Ohio State will be well represented at the 2017 NFL Combine

“This year the Buckeyes had eight players invited, which is fourth-most.”

- Bill Landis, Northeast Ohio Media Group

The NFL Combine is coming up at the end of the month and during the first week of March. Last season, Ohio State sent the most players of any school in college football with 14 players invited. This season, Ohio State will be sending eight players, the fourth most of any school. Ahead of Ohio State this year was Michigan with 14 participants, Alabama and LSU with 10, and Clemson, Miami, and Texas A&M sending nine each.

You can check out the full list of Buckeyes going to Indianapolis here. Out of all of the aforementioned players, Malik Hooker is likely going to be taken the highest. He’s drawn comparisons to Ed Reed, and has been projected to go inside the top 10 in some mock drafts. Behind Hooker is Marshon Lattimore, who isn’t too far behind in projections, like that of SB Nation’s Dan Kadar.

Three Buckeyes named to Pro Football Focus’s Top 101 list for 2016 NFL season

Three Ohio State rookies cracked Pro Football Focus’s Top 101 list for the 2016 NFL season. You could have probably guessed that Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, and Michael Thomas were the three Buckeyes, as they really impressed in their first season in the professional ranks. Elliott was the No. 22 player on the list, and at first glance, that might seem kinda low. Elliott was the best rusher in the NFL during the 2016 season, accumulating over 1,600 yards, and nearly breaking Eric Dickerson’s rookie record.

Bosa came in at No. 32 in PFF’s rankings. It seemed that his tenure with the Chargers was getting off to a horrible start. He held out for one of the longest times we’ve seen out of a rookie, and then a hamstring injury kept him out of the first four games. Yet when he finally got on the field, it was like he was never gone. He made the Chargers defense better, and helped them overcome a terribly slow start. Michael Thomas was also key in the Saints offense this season, and is a great young weapon for Drew Brees to close out his career with over the course of a few years.

“Jalin Marshall was an off-season star.”

- David Wyatt, Gang Green Nation

Most Ohio State rookies that got attention were the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, and Michael Thomas. Jalin Marshall however ended up having a pretty good season for how little was expected out of him. He had some flashes during the year, finishing with 14 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t receive too many targets but was productive more often than not when he did receive the ball. He was also productive on special teams, with 13 returns for 324 yards.

As GGN points out, the concerns with Marshall are still the same as they were coming out of college. There’s some ball security issues, he needs to get off the line faster, and work on route running. Though it should absolutely be noted, the talent is there. He’ll be fighting for a roster spot going into next season, but he’s shown that he’s more than capable. He just needs some consistency, and on a team like the Jets who need talent wherever they can get it, he would be a welcome surprise in 2017.

“As a youngster, Hall left others muttering on the golf course.”

- Marc Hardin, Cincinnati Enquirer

Kevin Hall has been deaf since he was just two years old. The professional golfer from Cincinnati didn’t let his disability keep him from doing what he loved. He was a star golfer in high school, and had a great career at Ohio State where he won the 2004 Big Ten championship by 11 shots. He was the first African-American to play golf on scholarship in Columbus and was also a two-year captain.

“I have been blessed with a lot of wonderful life experiences, to be able to play golf and do what I do. Meeting amazing people along the way and making friends,” he wrote to Hardin. He’s also got a great attitude when it comes to being deaf, which happened after he was diagnosed with H-Flu Meningitis. “Sure I’d like to be able to hear,” he wrote. “But it’s the hand I was dealt and I’m not gonna complain about it.”

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