Ohio State Football

Former Ohio State defensive back Marcus Williamson was arrested Saturday in Tennessee.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and tampering with or fabricating evidence and is being held on an $80,000 bond, per 10TV in Columbus, Ohio.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 7.

An affidavit said a woman told the Memphis Police Department that Williamson kidnapped her on Aug. 18 and forced her to drive to an ATM and withdraw $500 for him before he drove off with her car.

Police located the car the following day at a car wash, where police said they saw Williamson throw away items in the trash that the woman later confirmed were her belongings.

Williamson joined the Buckeyes as a 4-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He played five seasons for the program and was part of two teams that reached the College Football Playoff.

He sat out the Rose Bowl in January, which would have been the final game of his collegiate career, and criticized Ohio State fans and coaches on Twitter during the game.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud said players should receive a portion of the Big Ten's new media rights agreements.

"I definitely think it should be shared, but if not, at the end of the day, we have the NIL space," Stroud said, per Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch. "We can do it that way. The new college world is turning around, and I'm here for it."

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the new broadcast contracts with CBS, Fox and NBC, which begin in July, will be worth over $7 billion over seven years and include an annual payout between $80 million and $100 million to each member school.

Stroud finished fourth in last season's Heisman Trophy voting and has become a popular choice for companies making deals for name, image and likeness as he attempts to lead the Buckeyes toward a national title.

In June, WCMH's Justin Holbrock reported the quarterback formed a partnership with the Sarchione Auto Gallery to drive a Mercedes AMG G 63 after he'd signed NIL agreements with Morris Home Furniture and apparel retailer Express earlier in the offseason.

"This game is amazing, especially the college atmosphere, because it does have amateurism to it," Stroud said. "That's definitely a plus. But at the same time, I'm not 100 percent sure what our tuition is, but I'm sure it's not the worth of what we're actually worth. My mom has always told me to know my worth."

While the biggest NIL deals are usually going to the country's most well-known players, a revenue-sharing system could benefit all student-athletes.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh argued in July the TV deal should be split with the players.

"They use their name, image and likeness on the TV broadcasts," Harbaugh said. "They're the ones signing the mega-TV deals. And a new one's coming in 2024. Why can't that be an NIL deal right from the Big Ten? Because that's who's negotiating the TV deals, and that's where the big money is."

Meanwhile, the Action Network's Brett McMurphy reported Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren says in an upcoming interview with HBO's Real Sports that paying student-athletes is on the table.

"Those are things we have to resolve. We have to," Warren said. "So I want to be part of this conversation and will be part of this conversation of what we can do to make this better."

Last year's Supreme Court ruling in favor of athletes being able to earn money from their NIL rights while still in college basically brought an end to the amateurism era in the NCAA.

What's followed are NIL contracts for players and a whirlwind of high-profile programs changing conferences to best align themselves to bring in future revenue.

As the money around college sports continues to rise, in large part because of TV deals, it appears the players are trending toward receiving a piece of the pie.

A pair of high-profile quarterbacks are near the top of ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay's early rankings for the 2023 NFL draft.

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are ranked third and fourth, respectively, but defensive players primarily dominate the top five.

Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is the No. 1 overall player on McShay's big board, while Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is second and Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith is fifth.

Both Stroud and Young were starting quarterbacks at the collegiate level for the first time last season, and each of them thrived.

Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting after completing 71.9 percent of his passes for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Meanwhile, Young completed 66.9 percent of his passing attempts for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions en route to winning the Heisman.

Stroud and Young are widely considered the top two quarterbacks in the nation entering the 2022 season both in terms of producing at the collegiate level and establishing themselves as potential top picks in the 2023 NFL draft.

The quarterback talent promises to be rich in the 2023 draft, as McShay also gave Kentucky's Will Levis and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke first-round grades by ranking them 21st and 26th, respectively.

If those rankings hold up, the 2023 draft will be significantly different from the 2022 draft, as only one quarterback was selected in the first round this year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took Pitt's Kenny Pickett 20th overall, and the next quarterback didn't come off the board until the Atlanta Falcons selected Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder 74th overall in the third round.

Last season also marked the first time since 2017 and only the second time since 2015 that a quarterback didn't go first overall.

Stroud and Young are strong candidates to go No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft depending on the order, but if a team that doesn't need a quarterback picks first, Anderson could be a clear choice.

Anderson finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season after racking up a spectacular 17.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss for a Crimson Tide team that reached the National Championship Game.

The past three non-quarterbacks to go No. 1 overall in the draft were all pass-rushers in Jadeveon Clowney, Myles Garrett and Travon Walker, meaning Anderson could be the prospect to beat at this point.

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day and his wife Christina donated $1 million to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine to fund mental health research, per Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.

Raising awareness about mental health has been a hallmark of Day's time as the Buckeyes' head coach, and the money will go toward The Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund. He previously helped establish The Christina and Ryan Day Fund for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness through Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Day told reporters that a major difference between the Resilience Fund and some of his previous work is this will primarily focus on helping college-aged people.

