Latest news with #OhioState
USA Today
21 minutes ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Predicting the 2025 first-team All-Big Ten offense
The Big Ten is arguably more talented than it's ever been thanks to the addition of four West Coast programs - including two recruiting powerhouses - and the transfer portal, which has allowed top teams another avenue to bring in talented players. With the conglomeration of talent within the conference, earning a spot on the end-of-season All-Big Ten teams is a tough task. Here's my prediction for how the postseason first-team All-Big Ten offense will look. Quarterback: Drew Allar, Penn State It's easy to point to Allar's shortcomings in big moments, including poor performances against Ohio State and Notre Dame last season, but it's also clear the former 5-star recruit has improved year over year. In his first season under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Allar's completion percentage jumped from 59.9% to 66.5%, and his average yards per completion increased considerably from 6.8 to 8.4. His one regression came in the touchdown-interception ratio, a side effect of pushing the ball downfield, but it was still a solid 24-8 mark in 2024. With another year working under Kotelnicki and a revamped wide receiver room - including a real threat in the slot for the first time - Allar could be poised for another leap forward. Looking at the rest of the Big Ten, Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon are all breaking in new quarterbacks, and many other teams don't have the surrounding talent to produce big offensive numbers. Due to a lack of proven commodities around the league, Allar should be viewed as the frontrunner for this honor. It wouldn't be surprising to see a young quarterback like Dylan Raiola or Bryce Underwood jump up and take this spot, but it's hard to project that at this point in the offseason. Running back: Nick Singleton, Penn State One of the top running backs in the country, Nick Singleton will return for his senior season in 2025 and has the chance to set Penn State's career rushing yards record. Singleton, a former 5-star recruit, already has name recognition and a pair of 1,000 yard rushing seasons under his belt. With potentially his best offensive line yet and partner Kaytron Allen to relieve some of the workload, Singleton could be in for monster numbers this season. The Nittany Lions added Stan Drayton, one of the best running backs coaches in the country, to serve as a catalyst for Singleton's success this season. Additionally, many of the conference's top running backs from last season, including Kaleb Johnson, Kyle Monongai, Jordan James, Woody Marks, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are all off to the NFL. Singleton's stiffest competition for this honor may be his own teammate Allen. Running back: Darius Taylor, Minnesota Though he doesn't have the same name recognition as Singleton, Darius Taylor has quietly been one of the top running backs in a conference with extreme depth at the position. Though an injury held him out for most of the 2023 season, Taylor averaged a whopping 159.2 yards in five games as a true freshman. Last season, he racked up 986 yards for 10 touchdowns and added 350 receiving yards for two scores. With many of the Big Ten's top running backs heading to the NFL this offseason, the door has opened for Taylor to be named a first-team all-conference member in his junior year before likely heading to the pros. Wide receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State No All-Big Ten team would be complete without a Buckeye wide receiver, and Jeremiah Smith is the most likely to earn the honor in 2025. Continuing a ridiculous stretch of elite receivers to come through Columbus, Smith dazzled with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns as a true freshman last season while helping Ohio State to a national championship. Many college football analysts believe Smith would've been one of the top picks in the NFL draft if he was eligible, but he'll have to wait until 2027 at the earliest to hear his name called. Not only did Smith break several records for freshmen at a blue blood program, he showed up in many of the team's biggest games, including 103 yards against Tennessee, 187 yards against Oregon and 88 yards against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. Smith has already caught the nation's attention with flashy plays as a true freshman, and it'll be tough for anyone to beat him out for this title next season. Wide receiver: Denzel Boston (Washington) It took a couple years for Denzel Boston to find his stride at Washington, going from 66 receiving yards through two seasons to 834 last year as a junior, but Boston could be in for another big season in 2025. He was a consistent presence for the Huskies in 2024, recording at least two receptions in every game despite shaky quarterback play. Will Rogers was the week one starter at quarterback for Washington, but true freshman Demond Williams Jr. overtook him by the end of the season. Williams played well to close out last season and the buzz out of Seattle indicates he's poised for a breakout year. Boston is the clear WR1 for the Huskies in 2025, and with improved quarterback play he should eclipse 1,000 yards, which only three Big Ten wide receivers did last season, including Jeremiah Smith. Tight end: Max