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Ohio State Transfer Portal: What Are The Buckeyes' Biggest Remaining Needs? · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes Tomorrow morning for Wednesday, January fourteenth, I'm
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  Speaker 1: your host, tom Or the ball State game in two
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  Speaker 1: hundred and thirty four days, the game against Michigan in
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  Speaker 1: three hundred and eighteen days. Our friends at Greatful Griddle,
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  Speaker 1: Columbus's favorite food truck. They are now on Uber, each,
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  Speaker 1: on those apps, or check out grateful Griddle oh dot
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  Speaker 1: com to find the menu and find the food truck
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  Speaker 1: or 'or on those apps. All right, So on today's show,
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  Speaker 1: we're also talking about a different menu where the Buckeyes
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  Speaker 1: are looking on their menu for the transfer portal. This
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  Speaker 1: is like one of those New York diner menus or
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  Speaker 1: New Jersey diner menus where it's like everything in the world,
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  Speaker 1: Like there are like still ten thousand people in the portal,
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  Speaker 1: so there's a lot, a lot to consider as they're
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  Speaker 1: figuring out what they want to order. Bring in Tony
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  Speaker 1: Gerderman if Bucket Huddle dot com to talk about it. Tony,
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  Speaker 1: We're just going to do a quick run through position
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  Speaker 1: by position position, you know, room by room, I guess
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  Speaker 1: position group by position group at and you can just
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  Speaker 1: tell me, does Ohio State still have more work to
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  Speaker 1: do there or is Ohio State sort of done with
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  Speaker 1: their portal shopping there. We're going to start with a
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  Speaker 1: very easy one Tony quarterback.
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  Speaker 2: I think they're done now bringing in the Justin Martin
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  Speaker 2: out of Maryland. That's what they wanted, a fourth quarterback.
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  Speaker 2: So Tom, to answer your question very quickly, they are
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  Speaker 2: done for now.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, they are done at quarterback. We're going to put
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  Speaker 1: the asterisk on this two asterisks. First asterisk recording this
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  Speaker 1: Tuesday afternoon. So who knows if NFL draft declarations or
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  Speaker 1: further transferred to portal departures will change any of this
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  Speaker 1: second asterisk. They can always change your mind, but probably
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  Speaker 1: probably right now. That's where we are next up running back.
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  Speaker 1: This one feels like there may be a little more
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  Speaker 1: work to do in that running back room if they
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  Speaker 1: can find the right person.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's clear they want to add another guy. And
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  Speaker 2: they've had a couple of visitors in the past. One
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  Speaker 2: Michigan State sophomore Mackay Frazier, Florida senior Jacobe Jackson has visited.
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  Speaker 2: He rushed for about ninety seven yards on twenty nine carries,
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  Speaker 2: this year and as I think for Juco a few
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  Speaker 2: years prior to that, and so they're you know, they're
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  Speaker 2: looking around, certainly not going to pay a top dollar
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  Speaker 2: for a running back I saw. I don't think it'll
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  Speaker 2: be the whatever millions that Justin Haynes is is Justice
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  Speaker 2: sayins is interested in. But they would like to add
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  Speaker 2: a veteran presence to the room because right now they
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  Speaker 2: just have freshman and sophomores in there. In twenty twenty six.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it feels like you might be looking for CJ.
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  Speaker 1: Donaldson two point oh someone in that sort of mold.
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  Speaker 1: But yeah, potentially some still work to do there wide receiver.
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  Speaker 1: This is where we have the conversation about once again,
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  Speaker 1: we're recording this on Tuesday, early afternoon, where it feels
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  Speaker 1: like Ohio State is probably looking to add one more,
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  Speaker 1: potentially more, but at least one more wide receiver. It
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  Speaker 1: may be a familiar face or it may be a
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  Speaker 1: not familiar.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, they're still fighting to bring back Mylon Graham out
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  Speaker 2: of the portal and if that happens, then maybe that's it.
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  Speaker 2: And if that doesn't happen, then you want to fill
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  Speaker 2: the spot that you were hoping he would fill. So
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  Speaker 2: you're gonna have to go back out there and see
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  Speaker 2: what else is out there, and there there are plenty
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  Speaker 2: of receivers still out there, just got to fit that
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  Speaker 2: position that you're looking for, and one guy it may not. Basically,
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  Speaker 2: there's there's several types out there in terms of are
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  Speaker 2: you looking for a Z type, You're looking for an AX,
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  Speaker 2: are you looking for a slot? It just depends. Clearly,
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  Speaker 2: this would be a Z type receiver in Minlly Graham.
