Ohio
Skull Session: Ohio State Wins the Winter Transfer Portal Window, Seth Towns is a Standout at Howard and Mercer Hires Former Ohio State Lineman Mike Jacobs As Head Coach
Welcome to the Skull Session.
Pressure is a privilege.
Early morning pic.twitter.com/nvyV2ujmbV
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 1, 2024
Have a good Friday.
TRANSFER PORTAL WINNERS? Ohio State has had the best offseason of all 133 FBS teams. That’s due to the return of Emeka Egbuka, Jack Sawyer and other standouts from the 2021 class. It’s also due to Ohio State’s work in the transfer portal, where the Buckeyes landed Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin, Will Kacmarek, Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin in January.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, Adam Rittenberg and Tom Luginbill created “College Football Transfer Portal Superlatives” now that the winter window has closed (and fallout from Nick Saban’s retirement has started to subside). Of the teams mentioned — Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Miami, Boise State, Louisville, etc. — the trio of writers offered immense praise for the Buckeyes’ transfer class:
What was the best signing from the portal?
VanHaaren: Alabama QB Julian Sayin to Ohio State. This is a pick for the future more than it is for the upcoming season. Ohio State has completely changed the quarterback room in one offseason by signing Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, five-star prospect Sayin, and incoming ESPN 300 freshman Air Noland. The staff went from losing starter Kyle McCord with no real options to one of the better quarterback rooms in the country. And a succession plan that features players who could better lead OSU’s offense.
Rittenberg: Alabama safety Caleb Downs to Ohio State. Downs gives an ascending Buckeyes defense a proven playmaker in the back end for at least the next two seasons. Although Georgia appeared to be the likeliest destination for Downs, Ohio State’s impressive personnel push led the Alabama transfer to pick the Buckeyes. Downs became the first true freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles (107), while showcasing his playmaking prowess with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a punt return touchdown. Ohio State’s defense made significant strides last season under veteran coordinator Jim Knowles, but still needed more players who could affect games in the back end. Downs joins a loaded safety group that returns Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles, who is also a candidate to play linebacker.
What team has the most questions to answer in the spring portal?
VanHaaren: Michigan. Speaking of Downs, given all that Ohio State has added recently in the transfer portal with Downs, quarterback Will Howard and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, it begs to ask where Michigan will stack up in 2024. The Wolverines are losing starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy; star running back Blake Corum; offensive linemen Zak Zinter, LaDarius Henderson and Trevor Keegan; as well as linebacker Junior Colson, corner Mike Sainristil and a handful of other impact players. The staff doesn’t have a clear replacement at quarterback at the moment and has utilized the transfer portal in the past to fill holes along the offensive line. As it stands, Michigan has added Northwestern guard Josh Priebe and Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham, but more is going to be needed to compete at the highest level again in 2024.
In a recent episode of “The College GameDay Podcast,” ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel also revealed their amazement at Ohio State’s haul:
I love it.
I love it. I love it. I love it.
With Ohio State’s additions, the Buckeyes will have a super team in 2024. I mean, look at this depth chart and roster:
With NFL draft decisions and the first wave of offseason transfer movement complete, we take our first look at how Ohio States depth chart could stack up at every position. https://t.co/CYJwOx5UEC pic.twitter.com/aFu0aaiPoI
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 1, 2024
That’s loaded! … LOADED!
SETH TOWNS, EVERYONE. At 26 years old, Seth Towns is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, players in college basketball. After all the bumps, bruises and torn ligaments he suffered at Harvard and Ohio State, Towns transferred to Howard in May 2023 for his eighth season of college hoops.
With one look at Towns’ box scores, I could argue that the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward has saved some of his best for last.
Across 19 appearances for the Bison, Towns has averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest. Those points, rebounds and assists are all career bests for the Columbus native — yes, even better than his averages as the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2018.
Seth Towns knows he’s old. He’s seen the “get a job” posts. But after four surgeries, three redshirts and a year away from the sport, the 26-year-old eighth-year senior is playing his best basketball since 2018.
“I’m just grateful to be playing at all.”https://t.co/irZ3kq2H70
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 1, 2024
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Towns said his improved knee health and a restructured relationship with basketball have allowed him to thrive on the hardwood.
After sitting out the first three games while awaiting NCAA clearance, Towns came off the bench for three games, and has been in the starting lineup since. He’s averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 37.4% from 3-point range. He has scored in double figures in 16 of 19 games, including 26 points against Mount St. Mary’s and 27 against Cincinnati.
“I’m playing the best since my sophomore year,” Towns said. “Now I’m 26. It’s a huge difference in how I’m playing the game.”
