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The Star Transfer Who Could Reshape The Ohio State Tight End Position · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes tomorrow morning for Thursday, February sixth, time
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  Speaker 1: your host Tom or the Texas game in two hundred
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  Speaker 1: and five days the game against Michigan in two hundred
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  Speaker 1: and ninety six days. If you're planning your next event,
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  Speaker 1: serving up smashburgers, gourmet sandwiches, and good vibes. Book your
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  Speaker 1: catering today at grateful Griddle oh dot com. Going to
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  Speaker 1: continue our survey of the twenty twenty five Ohio State
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  Speaker 1: football team and some storylines as the Buckeyes get ready
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  Speaker 1: to enter sploring foot spring football, and we're going to
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  Speaker 1: sort of skip over what you would traditionally expect, which
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  Speaker 1: is the wide receivers, and we're going to move right
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  Speaker 1: on to the tight ends. Probably a little bit more
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  Speaker 1: of an in depth look at the wide receivers coming
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  Speaker 1: a little bit later on, so we're going to just
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  Speaker 1: move on to the tight ends. It is, in fact
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  Speaker 1: the Year of the tight End, so we're going to
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  Speaker 1: be doing it with the co commissioner of the Year
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  Speaker 1: of the tight End Committee, Tony Gerdaman if bucke Huddle
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  Speaker 1: dot com Tony. This is a year where we're talking
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  Speaker 1: about a whole bunch of transfers, a whole bunch of
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  Speaker 1: departures in the tight end room. Pretty deep tight end unit,
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  Speaker 1: but some new faces there. The first face is going
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  Speaker 1: to be Max Clare. He's a transfer from Purdue. Fifty
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  Speaker 1: one catches, six hundred and eighty five yards, four touchdowns.
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  Speaker 1: He's got two more seasons left of eligibility with the Buckeyes.
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  Speaker 1: He feels like the tight end conversation sort of starts
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  Speaker 1: with the new guy.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, when you go in and you grab arguably the
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  Speaker 2: top tight end on the transfer portal market, that's where
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  Speaker 2: the conversation starts. And he was able to do this
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  Speaker 2: with He's an after the catch guy. He's a before
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  Speaker 2: the catch guy. I was watching some Purdue watching the
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  Speaker 2: Purdue Illinois game in fact yesterday, which was an overtime
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  Speaker 2: fifty to forty three something or other, and so they
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  Speaker 2: have him lined up everywhere. He'll line up at tight end,
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  Speaker 2: he'll line up, you know, kind of as an h
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  Speaker 2: back in the backfield. He'll even line up out wide
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  Speaker 2: in front of and then he's stacked with the receiver
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  Speaker 2: behind him, so he'll kind of run some interference on
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  Speaker 2: some wide screens or just run route. So they do
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  Speaker 2: a lot of different with them. But he catches the ball,
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  Speaker 2: he can make guys miss, and he's he's gonna they'll
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  Speaker 2: have to start blocking. Not that he doesn't at Purdue,
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  Speaker 2: but he's gonna have to do more of it at
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  Speaker 2: Ohio State.
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  Speaker 1: I was watching the Purdue Illinois game. Is I mean,
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  Speaker 1: I don't know if it's like technically, like medically a
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  Speaker 1: cry for help, but it feels like, you know, hey,
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  Speaker 1: if you need someone to talk to, buddy, I'm I'm
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  Speaker 1: right here, all right. So moving on from max player
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  Speaker 1: who may have to do a little more blocking, to
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  Speaker 1: Will Kasmeric, who did a whole lot of blocking last
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  Speaker 1: year for Ohio State. He missed about half the season
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  Speaker 1: with an arm injury suffered against Oregon, finished with just
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  Speaker 1: eight catches for eighty six yards. But that really feels
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  Speaker 1: like that understates his impact on this team, because as
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  Speaker 1: soon as he came back towards the end of the year,
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  Speaker 1: this looked like a very different Ohio State ground attack.
