Real Pod Wednesdays - Which Second-Year Buckeyes Have the Best Chance for Breakout Seasons in 2023?

Which Second-Year Buckeyes Have the Best Chance for Breakout Seasons in 2023?

01/25/23 • 57 min

It was a quiet first year for Ohio State’s freshman class of 2022, but many of those Buckeyes are candidates for breakout seasons in 2023.

That’s what we spend most of our time discussing on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

First, we talk about the impact of a couple of Ohio State football news items that dropped over the past week: The addition of transfer offensive lineman Victor Cutler and the return of sixth-year safety Josh Proctor. Then, we talk about all 21 members of Ohio State’s 2022 class and discuss their outlooks going into their second year as Buckeyes.

The full rundown of this week’s show:

1:13: Victor Cutler isn’t the transfer addition we expected, but it’s an addition that makes sense once you dig into it
6:41: Cutler’s addition could keep Matt Jones at guard, but expect Ohio State to experiment with different combinations during the spring
9:37: Ohio State has already added more transfers than ever before, and that total could increase in May
13:07: With Josh Proctor returning, Ohio State has a lot of options to fill its starting safety spots this year
17:24: Proctor wouldn’t return if he didn’t think he’d be a starter, but he’s going to have to earn that job
20:51: All three returning sixth-year seniors could provide significant value for the 2023 Buckeyes
22:32: C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles have the skill sets to bolster the defense as linebacker/safety hybrids
28:31: Devin Brown has a chance to be Ohio State’s most important second-year Buckeye in 2023
30:14: Caden Curry looks poised to be the No. 3 defensive end; Kenyatta Jackson and Omari Abor should have opportunities, too
32:05: Second-year wide receivers will need big springs to earn playing time on loaded depth chart
35:33: Dallan Hayden played the biggest role of any freshman in 2022, yet his role could decrease in 2023
38:26: Buckeyes need Tegra Tshabola, George Fitzpatrick, Carson Hinzman to provide offensive line depth
41:11: Bennett Christian has a lot of competition at tight end, but his blocking ability gives him a chance to climb depth chart
44:37: Gabe Powers, Ryan Turner among freshmen who will have to battle to climb depth chart on defense
47:04: Jyaire Brown may be the frontrunner to start opposite Denzel Burke at cornerback
49:23: Hero Kanu well-positioned to earn spot on defensive tackle two-deep
51:47: Lack of playing time for freshmen in 2022 could hurt the Buckeyes in 2023

It was a quiet first year for Ohio State’s freshman class of 2022, but many of those Buckeyes are candidates for breakout seasons in 2023.

That’s what we spend most of our time discussing on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

The full rundown of this week’s show:

1:13: Victor Cutler isn’t the transfer addition we expected, but it’s an addition that makes sense once you dig into it
6:41: Cutler’s addition could keep Matt Jones at guard, but expect Ohio State to experiment with different combinations during the spring
9:37: Ohio State has already added more transfers than ever before, and that total could increase in May
13:07: With Josh Proctor returning, Ohio State has a lot of options to fill its starting safety spots this year
17:24: Proctor wouldn’t return if he didn’t think he’d be a starter, but he’s going to have to earn that job
20:51: All three returning sixth-year seniors could provide significant value for the 2023 Buckeyes
22:32: C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles have the skill sets to bolster the defense as linebacker/safety hybrids
28:31: Devin Brown has a chance to be Ohio State’s most important second-year Buckeye in 2023
30:14: Caden Curry looks poised to be the No. 3 defensive end; Kenyatta Jackson and Omari Abor should have opportunities, too
32:05: Second-year wide receivers will need big springs to earn playing time on loaded depth chart
35:33: Dallan Hayden played the biggest role of any freshman in 2022, yet his role could decrease in 2023
38:26: Buckeyes need Tegra Tshabola, George Fitzpatrick, Carson Hinzman to provide offensive line depth
41:11: Bennett Christian has a lot of competition at tight end, but his blocking ability gives him a chance to climb depth chart
44:37: Gabe Powers, Ryan Turner among freshmen who will have to battle to climb depth chart on defense
47:04: Jyaire Brown may be the frontrunner to start opposite Denzel Burke at cornerback
49:23: Hero Kanu well-positioned to earn spot on defensive tackle two-deep
51:47: Lack of playing time for freshmen in 2022 could hurt the Buckeyes in 2023

Previous Episode

Ohio State’s 2023 Draft Class and How This Year’s NFL Decisions Impact Buckeyes

We now know which Ohio State players will be entering the 2023 NFL draft and which draft-eligible Buckeyes will be wearing scarlet and gray for another year.

C.J. Stroud left us in suspense until Monday morning as to which camp he would be a part of, but he ultimately made the decision we expected all along when he opted to go pro. He now headlines a 2023 NFL draft class for Ohio State that includes three sure-fire first-round picks (Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba), three more projected early-round choices (Zach Harrison, Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler) and several others who also have a good chance of hearing their names called.

That said, there were also numerous key Buckeyes who announced over the past week that they will remain at Ohio State for another year including offensive lineman Matt Jones, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and safety Lathan Ransom, joining a group of returning draft-eligible Buckeyes that also includes Miyan Williams, Cade Stover and Steele Chambers, among others.

