Scarlet Sunrise: Six Buckeyes players drafted for second year in a row
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Six Buckeyes players drafted for second year in a row
For the second year in a row, six Ohio State players were selected in the NFL Draft. The offense/defense split was identical to that from the season prior, with five Buckeyes offensive prospects hearing their name called and just one defensive prospect being picked.
Here’s a rundown of which Ohio State players were drafted this time around:
Rd. 1
QB C.J. Stroud – Houston Texans, No. 2 overall
OT Paris Johnson Jr. – Arizona Cardinals, No. 6 overall
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Seattle Seahawks, No. 20 overall
Rd. 3
DE Zach Harrison – Atlanta Falcons, No. 75 overall
Rd. 4
OT Dawand Jones – Cleveland Browns, No. 111 overall
Rd. 6
C Luke Wypler – Cleveland Browns, No. 190 overall
TAKEAWAYS:
- Ohio State still has more first-round picks than any other school in the country. The Buckeyes are first with 90 selections all-time in the first round. Then comes USC (85), Alabama (79), Notre Dame (70) and Miami (67). Ohio State was tied with Alabama and Georgia for the most first-round picks (3) this year.
- But the Buckeyes were only tied for fifth, in terms of most total picks in the draft this year. Alabama (10), Georgia (10), Michigan (9) and TCU (8) were all ahead of the Buckeyes in that department.
- Ohio State hasn’t had a defensive player go in the first round since 2019. The Buckeyes have had just two defensive prospects picked in any of the seven rounds over the last two years.
- C.J. Stroud became the highest-drafted quarterback in Ohio State history. He went No. 2 overall, two spots higher than Art Schlichter was picked in 1982.
- Paris Johnson Jr. was the first Ohio State offensive tackle picked in the top 15 since Orlando Pace went No. 1 overall in 1997.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver off the board in this year’s draft. He was also the third Buckeyes wideout picked in the opening round in the last two years. And offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has more on the way next year.
- Offensive tackle Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler were projected to land somewhere on Day Two but both fell to Day Three, with Wypler — who declared for the draft after just three years — falling all the way to the sixth round.
RELATED
Former Notre Dame athlete Lorenzo Styles Jr. commits to Ohio State
Ohio State got its first commitment of the spring transfer window Saturday. Former Notre Dame athlete Lorenzo Styles Jr., the son of former Buckeyes linebacker Lorenzo Styles, decided to return home and join his brother Sonny at Ohio State.
Lorenzo hails from Pickerington and was a four-star recruit coming out of Pickerington Central. He chose Notre Dame over Ohio State. At the time, the Buckeyes wanted him to play defensive back. Styles opted for the Fighting Irish, for whom he played wide receiver the last two seasons. This offseason, however, he has made the switch to the secondary, and that’s where he will play with the Buckeyes.
Styles visited Ohio State this weekend after entering the portal on April 21.
For more on his commitment, go here.
Four-star running back Jordan Lyle commits to Ohio State
Make it three running back commits in the Buckeyes’ 2024 class. Fort Lauderdale (Fla) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star running back Jordan Lyle pledged to Ohio State Saturday.
The 6-foot, 195-pound back also had offers from Miami, Florida State, Alabama and Georgia, among other Power Five schools across the country.
Lyle joins four-star Pickerington North (Ohio) athlete Sam Williams-Dixon and four-star San Antonio (Texas) Veterans Memorial running back James Peoples, who committed to Ohio State on April 15 and April 3, respectively.
Ohio State now is on track to sign a trio of running backs after not signing a single player at the position last cycle.
For more on Lyle, go here.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 126 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 210 days
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