Bold prediction, picks for the 2026 Ohio State spring game

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2:29Kachava keeps you fueled and satisfied wherever your day takes you. Plus, it actually tastes delicious. No fillers, no nonsense. Just the good stuff your body craves. And for the times you feel like switching it up, you've got seven flavors to choose from, all with the highest quality ingredients. Treat yourself to the flavor and nutrition your body craves. Go to Kachava.com and use code news. New customers get 15% off their first order. That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com code news. Hello, everyone. Welcome into another edition of the Letterman Live Podcast. It's just going to be me today. Myself, Mick Walker here from Letterman Row. I know Spencer's our great, great host, but he's all taken some time off right now to be with his newborn baby and his wife during this time, so we're wishing them all the best. But as a result, that's going to be me just leading the show here for a couple of weeks. I understand that's probably not ideal to everybody. I don't have the cool graphics or the cool setup, but hey, we want to be able to do shows and get them to you guys on the YouTube channels and on the podcast channels. So we'll just take some time every week.

3:30And so I'll come on here at least once a week and talk about whether it's recruiting or spring bra fallout or different things that have happened. Today, we're going to, because it's for the Friday of the four spring, the spring game. We're going to talk about the spring game itself. I'm going to give three picks. I'll give you a little prediction on what I think will happen off in defense. And I'll go a little bit into the depth of the recruiting visitors list here, just because I know there's a lot of people that go to me for the recruiting stuff more than the team stuff, and I totally understand that that's much more my realm. So I'll touch on that at the end. Well, let's get started here with the spring game picks. First and foremost, I got three picks. One offense or two offense, one defense, because it's going to be an offensive game. First and foremost, I have favorite key, the freshman early and enrollee running back, going for 100 plus yards on the ground on Saturday. I know it's not the cool flashy pick, but he's been really good. He's been emerging with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West out of the line up here for Ohio State. So I'm expecting big things from favorite key. I could also be a little bit of a Jacobi Jackson instead of the floor transfer.

4:30He was very good on student appreciation day. The most recent full practice we got to see. Austin Ward, a German Birmingham from Let him are currently at the shoe, watching the Buckeyes penultimate spring practice. I'm back here reporting because I'm about the depart for vacation, which I'll talk about here at the end of the show as well. But I'm buying stock and favorite key after what we saw earlier this year. He was good in spring. He was good on student appreciation day. He's just looked good compared to what I think. Most people thought he was going to be coming in with some injuries that he had dealt with this senior year. I'm excited to see what favorite key can do in the shoe this weekend. There's a couple other guys. Like I said, Jacobi Jackson collided up. Stanley Jackson Jr. can be another guy. We could even see some of the wide receivers getting involved whether it's Philip Bell or Desi Jones or Chris Henry Jr. who got his black stripe off this week. More on those guys than a little bit. But I'm all in on favorite key. Having 100 plus Russian yard day. I think big things are going to come for the central Ohio native at the running back spot. This might be a couple of years before we fully see it

5:31on game days, on Saturdays and the fall. But I think he'll line it up in the spring game. So that's my first pick. Before we get to my second pick, we'll have a word from our sponsors real quick. Hey everyone, sorry to take you away from the show. We'll get you right back in a second. But we got to hear from a word from our partners right here. Bear skin. If you've ever been caught in the rain without a jacket out of game, out of tailgate or on the sidelines, walking to your car, you already know the problem. Your rain jacket isn't home because it was too bulky to bring. That is why the bear skin heavy storm rain jacket packs into its own pocket. You can stash it in your truck, throw it in your bag, keep it in your glove box. It's always with you and it weighs almost nothing. And the second the sky opens up, you pull it out and you're perfectly covered. We're talking about 20,000 mm waterproof. That's expedition grade, not a flimsy poncho, a real taped seam sealed zipper rain jacket that handles sustained down ports. And it's completely PFAS free. No forever chemicals, which is more than most outdoor brands can say. And here's the part I really like. You've seen me in the shows, you've seen me in this episode of this podcast