We start this week’s episode by talking about why Stroud made the only business decision that really made sense by entering the draft and our initial expectations for the Kyle McCord vs. Devin Brown battle that will now ensue to replace him as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. After that, we take a look at Ohio State’s 2023 NFL draft class as a whole and discuss the impact of Jones, Eichenberg and Ransom’s returns. Later in the show, we discuss our expectations for Brian Hartline in his new role as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, how we’ll remember Kevin Warren’s three years as Big Ten commissioner and the outlook for Ohio State men’s basketball after a four-game losing skid.

The full rundown for this week’s episode:

0:36: C.J. Stroud made the right decision by entering the 2023 NFL draft
4:10: There’s no shortage of potential landing spots for Stroud high on the draft board
9:56: 75% of 11W readers expect Kyle McCord to win the starting job, but we expect a close battle
14:12: What Griffin learned from talking to McCord and Devin Brown before the Peach Bowl
15:20: How much of a factor will running ability be in the quarterback competition?
18:36: Tristan Gebbia’s addition is a depth move that provides insurance for a possible future transfer
20:42: A look at the draft stock for each of Ohio State’s 14 declared NFL draft prospects
30:42: Kamryn Babb is stepping away from football, but he’ll always have a moment to remember
33:14: No official word from Tyler Friday, Josh Proctor and Palaie Gaoteote, but it looks unlikely they’ll return
35:45: How many Buckeyes will be drafted this year? Setting the over/under at nine
36:45: Luke Wypler’s decision to leave makes Matt Jones the most important returning draft-eligible Buckeye
41:00: It’s good news Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers are returning, even though Ohio State needs to find a role for C.J. Hicks if he’s ready
43:43: It’s also good that Lathan Ransom is returning even though Sonny Styles and Kye Stokes are promising
46:05: Retention and recruiting two likely factors in Brian Hartline getting the OC nod over Justin Frye
49:44: No other staff changes appear imminent, though Larry Johnson and Parker Fleming are on expiring contracts
51:10: Should Ryan Day delegate playcalling duties to Hartline? There’s arguments for both sides
52:20: Kevin Warren will be most remembered for the COVID year, but his impact on Big Ten will live on through USC and UCLA
55:36: Ohio State men’s basketball has gone from a major Big Ten contender to an NCAA Tournament bubble team in just two weeks
59:28: It’s not time to write this team off yet, but the Buckeyes need to start winning some close games
1:02:09: Ohio State isn’t getting enough production from its transfers and its bench
1:04:26: Women’s basketball now ranked second in the country, but two huge tests loom next week

Next Episode

James Laurinaitis Returns, Ohio State Basketball Has A Bad January and the Buckeyes Land Another Big Transfer

Ohio State football got two pieces of exciting news over the past week, but Ohio State’s basketball struggles went from bad to worse.

We talk extensively about both sports on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, starting with Ohio State football. While it’s a quiet National Signing Day for the Buckeyes in that they are not making any additions to their high school recruiting class of 2023, they made news on Friday when they announced the return of former Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis to the program as a defensive graduate assistant.

We discuss the impact Laurinaitis could make for the Buckeyes both on the field and on the recruiting trail, then pivot the conversation to discussing the state of Ohio State basketball after a 2-7 month of January. Is this season still salvageable, and will Chris Holtmann be coaching for his job in February and March? We discuss what’s gone wrong for those Buckeyes, what needs to happen if they’re going to earn their way back into the NCAA Tournament and why we’d still be surprised if Ohio State made a coaching change this year.

After learning in the midst of recording this week’s episode that Davison Igbinosun had committed to Ohio State, we boomerang back to football to talk about the value of adding the former Ole Miss cornerback. Finally, we spend a few minutes discussing our ranking of Ohio State’s top 10 quarterbacks of the 21st century.

The full rundown for today’s show:

0:14: Today is National Signing Day, but it doesn’t feel like it for Ohio State
1:04: Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is a good class, but a little short on top-end star power
7:26: Hiring James Laurinaitis is a no-brainer that could pay dividends on the field and in recruiting
11:53: It’s way too early to call James Laurinaitis the next Brian Hartline, but you can see the upside
14:55: We wouldn’t have guessed a month ago that we’d be talking about Ohio State missing the NCAA Tournament, but that’s where we are
16:50: Ohio State went from losing close games to losing games soundly, which makes this more than just a slump
20:06: The Buckeyes’ laundry list of issues in January included rebounding, ball movement, shooting and defense
23:15: Bruce Thornton, Zed Key and Justice Sueing among Buckeyes whose performance has declined
32:02: Does Ohio State have a talent problem or a coaching problem? Can’t pin it on just one
34:43: Is Chris Holtmann coaching for his job right now? We still think he’s likely to be back next season
45:24: Ohio State has two winnable games this week against Wisconsin and Michigan, but 1-1 seems more likely than 2-0
48:04: OSU women’s basketball had a bad week too, but should soon get the boost it needs from Jacy Sheldon’s return
49:54: Landing Davison Igbinosun and Ja’Had Carter is a big boost for Ohio State’s secondary
54:31: Ohio State shows it can adapt by being more aggressive in the transfer portal
56:46: How our individual ballots compared to our full-staff ranking of OSU’s top 21st-century quarterbacks