Ohio
Deep Ohio State football talent pool produces impressive 14 NFL draft picks
Woody Hayes famously believed, “You win with people.” The Old Man was not wrong, but to win at the highest level of college football, you win with people drafted into the NFL.
Ohio State led all schools with seven players selected in the first two rounds of the April 24-26 NFL Draft, including four in the first round, the most for the program since 2016. Not coincidentally, the Buckeyes won the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship. As much as OSU preaches about The Brotherhood, it takes more than strong team chemistry to hoist the CFP trophy. It takes elite talent. And lots of it.
Proof? Check out which schools had the most first-round draft picks. Ohio State (4), Georgia, Texas, Michigan (3), Alabama, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State (2), Arizona, Boise State, Colorado, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Missouri, North Dakota State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, North Carolina.
Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Penn State and Boise either had first-round byes or advanced to the second round of the playoff. Tennessee made the field; Alabama, Miami and Ole Miss nearly did.
What happened to Michigan, which had three first-round picks? 1. Well, the Wolverines did defeat the eventual national champions, which fans of the Maize and Blue are only too happy to remind everyone; and 2. UM had to play without Connor Stalions. A year earlier, the Wolverines won the natty with seven players drafted in the first three rounds, which led all schools. They also led with 13 total picks. And the three first-rounders this year played starring roles on the championship team.
Notre Dame is an exception. The Fighting Irish had no player selected in the first round and only two selected in the first three rounds, which cover the first two days of the draft. Credit ND coach Marcus Freeman with doing more with less, at least compared to Ohio State, Georgia and Texas.
Another way to analyze it: Ohio State has the most first-round picks (95) and third most wins (732) since the draft was instituted in 1936, according to Statmuse.com. Southern California is second with 85 first-rounders and ninth in wins (660), while Alabama is third (85) and leads FBS with 749 wins. Rounding out the top five is Notre Dame (71, fourth most wins with 690) and Miami (68 and 15th most wins with 609).
Majority of OSU early picks were five-star recruits
Not for nothing, four of Ohio State’s seven picks in the first two rounds were rated as five stars coming out of high school by 247sports.com. Maybe OSU recruiting coordinator Mark Pantoni is the real brains behind the Buckeyes’ draft-day success? Or maybe it is offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who, in the spring of 2021, had the following wide receivers in his room: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Four years removed and all six were first-round draft picks. Take away Williams, who transferred to Alabama, and you still have five OSU receivers drafted in the top 20 since 2022. Wowza.
Not to be outdone, Ryan Day’s draft day resume is impressive in its consistency. This is the third time since Day took over from Urban Meyer in 2019 that the Buckeyes have seen at least three players go in the first round. In 2020, it was Chase Young, Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette; in 2023, C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson and Smith-Njigba; and in 2025, Egbuka (19th to Tampa Bay), Donovan Jackson (24th to Minnesota), Tyleik Williams (28th to Detroit) and Josh Simmons (32nd to Kansas City).
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Ohio State finished the three-day draft with 14 players selected, tying the school record set in 2004. After the four first-rounders, Quinshon Judkins (Cleveland), TreVeyon Henderson (New England) and J.T. Tuimoloau (Indianapolis) went in the second, followed by fourth-round picks Cody Simon (Arizona), Lathan Ransom (Carolina) and Jack Sawyer (Pittsburgh). Ty Hamilton (L.A. Rams), Jordan Hancock (Buffalo) and Denzel Burke went in the fifth, while Will Howard (Pittsburgh) got picked in the sixth.
Buckeye Nation can now drool over what is coming next. Safety Caleb Downs almost certainly will be a first-round pick next April. Linebacker Sonny Styles also could jump into the first round, and possibly wide receiver Brandon Inniss if he has a big 2025 season. After that, sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has another year in Columbus before becoming a first-round pick in 2027.
Buckeyes still talented enough to compete for national title
Sprinkle in a handful of second- and third-round picks over the next two seasons, and there is no reason to think Ohio State won’t compete for another national championship next year. The talent is there, as long as the starting quarterback, most likely Julian Sayin, is good enough to eventually get drafted.
The biggest concern? Defensive line, where OSU needs to replace four top-150 picks. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has developed his guys into strong run stoppers and, at times, dangerous edge rushers. He’ll need to keep it going for the Buckeyes to be a top-10 defense in 2025.
Woody was right. You win with people … who can make a living playing football.
Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at@rollerCD.
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LONDON, Ohio (WSYX) — Officials broke ground on a new evidence collection building for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation in London, a project aimed at strengthening the agency’s crime-scene and cold-case work.
The new facility will replace BCI’s current evidence collection building, which is 800 square feet. Attorney General Dave Yost said the new building is needed to better track evidence and bring justice to victims as DNA technology evolves.
“But this story illustrates why it’s so important to have enough space to be able to hold the materials for these cases, to be able to store them properly, to maintain their integrity, so that when the science does catch up, we’re able to process a rape or a murder case and find the person who did it. There’s nothing that keeps me up at night more than thinking about unsolved cases,” Yost said.
The project is expected to take one year.
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BCI also unveiled a new gun range at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London, intended to boost officers’ training.
Columbus city officials says police aren’t working with ICE
Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said officers won’t be helping with federal agents in immigration enforcement operations.
Nearly half of the more than 500 incidents reported to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline in the past year were from Columbus-area callers.