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  Speaker 1: And there are obviously some other things that changed there,
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  Speaker 1: but Will Kasmeric when they brought him in from Ohio
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  Speaker 1: University it felt like, boy, he's a really good blocker,
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  Speaker 1: was sort of right near the top of his bio,
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  Speaker 1: and he lived up to that within spades in his
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  Speaker 1: first year at the buck Eyes.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, they clearly went to Ohio to get him to
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  Speaker 2: come in and be that second tight end, be that blocker,
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  Speaker 2: and he did that, and you're right, I'm I'm gonna
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  Speaker 2: be I can do the same math that you can.
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  Speaker 2: The running game picked back up once he was inserted,
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  Speaker 2: reinserted back into the lineup and healthy and full strength,
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  Speaker 2: and I don't think that was an entire coincidence. So
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  Speaker 2: now you have him as kind of in the same
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  Speaker 2: role he had this past season, where Max Claire is
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  Speaker 2: the receiver of the two and will Kes Merrick is
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  Speaker 2: the blocker of the two. But as we saw at
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  Speaker 2: Ohio two seasons, his two seasons on the field at Ohio,
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  Speaker 2: he had over twenty catches each season, So he doesn't
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  Speaker 2: he's got hands. I mean the play that he was
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  Speaker 2: injured for four or five games on against Oregon was
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  Speaker 2: a catch down the middle of the field, stretching the field,
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  Speaker 2: So he has he has that ability. I think these
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  Speaker 2: two guys are a really really good one two punch
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  Speaker 2: and as will go on, it's like it's not just
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  Speaker 2: these two guys, but I think together they compliment each
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  Speaker 2: other very very well.
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  Speaker 1: They definitely do. It does feel like g Scott of
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  Speaker 1: course gone now he is out of eligibility, So Max
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  Speaker 1: Clayer is going to be playing the role of g
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  Speaker 1: Scott and willcas America is probably going to be playing
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  Speaker 1: the role of Willcasmeric next year. And Patrick gurd also
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  Speaker 1: is gone. He transferred to Cincinnati. So if you go
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  Speaker 1: down the list of most snaps at tight end last year,
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  Speaker 1: I think a lot of people are going to expect, Okay,
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  Speaker 1: the next name they're going to say is Johnnie Thurman,
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  Speaker 1: but he wasn't. But because Bennett Christian got more snaps
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  Speaker 1: than Jilanni Thurman last year. And Bennick Christian is another
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  Speaker 1: guy who it feels like probably got more play last
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  Speaker 1: year than you would have expected, more snaps for him
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  Speaker 1: last season, and he seemed like he was when they
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  Speaker 1: went into that three tight end sets and you know,
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  Speaker 1: even in the National Championship Game he was in there.
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  Speaker 1: He feels like he took on a bigger role last
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  Speaker 1: season and that's probably only going to continue to grow
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  Speaker 1: this year.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and you look to start season, he was behind
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  Speaker 2: Jelanie Thurman, and then about four games into it he
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  Speaker 2: kind of took over that spot as the number three
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  Speaker 2: tight end and kept it and continued to play. And
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  Speaker 2: maybe a forgotten guy, I know, at least forgotten by
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  Speaker 2: me because when we talked about the tight ends on
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  Speaker 2: either this show or Bucky Weekly last week, I'm naming
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  Speaker 2: all all of these tight ends and you're like, and
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  Speaker 2: Bennett Christian like, oh yes, also Bennett Christian like, there's
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  Speaker 2: a lot of guys here. And the way that he
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  Speaker 2: had to sit out last year but continue to prepare
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  Speaker 2: and get ready for this year. Was behind a bunch
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  Speaker 2: of people this year, but continue to prepare and get
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  Speaker 2: ready to play, and then was called upon and we
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  Speaker 2: saw him out there quite a bit, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: he's effective, and I guess you have to really really
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  Speaker 2: I'd say relentless based on the way he has just
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  Speaker 2: not given up. So I think that's that's a quality
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  Speaker 2: that you want from your tight end, even though like
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  Speaker 2: his relentlessness was kind of an intangible thing that turned
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  Speaker 2: into a tangible thing on the field.
