Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more.
Buckeyes priority target arrives in Columbus for visit
The recruiting dead period is still in effect, and the Buckeyes can’t host any recruits until at least April.
But if recruits want to visit on their own time, that is allowed, but with no contact with Ohio State coaches. So that’s what Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star linebacker Raesjon Davis is doing this weekend.
Davis is in Columbus to visit the city and see Ohio State for himself this weekend, a possible sign that the momentum is shifting in favor of the Buckeyes for one of their two remaining still-uncommitted targets.
And the incoming freshmen who enrolled early might have a chance to be around Davis this weekend. Lettermen Row’s Birm has more:
The chance for the incoming freshman class and their parents to be around for Davis and his parents means that they don’t have to spend the entire weekend by themselves. Some real relationship building can happen. Ohio State signee Jaylen Johnson is also going to make the trip up to Columbus to see Davis, and he’s been vital in the recruiting efforts by the program to this point.
For the full story, click here.
Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison retires
After spending the last 41 years on the sidelines, Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has retired from football.
Mattison enhanced his legacy as one of the most respected defensive minds in football with two seasons working at Ohio State before his retirement was announced on Friday.
Mattison worked on both sides of The Game, spending time with both Michigan and the Buckeyes. He won a national championship working with Urban Meyer at Florida. He worked at the highest level in the sport while serving on the staff of the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. And he built a reputation for putting together hard-hitting, fundamentally-sound, stingy defenses everywhere he went.
That veteran experience was key for Ohio State coach Ryan Day when he plucked Mattison from the other side of the rivalry two years ago to anchor his first staff with the program. The move was always likely to be a short-term bridge to the future given Mattison’s age, but his knowledge of the game was widely praised both by the linebackers he primarily worked with and the coaches he was mentoring in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
What does the retirement of Mattison mean for the Ohio State program moving forward? Lettermen Row broke it down in a Rapid Reaction presented by Byers Auto.
READ: What Greg Mattison retiring means for Buckeyes moving forward
Ryan Day meets with media to preview offseason
Ohio State coach Ryan Day met with the media Friday morning to break down the retirement of Greg Mattison, analyze the upcoming quarterback competition and preview the offseason to-do list for the Buckeyes. The press conference can be found below.
After Day spoke to the media, Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward, Jeremy Birmingham and Spencer Holbrook reacted to the press conference and broke down the Buckeyes quarterback competition and how it could shake out during spring practice next month. They also talked about positions of need for the Buckeyes moving forward and who could step into those roles soon. It’s another Rapid Reaction from Lettermen Row.
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