Klare (Ohio State) Max Klare was one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten last year, ranking second in receiving yards behind only Tyler Warren, who's off to the NFL via a first-round selection. Klare racked up 51 receptions for 685 yards, but the most impressive part is he did so at Purdue, which finished 1-11 and dead last in the conference last year. After transferring to Ohio State this offseason, Klare should see a significant bump in production with a competent offense around him, making him a candidate to reach 1,000 receiving yards, a rare feat for the position. Center: Logan Jones (Iowa) Anchoring one of the nation's top offensive lines, Logan Jones enters his sixth and final season with the Hawkeyes as one of the most polished offensive line products in the country. Jones was already a first-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media last season and was given the second-team nod by coaches. According to PFF, Jones didn't allow a sack and only surrendered five pressures in 2024 while facing some of the nation's top defensive linemen. Barring a regression, Jones will likely claim this honor before heading to the NFL in 2026. Guard: Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon) Emmanuel Pregnon flew under the radar as a recruit and began his college career with three seasons at Wyoming before transferring to USC for another two. With the Trojans, Pregnon started 25 games at left guard and earned high PFF grades. Pregnon didn't allow a sack in 2024, and likely would've gotten drafted had he chose to declare. Instead, Pregnon returned for a sixth season in college and transferred north to join the Ducks, who have a recent track record of producing elite offensive line talent. Guard: Vega Ioane (Penn State) Vega Ioane went viral last season when he was sent in motion for a pancake block against UCLA, showcasing his power and versatility. The Nittany Lion started all 16 games at left guard as Penn State pushed to the national semifinals, helping pave the way for Singleton and Allen. He likely would've been drafted had he declared, but Ioane will instead return for his senior season on one of the nation's top offensive line units. Ioane's size and strength were on full display during last year's postseason and should carry over into a big 2025 campaign. Tackle: Isaiah World (Oregon) The Ducks' smooth transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten can be attributed to great offensive line play, which has allowed Oregon to match up well in the trenches against physical midwest squads. That should continue in 2025 after the addition of key transfers. In addition to Pregnon, the Ducks added Isaiah World from Nevada, where he started 35 games across the last three seasons. Though he'll face a higher caliber of opponent this season, World is expected to continue dominating. He ranked as the No. 2 overall transfer per 247Sports and has earned buzz as a first-round prospect heading into his fifth season of college ball. Tackle: Gennings Dunker (Iowa) Another veteran offensive lineman, Gennings Dunker will enter his fourth season at Iowa and third as a full-time starter in 2025. PFF graded Dunker as the fourth best offensive tackle last season and the best in the Big Ten, and he likely would've heard his name called had he declared for the draft. Dunker was named to the All-Big Ten second team by coaches and third-team by media last season, and both first-team offensive tackles have since left for the professional ranks, clearing the path.
NBC Sports
7 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the wide receivers
INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top receivers from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Positional MVPs | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams The five-star Ohio State commit gets better every time I see him. His impressive track speed is what everyone knows about. But his ability to run crisp routes, create separation and catch the ball continue to get better. That's a scary proposition for opposing defenses. Many programs including Tennessee are trying to move him off his commitment to Ohio State. It'll be tough to do so as long as coach Brian Hartline is on staff. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT Gregory is a consistent performer at every event. He just makes plays. The Texas A&M commitment is a crafty route runner that gets just enough separation on his routes. But his calling card is his hands. Gregory rarely drops a pass and we didn't see it happen again during the Rivals Five-Star. Coach Mike Elko will have a very dependable weapon in his offense. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT The IMG Academy star was one of the youngest players in attendance but made a huge impact. He won the fastest man competition, beating everyone in the finals. McFarland was consistently open during the one-on-ones and 7-on-7 portion of camp. He's a name the country will know about in short order. Sadler was one of the bigger surprises of camp. We knew he was good but no one saw it coming that he'd be able to get open with such ease against some of the best defensive backs in the country. The Michigan native is electric in the slot and took home MVP honors. North Carolina has the momentum in this recruitment. But Colorado, Maryland, Michigan and Michigan State are still in the hunt for him.
