Taking the place of last year’s national championship, this year, it was the NFL playoffs—and the Super Bowl in particular—that Ohio State used as a walking billboard for its recruiting efforts as the 2016 cycle came to its close.
With 12 alums taking part in playoff games—including five in the Super Bowl, the most of any college program—the Buckeyes were more than well represented in the professional ranks this past winter. From tweets posted from OSU’s official Twitter account to assistant coaches and Urban Meyer himself, Ohio State made sure to let everyone know that when you were watching this year’s NFL playoffs, there’s a good chance you were also watching at least one former Buckeye.
As it turns out, the playoffs were just Phase 1 of Ohio State’s pro-friendly pitch.
Just like the Super Bowl, there won’t be another college program with more to gain from this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, where a nation-high 14 former Buckeyes will do their best to improve their respective draft stocks.
These aren’t just players hoping to be picked either, but some of the draft’s highest-profile players. Former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa could very well be the No. 1 overall pick, while Ezekiel Elliott will likely be the first running back to come off the board. In Bleacher Report Lead Draft Writer Matt Miller’s most recent mock draft, seven ex-Buckeyes are projected to be taken in the draft’s first 31 picks, with another seven appearing in rounds…
Continue Reading: NFL Draft Combine Shows Ohio State Is College Football’s New ‘NFL U’