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  Speaker 2: So is that what you're filling that spot with or
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  Speaker 2: is it somebody who can do multiple things? And whoever
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  Speaker 2: it is, I'm guessing it's going to be a veteran
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  Speaker 2: as well.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that that feels like it has been a pretty
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  Speaker 1: clear pattern for them. It has certainly been the pattern
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  Speaker 1: in the tight end room where they have brought in
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  Speaker 1: two different veteran tight ends, which to me, Tony makes
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  Speaker 1: this a pretty easy probably cross that one off the
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  Speaker 1: shopping list.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I mean, twenty twenty six, if it is the
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  Speaker 2: year of the tight end, why stop now? But yes,
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  Speaker 2: I'm going to assume, and I think safely assume that
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  Speaker 2: they are done at tight end in.
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  Speaker 1: The portal offensive line. This is one that it gets
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  Speaker 1: very contentious in our comments every time we talk about
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  Speaker 1: a different position, why aren't they looking at offensive line?
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  Speaker 1: And to me, this one has all along felt like
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  Speaker 1: probably done unless a very specific type of player shows
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  Speaker 1: up in the portal. And then on Tuesday, a very
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  Speaker 1: specific type of player showed up in the portal. We
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  Speaker 1: did a whole show on that, so we probably don't
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  Speaker 1: need to do a super deep dive. But you know
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  Speaker 1: this is this is a what is this a maybe
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  Speaker 1: not but possibly?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, And so you know you're referencing Colorado rising
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  Speaker 2: junior Jordan Seaton and a big price tag has been
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  Speaker 2: thrown out there. But if fire State is you can
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  Speaker 2: go to him and be like, would you like to
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  Speaker 2: try to maybe win a national championship? You know, after
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  Speaker 2: two years of being at Colorado and not really getting
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  Speaker 2: to win much, does winning interest you or do you
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  Speaker 2: still need to make the same or more money than
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  Speaker 2: you were? So like, what is the draw? And is
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  Speaker 2: Ohio state of draw at all for you? And it's
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  Speaker 2: really it's the the all American type of offensive line
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  Speaker 2: that you'd consider adding at the right price, And I
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  Speaker 2: don't expect that to happen, all.
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  Speaker 1: Right, Moving to the other side of the ball now
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  Speaker 1: defensive end. This is an interesting one because as of
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  Speaker 1: the moment we're recording this right now, we're still waiting
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  Speaker 1: to hear an official decision on Kenyata Jackson and that
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  Speaker 1: will obviously impact this quite a bit. So they have
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  Speaker 1: brought in guys who are sort of could fill. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we've talked about Quay Rusa from Alabama potentially being that
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  Speaker 1: Rvel Reese type, So I don't know if he counts
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  Speaker 1: in this room or not, but this is this one
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  Speaker 1: feels almost more more TBD than almost anywhere else on
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  Speaker 1: the field at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, because if ken YadA Jackson does decide to leave,
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  Speaker 2: and then you've got some money to work with, is
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  Speaker 2: it enough money to get involved with Damon Wilson out
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  Speaker 2: of Missouri or somebody like that. And again, there are
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  Speaker 2: not too many top pass rushers out there. Maybe in
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  Speaker 2: the next couple of days, while the portal is still open,
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  Speaker 2: more will enter, but I don't know that's something you
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  Speaker 2: can necessarily just expect or wait on. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: the the NFL decision has to come here soon in
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  Speaker 2: the next next day and a half or so, and
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  Speaker 2: we'll see what Kenyada Jackson does, But yeah, I think
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  Speaker 2: it's a holding pattern. Once Ohio State knows, then they'll
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  Speaker 2: be able to move or be able to stick.
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  Speaker 1: Defensive tackle. They have brought in a couple of big
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  Speaker 1: bodies in the middle. My expectation is they're probably done
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  Speaker 1: there at this point.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would agree. I think they've got four guys
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  Speaker 2: that they like now, including the two transfers, and then
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  Speaker 2: you add and Edric Houston and Will Smith and whatever
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  Speaker 2: you can get from Jason Moore, maybe Trajan odum As
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  Speaker 2: a Red chir freshman, some of those guys that you've recruited,
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  Speaker 2: I think anymore can you expect to have five defensive
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  Speaker 2: tackles that you can work with? Probably four is about
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  Speaker 2: the best you can hope for, and that's what they'd have.
