Cleveland, OH

Noah Rogers’ transfer latest evidence of fool’s gold in Ohio State football recruiting rankings

Published

2 years ago

January 1, 2024

Noah Rogers’ transfer latest evidence of fool’s gold in Ohio State football recruiting rankings

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you wonder why Ohio State football’s elite recruiting rankings have left the program vulnerable to results like the Cotton Bowl debacle, look no further than Noah Rogers’ entry to the NCAA transfer portal.

Rogers, the No. 53 player in the 2023 class per the 247 Sports composite, became the second former four-star freshman receiver to enter the portal Sunday. Bryson Rodgers (No. 357) beat him there by a few hours.

The same dynamic played out last April. Kaleb Brown (No. 79) and Caleb Burton (No. 132) waited until the spring after their freshman season to move on. That makes four of the elite receiver prospects which annually prop up the program’s recruiting rankings who left the program in the past nine months.

It is possible none of those receivers will be missed, production-wise. Receivers leaving the program because tend to do so to avoid being compressed between the established options ahead of them and the talents arriving in the next class.

Or perhaps Rogers and Rodgers’ decisions had nothing to do with five-stars Jeremiah Smith, who enrolls this month, and Mylan Graham, who arrives in the summer. These certainly would not be the first players from southern or western states who played sparingly as freshmen and left quickly.

In terms of talent retention in the receiver room, this result is, if not calculated by Ryan Day and Brian Hartline, then at least tolerated. Carnell Tate’s 292 snaps this season were almost five times as many as the other three true freshman receivers combined (62).

BET ANYTHINGGET $250 BONUSESPN BET

21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

These departures, though, reinforce why, for the past two recruiting cycles, analysis of signing classes ranked No. 4 and 6 nationally, respectively, focused significant attention on what they did not contain.

At some point, that third and fourth top-200 receiver in each class starts to mean less and less when other position groups settle for one — if any.

Offensive line remains the biggest culprit, with only one top-150 signee from outside the state of Ohio in the past three classes. That prospect, Ian Moore, comes from offensive line coach Justin Frye’s home state — the Buckeyes’ neighbor to the west, Indiana.

Compared to that track record, things are exploding in defensive line recruiting. Even with recent transfer departures, it has five players on the roster or in the 2024 signing class who fit that top-150, out-of-state description.

James Peoples, ranked No. 95 in the 247 Sports composite for the 2024 class, was the first top-100 signee at the position since 2021. The only top 100 safety commit in the past three cycles is Sonny Styles, a legacy from nearby Pickerington who can probably draw you a map of Buckeye Grove by memory.

Linebackers signed since Jim Knowles entered the program tend to come from in-state and outside the top 200. In the case of Arvell Reese, some may not even stay at linebacker long-term.

The full-class recruiting rankings — especially those which prioritize total score over average star rating — are not yet obsolete. Yet in the free transfer era, they are more temporary and incomplete than ever.

Which is not to say Hartline should change his recruiting approach. Keep loading up that room and letting competition push the best talent into the lineup.

Maybe he needs to open the rotation up more, at least in non-conference or less talent-equated games. On the other hand, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka did not need big freshman-year work loads to justify sticking around to become among the most productive receivers in the country.

For the rest of us, though, remember that third and fourth receiver in every signing class may never log his first reception as a Buckeye. Even if he sticks around, unless he can also stand up a defensive end or stop up a running back coming through the hole, his actual impact on the signing class may come from ratings points only.

If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

Source link

Related Topics:american football Featured ohio-state-football-2023

Click to comment

Cleveland, OH

Large pothole damages vehicles on I-90 east

Published

10 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

Large pothole damages vehicles on I-90 east

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A large pothole has damaged multiple vehicle on I-90 east during the Thursday morning commute.

This happened near Warren Road on the Cleveland/Lakewood border.

Police said at least 12 vehicles suffered damage and at least three were undriveable. There are no reports of injuries.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews were called to the scene to make repairs.

This caused a major back-up for drivers coming from the west side.