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  Speaker 1: And then next up is Jolannie Thurman, who is someone
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  Speaker 1: who I think people expected this immediate impact from him,
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  Speaker 1: just he's kind of a freakish athlete and it's easy
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  Speaker 1: to dream on him. But there's been a lot of
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  Speaker 1: kind of dreaming and not as much doing from him
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  Speaker 1: over the first couple of years of his career. He's
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  Speaker 1: someone who you have seen these flashes and he's had
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  Speaker 1: these really impactful plays. He had that juggling first down
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  Speaker 1: against Penn State, for example, on a fourth and one
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  Speaker 1: or whatever that play was, but it hasn't been super
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  Speaker 1: consistent from him, and you wonder, now, Okay, this is
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  Speaker 1: year three for Jolannie Thurman, and the path to the
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  Speaker 1: playing field is I mean, if anything, it's gotten a
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  Speaker 1: little more money with the addition of Max Clayer. So
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  Speaker 1: this feels like for a guy entering his third year,
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  Speaker 1: this feels like this is potentially a really big spring
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  Speaker 1: for him.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, very very big spring for him. And we've seen
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  Speaker 2: him in big spots on the offense on the goal
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  Speaker 2: line as well, and they have been able to use him.
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  Speaker 2: But it's a very very deep room and you know,
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  Speaker 2: you look at him and he could be the best
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  Speaker 2: of all worlds. Like he's he's big, he's athletic, he's
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  Speaker 2: like if you just put it all together. And that's
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  Speaker 2: kind of been the story of his career so far
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  Speaker 2: Ohio State, all two years of it. I think at
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  Speaker 2: this point he started the bowl game against Missouri as
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  Speaker 2: a true freshman, played the first two snaps in that game,
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  Speaker 2: and then didn't play the rest of the game. But
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  Speaker 2: he does have a start under his belt, one of
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  Speaker 2: the many tight ends now at Ohio State who does.
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  Speaker 2: And yet you're right, it's you're kind of left wanting.
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  Speaker 2: But it's like, we also need to remember that this
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  Speaker 2: is a developmental position. And how often are we three
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  Speaker 2: years into a career for a guy at tide end
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  Speaker 2: thinking well, you know, if it doesn't happen now, it's
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  Speaker 2: never gonna happen. It's like, really, that's not the case.
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  Speaker 2: This this past season has been at Christian's third year
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  Speaker 2: and this is the first opportunity or first you know,
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  Speaker 2: real thing that we've seen from him. I know, Kate
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  Speaker 2: stove or change positions, but even you know, his third
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  Speaker 2: year is a tight end. It was still you know
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  Speaker 2: what wasn't all that is thirty year on campus. So
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  Speaker 2: you know, we need to maybe give Jolnnie Thurman a
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  Speaker 2: little bit of a break. But the thing is, like,
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  Speaker 2: you know, Keenan Bailey tight ends. Coach can't give him
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  Speaker 2: a break. He's got to push him, he's got to
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  Speaker 2: make him want to be on the field and good
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  Speaker 2: enough to get it get there. And you know, when
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  Speaker 2: Ryan Day talks about him, We've said it before, one
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  Speaker 2: of the most I don't know how to describe it,
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  Speaker 2: just cold, not cold. But when Ryan Day talked about
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  Speaker 2: the things that Joloanni Thurman needs to do, just like straightforward,
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  Speaker 2: like he's not doing this, he needs to do this,
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  Speaker 2: And then you hear him talk about him afterwards after that,
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  Speaker 2: whereas seemed kind of like boy, he almost like read
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  Speaker 2: Jolnni Thurman the riot Act. He's like, no, he's just
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  Speaker 2: they they know he's loaded with all of this potential
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  Speaker 2: and they're not just gonna, you know, pussy foot around
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  Speaker 2: it and like, well, you know, he's a good kid
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  Speaker 2: and he'll get it. Like they they they know it's there.
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  Speaker 2: They're trying to get it out of him. But when
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  Speaker 2: there are so many guys already there and they're having
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  Speaker 2: to go into the portal for arguably their top two guys,
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  Speaker 2: it also tells you that they need to get more
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  Speaker 2: out of the guys that are there.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, as you said, it is a developmental position. So
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  Speaker 1: you know, this being his third year, this at some
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  Speaker 1: point you expect the light to come on and hopefully
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  Speaker 1: this for him is that year. But you know it
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  Speaker 1: better be that year because you've got some real talented
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  Speaker 1: guys behind him as well. Max LeBlanc one year behind him.
