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Ohio State Transfer Portal: Which Defensive Player Will The Buckeyes Miss Most? · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes tomorrow morning for Saturday, February. First time
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  Speaker 1: your host Tom or The Texas game is in two
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  Speaker 1: dot com. And of course they are going to be
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  Speaker 1: at Standardized Brewing in Lewis Center this Sunday from eleven
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  Speaker 1: to eight. Sounds like several Buckeye Huddle staffers will be
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  Speaker 1: there as well, so please do come say hello and
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  Speaker 1: get some tasty smash burgers from Grateful Griddle Sunday at
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  Speaker 1: Standardized Brewing. All right, so today's show looking at the
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  Speaker 1: Buckeyes who left in the transfer portal following the season.
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  Speaker 1: We did an offense show early in the week. Now
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  Speaker 1: we're going to taking a look at the defensive side
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  Speaker 1: of the ball and this is where perhaps the single
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  Speaker 1: biggest transfer, the guy who maybe was set to play
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  Speaker 1: the biggest potential role on the twenty twenty five Ohio
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  Speaker 1: State football team where he left, and also, boy, the
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  Speaker 1: biggest potential destination for him for anyone on this team,
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  Speaker 1: because they're going to be playing one of these one
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  Speaker 1: of their former players in the very first game of
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  Speaker 1: the year on what is almost certainly going to be
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  Speaker 1: a big newon kickoff game. Can welcome in Tony Gurnaman.
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  Speaker 1: If fuck I have a lot colm to talk about it, Tony,
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  Speaker 1: we have to start with the absolute big one hero.
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  Speaker 1: Canoe seemed like he was destined or very likely to
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  Speaker 1: pick up a much bigger role on the interior of
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  Speaker 1: their high state defensive line. He left probably the single
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  Speaker 1: biggest transfer that they had lost over the course of
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  Speaker 1: the offseason. But man, where he's going, He's going to
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  Speaker 1: go be a Texas Longhorn. So while he's leaving Columbus now,
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  Speaker 1: he is coming back to Columbus on August thirtieth, and
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  Speaker 1: it is going to be a monster game when he does.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it'll be a nice welcome home for him after
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  Speaker 2: being gone for all of about I don't know, nine
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  Speaker 2: months or so. So yeah, I mean, it's always interesting
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  Speaker 2: when we watch players transfer to see where they transfer
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  Speaker 2: and how far a step down they take, but this
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  Speaker 2: is certainly not a step down as just a step
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  Speaker 2: step over over the I guess, over the Mississippi and
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  Speaker 2: over to to Texas. And this is one where also
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  Speaker 2: I don't believe you can call it an nil thing
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  Speaker 2: because as an international player, they cannot accept an IL
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  Speaker 2: because it would interfere with like their their visas or
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  Speaker 2: whatever that they have here. So this is just looking
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  Speaker 2: for a different opportunity as far as I understand it,
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  Speaker 2: and this is an opportunity for him to I guess.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know what Texas's defensive line situation is right now,
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  Speaker 2: but he hero canoe at Ohio State was going to
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  Speaker 2: be top two at at either free tech or nose tackle,
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  Speaker 2: and he's been playing some nose tackle and him and
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  Speaker 2: Kaden McDonald likely would have been sharing that role just
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  Speaker 2: as other people have over the years for Ohio State.
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  Speaker 2: So this one was a little bit of a surprise,
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  Speaker 2: I think, to at least to me, that he would
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  Speaker 2: choose to leave. But going to Texas, it's not exactly
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  Speaker 2: a step down.
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  Speaker 1: No, for sure, and that you know, depending on what
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  Speaker 1: you think about this year's upcoming unproven mega hyped quarterback
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  Speaker 1: battle Arch Manning, you know, Julian Saying or Lincoln keen Hills,
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  Speaker 1: whoever it is for the Buckeyes, there are these are
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  Speaker 1: two teams that are probably they They certainly met in
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  Speaker 1: the final four of the College Football Playoff this year.
