Scarlet Sunrise: Revisiting which Buckeyes players lost their black stripe during spring ball
Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.
Revisiting which Buckeyes players lost their black stripe during spring ball
Nine Ohio State players shed their black stripe and officially became Buckeyes during the spring season. Lettermen Row is taking a look back at each one:
WR Jeremiah Smith (freshman), March 21: Smith lost his black stripe just four practices into the spring season. Since the tradition was introduced by former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, no Buckeyes true freshman had earned the post-practice honor that quickly. Smith, the No. 1 overall prospect from the 2024 class, was the talk of the spring with his viral catches and instantaneous impact.
WR Brennen Schramm (redshirt freshman), March 21: Schramm shed his black stripe the same day Smith did, but Smith’s moment unsurprisingly dominated headlines. Schramm, a preferred walk-on from Medina who starred alongside Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in high school, showed out in the spring game with a touchdown reception and three total catches for 31 yards.
S Caleb Downs (sophomore), March 26: It didn’t take long for Downs to earn the post-practice honor, either. He was the first defensive player to lose his black stripe this offseason. After picking up second-team AP All-American honors as a true freshman at Alabama last year, Downs is poised for another head-turning campaign as a sophomore at Ohio State.
RB Quinshon Judkins (junior), March 26: Downs and Judkins shared the title of first transfers to lose their black stripes this offseason. They were recognized on the same day, with Judkins similarly coming to Ohio State as a proven playmaker. The former Ole Miss star piled up 34 total touchdowns over the last two years and is forming arguably the country’s best 1-2 backfield punch with senior TreVeyon Henderson.
QB Will Howard (graduate), March 30: It took Howard a minute to find his groove, but the Kansas State grad transfer finished spring ball on a high note. That included a nice spring game performance and, before that, him shedding his black stripe after Student Appreciation Day. Howard’s pocket presence stood out the most in March and April, although he hasn’t done enough to win the QB1 job yet.
C Seth McLaughlin (graduate), March 30: McLaughlin could be snapping the ball to Howard this season. That is, if the Alabama grad transfer wins the starting center job. Given he only worked with the first-team offense at center in the spring game, it seems like he’s the frontrunner to do so. McLaughlin appears to have moved past his snapping issues and picked up the Ohio State offense in no time.
TE Will Kacmarek (redshirt junior), April 5: Kacmarek flashed his hands during the spring game with a pair of catches for 24 yards. But his blocking chops could get the senior transfer from Ohio University on the field right away. He has the potential to at least be the Buckeyes’ go-to TE2 this season.
DT Will Smith Jr. (redshirt freshman), April 5: Injury trouble put Smith on the back burner last year. But he made the most of a healthy spring this time around and made some sparks fly with the second-team defense. He’s put himself in position to compete for legitimate snaps in a deep defensive tackle rotation piloted by longtime D-Line coach Larry Johnson.
QB Julian Sayin (freshman), April 8: Smith is the top receiver in this year’s recruiting class. Sayin is the top quarterback in this year’s recruiting class. So it’s only fitting that Sayin became the fastest true freshman quarterback to shed his black stripe. The first-year signal caller, who transferred in after a brief stay at Alabama, has been as intriguing as advertised.
Progress Report: Evaluating Ohio State offensive line after spring practice
Lettermen Row’s “Progress Report” series is chugging along, with the latest installment examining Ohio State’s offensive line. Aside from the quarterback position, it’s the most-discussed area of the team, especially considering the Buckeyes’ struggles in the trenches last year.
Returning four O-Line starters, Ohio State is in a much better spot now than it was this time last offseason. That said, the pressure is on for the Buckeyes to get it right up front in 2024.
We evaluated the spring MVP of the unit, who’s the most improved and what the biggest unanswered question is facing the position group.
Check it out here.
Ohio State opens May with top-ranked 2025 recruiting class
Ohio State kicked off the month of May at the top of the 2025 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Buckeyes are still in the pole position on Sunday.
They have 13 commits so far, including three five-star prospects — tied for the most nationally with LSU at the moment — and eight four-star prospects.
Ohio State is looking to finally finish a recruiting cycle with the highest-rated group of signees in the country. It’s off to a fantastic start.
For more on that start, go here.
RELATED
Counting Down
Buckeyes vs. Akron: 120 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 211 days
Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?
Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.
