Scarlet Sunrise: Cody Simon recognized as Campbell Trophy semifinalist
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Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon recognized as Campbell Trophy semifinalist
Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon is a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, an award given annually to the best football scholar-athlete in the country in terms of “combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.”
Simon is one of 201 semifinalists, the most up for the award since there were 199 nominees in 2000. That group has an average GPA of 3.65, and more than half of them — 121 to be exact — have already earned their bachelor’s degree.
Simon is a senior at Ohio State and a three-time Buckeyes scholar-athlete, not to mention a two-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree. The finance major is a candidate to become the third Buckeyes player to win the Campbell Trophy, joining quarterback Bobby Hoying in 1995 and quarterback Craig Krenzel in 2003.
The award has existed since 1990. Here are the qualifications: Candidates must be a senior or a grad student in their final year of eligibility who have a GPA of at least 3.2, in addition to a significant playing and leadership role on the gridiron.
Simon is Ohio State’s go-to third linebacker when it rolls out a 4-3 look, like it did last week at Notre Dame. Simon finished with 15 defensive snaps in South Bend, according to Pro Football Focus, and a pair of tackles in the 17-14 win. Most importantly, he turned the Fighting Irish over on downs on their first drive of the game by peeling off his coverage assignment and pushing a scrambling Sam Hartman out of bounds just shy of the line to gain.
Before the Buckeyes switched to a 4-2-5 base defense, Simon was a starter. He entered the season having played 31 career games, 10 of which he started, and all 10 of those starts came during the 2021 campaign.
Last year, though, Simon — the No. 10 linebacker prospect in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — logged the seventh-most total tackles (32) on the team despite ranking 16th among all Buckeyes players in defensive snaps, per PFF.
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 25. Then, on Dec. 5, the finalists will congregate for the announcement of the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy and earn a postgrad scholarship of $25,000.
Five intriguing games to watch during Buckeyes idle week
It’s the Ohio State off week. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t college football worth watching for Buckeyes fans.
Lettermen Row outlines five intriguing Week 5 games to tune in for while No. 4 Ohio State rests up after a 4-0 start, including road wins at Indiana in a Big Ten opener and at Notre Dame in a top-10 showdown.
Saturday is a good time to keep up with fellow Big Ten contenders Michigan and Penn State as well as Maryland, which could be ranked next week when the Buckeyes host the undefeated Terrapins during Homecoming Weekend.
Here’s a list of who to watch and when.
Chemistry between Kyle McCord, Emeka Egbuka goes back years
The connection between Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. is well documented. They won three state titles together at St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, after all.
But the chemistry between McCord and fellow Buckeyes star receiver Emeka Egbuka also goes back years, albeit not as many.
McCord and Egbuka came in together in the 2021 class, too, and developed a strong relationship and on-field rapport, which has been on display this season, especially last week at Notre Dame.
For the full story, go here.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Maryland: 7 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 56 days
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