Ohio
2024 NFL Draft: Multiple Ohio State Buckeyes Sign UDFA Contracts
The 2024 NFL Draft ended as a productive weekend for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Four Buckeyes players heard their names called during the three-day event. Star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. kicked things off as the fourth-overall choice and was followed by defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (Cleveland Browns), tight end Cade Stover (Houston Texans), and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (Las Vegas Raiders).
In the hours since the draft closed late Saturday evening, three other members of the Scarlet and Gray have signed NFL contracts as “undrafted free agents.” Here are the latest Ohio State players to ink professional deals.
Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. poses after
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Proctor (SAF) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Proctor’s time at Ohio State was plagued by injuries, which limited his on-field contributions. However, the safety has more than proven his ability in the reps which he has received.
During the NFL Combine, the Owasso, Oklahoma native said his time off of the field has helped him prepare himself for life in the NFL.
“It helped me mature,” Proctor said. “Helped me learn, helped me grow in different aspects in life. So honestly, it’s just a great opportunity to be a better person, a better player at the end of the day.”
Xavier Johnson (WR) – Buffalo Bills
Xavier Johnson was Ohio State’s primary option out of the slot last season, a position at which he was able to mix his terrific hands with lightning speed. Receiver is not the only spot at which Johnson has experience, as the career of “weapon X” began playing defensive back.
By adding Johnson to their roster, the Bills are one step closer to filling the massive shoes of receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs was traded to the Texans earlier this month, in exchange for a handful of current and future draft picks.
Matthew Jones (OL) – Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins offensive line was one of the best in the NFL last season. Miami finished with the most earned yards last season with 6,822, which averages out to over 400 per game.
Matthew Jones will have to work hard to earn a place on such a strong O-line, something of which the senior is not afraid. Following Ohio State’s Pro Day on March 20, Jones said his focus would be on becoming as multifaceted as possible.
“I’m just trying to be as versitalle as possible,” Jones said. “From that center position, just be comfortable and be confident.”
Ohio
Ohio State OB-GYN received payments from Jeffrey Epstein’s firm, documents show
The latest batch of Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice showed an Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center OB-GYN receiving payments from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s firm in the early 2000s.
Multiple documents, including FedEx receipts, mention Dr. Mark Landon, the chair of OSU’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In an email between Epstein and an attorney he worked with, Darren Indyke, Epstein wrote that they were paying Landon $75,000 a year. The email didn’t mention what they were paying Landon for.
Indyke wrote to Epstein in 2006 and said “Are we still paying Mark Landon?… Eric was dealing with this, so I am not sure what was decided when the previous payment was made. Landon’s agreement requires quarterly payments of $30k to be made to Landon on the 15th of January, April, July and October. The previous payment made to Landon was for $25,000 and not $30,000. The contract is terminable at will on 15 days’ prior notice. Is NYSG to make payment to Landon by January 15th and if so for $25K or $30K? Please advise.”
“75 per year,” Epstein responded.
The FedEx receipts date back to 2001, but don’t indicate what was being sent in the packages.
In a statement sent to WOSU, Landon denies providing any care to Epstein or his victims.
“I was a paid consultant for the New York Strategy Group regarding potential biotech investments from 2001 to 2005. I had no knowledge of any criminal activities; I find them reprehensible and I feel terrible for Epstein’s victims,” Landon said.
The New York Strategy Group was Epstein’s money management firm. Epstein died by suicide in a jail cell while awaiting trial for allegedly sex trafficking underage girls.
For years, Epstein worked for Central Ohio billionaire Les Wexner, who the medical center is named for. Epstein allegedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the billionaire.
At the time, he was paying Landon, Epstein owned land in New Albany which was sold to him by Wexner.
Wexner is set to testify before Congress this month about his close relationship with Epstein.
Ohio
Defensive battle, NE Ohio nods, Bad Bunny: How was NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl 60?
CLEVELAND, Ohio – It wasn’t exactly a barnburner as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots faced off in Super Bowl 60, as each team’s defense stepped up.
NBC brought in more than 80 cameras and 150 microphones to cover the game. If you’re a viewer at home, that’s good. If you’re a bettor and you wagered on the over (45.5), you probably were sick before halftime.
Note: For occasional nationally televised games, we analyze how networks do with coverage. We’re on the lookout for potential bias, smart graphics, quips, quotes and more. Here’s our look at Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Here’s a look at how NBC did with its coverage of Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California:
The announcers
Mike Tirico (play by play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporters) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst).
Storyline / overview
Tirico calls a solid game and Collinsworth offers decent analysis without too much yuck-yuck. It wasn’t a scorching high-scoring game, but it remained mostly close. The quarterbacks are always hyped, but it became clear early on each defense seemed up to the challenge. By the time the third quarter wound down, with Seattle up 12-0, it was a surprise either announcer didn’t tout a team defense as MVP. The Patriots, we heard in the third quarter, had not had a snap inside the Seattle 43-yard line. That changed, but overall it was a defensive game.
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Did you catch …
… Coco Jones singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing?” She’s Donovan Mitchell’s fiancée.
… the bumper to the game coming out of commercials was a collection of circuits, reflective of the Silicon Valley, where the game was held.
… bumper music featuring Huey Lewis and the News? The band formed in the Bay Area. But after a Patriots’ fourth-quarter touchdown, Boston’s “Piece of Mind” played.
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In the air
Pregame, members of four Navy tactical squadrons conducted a unified flyover above the stadium with members of the Air Force. Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Martin, a native of Lyndhurst, was among those supporting the flyover, the Navy said.