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  Speaker 1: Linebacker. They have been busy there. That was the spot
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  Speaker 1: we didn't necessarily think they needed to add someone, and
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  Speaker 1: they've brought in you know, one to two guys again,
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  Speaker 1: depending on how you want to quantify or qualify quay Rousau,
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  Speaker 1: but between him and Christian Allegro, it feels like they're
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  Speaker 1: probably done there.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would agree, And in terms of quantifying and
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  Speaker 2: qualifying them I you know, I almost feel like they're
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  Speaker 2: both replacing rvel Ree in a way, and Russa replaces
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  Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage rvel Ree, and Christian Legro replaces
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  Speaker 2: the off ball rvel Ree And then you go for there,
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  Speaker 2: and of course you've got Peyton Pierce coming back, and
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  Speaker 2: Riley Petty John and T. J. Alfred and you know,
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  Speaker 2: all of those guys. Garristed over all of the younger guys,
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  Speaker 2: So I think they're done there and pretty confident in
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  Speaker 2: that one.
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  Speaker 1: It strikes me that I don't think we've actually seen
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  Speaker 1: an official declaration from rvvel Reese, but it would be
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  Speaker 1: pretty surprising if arval Reice was not coming back. So
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  Speaker 1: you know that that's I guess still technically up in
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  Speaker 1: the air, but they sure are acting like he is
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  Speaker 1: going to he's going to be headed off the NFL.
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  Speaker 1: And that deadline again is on the fourteenth, So coming
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  Speaker 1: up corner, this is an interesting one because they've lost,
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  Speaker 1: you know, they've lost a couple of guys who were
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  Speaker 1: sort of in that corner Nickel sort of mix, and
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  Speaker 1: then they've brought in a couple of safeties and we'll
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  Speaker 1: get to safety a minute, but you know you've presumably
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  Speaker 1: brought in a nickel replacement. Do you think they're looking
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  Speaker 1: at maybe one more outside corner of the portal? Well?
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  Speaker 2: And that's a tricky thing. Can you can you afford one?
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  Speaker 2: And as somebody you know, what do you pay? What?
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  Speaker 2: What do you pay a third corner? Because you presume
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  Speaker 2: that it's going to be Jermaine Matthews and Devin Sanchez?
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  Speaker 2: Are you okay with Devin Sanchez starting when his freshman
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  Speaker 2: year was up and down? And is there some insurance
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  Speaker 2: that you want and how much you're willing to pay?
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  Speaker 2: But you know they were involved with corners early on,
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  Speaker 2: and I think I wonder how much of that was
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  Speaker 2: them playing nickel more than corner. But now with the
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  Speaker 2: nickel situation, assume we assume handle and we'll talk about
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  Speaker 2: that in a bit, does the corner situation become less important?
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  Speaker 2: And I like the corners that they have in a
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty six class, and I think you know, one
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  Speaker 2: of the ways to keep them is they'll be able
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  Speaker 2: to step into a starting role presumably in twenty twenty seven,
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  Speaker 2: like Devin Sanchez is, and they won't necessarily be looking
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  Speaker 2: around because they'll know they have something ahead of them,
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  Speaker 2: So I think I wonder if and not that you
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  Speaker 2: can ever look ahead a year in advance, But I
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  Speaker 2: do wonder how coaches decide, like, yes, we'd rather let's
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  Speaker 2: there's nothing out there that really improves us, and this
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  Speaker 2: will give us an opportunity to see what we have
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  Speaker 2: in the true freshman as that third and fourth quarter,
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  Speaker 2: so that we can better know whether to go into
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  Speaker 2: the Portland twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it does feel like long term thinking right now
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  Speaker 1: is end of the month rather than end of the season.
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  Speaker 1: But you know, you can only focus on so much stuff,
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  Speaker 1: and there is a lot happening all at once. As
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  Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier, Jermaine Matthews another name that we have
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  Speaker 1: not officially heard, is coming back, but they're acting as
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  Speaker 1: if he's coming back. We know Caleb Downs is gone,
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  Speaker 1: we know Jalen McLain is presumably coming back, and we
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  Speaker 1: know they have been busy in the portal bringing in
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  Speaker 1: a couple of safeties.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Earl Little and Terry Moore. I kind of like
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  Speaker 2: the idea of going to a bigger nickel if that's
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  Speaker 2: what Earl Little's going to do. Terry Moore fantastic year
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  Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four as a free safety for Duke
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  Speaker 2: four interceptions making a bunch of tackles all over the
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  Speaker 2: field are a little FOREI interceptions this past year for
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  Speaker 2: Florida State physical guy. So those two I think parm
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  Speaker 2: with Jayalen McLain and you've got a trio that is
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  Speaker 2: very versatile and you don't need to bring in any
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  Speaker 2: other safeties.
