Jamal Marcus, Brandon Ojikutu leaving Ohio State

According to a report from 11W's Kyle Rowland, Ohio State junior defensive end Jamal Marcus and third year walk-on wide receiver Brandon Ojikutu have been dismissed from the Ohio State football program. Per Rowland, the two have been removed following an apparent team rules violation. The Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz later confirmed Marcus was no longer with the team, but stated he will transfer for academic reasons and wasn't kicked off the team. An Ohio State spokesperson confirmed the news as well.

Marcus, who first drew high praise for his work filling in for the suspended in his own right Noah Spence during this past January's Orange Bowl, was expected to help bridge the gap until Spence is able to complete his suspension and return to action in Ohio State's game against Kent State September 13. Marcus had been held out of spring practices and missed the recent OSU spring game due to the aforementioned issues with academics.

While OSU arguably had one of (if not) the best defensive line units in the country, losing Marcus hurts that overall depth. The Buckeyes will need to rely on extra repetitions from sophomore Joey Bosa, Steve Miller, Tyquan Lewis, and Rashad Frazier to make up for the loss.