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  Speaker 1: They could easily meet in the final four of the
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  Speaker 1: College Football Playoff this upcoming season. So this is one
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  Speaker 1: where you're a you're a popular target of some very
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  Speaker 1: high profile teams that that that is not necessarily that's
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  Speaker 1: that's a pretty win win situation. Go play for Texas,
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  Speaker 1: go play for Ohio State. That seems like something that
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  Speaker 1: you know, a real, a real opportunity for him. But
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  Speaker 1: I'm with you, Yeah, that was that was someone who
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  Speaker 1: you thought might get a much bigger role for Ohio
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  Speaker 1: State this upcoming season, and now it apparably take on
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  Speaker 1: a much bigger role for Texas in the middle of
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  Speaker 1: that defensive line. Someone else that leaving the Ohio State
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  Speaker 1: defensive line. That was a little bit of a surprise.
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  Speaker 1: Mitchell Melton, edge rusher. He played four full seasons at
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  Speaker 1: Ohio State. Well, I say he should be played four
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  Speaker 1: full seasons at Ohio State. He was on the roster
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  Speaker 1: for full full seasons at Ohio State, but missed a
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  Speaker 1: couple of years with injury and was finally taken on
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  Speaker 1: a much bigger role towards the end of his of
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  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four season, and now seemed like okay,
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  Speaker 1: no more JG. Twomlowow and no more Jack Sawyer. So
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  Speaker 1: Heath heads off now to Virginia. You thought, maybe he's
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  Speaker 1: going to stay taken a bigger role. Nope, he's taken
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  Speaker 1: on a different role with the Virginia Cavaliers. Certainly going
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  Speaker 1: to be an easier, easier path to the playing field
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  Speaker 1: for him. And you know, maybe that's what this is
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  Speaker 1: all about, that you have an opportunity to put more
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  Speaker 1: tape out there. But this is another one where you thought, well,
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  Speaker 1: certainly he has an opportunity if he chooses his stay
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  Speaker 1: in Columbus, but ended up taking a different path.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, his snaps definitely would have gone up next year
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  Speaker 2: from this year where you know, he only played in
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  Speaker 2: one game over the last ten or twelve where he
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  Speaker 2: played more than ten snaps and that was that was
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  Speaker 2: the blowout against ten to see and even down the
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  Speaker 2: stretch since the Michigan game he was playing, he had
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  Speaker 2: more snaps than Kayden Curry, who you would expect to
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  Speaker 2: be one of the starters next this year, this coming
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  Speaker 2: year with Kenyada Jackson. So even then you're talking about
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  Speaker 2: you're gonna be on the field. But if you look
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  Speaker 2: at their their complaints throughout the season, like Kenyada Jackson,
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  Speaker 2: Cayd and Curry aren't playing enough, so maybe there aren't
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  Speaker 2: always snaps available for the number three guy. But when
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  Speaker 2: you're talking about Jack Stawyer and j T. Twoey molowhile
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  Speaker 2: being the top two, like how often do you want
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  Speaker 2: to take them off the field? I think the desire
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  Speaker 2: or the ability to give Kayden Curry and Kenyada Jackson
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  Speaker 2: rests in twenty twenty five to probably have a better
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  Speaker 2: opportunity for that if you were Mitchell Meltin, to give
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  Speaker 2: Mitchell Moultain some time with him gone. Now this is
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  Speaker 2: a it's a thin room that's going to require some
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  Speaker 2: freshmen to step in. But for Mitchell Meultain, who has
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  Speaker 2: did not play two years, played one snap or played
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  Speaker 2: in one game as a true freshman in twenty twenty
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  Speaker 2: the season opener and then did not play again until
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  Speaker 2: I believe the season opener of twenty twenty three so
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  Speaker 2: this is this is a guy that has has a
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  Speaker 2: lot of pent up playing time, and now I think
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  Speaker 2: he's gonna go and get all that he can stand, which,
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  Speaker 2: you know, hey, good for him.
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  Speaker 1: He's one And you're right, it was it was five years,
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  Speaker 1: not four. I think I said four earlier. It was
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  Speaker 1: five years. But he's also one where you look at
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  Speaker 1: it and it's like, how many years of eligibility does
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  Speaker 1: he have left? You get real squiddy, like, I don't know.