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  Speaker 1: He was on the team this year as a true freshman.
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  Speaker 1: He's going to take a red shirt year there. Did
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  Speaker 1: not play a whole heck of a lot because, as
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  Speaker 1: you said, it is a developmental position. They talk about
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  Speaker 1: needing to block like an offensive lineman and catch passes
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  Speaker 1: like a wide receiver, and that's not an easy thing
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  Speaker 1: to do at the big ten level. But this is
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  Speaker 1: a guy Max Leblanco, I know they're very high on.
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  Speaker 1: And then there's two true freshmen coming in this year.
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  Speaker 1: Nate Roberts will be in for the spring. Brody Linnon
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  Speaker 1: will not be in for the spring, he'll be in
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  Speaker 1: for the summer. But those are three young guys, all
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  Speaker 1: of whom are going to be hope to take on
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  Speaker 1: a bigger role. I think LeBlanc has obviously, with a
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  Speaker 1: one year head start, has a better chance to get
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  Speaker 1: out there and play some kind of an impactful role
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  Speaker 1: at some point this year. But for all three of
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  Speaker 1: those guys, boy, that's a crowded depth to try to
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  Speaker 1: ahead of them, it is.
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  Speaker 2: And one of the things with Nate Roberts, one of
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  Speaker 2: the top targets for anybody and tied end class this
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  Speaker 2: past recruiting cycle. I know Keenan Bailey really really wanted him,
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  Speaker 2: and so what kind of know what can he show
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  Speaker 2: as a true freshman. But again, you're not expecting much,
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  Speaker 2: but if you are an elite prospect, can you show something?
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  Speaker 2: And Jelanie Fairman lost his black stripe pretty quickly his
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  Speaker 2: freshman year and so he was showing stuff. So can
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  Speaker 2: Nate Roberts do that same thing in the coming months
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  Speaker 2: and what kind of summer does he have? But I'm
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  Speaker 2: also interested to see Max LeBlanc, who is a pretty
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  Speaker 2: talented pass catcher in high school, and what kind of
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  Speaker 2: development has he presented. I think kind of what happened
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  Speaker 2: with Bennett Christian last year. He showed the guys that
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  Speaker 2: if you just earn your stripes or or earn your
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  Speaker 2: snaps and earn your reps, you'll get them. It doesn't
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  Speaker 2: matter how low on the total poll you started. If
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  Speaker 2: you're performing, and you're making your blocks, and you're making
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  Speaker 2: your you're correct on your assignments, then you're going to
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  Speaker 2: raise up and you're going to play. And Keenan Bailey
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  Speaker 2: showed he has no problem playing for guys throughout the
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  Speaker 2: course of a game, So I think that's also an
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  Speaker 2: incentive for all of these guys.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, the path of the playing field may not be
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  Speaker 1: exactly clear, but it is there, and we will see
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  Speaker 1: who kind of treads that path this spring and then
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  Speaker 1: heading into the heading into the summer and fall camp
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  Speaker 1: for the buck Eyes certainly an interesting position. We'll see
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  Speaker 1: how that position changes getting used potentially this year. Do
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  Speaker 1: you have a new offensive coordinator, a new old offensive coordinator.
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  Speaker 1: His name is Brian Hartline. He's had the title before.
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  Speaker 1: We'll see if he has a little bit of a
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  Speaker 1: bigger role or what kind of role he has this
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  Speaker 1: year in terms of actually calling plays. That's something that
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  Speaker 1: Tony and I are you'll be talking about on a
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: live show that will happen Wednesday evening. We'll have plenty
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: to talk about there, as well as the hiring of
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: New Ohio State's new offensive line coach, promotion of Billy
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Spessler to the quarterbacks coach position, and much more. You
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  Speaker 1: can find that all at YouTube dot com slash Buckey Huddle.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: Make sure you're subscribed there, and also make sure you're
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: subscribed at buckey huddle dot com. That's where Tony, Kevin
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: and I cover the team, mark overs recruiting. We have
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: our whole team of exes and those grews there as
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: well to make you smarter football fan all at bucke
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  Speaker 1: huddle dot com. We hope to see you there for today.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: Thank you guys all for joining us. Have a great day.
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  Speaker 1: We'll talk to you tomorrow.