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Big Ten and PayPal announce partnership for direct revenue share payments
We all know and love PayPal, and now it appears as though the popular payment platform has entered into an agreement with the Big Ten to be the official payment system for direct revenue-share payments to athletes. This is on the heels of the House Settlement that not only provides the distribution of a settlement to past athletes, but also paves the way for direct revenue share payments to athletes going forward. For Ohio State's part, Athletic Director Ross Bjork announced that the $20.5 million allotted for payments will fund all scholarships, then split between four sports; football, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball. It's not just the Big Ten that announced the arrangement with PayPal, but the Big 12 as well. 'We're proud to help lead this transformation in college athletics by making it easier and faster for student-athletes to receive funds and continue to bring trusted and innovative commerce solutions to the heart of campus life,' said Alex Chriss, President and CEO, PayPal in a statement. 'From receiving institutional payments to making everyday purchases, we're helping student-athletes, families, and schools engage in new ways that are modern, secure, and built for the future.' 'We look forward to partnering with PayPal to ensure a secure, rapid and reliable way for student-athletes to receive institutional payments as we welcome in this new era in college athletics,' said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, also in a statement. I still can't believe we are at this point in college athletics, but time to embrace it and move forward. It's a good thing that these kids are getting what they've deserved for a long, long time. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Penn State offense and defense ranked top 3 in EA Sports College Football 26
The highly anticipated EA Sports College Football 26 numbers are in, and for the second consecutive year, Penn State placed highly. The Nittany Lions earned a 88 overall roster ranking, which placed them as the No. 4 overall team in the game, behind No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. It's important to note no team was higher than an 89 overall. Broken down by units, Penn State's defense led the way with a 94 overall ranking, good for third place behind the Crimson Tide and Longhorns. It was the best-rated defense in the Big Ten, followed closely by Ohio State at No. 5, Michigan at No. 6 and Oregon at No. 7. Offensively, the Nittany Lions earned a 91, which was the second highest ranking behind Texas, which also had a 91. Penn State came in one spot above Ohio State, which also graded as a 91, while the next highest Big Ten team was No. 11 Indiana. Penn State's respectable rankings on both sides of the field are representative of the amount of on-field talent its accumulated ahead of the 2025 campaign. With returning stars across the board and some top transfer additions, the Nittany Lions certainly have one of the best rosters on paper, something reflected in the game rankings. Based solely on overall team rankings, Penn State is higher than 11 of the teams it plays next season, with the Buckeyes being the only exception. If that plays out on the field, the Nittany Lions will be well on their way to another College Football Playoff appearance and likely a deep run.
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State football 2026 wide receiver target postpones commitment
Ohio State football wide receiver target Jerquaden Guilford postponed his commitment announcement on Friday, just hours before he was to reportedly choose between the Buckeyes and Ole Miss. He was scheduled to let everyone in on his decision at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday but announced that he was postponing his announcement via social media in the morning. "After deep thought and prayer, I've decided to postpone my commitment," Guilford wrote. "This has truly been the hardest decision I've had to make so far in my journey. I will not be committing tomorrow June 27. A new date has not yet been identified, but I do believe my commitment will happen before the start of my senior season. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this process. Your patience and understanding mean a lot as I continue to seek clarity and make the best decision for my future." Guilford is currently only ranked as a three-star prospect, but Ohio State must see something in the 6-foot, 2-inch Fort Wayne product. He was considered a pretty heavy OSU lean after visiting a couple of weeks ago, but it appears as though Ole Miss has come on strong and giving Guilford something to think about. As more comes of this decision, we'll have more on it. For now. Ohio State sits in pretty good shape in this class at the wide receiver position. The Buckeyes have already put together another fantastic wide receiver class for 2026, led by five-star prospect Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, both out of Mater Dei High School. They also have four-star prospects Brock Boyd and Jaeden Ricketts in the fold. In other words, things are fine either way on the banks of the Olentangy for Brian Hartline and crew.