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  Speaker 1: It's all a little bit relative, like he might have
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  Speaker 1: two more years at Virginia, depending on how you wanted
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  Speaker 1: to find things. So yeah, it is. It is a
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  Speaker 1: you know, you wish him the best. Definitely not a
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  Speaker 1: spot where oldhouse Gate has a ton of depth between
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  Speaker 1: Canoe and Mountain, leaving probably two guys they would have
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  Speaker 1: preferred to hang on to. But move on to and
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  Speaker 1: let's move on to the linebacker position. This is a
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  Speaker 1: spot where the buck Eys do have a little more depth.
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  Speaker 1: They lost Gabe Powers to Kansas State eat Gay Powers
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  Speaker 1: and George Fitzpatrick, the offensive lineman we talked about the
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  Speaker 1: last time we did this, both going to Kansas State
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  Speaker 1: as the players to be named later in the will
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  Speaker 1: Howard trade. But this is one where I think when
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  Speaker 1: you have Sonny Styles back and you have rvel Reese,
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  Speaker 1: who was playing a pretty significant role this year at times,
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  Speaker 1: and then you know, we'll see where CJ. Hicks is,
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  Speaker 1: but you got some very talented freshmen coming in there
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  Speaker 1: at linebacker as well. This is one that you kind
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  Speaker 1: of go, yeah, I mean, I get it, I understand.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure he probably would have loved to remain with
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  Speaker 1: the team and you know, be part of that national
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  Speaker 1: championship run. But you look at it and you're like, yeah, okay,
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  Speaker 1: I get it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, you certainly get it. You could have understood if
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  Speaker 2: he's stayed. And we've seen the last couple of years
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  Speaker 2: how the backup middle linebacker is a de facto third starter.
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  Speaker 2: You saw that with Cody Simon in twenty twenty three,
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  Speaker 2: you saw that with rvel Reese this year. Could have
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  Speaker 2: seen it next year in twenty twenty five with Cody
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  Speaker 2: Simon or with Gay Powers. But rather than being the
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  Speaker 2: backup middle linebacker, I'd like to go and have my
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  Speaker 2: shot at being the starting middle linebacker at Kansas State because,
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  Speaker 2: as we always talk about with the with the guys
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  Speaker 2: that transfer once you get passed by a younger guy,
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  Speaker 2: then good luck overcoming that and scratching through that. Cody
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  Speaker 2: Simon had to wait it out after being passed by
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  Speaker 2: Tommy Eickerberg, gay Powers being passed by r Vel Reese
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  Speaker 2: this year, and pretty quickly that was enough for him
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  Speaker 2: to realize, well, we're basically the same class, So there's
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  Speaker 2: never going to be an opportunity unless Rvell resport you
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  Speaker 2: leave early for gay Powers to be the starting middle
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  Speaker 2: linebacker at Ohio State, So go somewhere else. And as
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  Speaker 2: you said, he's probably got some good word back on
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  Speaker 2: Kansas State from Willa Howard and hopefully it goes well
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  Speaker 2: from there because another guy who had nice moment early early,
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  Speaker 2: early seems like a year ago by now with that
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  Speaker 2: interception to that pick six. But an Ohio kid that
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  Speaker 2: she'll continue to root for.
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  Speaker 1: For sure and staying in the Big twelve. Now, Calvin
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  Speaker 1: Simpson Hunt cornerback someone he feels like a lot of
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  Speaker 1: the conversation we just had about game Powers and where
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  Speaker 1: he stood on the depth chart and guys who may
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  Speaker 1: have passed him. You know, you're kind of having the
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  Speaker 1: same conversation with Calvin Simpson Hunt, which is probably a
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  Speaker 1: good part of the reason why he is headed to Baylor.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, get passed by Aaron Scott and Bryce West this
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  Speaker 2: season in terms of playing time, only played on defense
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  Speaker 2: and only saw snaps in one game that was the
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  Speaker 2: second game of the year. So it was a step
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  Speaker 2: back from his true freshman season when he did get
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  Speaker 2: some playing time and looked promising and just wasn't able
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  Speaker 2: to build on that. Maybe part of this is just
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  Speaker 2: you know, you miss home and once you get closer
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  Speaker 2: to home, and he is from Texas, so you go
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  Speaker 2: go back home. Texas, a well known small state where
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  Speaker 2: everything is right next to where he grew up for sure,
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  Speaker 2: but even being back home in that state will probably
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  Speaker 2: you would think, you would hope would help him out.
