Buckeye Breakfast: Malik Harrison and Jeff Okudah are Under Contract
Rise and shine, Buckeye Nation! Each morning, we get you caught up on the latest news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes and the college athletics world. Here are your headlines for July 14, 2020.
Harrison and Okudah are Under Contract
Malik Harrison and Jeff Okudah were critically important pieces on the 2019 Ohio State defense that finished the season as one of the best in the country. Okudah was drafted third overall (behind Joe Burrow and Chase Young) by the Detroit Lions, while Harrison was taken in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens. Both Okudah and Harrison signed their rookie deals on Monday.
OHSAA Planning to Start on Time
The Ohio High School Athletic Association issued a memo last week, in part to clarify some of the misinformation that had been circulating around Ohio high school sports. That memo made its way into more mainstream media yesterday. He is an excerpt regarding their goals of playing fall sports, including football:
First, for clarity, the OHSAA Office is proceeding as if fall sports will occur, meaning practices will begin on August 1 and we will conduct our usual series of tournaments in 10 fall sports. As you all have seen during this pandemic, those plans can be modified or cancelled quickly. In working with the Governor’s Office, we are currently in the process of preparing a guidance document on the restart of interscholastic athletics. That document is in the editorial stages, so we will be sending that to you once it is approved. Further, we are planning to share a student-athlete acknowledgement/pledge document that we hope you will consider using. This educational tool will provide student-athletes with information on their responsibilities in participating during the pandemic.
Ohio is a hot-bed for high school football talent and fans around the state are hopeful they'll have Friday nights to watch games and celebrate their communities this fall.
National College Football Awards Association Watch Lists
It's officially award list watch-season, beginning Monday with Shaun Wade on the Bednarik Award Watch List. That award is given to the best defensive player in college football. On Tuesday, the Davey O'Brien Award Watch List will be released, which honors the best quarterback in the country. A new watch list for a different national award will be unveiled each week day through Friday, July 24.
Social Media Fun
There have been plenty of reasons to be frustrated or disappointed lately, but we found a couple of social media posts that might make you smile. Former Buckeye catcher Dillon Dingler was drafted by the Tigers back in June and he's working out with the big league team during summer camp at Comerica Park. He showed off a little toughness during an at-bat in a scrimmage on Monday.
Meanwhile, former Ohio State basketball star Mike Conley has turned in a fantastic NBA career. He showed off for the cameras inside the NBA bubble in Orlando as the league prepares to restart its season.
Conley and the Utah Jazz resume their season on Thursday, July 30 vs. New Orleans.
We hope you have a great day - and remember ... time and change will surely show, how firm thy friendship OHIO!
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