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7:34But I love the hoodie itself, especially. One cool thing about it is it feels heavy. It feels kind of like it has a density to it. I know there's the big weighted blanket trend. My wife had one at one point. I was never a weighted blanket person, but I do enjoy this when you put it on. It's a little comforting with the hoodie. So I shout out to bear skin for their sponsorship of the show, shout out to bear skin for the hoodie and the rain jacket. I'll be taking the rain jacket with me on vacation. Going back and going to our second pick here for the Ohio State Spring Game picks. I'm going to go over the defensive side of the ball. And while I think there will be points scored on the offensive end, I think the defense also has opportunity to score points. And that's by creating turnovers. I think guys like Christian and Aliega are a linebacker. I think Eli Lee are a linebacker. Jordan Thomas, Jay Timmons, a defensive backer. A couple guys that are early and really freshman that have started to generate some buzz here recently on these last couple of practices. It's just because they're getting their hands on the ball. Jordan Thomas, the Bergen Kathleen standout. He has been on one of the last guys off the practice field ever since like spring practice started. Him and Amari Miller are just out there grinding every day, going through different sets,

8:35going through different things for the takeoff here for what they got going on at corner backs. I was really impressed by him. I was really impressed by Jordan Thomas. I think Amari Miller is a good walk on as well, but really Jordan Thomas. I'm excited to see what he can do see if he can kind of get his hands on a ball and maybe return something and get an interception. Same thing with Eli Lee. He's not somebody that's been talked about a lot. He can probably fall in that category since he or Johnson or some of the other freshman linebackers. He hasn't been talked about a ton. But I think when he's going to get into this game and they're allowed to go full contact and not just dud, he's going to get his hands on the ball a little bit, maybe punch some stuff out and create some problems for other teams or for the opposing offense. I'm excited to see what Eli Lee can do. Cristiano Eager, I think he's going to be kind of a turnover machine for a high state this season. So those are two guys that linebacker, a couple guys that DB. I'm really excited about Carl Wilder as well, the defense five star freshman defense event. He's come on, would not be surprised and see him get a couple of strips, maybe punch the ball out as well. At least get a couple of tapsacks because he's that talented.

9:35So I'm all in those four guys creating at least three turnovers. That's my second prediction for the show. Three defensive turnovers from Ohio State. So I'm excited by this defense. And then finally my third prediction here, my third prediction of the three spring predictions is when we, I think we'll see a 60 plus yard touchdown in my apologies there for the stumble. 60 plus yard touchdown. These Ohio State freshman wide receivers, Brock Boy, Chris Henry Jr. Quayton Gilford and even a guy like Desi Jones or Philadelphia, who I mentioned earlier, who are red shirt freshmen, they're explosive. They're explosive, whether it's in the slot or out wide, they're gonna have some opportunity, just kind of break the game open a little bit, at least in the spring game category. So I'm excited to see what those guys can do. Tavian St. Clair also, he's got in comparison to Julian Stain or even some of the other guys on the roster, whether it's Justin Martin or anything like that. Tavian St. Clair might have the biggest arm, might have the most talented arm on the roster. So I think if they give Ohio State gifts in the opportunity in the second half, second quarter, whatever it may be, to air it out offensively, I think we'll see some long passes down the field. And again, I don't think that's at the detriment

10:37of the defense, like I'm not selling out there as they defensive, even the freshmen defensive backs or the younger defensive backs. I talked about those lonely in my last pick, but I just think Brock Boyd, who I heard a lot about at the coaches clinic on Thursday night, we've all heard a lot about all spring. I think there's gonna be a moment for Brock Boyd that he can break a long one. If it's not him, Desi Jones, Philip Bell, percent of junior, I think those guys are kind of all in that category of being able to break big play. So I think we'll see a 60 plus yard touchdown. That's my third and final pick. We're gonna go for one more ad break, one more ad break. Then we'll come back and talk about some recruiting lists. All right, folks, I'll get you back to the podcast real quick, but first we have to hear from our sponsors over at Bed MGM. If you haven't signed up for Bed MGM yet, use bonus code on three and you'll get up to $1,500 and a new player offer on your first wager with Bed MGM, plus 50% off an annual subscription to the on three college sports network. Here's how it works. Download the Bed MGM app and sign up using bonus code on three to deposit at least $10 in place your first wager on any game. You'll receive up to $1,500 in bonus bets

11:39if your bet loses and your code for 50% off an annual subscription to the on three college sports network and your Bed MGM inbox. Once your first bet is placed, just make sure you use bonus code on three when you sign up. Make this sports season one for the history books. Make it legendary. See Bed MGM.com for terms. 21 plus only US promotion offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler and there's a tons of other places to call if you're in New York, Arizona, Iowa, or Puerto Rico. First offer for new customers. Only subject eligibility requirements, rewards or non-refundable bonus bets that expire in seven days in partnership with the Kansas Cross and Casino and hotel. Now let's go back to the show. And as always, thank you to Bed MGM for coming on to the show and sponsor in the show. We want the best, not one of the best sports book out there on the internet. I know Spencer uses it often. I believe our colleague Austin Ward dabbles with it as well. So no other place to go to place your sports wagering and they always have great bonus bet opportunity.