At 7:15 a.m., the drive-time from Westlake to Cleveland was a total of 45 minutes. Normally, that drive takes about 10 minutes

Large pothole on I-90 east at Warren Road on the Cleveland/Lakewood border(Julia Thyret | (Source: ODOT))

19 News went to Rad Air who took several calls from drivers needing repair help after hitting the pot hole.

Manager Paul Arlesic says pot holes can cause a lot of damage.

“Just a tire, you could be anywhere from 190 dollars. If it’s up to suspension repair and wheel repair you could be looking into the thousands,” said Arlesic.

He wants to remind drivers to get regular maintenance on their vehicles. Arlesic says even if you don’t see immediate damage hitting a pot hole causes a wear and tear.

“Every crack in the road, that tires going up and down, the struts working up and down. All the suspension is constantly moving,” said Arlesic.

ODOT was able to fill in the pot hole on I-90 Thursday morning.

Source link

Cleveland, OH

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio

Published

22 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The National Weather Service confirmed another tornado after Tuesday evening’s severe thunderstorms.

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Chesterland in Geauga County with an estimated 100 MPH peak wind speed.

It touched down at about 5:49 p.m. and lifted at 5:51 p.m.

The tornado traveled 1.53 miles with a width of 120 yards, NWS confirmed.

2nd tornado confirmed after storms slammed Northeast Ohio(WOIO)

Tornado warnings were issued in these counties:

Cuyahoga
Geauga
Holmes
Lake
Stark
Wayne

19 News reached out first responders in the areas where tornado sirens were set off, but there was no significant damage reported.

However, many remain without power on Thursday.

Check the outage maps by FirstEnergy, Cleveland Public Power, and AEP for the latest developments.

Get the latest on the severe weather on the 19 First Alert Forecast webpage

Source link

Cleveland, OH

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Trolls Fans With Hilarious April Fools’ Day Post

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Trolls Fans With Hilarious April Fools’ Day Post

Dan Gilbert will forever be a hero in the city of Cleveland for the way he runs the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is not afraid to spend his money in the pursuit of winning. That is all fans can ask for in an owner.

His work in Cleveland makes it easy to forget he is a Michigan native and was specifically born in Detroit. Thus, the Michigan ties run deep.

That is why some fans may have been shocked when they saw a tweet Gilbert put out Wednesday morning. Yet all people had to do was check the calendar and read closely to figure out it was all a joke.

Introducing our proposed name for Cleveland’s new WNBA team… THE Ohio Wolverines.
The Midwest work ethic is a real thing. As someone who has spent a lot of time on both sides of the lake, I can tell you that Ohio and Michigan have far more similarities than differences.
We’re… pic.twitter.com/DC2cISudxh
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) April 1, 2026

His pitch? Calling Cleveland’s new WNBA team the “Ohio Wolverines.”

Dan Gilbert has fun at the expense of Cleveland fans

Gilbert even goes as far to suggest the Detroit WNBA franchise call itself the “Michigan Buckeyes.” What he is not joking about is calling Lake Erie “the Midwest’s own Mediterranean.” That is no April Fools’ exaggeration.

The replies seem to show most people understood it as a joke. Yet there are certainly people who were clearly duped, perhaps too prideful to share it on social media.

Gilbert has the grace and goodwill among Cleveland fans to make a joke like this. What would have happened if Jimmy Haslam made a joke on social media to this magnitude? That would have been enough to power local talk shows for a week.

The Dolans, owners of the Guardians, would also not find a big sense of humor among fans.

Gilbert’s spending allows him to get away with these fun pranks

The Cavaliers are among a handful of teams spending over $200 million in cash on player salaries this season. Guardians fans could only dream of such spending, and MLB does not even have a salary cap. Thus, fans are often on Gilbert’s side for his commitment to winning.

This post also reminds fans of the coming WNBA franchise, which will debut in 2028. That team will only add to Gilbert’s portfolio in the city.

His Cavs are also among the favorites to win the NBA title in 2026.

The excitement only continues in the summer, win or lose, as rumors of another LeBron return will loom over the franchise. Such a move would likely be the next time fans would be talking about a Dan Gilbert social media post.