"And certainly that college age, when Nina and I started talking about that, that's tough, it's a tough year for a lot of people, a tough stretch for a lot of people," he said. "They need the resources, they need the help, but then also identifying what those risk factors are, we'd really love to be a part of to get out in front of it."

Mental health in regards to the Buckeyes football team also took center stage in March when offensive lineman Harry Miller announced his medical retirement from the game.

"Prior to the season last year, I told Coach Day of my intention to kill myself," Miller wrote. "He immediately had me in touch with Dr. Candice [Williams] and Dr. [Joshua] Norman, and I received the support I needed."

Miller also highlighted the support he received from his head coach and the football program that has multiple full-time mental health professionals on staff when he appeared as part of a feature on ESPN's SportsCenter in June:

"Sometimes, it is the matter of life and death," Miller said. "The structure of having a coach like Coach Day, who's receptive, and having a staff like the mental health staff and the things that were in place at Ohio State definitely saved my life."

Day's father died by suicide when the Ohio State coach was just eight years old.

"I do think, as a leader, when you show vulnerability, then you connect with everyone and you show that is OK," he previously said. "If I'm sharing my story and willing to share some personal thoughts, then maybe they’ll be more willing to do so."

He is doing more than just sharing his story, though, and continued to provide financial support on Wednesday.

The Ohio State football team finished last year with an 11-2 record and a Rose Bowl victory, but the Buckeyes also lost to Michigan, failed to win the Big Ten title and missed out on the College Football Playoff.

It was still a good season for the Buckeyes, who finished sixth in the Associated Press poll, but head coach Ryan Day told reporters that there are still "scars" from last season amid the team's annual sky-high expectations.

"Last year, we were so young that we didn't know what we didn't know," Day said (h/t Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch).

"This year, we know what it's like to lose a game. We know what it's like to lose that rivalry game. And that was not good. And so there are some scars there, which is a good thing."

As Day noted, last year's team was inexperienced. That's not so much the case this year, especially with Heisman Trophy candidate and quarterback C.J. Stroud entering his second season as the starter.

"The expectations don't change year in and year out at Ohio State. We all know that. So is it different this year? No. The team is different, though. We have more experience than we had last year. We have a veteran quarterback coming back, a lot more guys on defense who are veterans, and a new scheme on defense."

The Buckeyes will open the 2022 season against Notre Dame on Sept. 3.

They will enter the season as the unanimous Big Ten favorites. They are also the No. 2 team in the country behind Alabama in numerous preseason rankings, including lists from Phil Steele, Wayne Staats of NCAA.com and ESPN's college football power index.

The offense was tremendous last year, averaging an FBS high of 45.7 points per game. The defense was hit or miss and finished 38th in points allowed (22.8 per game).

The run defense notably struggled in the team's two losses against Oregon (35-28) and Michigan (42-27), with the Ducks' CJ Verdell (195 total yards, three touchdowns) and Michigan's Hassan Haskins (169 rushing yards, five scores) going off.

Changes were made on that side of the ball, though, as Jim Knowles left Oklahoma State to become the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Ohio State. The Cowboys allowed the fifth-fewest yards per run (2.7) last year.

Ohio State has a track record of excellence and over the past two decades has reached five national title games, winning two. OSU also hasn't lost more than two games in any of the past 10 seasons.

This year's team looks like it'll be in the thick of the national title race as usual, and it very well could leave the scars from last year behind en route to a better season.

There has apparently been plenty of chatter about the four-team College Football Playoff format eventually quadrupling in size.

"Sixteen just seems to be out there," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. "You can't ignore it."

While Smith, whom Thamel called "the most powerful athletic director in the Big Ten," clarified that there have not been formal discussions about increasing the field to 16, he said the topic has come up multiple times.

Whether the CFP would eventually expand has seemingly been a major discussion point since it was first put in place for the 2014 season.

Powerhouse programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma have been dominant presences throughout the event's history, and a Group of Five team finally made the field just last season when Cincinnati did so from the American Athletic Conference.

Yet it may remain a discussion point for the foreseeable future since the current format is in place until the 2026 season and a potential expansion to a 12-team field never gathered much momentum largely because the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC voted against it.

Smith isn't the only voice inside the Big Ten who brought up 16 teams, with former Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez saying: "I can live with 12, I can live with 16, I just think we need to expand. I think access is important. I can live with 16."

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren didn't specifically mention 16 teams, but he did say he was "100 percent supportive" of expanding.

That Smith brought up chatter about 16 teams is all the more notable because Ohio State president Kristina M. Johnson is on the CFP's Board of Managers. It is reasonable to think she and Smith have discussed expansion a number of times, especially since the Buckeyes are one of the teams that are typically in the middle of the playoff race late into the season.

Expanding the field to any number will open up debate about whether conference champions should be given automatic bids and how many at-large teams will qualify.

