The latest chess move in the raging debate over the validity of satellite camps has been made by Big Ten power Ohio State. According to Kipp Adams of 247Sports, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer and his staff will take part in a camp at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on June 16. They also have plans to potentially set up a similar camp in Florida. While fellow Big Ten rival Michigan has created its share of headlines since head coach Jim Harbaugh held camps in areas such as Alabama, Florida and Texas last year, the Buckeyes’ foray into the southeastern part of the country suggests that these camps are well worth any potential landmines that could emerge from participating in them. The move makes sense for a number of reasons. While Buckeyes fans may not want to view their participation in these camps through this particular prism, it’s hard to argue with the success the Wolverines have enjoyed on the recruiting trail under Harbaugh. After Harbaugh took over in Ann Arbor in December 2014, his first class in the 2015 cycle finished No. 37 nationally. One year later, in his first full cycle and during his marathon run around the country participating in satellite camps, the Wolverines finished with the No. 5 class in the country for the 2016 cycle. Additionally, that Michigan class featured players from 13 different states—including territories such as Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Satellite camps weren’t the sole reason for…

Ohio State Buckeyes head basketball coach Thad Matta announced Tuesday that he’s allowed guard A.J. Harris to explore the prospect of transferring. Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors passed along Matta’s statement. Harris played sparingly as a freshman, averaging 13.7 minutes, 2.8 points and 1.7 assists per contest during the 2015-16 campaign. Read more Ohio State Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Upon arriving on Ohio State’s campus in January, Austin Mack made a proclamation to J.T. Barrett. Wiser now than he was three years ago when he himself was an early enrollee, the Buckeyes’ quarterback received Mack’s message with a healthy amount of skepticism. Letting the new Ohio State wideout know that living up to the impressive expectations he had already set for his college career would be easier said than done, Barrett reminded Mack of just who he was aiming to replace in the Buckeyes’ lineup in the coming year. “I asked what position he plays and he said ‘X’ receiver,” Barrett recalled of a conversation with Mack in February. “In our offense at X, you’ve got to be a Mike Thomas, you’ve got to be a dog. There’s a reason why his Twitter handle is @CantGuardMike. That wasn’t an accident, it was on purpose. So it’s one of those deals of go get a spot, because in the spring that’s when you go win a job.” Through the Buckeyes’ first six practices of the spring, Mack is yet to have officially been named the replacement for Thomas, who could very well be the first receiver selected in this spring’s NFL draft. But so far, the reviews have been good for the former 4-star prospect, who could just as easily be preparing for his senior prom instead of squaring off with Ohio State’s cornerbacks on a daily basis this spring. “Austin Mack is going to play next year,” Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said of Mack following just Ohio State’s second…

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Well-rested after having returned from spring break, Ohio State hit the practice field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center last week for its second official week of spring practice. And it didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to find themselves back in the headlines. It may be the college football offseason, but rivalries don’t tend to get much sleep. That rings especially true in Columbus when it comes to the eternal feud between Ohio State and Michigan. But even without the unexpected tweaking from both sides that take part in The Game, there was actual football news that pertained to the Buckeyes this past week as well. This offseason may not be as loud for Ohio State as it was a year ago, but in some ways, that makes this spring practice all the more intriguing for the Buckeyes. With that in mind, here’s a look at the news and notes that came from the Buckeyes’ second official week of the spring practice season. War of Words A week after telling WUFT-TV in Gainesville that he was intrigued by the idea of holding spring practice in Florida—as Jim Harbaugh and Michigan have this offseason—Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer didn’t sound so sure about the matter upon returning to Columbus. Asked by Bleacher Report to expand on his comments, the Buckeyes head coach distanced himself from the idea and stated he was merely answering a question posed by a reporter at Tim Tebow’s charity golf outing. “Someone asked me a question,…

Head coach Urban Meyer and Ohio State are trying to bolster the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class by stealing Tate Martell—the No. 1-rated dual-threat quarterback—from Texas A&M. The 5’10 1/2″, 203-pound prospect out of Las Vegas committed to Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies last August, but he’s keeping his options open ahead of his final year of high school. Rated a 5-star prospect and the No. 29 recruit overall, Martell has one of the most impressive offer lists in the country, highlighted by Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Michigan and USC. All of those schools are trying to pull Martell away from Texas A&M, but Ohio State is leading the charge. The Buckeyes were convincing enough to get Martell on campus for an unofficial visit on Thursday, and the blue-chip prospect was eager to make the trip, as he told Jeremy Birmingham of Eleven Warriors: I’m really excited to visit Ohio State because it’s been my dream school for as long as I’ve known. My whole family on my mom’s side loves Ohio State and a lot of them live in Ohio. I’m still excited about and committed to Texas A&M, but Ohio State would have to be my No. 2 right now. Martell got an inside look at the Ohio State football program, taking in one of its spring practices before Meyer rolled out the red carpet. Now that the Buckeyes got Martell on campus for a visit, do they have a legitimate chance to steal him away from Texas A&M? The Case for Ohio…