…
Blakeney has been most impressed by Towns’ work ethic. He recalls a specific instance against La Salle, when he subbed out Towns for a breather; moments later, Blakeney looked up to see Towns walking past him to sub himself back in the game.
“I was like, you just MJ’d me right now,” Blakeney said.
“If all things are equal and he doesn’t have injuries, he’s in his fourth or fifth year in the NBA. And yet he’s fighting and scratching and clawing his ass off everyday for us at Howard,” he added. “He doesn’t want to take plays off. He understands there’s a sense of urgency with his basketball clock right now.”
While I would have loved to see Towns’ time at Ohio State bear more fruit, I love all the more that he has found success at Howard.
For someone who has endured multiple knee and back surgeries, he has maintained a positive outlook on basketball and his life. That outlook has been rewarded (so far) with one of his best seasons at the college level.
Towns could potentially play for a ninth season in 2024-25 should he submit an NCAA waiver. However, he does not plan to play any more college basketball after this year.
“I’ll probably try to play basketball professionally for as long as my body will permit,” he said, with the most likely path being overseas. “All my faculty has told me to take a break [from my Ph.D. work]. I can always come back to this.”
From one of the most prestigious universities in the country to one of the biggest athletic programs in college sports to “The Mecca” for young Black intellectuals, Towns has checked a lot of boxes during his time in college.
He hasn’t had a chance to reflect on everything yet; he’s in the middle of basketball season, after all. But he’s looking forward to it. For now, he’s just soaking it all in.
And maybe taking mental notes.
“The book will sell,” he said with a laugh.
Could we have another “Don’t Put Me In, Coach” on our hands?
CLIMBING THE RANKS. In January, Mercer — the school made famous for its men’s basketball team’s 78-71 upset win over Duke in the 2014 NCAA Tournament — hired former Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Jacobs as its next head football coach.
Welcome @coach_mjacobs!
: https://t.co/Hf1zew2avP#RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/EkbPHKJlyD
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) January 18, 2024
“My family and I are humbled to be joining the Mercer University Football family,” Jacobs said in the program’s press release. “Mercer is an elite institution that has competed at the highest level both on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to immersing ourselves in both the campus community and the city of Macon. Go Bears!”
The son of former Ohio State offensive coordinator Michael T. Jacobs, Mike Jacobs was a center, guard, and long snapper for the Buckeyes from 1997-2001. A walk-on for three seasons, Jacobs earned a scholarship in 2000 and started at long snapper for the final 24 games of his collegiate career.
In 2002, Jacobs started his coaching career as an assistant at Eastern Michigan. Over the next 14 seasons, Jacobs spent time as either an offensive line coach or defensive line coach at Willmington (2004), Purdue (2005-07), PennWest California (2008-13) and Ohio’s Notre Dame College (2014-15).
Jacobs became Notre Dame College’s head coach in 2016. Across four years in the role, he led the Falcons to a 42-8 record and two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Jacobs then moved to Lenoir-Rhyne, where he collected a 32-9 record and two NCAA Division II playoff appearances from 2020-23.
With a combined 74-17 record in eight seasons, Jacobs boasts the sixth-best winning percentage among active coaches at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels.
Is that good?
Yeah, that’s good.
These FCS teams don’t know what’s about to hit them.
Cheers to Coach Jacobs. I hope he continues to make Buckeye Nation proud.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE. Ohio State wrestling will be in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for a dual at Penn State. The battle between the No. 6 Buckeyes and No. 1 Nittany Lions will come in front of thousands at Rec Hall and thousands more who will watch on Big Ten Network.
Ohio State improved to 12-1 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten competition with a come-from-behind win over Michigan last week. With Ohio State down 19-17 after nine matches, Nick Feldman — the Big Ten and NCAA Wrestler of the Week — secured a 4-3 decision against No. 4 Lucas Davison and lifted his team over the Wolverines at the Covelli Center.
#GoBucks | @OhioStAthletics pic.twitter.com/GIdD3NW97u
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 30, 2024
The Buckeyes will look to keep momentum in their dual at Penn State. That’s easier said than done, however. Like, much easier.
The Nittany Lions are back-to-back national champions (and have won 10 titles since Cael Sanderson took over as head coach in 2010) and feature a roster full of incredible talent, including No. 1-ranked wrestlers Levi Haines (157), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (HWT), among others.
