I guess who do you go to go replace that you? Hey, Brian. Hartline go find us another slot receiver. Okay, don't worry, I've got you. And so it'll be interesting to see how they replace them with but now it's instead of maybe a three week receiver class, it's probably going to be a four receiver class and 2024
Well, let me throw this out. There is Sam Williams Dixon already in the class, potentially the replacement, he's someone I mean, they they had James peoples and Sam Williams Dixon, as running backs committed for 2024 already, and then over the weekend, they got a commitment from Jordan Lyle. So now you got three running backs in the class, you're probably gonna have three true running backs in the class. And you can either sort of space them out, and maybe one of those guys takes a redshirt year and you space them out, you know, chronologically or you space them out on the field. And St. Williams Dixon feels like he is the word from our guys is that he is maybe being looked at as a little bit more of an athlete, and maybe he takes on that Xavier Johnson kind of role, rather than a true running back. So you know, maybe the answer is already in the recruiting class and just is not labeled as such on the recruiting services.
And that's a great point. I completely whiffed on that one. Yeah, listen to that. 511 203. I can't wait to watch him this year. He's moved to Pickerington north and see how they use and I assume they'll use them as a running back. But you see the projections and like, Jalen Gill was used as a running back but then also in the run sweeps. And Parris Campbell was another. Caitlin Brown was a running back in Chicago and became this. So I think that's an interesting point. I feel like this exhibit Johnson role and usage needs to be expanded in it. And I think I've said this before, it feels like we're going back to the future with the Urban Meyer age back. But I it was a valuable weapon and a useful weapon. And one that was effective when they would use Xavier Johnson, however, they needed to use them. And I think there's tremendous value in having a steel guy like that. And and it's makes it harder for the defense. But it will be if that's like a new thing or a new old thing that they go back to looking for. And clearly, they are telling everybody athlete, because when was the last time Ohio State had three true running backs in the class?
I'm immediately going back to like the early 90s. And in there somewhere. Yeah, like Butler but doubtedly. And yeah, I mean, that's about the last time you can think of it because it's just, you know, they need a big running back class this year. Because they're potentially you know, you're losing mine Williams figure out for the year you're losing chip train them after the year is treyvion Henderson going to be off the NFL. I think that's a real possibility. So at that point, you've got just Evan Pryor and Dallin Hayden left of the scholarship back from this year. And, you know, if someone goes to the portal if someone gets hurt, I mean, you're really you're really quite thin. They're they famous, you know, the old famous saying you need a pair and a spare. Well, you could be even with two running backs in this class, you could be down to just a pair and a spare at that point. So yeah, that's a that's an area where they they certainly are gonna have a you know, it's not a coincidence that they have two guys, you know, two guys plus maybe one more depending on how you want to categorize people. But yeah, this is a big this is a big recruiting year for at running back for Ohio State and they have definitely, definitely I think Tony Alford, you know that all the concerns about Tony Alford magically forgetting how to recruit seem to seem to no longer be valid. Turns out he can still still identify and recruit talent at running back. Good news for everyone. I guess.
Let's just want to give the credit to offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.
i There are folks who will definitely want to do that. So, yes, I think yes, you can. You can Yeah, it was all it's all someone's fault when it doesn't happen. And it's all someone else's credit when it does happen. Yes, that's we've seen that we've seen that happen before too. Yes,
I would give anybody credit one but I blame Ryan day. The final thing I think I would just say is Kaleb Brown, departing. This is the receiver room that will be losing Marvin Harrison, Xavier Johnson. Julian Fleming likely possibly a mecca Ibuka like there are going to be spots available for next year. But clearly Kaleb Brown wants to play this year and has taken a move making a move to get that done anything else before we get out of here?
No, just this Is he someone this is someone who I think Ohio State fans at some point this fall, we'll watch him on highlights wherever he is, you know, as he played for Alabama, or Michigan or Colorado or wherever, and they will look at him and go, Why did we let that guy go? And you know, I mean, there's there's plenty of other talent in that wide receiver room. And that's just that is kind of the way college football works right now. So that's the best of luck to Kaleb Brown, and I think he's probably going to have a very successful career wherever Hills he ends up and just try to try to be happy for him try to be you know, like the Ohio State players. I remember watching the jailhouse tape players on the field at Jerry world cheering for Joe burrow was there had the LSU game on the Jumbotron during Joe burrows first year at LSU you know, try and try and be happy for him and you know, enjoy enjoy his success wherever that ends up happening. You know, that offer may not be valid if he ends up at Michigan for most of the Ohio State fan base, but you know, wherever it is, you know, it's a
good luck to him. I was gonna say I remember watching the Michigan fans being so happy for Justin Boren when they get his victories over Michigan, so yes, be classy like those Michigan fans if it happens, Ohio State fan so thank you all for tuning in. Minus and Bucha huddle.com become a member and say hello to us. We're there we're hanging out. Also thank you for continuing to watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/bucket huddle go ahead like this video if you want subscribe if you haven't hit the bell to be notified when we drop videos like this kind of emergencies happening all all the time. So plenty of videos like this one. So thank you all for tuning in. And we will talk to you guys later.