Want to know everything about Super Bowl LX? Here are 60 facts on Patriots vs. Seahawks
Celeb spotting
Caught on camera at the game: Roger Federer, Jon Bon Jovi, Jay-Z, Adam Sandler and Hailey and Justin Bieber. Not to mention the much-hyped halftime show of Bad Bunny with appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
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Sights and sounds
• With 31 seconds remaining in the first half, NBC showed a graphic detailing wind patterns. Notoriously tricky in Northern California, and appropriate as Seattle angled for a field goal.
• With nine NFL games to be played in other countries next season, it was no surprise NBC aired snippets of watch parties around the world, including Cologne, Germany; Melbourne, Australia and London.
The numbers game
• With 3:15 to go in the second quarter, Tirico noted there has never been a penalty-free half in the Super Bowl. Six seconds later: Flag, false start, New England tackle Will Campbell.
• Maye was sacked six times.
• Tirico noted the game is a reflection of the season, with eight of the top 10 scoring defenses making the playoffs.
• Before the first play of the game a graphic showed Sam Darnold’s 30 wins since 2024 are the most by a starting quarterback. (He was with Minnesota in 2024.)
• As the Patriots began their first series, a graphic flashed showing that Drake Maye is the 2nd youngest quarterback starter in Super Bowl behind Dan Marino.
• The Patriots had 30 players in their first year in the league – most ever for a Super Bowl team.
• Seattle became the first Super Bowl-winning team to get through the postseason without any turnovers.
Collinsworth quips
• “There’s been nobody able to cover him one-on-one this year.” – Collinsworth on Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who played at Ohio State.
• “A pick-six might decide this thing.” – Collinsworth, late in the first quarter.
• “This is getting wild, haymakers being thrown by both defenses.” – Collinsworth.
• “I’ve just got to say what I’m thinking, Mike. They (Patriots) are playing this game a little bit like they did against Denver a week ago in the snowstorm, but this defense from Seattle is having the same impact as the snow.” – Collinsworth (though the AFC Championship was two weeks ago).
• “He’s throwing it before he has to, and they are missing opportunities.” – Collinsworth on Maye.
• “I got nothing.” – Collinsworth on Maye’s horrible pass that was intercepted in the fourth quarter.
Hyperbole of the night
• If you can’t block a four-man rush, “you have almost no chance to win a football game. This has been one of the most brilliant performances I have ever seen in the National Football League.” – Collinsworth after the Seahawks sacked Maye late in the third quarter and recovered the fumble.
Hits …
After New England’s K’Lavon Chaisson pressured Darnold, Collinsworth put the blame on the quarterback, not the offensive line. It’s a good point, not to always blame the O line on every pass-protection breakdown. He also noted the Patriots switched to a six-man front in the fourth because they wanted to force Seattle to pass.
… and misses
A fan ran on the field with 12:54 to go in the fourth quarter, and – per usual – the network didn’t show it. It’s part of what is happening during coverage, and while some will argue showing it will glorify the yahoos, an argument can be made to air it and let viewers have their own opinion.
This and that, Northeast Ohio-style
• AJ Barner – who attended Aurora High School, had a very solid game, with four catches on four targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. Seahawks receiver Smith-Njigba tallied four catches for 27 yards. He left in the second half briefly under concussion protocol but returned.
• Jason Garrett, one of four halftime analysts and former NFL quarterback and coach, attended University School.
Next up
The NFL Draft is Thursday to Saturday, April 23-25, on the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Bonus
For those who played Super Bowl squares …
First quarter: Seahawks 3, Patriots 0 (3-0)
Second quarter: Seahawks 9, Patriots 0 (9-0)
Third quarter: Seahawks 2, Patriots 0 (12-0)
Final: Seahawks 9, Patriots 3 (29-13)
Ohio
Ohio State Women’s Basketball Improves to 22-3 With 80-64 Win at Oregon
Ohio State’s road trip to the Pacific Northwest was a successful one.
Three days after earning a 70-60 win over No. 24 Washington, the Ohio State women’s basketball team followed it up with an 80-64 win over Oregon, improving to 22-3 on the season and 11-2 in Big Ten play.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 OHIO STATE | 22 | 12 | 22 | 24 | 80 |
| OREGON | 18 | 7 | 19 | 20 | 64 |
Elsa Lemmilä led the Buckeyes to victory with 23 points and nine rebounds. Kennedy Cambridge scored 20, adding eight steals and seven rebounds. Jaloni Cambridge, who reached the 1,000-point mark for her career in just her 54th game as a Buckeye, scored 19 points and had eight assists. Ava Watson joined them in double figures with 10 points and four steals while Chance Gray, who transferred to Ohio State from Oregon in 2024, scored eight.
Ohio State took control of the game early with a 16-3 first-quarter run that gave the Buckeyes a 20-8 lead. Oregon responded with a 10-point run to cut Ohio State’s lead to two, but a 10-2 run by the Buckeyes in the second quarter pushed their advantage back to 10.
Oregon never got back within eight points for the rest of the game. The Buckeyes extended their lead to as many as 18 points in the third quarter. After an 8-0 run by Oregon made it a 10-point game early in the fourth quarter, Ohio State went on a 14-3 run to take a commanding 21-point lead with 6:40 to play. The Buckeyes led by double digits for the entire fourth quarter.
Now on a four-game winning streak, Ohio State gets a week off before returning to action against Maryland at home next Sunday (2 p.m., FS1). The Buckeyes will be looking to complete a season sweep of the Terrapins, who are currently ranked 22nd in the AP Top 25, after defeating Maryland 89-76 in College Park on Jan. 11.
Ohio State is now tied with Michigan for second place in the Big Ten behind only UCLA, who earned a 69-66 win over Michigan on Sunday.
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