The hotline, which is run by advocacy group Ohio Immigrant Alliance, serves loved ones of immigrants; immigrants (including those in detention) who need help; ordinary and concerned Ohioans; and professionals who are seeking guidance on how to deal with ICE enforcement actions against their staff, clients, customers and community.
The hotline launched in January 2025, when President Donald Trump took office for his second term, promising increased immigration enforcement. It catalogued 548 incidents between its start and February 2026, according to a report released March 25 titled “Connecting Ohio: The Ohio Immigrant Hotline’s First Year in Action.”
The goal is to provide immediate help and to use data to advocate for systemic change, according to the report.
Of the 548 incidents, 229 happened in an 11-county region of central Ohio. A 21-county region in northeast Ohio had the second-most at 123.
After a wave of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and activity in December in Columbus, dubbed “Operation Buckeye” by ICE, hotline calls surged and haven’t let up, said Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.
Hotline staffers who speak English, Spanish, French and other languages handled 94 incidents in December.
Before that, the hotline’s busiest month was October, with 40 incidents.
Last year, the hotline averaged 39 incidents a month, the report said, but this year that has ballooned to 96 monthly. Most of the incidents were reported via email, with the most common reports discussing ICE and Border Patrol activity within the state.
Who called the Ohio Immigrant Hotline?
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance often gets requests for help from individuals, but the hotline allowed it to be able to report and track its work, according to the report.
Though some people thought the hotline was ICE’s tip line and reported immigrants’ presence and a few harassing or prank calls, the majority wanted to help immigrants, according to the report.
“It’s heartening,” the report reads, about those wishing to help. “The spirit of solidarity and community in Ohio is real.”
The hotline manager, who the Alliance did not name because of threats to their safety, has often engaged with people in distress, including those who cannot find a loved one they suspect may have been arrested and detained by ICE. There were 73 reports of arrests by ICE or Customs and Border Patrol agents.
The hotline gathers details about those individuals and connects callers with resources to help.
Other callers have included attorneys or friends of detainees calling because medication or other needs are being denied to someone in detention.
What has the hotline accomplished?
The hotline helped people find immigration attorneys; deposited thousands of dollars in immigration detention commissary and phone accounts for 50 people; helped families raise money for attorneys, filing fees, medical needs, and support after deportation; and connected callers to volunteer, donation, and advocacy opportunities.
The hotline also helped defend civil rights and the quality of life for detained immigrants. After reports from immigrants in detention detailed violations of Ramadan meal services, the Ohio Immigrant Hotline notified the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. The ACLU Ohio resolved the issue with leadership at the jail, which was not identified in the report.
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance is also part of a lawsuit due to one report that came in through the hotline.
People can report incidents about ICE arrests and raids to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline, at 419-777-HELP or 4357 or hotline@ohioimmigrant.org. Resources for immigrants and advocates can be found at OhioIsHome.org.
Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.
Arthur Smith had only limited familiarity with Ryan Day before being hired as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator over the winter.
He had spent the past decade in the NFL. Their interactions were largely confined to the school’s annual pro day when Smith and other coaches and front office personnel from the league descended upon the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to scout prospects for the draft.
“I didn’t know him really well personally,” Smith said.
But Smith’s recent years offered a unique window into Day and his program, deepening a level of respect he held from afar. During his two seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator, he coached Justin Fields and Will Howard, two former starting quarterbacks for Day at Ohio State.
The mutual connections extended to previous stops. When Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, they drafted defensive end Zach Harrison and traded for cornerback Jeff Okudah in 2023. Both played for Day as well.
“I’ve had such a good experience with some of the players that have come through,” Smith said, “so I was intrigued.”
Smith had not coached in college since 2010, when he was an administrative assistant and intern at Mississippi, and spent little time in recent years considering a return.
But Mike Tomlin’s sudden resignation as the Steelers coach in January left Smith exploring his options.
“We had just been in the playoffs,” Smith said. “It kind of hits you fast in these cycles.”
It allowed him time to give the opportunity at Ohio State a closer look.
“I weighed my options and talked to a lot of people,” Smith said. “It just made sense.”
His list also included Mike Vrabel, the former All-America defensive end for the Buckeyes in the 1990s who also vouched for Day. Smith was on Vrabel’s staffs with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-20, including two seasons as their offensive coordinator.
“He knows Ryan really well,” Smith said, “and gave me the whole picture. I know from afar, because I love the history of this game, and understand how important this place is in football.”
The hiring of Smith marked another offseason in which Day found a coordinator steeped with NFL experience.
It was last year when Day brought in Matt Patricia, a former Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots and head coach of the Detroit Lions, and branded him as the head coach of the defense.
Smith arrives with a similar stature on the other side of the ball, enabling Day to continue delegating play-calling for the offense, a role he once held following his promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach in 2019.
“Arthur seemed like the right fit,” Day said.
His background is part of that, adding another coordinator with head-coaching experience in the NFL to the staff.
“You understand what happens in that office and comes across his desk,” Smith said. “You’re a little more empathetic, and you try to your job really well, so you can take that stress off and he doesn’t have to worry about the unit responsibility he gives you.
“It’s a big part of your job, because there’s a lot that goes into that job besides just coaching on the field.”
In his two months with the Buckeyes, Smith has taken to the program, seeing the immense pressure surrounding Ohio State as similar to his time in the NFL.
“You don’t go to Ohio State if you don’t welcome those expectations,” Smith said. “It’s the same thing in the NFL. You have an expectation to win every Sunday, and you love that challenge as a competitor. It kind of gets you going as a coach.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
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