12:41So if you're going to gamble, if you're going to pick some sports picks, go to Bed MGM to make those folks. That's, and again, I apologize for all the stumbles here. But go to Bed MGM, go to Bear Skin. And if you want Letterman Road, if you want on high-stay recruiting content, go to Letterman Road, because we're going to have you covered on that. Big day coming up here on Friday, as I released this, this will be coming up before the time comes. But Jimmy Kaylis, the four star offensive lineman from Pittsburgh, Central Catholic. He is going to announce his commitment at 6 p.m. on the rivals recruiting channel on the rivals with YouTube recruiting channel. My apologies there. I think it's going to be a high state. I think they're battling Georgia here kind of down to the last second. Georgia's trying to drive at the price at least. Kind of create some confusion down in the line. But I think in the end, it's going to be a high-stay winning out. They'll beat Texas, LSU, Georgia again, Clemson for the light for Jimmy Kaylis, who's an NFL legacy, who's a four star to the offensive lineman. Just continue to shoot up really. He was six foot six last summer. Seems like he's turning up towards six foot eight. I talked to his coach Ryan Lamer. At the coach's high-stay coach is clinic on Thursday night. And he was talking about how big Jimmy's got.

13:41How big he's gotten. How he's still kind of weighing sub 300. He's really looking good. And I think Tyler Bowen's fired up to get his commitment. He'll be in the shoe on Saturday as well. Offends a line, commits counter-wimer. Mason Will, quarterback, Mick Brady. He had an until-be-back. Safety committee, like Johnson will be back. Those are the commits that'll be in town as far as the targets. You're looking at my near Lewis, the brush standout from up there in Linhurst, Ohio. Highest data offered him in March. I think he's a big target for Larry Johnson that they're just trying to find these developmental guys in Ohio that you can really get and work on and see if they can become something more in a couple of years. That's what my near Lewis falls into. I think he's going to be somebody that can get a lot of attention on Saturday. Another guy that'll be in that category as well is Jaden Carey from Lauderdale, St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He's a four-star cornerback. He's Visitor of Ohio State. This will be his third time. He's a Miami legacy, but Tim Walton's been recruiting him very hard. He'd fit great in kind of a nickel role that I think Jordan Hancock made popular for Ohio State fans and then for Ohio State defense.

14:42So Jaden Carey, he's going to come up with this teammate four-star defense fan, Wyatt Smith. He's somebody that has a Visitor of Ohio State at an offer in March. But I think there's a chance that they could really start picking up steam in that recruitment at some point. So I'm interested to kind of talk with Wyatt after I get back and kind of hear how his visit went. So those are the main 2027 guys that are coming. And then 2020, Lucas Proc is a big time titan Eric quarterback from Jersey that they like. Ryan Day was able to see him last week at the early 11 regional in New York because his son, R.J. was participating in the camp. R.J. threw it well, but so did Lucas Proc. Both those guys were really big standouts from that camp. So I think it'll be interesting to see what the perception is and how it's received on how the Visitors goes with Lucas Proc because he's somebody that I think Ohio State fans are going to get very familiar with in the 2028 class. 2029, even Tyson El, the quarterback from Maryland, Texas. He's going to be back on campus. He's a big time target for the buck guys in that class. I know what's early. I know none of you guys want to be talking. 2029, heck, I don't because I'm a 2019 graduate of walking through Ohio School. But hey, we got to do it because Tyson El

15:42was that big of a priority for Ohio State. So those are some of the headliners on the Visitors list. We'll have full coverage of it over at Leaven and Row with Jeremy Birmingham out of excitement. Austin War will have you covered on the team side as well. We'll spend turns out. Again, I am sorry about if this was rough, if this was choppy. It's the first solo show of what will probably be a handful because we'll have them every week over the next couple weeks as we get through into June, maybe into the recruiting camps. But I think I appreciate you guys bearing with me. I appreciate you guys listening, watching. Make sure you like, subscribe, head over to Leaven and Row. We have a sale going on right now for our spring sale. Give 50% off a subscription. It's normally 120. You can get it for 60 bucks now. There's not a better deal that we offer every like on a given year. So I would go take advantage of that if you want complete coverage of Ohio State athletics. Thank you guys for watching. Thank you guys for listening. And make sure you drop a like, drop a comment if you're enjoying the show. Thanks.