Scarlet Sunrise: Chris Holtmann hits win milestone as Buckeyes coach
Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.
Chris Holtmann earns 100th win as Buckeyes coach
Chris Holtmann is only in his fifth season at Ohio State.
He already has hit a big coaching milestone in that short time. Holtmann notched his 100th win as the head coach of the Buckeyes on Thursday night when they beat Minnesota on the road. It was Holtmann’s first win with the Buckeyes in Minneapolis.
Holtmann was tasked with reviving the Buckeyes basketball program, and he certainly has done just that. Ohio State has made the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons it was held, and it would have made it during the COVID-canceled year.
Holtmann has raised the level of Ohio State basketball. His career record is impressive. And now, he has hit the 100-win milestone with the Buckeyes after a big road win.
READ: Short-handed Buckeyes earn tough road win at Minnesota
Buckeyes have top-notch recruiter already committed in 2023 class
Ohio State has an impressive start to its 2023 recruiting efforts. And with tight end Ty Lockwood already in the fold, the Buckeyes have an elite peer recruiter in yet another class.
Lettermen Row recruiting reporter Zack Carpenter has more on Lockwood’s recruiting ability — and who he is targeting to join him in the class. Part of that is here:
Ever since he locked up his spot in the class, Lockwood has been doing his duties on the trail as a peer recruiter. He’s trying to help the Buckeyes class take a next step and lead it to another top-five national finish.
That nucleus right now is Lockwood, Padilla, Florida defensive back Cedrick Hawkins and Ohio defensive lineman Will Smith Jr., who just committed on Sunday.
Lockwood says that he “never had any doubts” about his decision to become a Buckeye, and every time he visits Ohio State or talks with the coaches it further drives home that belief. Now, he’s aiming to show other top-end talent that his decision and the decisions of the other three commitments in the class would be the right one for them as well.
That starts with a pair of targets who have been Ohio State priorities for a long time.
READ: Ty Lockwood flashes impressive ability as he continues recruiting efforts
ICYMI: Latest Tim May Podcast
Lettermen Row’s Tim May is joined by Lettermen Row senior writer Austin Ward to break down the Buckeyes.
Ryan Day’s offense has been humming now for the past three seasons under his direction as head coach, but the Buckeyes defense during those three campaigns has been up and down.
Ohio State had one of the best defensive units in the country in 2019, but that unit severely underwhelmed in 2020 and 2021. So, Day and the Buckeyes went back to the drawing board this offseason. They have already made significant staffing changes and personnel decisions with the addition of transfer defensive back Tanner McCalister and running back-who-will-be-turned-linebacker DeaMonte Trayanum.
Will those changes and decisions lead to significant improvement for the defense? That is what Tim and Austin aim to project as we head toward winter workouts for Ohio State.
In addition to the defensive tackle, Tim is also joined on the show by former Buckeyes linebacker Matt Wilhelm. You will not want to miss that and plenty more Buckeyes news and analysis and in another edition of the Tim May Podcast.
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