Ohio State is currently in the midst of a busy offseason as it tries to find replacements for the 16 starters it lost from last year’s roster. And while H-back Dontre Wilson, tight end Marcus Baugh and running back Bri’onte Dunn aren’t sure-fire starters, the trio is feeling heat with an opportunity to snatch the No. 1 spot on the depth chart this spring. The only definitive locks for the first team are the six returning players who started for the Buckeyes against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback J.T. Barrett is the unquestioned leader of the team, and he’ll have returning linemen Pat Elflein and Billy Price anchoring the interior line. The defense also returns a starter at each level with defensive end Tyquan Lewis, linebacker Raekwon McMillan and cornerback Gareon Conley in the fold. Wilson, Baugh and Dunn have inside tracks to a starting job, but the pressure is on each of them to beat out the competition in their respective position groups. Dontre Wilson, H-Back The hype surrounding Dontre Wilson when he entered the program in the summer of 2013 was nothing short of staggering. The former 4-star standout was lighting it up in fall camp and seemed destined to become the next Percy Harvin in Urban Meyer’s spread offense. That never materialized, though, as he was used mainly as a decoy in 2013, then battled injuries during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Entering his final year at Ohio State, it’s now or never for the…

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After a productive first week of spring practice, Ohio State enjoyed a week off last week for spring break. But as is typically the case with the Buckeyes, the news never stops. Even while taking part in Tim Tebow’s charity golf outing, Urban Meyer managed to make headlines with his surprising revelation about his plans for the future of Ohio State’s spring practice. Add in the residual effects of the Buckeyes’ first week on the practice field, and gridiron-related news hardly took a break this past week. March Madness may be in full effect, but Columbus is ever the football town. That was evidenced plenty this past week, as college football-related stories stole the show, even with class not even in session in the Capital City. With that in mind, let’s dive into the week that was for Ohio State heading into its second (official) week of spring practice. Focused on Florida? It’s been more than five years since Meyer last coached at Florida, where he led the Gators to two national championships, but lately, the Sunshine State’s been on the Ohio State head coach’s mind. No, not like that. Meyer is fully focused on the Buckeyes, but he’s also always admitted to having one eye on Michigan in order to stay in tune with what his chief rival is up to. So when Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh took his team down to Florida for a week of spring practice earlier this month, Meyer naturally took notice and admitted that he’s looked into doing…

The NFL is a reactionary league that looks to capitalize on the unique athletes who enter the pros each year. As players become more dynamic and versatile with advanced technology and a year-round focus on training, the NFL will continue to fill up with freakish talents. Among the best athletes available in the 2016 NFL draft is Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee. Lee is an ideal modern-era NFL linebacker prospect. Some players enter the league and would have been better served had they been part of a different time but not Lee. He represents a new age of player at the position. NFL offenses are incorporating more spread concepts like the collegiate game to maximize the potential for one-on-one matchups. This is difficult for defenses to slow with pre-snap alignments and forces them to show their hand early. The passer-friendly league has become simplified enough for mediocre quarterbacks to post numbers that would once be considered elite. The best way that defenses can take some control back and cut down on scoring is to draft more athletes and depend less on sub-packages. In recent drafts, linebackers such as Shaq Thompson and Deone Bucannon went in the first round because the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals saw the value in having defense weapons. And that is the best way to describe Lee as well. The former 3-star recruit, per 247Sports, spent just two seasons playing for the Buckeyes after a redshirt season before declaring for the NFL draft. That’s all the…

Quarterback J.T. Barrett burst onto the national stage as a redshirt freshman in 2014, when he was forced into action after Braxton Miller suffered a season-ending shoulder injury just 10 days before the opener against Navy. It took him—and by extension, the Ohio State offense as a whole—a few weeks to find a groove and settle into a rhythm. After a Week 2 collapse against Virginia Tech, Barrett and the Buckeyes caught fire, averaging 47.4 points per game in 10 consecutive victories to close out the regular season. In his first 12 career starts, Barrett amassed 3,772 yards of total offense (2,834 passing, 938 rushing) and accounted for 45 touchdowns, breaking the single-season Big Ten record that was set by Drew Brees in 2000. But Barrett’s magical run came to a screeching halt in the regular-season finale against Michigan, when he was tackled awkwardly and suffered a season-ending ankle injury. That injury opened the door for backup Cardale Jones, who marched the Buckeyes through the postseason and to their first national title since 2002. Jones’ ascension created an enormous and highly-scrutinized quarterback battle for the 2015 season. Barrett was on the losing end of that battle, but Ohio State’s offense struggled with Jones at the helm. That opened the door for Barrett, who took over in the second half of the Penn State game in Week 7. But even he wasn’t able to totally save the Ohio State offense from its…

When national signing day is in the books for the 2017 recruiting cycle, the Ohio State Buckeyes could have as many as six 5-star recruits in the fold. The Buckeyes currently have a stranglehold on the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, leading the country with two 5-star and nine 4-star prospects for their ’17 class. But with the high-level targets still left on the board, Ohio State’s grasp on the top spot could be unbreakable when it’s all said and done. With the class filling up quickly, Urban Meyer and Co. will need to be selective with their remaining scholarships. These five players are pivotal not only because of their high ranking and ratings, but because they’ll fill positions of need, keep chief rivals from getting stronger and open up huge pipelines to talent-rich high schools across the country. Begin Slideshow