Having more at-large teams figures to benefit the Big Ten and SEC moving forward, with the former set to add USC and UCLA to the fold in 2024 and the latter bringing in Oklahoma and Texas starting in 2025.

The two conferences seem to be further separating themselves from the others in terms of the sheer number of historical football brands and presumed contenders, and it would be a surprise if a 16-team field didn't feature a number of programs from each league.

NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah wrote Tuesday in a scouting report of Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud that he sees "a lot of similarities" between the 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

He continued:

"Both guys see the field well, make good decisions and take what the defense gives them. They protect the football and understand how to manage the game. Neither player has outstanding arm strength or athleticism but both have excellent touch on the deep ball. Jones surprised a lot of evaluators with his success as a rookie and I could see a similar outcome in Stroud's future."

Stroud, 20, was superb in the 2021 season, throwing for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record, though they did fail to win the Big Ten or reach the College Football Playoff.

Nonetheless, it was a successful first season for the then-redshirt freshman and made him one of the top overall prospects to watch in the 2023 NFL draft.

Likewise, Jones had a successful rookie season with the Patriots, throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 games while completing 67.6 percent of his passes and leading the Pats to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth. He was named a Pro Bowler for his efforts.

One of the knocks against Jones is that his upside is that of a game manager, and that ramped up after a 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills in December when he attempted just three passes in snowy conditions.

The Patriots lost four of their next five games after that, including a 47-17 trouncing by the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round. But for a rookie playing in the shadow of former New England legend Tom Brady, it was an incredibly successful first season.

As for Stroud, Jeremiah noted in his scouting report that the Ohio State quarterback has "a nice blend of size, production and poise" and "deft feel on fades and over-the-top throws."

He added that the 6'3", 215-pound Stroud "never seemed rattled, which is impressive for a first-year starter at the position."

Stroud will have a big season ahead of him as he looks to prove he's a top-10 talent for NFL teams looking to upgrade at quarterback. If his current comp is Jones, he's already on the right path.

Four star players from the Ohio State football team have reached agreements on a joint six-figure name, image and likeness deal.

Per Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch, a third-party collective called The Foundation has raised a total of $550,000 for quarterback C.J. Stroud, running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Denzel Burke.

The deals include product endorsements for each player.

"As part of the terms, Burke and Henderson will promote American Eagle Outfitters, and Smith-Njigba and Stroud will plug Designer Shoe Warehouse. Stroud is pushing Value City Furniture, as well," Kaufman wrote.

The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded by Columbus native Brian Schottenstein. Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones is also a member of the collective.

Schottenstein stated that the players will also work with The Foundation's partner charities, starting with a fundraising event they all will attend on Aug. 22.

"I think there is a lot of pride, but I'm really passionate about Ohio State's athletics, particularly the football and basketball programs, and I love the three charities that we are involved with," Schottenstein said. "So I put all my passions into one nonprofit. I really enjoy giving back to those areas. That part has been really nice. And it's nice to see the results paying off."

Schottenstein added that he believes this is the largest joint NIL deal for Ohio State athletes since players have been allowed to be compensated for their celebrity.

Last month, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day estimated that the program would need $13 million annually in NIL money to maintain its talented roster. With a collective like The Foundation backing future deals, it appears that number is not out of the question. Schottenstein said he hopes to help the Buckeyes achieve the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

"I think recruits knowing that we have this in place, and we have a lot of businesses that are supporting our collective, our foundation, it's definitely helping them make a decision to come to Ohio State versus other schools," Schottenstein said.

Ohio State added a top defensive prospect for the 2023 class with Sunday's commitment from Jason Moore.

He explained his decision to ESPN's Blake Baumgartner.

"I'd say just being out there in that environment," Moore said, per Baumgartner. "I just felt real comfortable with everybody. I felt like it's an environment where I'll be pushed to be the best version of myself on and off the field. That's really the main thing."

Baumgartner noted Moore chose Ohio State over Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.

Moore is considered the No. 5 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 53 overall player in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The Buckeyes currently have the top-ranked recruiting class for 2023, per 247Sports, with two 5-star recruits and 14 4-star recruits already committed.

The 6'6", 255-pound Moore has great size for the position and is still scratching the surface of his ability.

"His ceiling is so high," high school defensive coordinator Will Weathers said after Moore's sophomore year, per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "He's good with his hands, he's very strong, he can run and jump. I think he's going to be real dominant and one of the best coming out."

The DeMatha product was also a standout in basketball, playing varsity in both sports from his freshman season. He stopped playing hoops ahead of his junior year to concentrate on football.

Moore still clearly has loads of athleticism for his position and can continue improving as he gets more experience on the gridiron.

The Hyattsville, Maryland, native selected the Buckeyes, giving the team someone who could make a huge impact down the line.

The coaching staff might bring him along slowly as he builds up enough muscle to handle every-down work on the defensive line. Moore still has all-conference upside as he tries to help Ohio State continue to contend in the Big Ten.