Here’s how Ohio State’s 10-man lineup compares to Penn State’s:
| OHIO STATE | PENN STATE | |
|---|---|---|
| NO. 24 BRENDAN MCCRONE | 125 | NO. 3 BRAEDEN DAVIS |
| NO. 12 NIC BOUZAKIS | 133 | NO. 5 AARON NAGAO |
| NO. 3 JESSE MENDEZ | 141 | NO. 2 BEAU BARTLETT |
| NO. 9 DYLAN D’EMILIO | 149 | NO. 12 TYLER KASAK |
| ISAAC WILCOX | 157 | NO. 1 LEVI HAINES |
| NO. 20 BRYCE HEPNER | 165 | NO. 7 MITCHELL MESENBRINK |
| NO. 11 ROCCO WELSH | 174 | NO. 1 CARTER STAROCCI |
| RYDER ROGOTZKE | 184 | NO. 5 BERNIE TRUAX |
| NO. 22 LUKE GEOG | 197 | NO. 1 AARON BROOKS |
| NO. 12 NICK FELDMAN | HWT | NO. 1 GREG KERKVLIET |
Last week, Ohio State-Michigan had nine of 10 bouts feature ranked-on-ranked action. This week, Ohio State-Penn State has eight of 10. That’s some high-quality wrestling between the Buckeyes and their opponents, folks.
We’ll have all the need-to-know information here at Eleven Warriors after the match.
See you later.
SONG OF THE DAY. “We Are Young” – Fun.
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Is the Christian thing to do to turn a blind eye to this tragedy? Would it be to advocate for more money towards a system that is already flush with cash?
The Center for Christian Virtue, or CCV, is Ohio’s largest Christian public policy group.
The Center for Christian Virtue, or CCV, is Ohio’s largest Christian public policy group.
Aaron Baer is president of the Center for Christian Virtue.
Parents deserve options, competition and constitutional clarity — not fearmongering.
A February Dispatch guest column by teachers’ union gadfly William Phillis criticizing the Center for Christian Virtue is a case study in how teachers’ unions attempt to distract and divert the public’s attention away from the education crisis facing Ohio.
Tracking Phillis’ rants can be difficult. But in his piece, he manages to attack the Center for Christian Virtue for advocating for parental choice, goes on a rambling pseudo-legal argument about the First Amendment, and ends with a complete butchering of Jesus’ words.
What his column never does is address the plight of Ohio’s kids in a failing education system created by the teachers’ unions. Because for Phillis and his friends, this discussion is not about the kids — it’s about protecting their monopoly and the billions of dollars that flow through their system.
The numbers don’t add up
This system needs reform from the ground up. And that’s what Center for Christian Virtues’ work is all about.
At its core, CCV’s education agenda is about expanding opportunity, strengthening parental authority and ensuring more families can access schools that meet their children’s needs.
Through our advocacy for EdChoice and other scholarship pathways, CCV has helped broaden access to nonpublic education for families who previously had few realistic options.
Critics like Phillis describe this as “diverting” public funds. The numbers tell a different story.
The combined cash reserves of Ohio’s school districts now exceed $10.5 billion, nearly triple what they were just 12 years ago. Yet three out of five Ohio fourth graders are not proficient in math and two out of three struggle with reading, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ latest report.
Columbus City Schools tells the same story.
In fiscal year 2019, the district enrolled 48,927 students, spent $21,336 per pupil, and ended the year with a $229 million cash balance. By 2025, enrollment had dropped nearly 10% to 43,998. Yet per-pupil revenue rose 8% to $23,166, and cash reserves grew 62% to $372 million.
Despite higher funding and larger reserves, academic outcomes remain troubling: Just 25% of Columbus City Schools eighth graders are proficient in reading, and only 23% are proficient in math.
Simply pouring more money into underperforming public schools and into the political priorities of teachers’ unions has not produced the academic gains families were promised.
We must stop blindly throwing money away
That’s why the Center for Christian Virtues advocates for expanding educational options and fostering healthy competition among schools. This isn’t abolishing the public schools, this is challenging the public schools to meet the needs of families today, instead of just blindly throwing money after the problem.
Phillis also falsely raises alarms about the separation of church and state. But the constitutional framework governing school choice is well established.
The U.S. Supreme Court made clear in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris that Ohio’s school voucher program is constitutional and that scholarship programs driven by private parental choice do not violate the First Amendment.
More broadly, Center for Christian Virtues’ education advocacy extends beyond vouchers. Through the Ohio Christian Education Network, we help communities launch new schools where demand is strong and equip educators with operational support to serve families seeking alternatives.
We also protect the religious liberty of Christian schools while expanding access to Gospel-centered education for Ohio families who choose it.
Yet what Phillis gets most wrong is his use of scripture to try to silence Center for Christian Virtues and our Ohio Christian Education Network.
We cannot stay silent
Jesus commands his followers to “love our neighbors as ourselves,” and to care for the “least of these.”
So, as Christians, when we see a generation of American children suffering at the hands of an education establishment that is getting more money than ever and producing worse results, we cannot stay silent.
Research from neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath revealed that Generation Z is the first generation in American history to perform worse academically than the previous generation.