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  Speaker 2: And he's he's former top one hundred recruit, all kinds
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  Speaker 2: of athletic ability. But you could say it just wasn't
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  Speaker 2: working for him this year when he's on special teams
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  Speaker 2: and sometimes he's not on special teams. So this one
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  Speaker 2: not a huge surprise. And then you know, as he said,
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  Speaker 2: once you get passed by two true freshmen, then boy,
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  Speaker 2: the riding on the wall is complete. Neon with flames
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  Speaker 2: at that point, Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: For sure. Airbrushed up there for sure, walks to Hockey
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  Speaker 1: Texas his hometown one hour from Baylor, So that's basically
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  Speaker 1: next door as far as Texas goes. Someone else who's
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  Speaker 1: going not quite kind of next door statewise is Jaden Bondsu,
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  Speaker 1: New Jersey native. He's headed to pitt not exactly the
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  Speaker 1: correct end of Pennsylvania, but you know, certainly a potentially
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity for him because he was someone who came
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  Speaker 1: in reputation as a big hitter and just never you know,
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  Speaker 1: that is a talented safety room at Ohio State, and
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  Speaker 1: you know, there's another year for Kaleen Downs, you know,
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  Speaker 1: there's another year for Molie Hartford. You've got some other
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  Speaker 1: talented guys in a Jayalen McClain certainly made an early
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  Speaker 1: positive impression there. Jayden Bonsu just never quite was in
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  Speaker 1: that same conversation with like a Jayalen McLain this year,
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  Speaker 1: So he was another one where it was kind of like, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: I mean I get it. And there's probably a much
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  Speaker 1: easier path to the field in the secondary for Pat
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  Speaker 1: and Ardoozy than there is for Ohio State.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure, And when you look at he didn't
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  Speaker 2: even play this year, so passed pretty quickly by Jalen
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  Speaker 2: McLain as a strong safety. You even had Inkee Jones
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  Speaker 2: playing in special teams ahead of him, yead Leroy Roker
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  Speaker 2: got to a couple of games ahead of him, so
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  Speaker 2: this one was pretty pretty easy as well. To me,
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  Speaker 2: I kind of see him as a future linebacker. He's
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  Speaker 2: just a big safety. So maybe Pat and Nordouzy can
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: do something with him and find a new home for
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  Speaker 2: him at his new home, or maybe he's gonna fit
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  Speaker 2: right in as a big hitting safety. But it was
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  Speaker 2: a tough fall, a tough hall at Ohio State when
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  Speaker 2: you're behind Leathan Ransom and then you get passed by
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  Speaker 2: Jalen McLain. You got Malie Carford there who can play
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  Speaker 2: either spot as well, and he was clearly ahead of
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  Speaker 2: bounds too, So this one was another one where this
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  Speaker 2: one you just didn't see it happening for him. And
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  Speaker 2: until he finds like like I said, I don't think
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  Speaker 2: he's a lot of safety in Ohio State's defense. Maybe
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  Speaker 2: he can be in pits, but we will.
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  Speaker 1: See, we will see for sure, and that's gonna be
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: that safety position is gonna be one of the many
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: things we're watching as the buck Eyes start to make
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: the turn towards spring ball, we're still sort of figuring
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  Speaker 1: out what that's all going to look like this year.
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  Speaker 1: There's a lot of exciting stuff to figure out this
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  Speaker 1: year with the buck Eyes in spring ball and heading
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: into the season. We're gonna be tracking all of it
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: for you at bucke huddle dot com. That's where Tony
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: Kevin and I cover the team, Mark Arvers recruiting, had
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: our whole team of ex's and THSE gurus there as
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: well to make you a smarter football fan all at
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: buckeyehuddle dot com. We hope to see you there. That'll
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: do it for today. Thank you guys all for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: Have a great day. We'll talk to Gen tomorrow.