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  Speaker 1: So I know one spot that everyone in the comments
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  Speaker 1: wants to talk about, and I legitimately thought about starting
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  Speaker 1: the show with it because we have seen your comments.
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  Speaker 1: We are aware that Ohio State does not have a
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  Speaker 1: placekicker right now. Don't worry, Ohio State is also aware
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  Speaker 1: of that fact. They are looking at true freshman kickers
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  Speaker 1: that they extended an offer to one of the top
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  Speaker 1: available true freshman kickers a day or so after the
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  Speaker 1: Cotton Bowl. But I think also certainly looking at the
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  Speaker 1: portal there, my guess would be they would like to
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  Speaker 1: find someone in terms of a veteran as veteran heavy
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  Speaker 1: as they're leaning with everything else in the portal, I
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  Speaker 1: would bet they would like to have a veteran, proven
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  Speaker 1: kicker on this team next year.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And if they don't, then you're going to get
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  Speaker 2: what you pay for, basically, and it would be almost
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  Speaker 2: a shame to be so veteran heavy in the portal
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  Speaker 2: and then put so much on just a true freshman
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  Speaker 2: kicker in a tight, close game. So I don't expect
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  Speaker 2: that to happen. There are kickers out there who have
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  Speaker 2: kicked in college, and you know, it's still a few
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  Speaker 2: days left, and there are still two teams playing with kickers,
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  Speaker 2: and they still could enter the portal. I don't know
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  Speaker 2: that I expect that to happen. I think Miami's kickers
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  Speaker 2: already announced that he's going to be back. But yeah,
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  Speaker 2: I mean, you've got to go get somebody. So the
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  Speaker 2: assumption is like, don't worry about it, because it's going
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  Speaker 2: to happen. I don't know who it's going to be,
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  Speaker 2: but it has to happen.
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  Speaker 1: The last position is kind of one of the most
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  Speaker 1: interesting because it feels like Ohio State for several years
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  Speaker 1: now has been just kind of okay at punter, and
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  Speaker 1: we knew they we know they lost Nick McLarty, who
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  Speaker 1: was the backup punter last year to Arizona State. It
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  Speaker 1: feels like, presumably you're going to want another punter on
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  Speaker 1: this roster, and you know, it feels like the punting
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  Speaker 1: has not been so incredible that it should just, you know,
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  Speaker 1: the job should just be handed to Joe McGuire again.
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  Speaker 1: But I don't know, do you get the sense that
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  Speaker 1: they're actually in the port you know, looking actively for
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  Speaker 1: someone in the portal or is it just kind of
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  Speaker 1: you know, you have to pick your battles and you
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  Speaker 1: can only you can only go so dig in on
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  Speaker 1: so many different positions.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I was just thinking like, well, we haven't heard anybody,
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  Speaker 2: but it's like, how how intense is the punter portal reporting,
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  Speaker 2: you know, that sort of stuff going on. I don't
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  Speaker 2: know that it is. But then I'm also thinking, you know,
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  Speaker 2: maybe for this or the kicker, you could see a
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  Speaker 2: grad transfer at some point perhaps like that that is
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  Speaker 2: outside the bounds of the uh the transfer portal date.
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  Speaker 2: But would shocked if they just stick with Joe McGuire
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  Speaker 2: because they know exactly what they've got there.
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  Speaker 1: So there you go. I've nervously checked Twitter dot com
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  Speaker 1: one more time and no news has broken during this recording.
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  Speaker 1: So there you go. An extremely up to date as
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  Speaker 1: of the time of recording. Look at what Ohio State
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  Speaker 1: is still looking to do in the transfer portal. This month,
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  Speaker 1: we're gonna have many, many more shows looking at guys
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  Speaker 1: if there are any more departures, if any key Ohio
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  Speaker 1: state targets end up committing elsewhere, other guys you know,
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  Speaker 1: big names that you may want to know. In terms
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  Speaker 1: of guys who may maybe potential additions to this class,
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  Speaker 1: we got all that stuff coming for you in the
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: next couple of days, all at YouTube dot com, Slash,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: Bucky Huddle, and Buckey Huddle dot com. That'll do it
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  Speaker 1: for today. Thank you guys all for joining us. Have
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: a great day. We'll talk to you tomorrow.