Is the Christian thing to do to turn a blind eye to this tragedy? Would it be to advocate for more money towards a system that is already flush with cash?
No. As Christians, we serve a God who cares for the “orphan, the widow, the stranger.” He loves those forgotten about by society. And there are few more overlooked today than the kids in our schools who are being starved of the educational opportunity our state has promised to provide them.
Phillis seems upset that Center for Christian Virtues is growing and having success helping families find better schools. While he continues to call us names and criticize our work, we’ll stay focused on helping kids.
It’s what Jesus would have us do.
Aaron Baer is president of the Center for Christian Virtue.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. resigned on Monday after disclosing “an inappropriate relationship” with a woman seeking public resources for her private business.
Carter, 66, said in a statement that he had resigned voluntarily after informing the university’s board of trustees of his error. He did not elaborate on the nature of the relationship and said he was leaving with his wife, Lynda.
“For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University,” he said. “I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.”
SEE ALSO: Sherrone Moore update: Fired Michigan football coach reaches plea deal to resolve home invasion case
Ohio State is the nation’s sixth-largest university, with more than 60,000 students, over 600,000 living alumni and a highly ranked football team and medical center. Carter oversaw a fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $11.5 billion in revenues and $10.9 billion in expenditures.
The university brought Carter on board in 2023 from the University of Nebraska system. He is also a former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds the national record for carrier-arrested landings with over 2,000 mishap-free touchdowns.
He filled a vacancy at Ohio State left by the mid-contract resignation of President Kristina Johnson, which went largely unexplained. The engineer and former undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Energy had been chancellor of New York’s public university system before she joined the Buckeyes as president in 2020.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Olentangy Orange girls wrestling team pulled away on day two of the district tournament for its fourth consecutive title since the Ohio High School Athletic Association added the sport in 2023 and sixth overall.
The Pioneers (183) finished ahead of runner-up Marysville (131) on March 8 at Big Walnut. The top four finishers in each weight class advanced to state March 13-15 at Value City Arena.
“It gets tougher every year,” Orange coach Brian Nicola said. “This is one the toughest districts in the state. You have all these great teams here and everyone comes in ready to battle. The girls wrestled really hard, so I was very excited.”
Mackenzie Carder (120 pounds) and Lacie Knick (130) won titles for Orange, which will have eight wrestlers at state as its seeks a third consecutive title in that tournament.
Marysville has five state qualifiers, led by 100-pound district champion Avery Riley.
Canal Winchester senior Razilee Wisseh advanced to her fourth state tournament and earned her 150th career win, beating Gahanna Lincoln’s Jordan Mills 9-4 in the 170 final.
Here are the central Ohio state qualifiers from the girls district tournament. When four qualifiers are listed for a weight class, they are in order of finish.
100: Avery Riley (Marysville), Kenleigh Ballance (Pickerington North), Mila Cruz (Watkins Memorial), Aaliyah Dawson (Reynoldsburg)
105: Hali Rayburn (Hilliard Bradley, third), Ellianna Perry (Watkins Memorial, fourth)
110: Ashlynn Brokaw (Mount Vernon, first), Andrea Acheampong (DeSales, third), Delaney Tackett (Orange, fourth)
115: Reagan Johnson (Thomas Worthington, first), Arden Heckman (Westerville North, third), Malaya DiMasso (Olentangy Liberty, fourth)
120: Mackenzie Carder (Orange, first), Cami Leng (Marysville, second), Skylar McCuen (Olentangy, fourth)
125: Kendleigh Dowalter (Grove City), Kara Hockenbery (West Jefferson), Kelly Lemons (Bradley), Sarah Amonette (Orange)
130: Lacie Knick (Orange, first), Mina Gee (Gahanna Lincoln, second), Payton Morse (Watkins Memorial, third)
135: Adison Justice (Licking Valley, first), Chloe Tompkins (Orange, second), Katelyn Norris (Big Walnut, third)
140: Nora Johnson (Hartley, second), Alanna Smith (Orange, third), Cara Leng (Marysville, fourth)
145: Reese Thomas (Jonathan Alder, first), Tara Davis (Orange, second), Andrea Mendez (Marysville, third)
155: KyLee Tibbs (Gahanna, first), Maya Keane (Hartley, second), Tamia Davis (Orange, third), Brielle Proffitt (Watkins Memorial, fourth)
170: Razilee Wisseh (Canal Winchester), Jordan Mills (Gahanna), Grace Glandorff (Bradley), Evelyn Krauss (Delaware Hayes)
190: Mykah Bailey (Gahanna, first), Abbey Enders (Liberty, second), Emma Bolton (Highland, third)
235: Tara Nagel (Madison-Plains, first), Maci Lee (Marysville, fourth)
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
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