What I Know, What I Think, What I Wonder — The One Week Left In Spring Ball Edition

I know that this group of true freshmen enrolled right now are “energy givers” and not “energy takers.” Urban Meyer used to talk about players this way. Players that took energy were high maintenance, creating drama, fighting the process. Basically, energy vampires. Players that gave energy were excited to be in the facility every day, and they made their coaches and teammates excited to be around them. They didn’t fight the process. They wanted more. That’s this freshman class.

I think it’s natural to be concerned about James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon’s situation following the departure of Tony Alford. Alford was a key reason for both players choosing Ohio State. The good news for Buckeye fans, however, is that Williams-Dixon is an Ohioan, so there’s a tie that way. Also, from talking to folks on Peoples’ side, going through this process, they were focused on committing to a school and not a position coach.

I wonder what kind of NIL numbers Jeremiah Smith is going to be looking at from other programs next January. Assuming collectives wait until January to start making contact.

I know that Jermaine Mathews, Jr. would be starting just about anywhere else in the nation this year. That fact isn’t stopping him from preparing like a starter right now, however. He is viewed as starter-level by his teammates and coaches. The fact that he is now playing some nickel tells you that the coaches are comfortable with him at corner, and he can handle more.

To read the rest of this edition of What I Know, What I Think, What I Wonder, you can click here, but you’ll need to be a premium subscriber. Additional topics include freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, freshman safety Jaylen McClain, head coach Ryan Day, the freshman quarterbacks, secondary coach Tim Walton, receivers Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, 7-on-7 in Ohio, Quinshon Judkins fitting in, and much more.

[Jeremiah Smith header photo courtesy of the Ohio State Dept. of Athletics]