Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State WR Austin Mack returns ready to produce for Buckeyes

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 Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball and more.

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Austin Mack back after tough year

The wide receivers spoke with the media this week, which means it was a chance to talk with Austin Mack about what was essentially a lost season in 2018 because of a foot injury.

“Shoot, it was definitely tough last season for me,” Mack said. “Watching games on TV at home and not being out there with the guys, it was definitely hard for me.”

Mack was cleared to start participating again with Ohio State around mid-January after being seen doing some light work at the Rose Bowl. And he’s embracing the chance to get back to work after seeing just how quickly everything can be taken away from him.

“I’m finally back,” he said. “The first couple days were a little rough getting back to it, but I’m just trying to get back to the feel of everything and it’s fun playing football again.”

Nick Bosa No. 1 on Mel Kiper’s Big Board

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper released his latest NFL Big Board on Thursday, and a Buckeye was at the top of Kiper’s rankings of the best NFL prospects. Defensive end Nick Bosa occupied the top spot of the 25-player list, while Dwayne Haskins was listed No. 5 — the highest spot of any quarterback.

Here’s what Kiper had to say about Bosa:

“Although I moved Bosa down a spot [to No. 2] in my Mock Draft 3.0, he’s still my top-ranked prospect, and I don’t expect that to change. He did what was expected at the combine in Indianapolis, and he’s the best pass-rusher in a class full of good ones. He is advanced for his age in his technique; you can probably thank his brother, Joey Bosa, and dad, John, both former first-round picks. Bosa finished his college career with 17.5 sacks in two-plus seasons, most of which were in a loaded line rotation.”

Turner Corcoran drops Ohio State 

One of the Buckeyes’ top offensive line targets in the Class of 2020 for much of the last year has decided he will no longer be considering Ohio State.

“I know this is a little out of the blue, but I’ve come to the realization that Ohio State is not gonna be in my future,” Turner Corcoran shared with Lettermen Row on Wednesday night. “I figured that I needed to stay closer to home for it to be easier on my family and myself.”

The country’s sixth-ranked offensive tackle had planned to visit Ohio State for the spring game on April 13, but that visit is no longer happening. The discussion with the Buckeyes coaching staff was a difficult one to have.

“They were caught a little off-guard,” Corcoran said. “I mean, they were all really supportive. They were very respectful of my decision and told me they were rooting for me. Honestly it felt like breaking up with a girlfriend because of how close I grew with that staff over there at Ohio State.”

For more on Ohio State recruiting, check out the Thursday edition of Dotting the ‘Eyes.

Jaedon LeDee intends to transfer

Per Bill Landis of The Athletic, Ohio State freshman forward Jaedon LeDee put his name into the transfer portal. As a freshman in 2018-19, the former 4-star recruit averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. The move technically doesn’t prevent LeDee from returning to Ohio State but it sure does seem like a departure is officially where this is headed.

“Jaedon is a terrific young man,” head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. “We appreciate the contribution he made to our team and wish him the best going forward.”

The Buckeyes now have two scholarships open for next season. Head coach Chris Holtmann is trying to add another big man, but it’s unclear if he would bank the other scholarship for the following season, use it on a graduate transfer or pursue a second high school recruit.

New Beanie and The Boom episode

This week on Beanie and The Boom podcast the guys debate everything going on in the world of sports including the NCAA Tournament, Odell Beckham to the Browns, LeBron not making the playoffs for the first time since 2005, Ohio State spring practice, Justin Fields and Tate Martell. Find out who Beanie and Boom have in the Final Four and some AFC North predictions. A lot is covered in this episode – check it out.

Greg Schiano leaves New England

Well, that was quick. Greg Schiano’s time as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots lasted less than two months. He announced Thursday that he was resigning for personal reasons.

“I have informed Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick that I am stepping down from my position at the Patriots,” Schiano said in a statement. “This is not the result of any one event, but rather a realization that I need to spend more time on my faith and family. I don’t want to look back years from now and wish I had done things differently. Therefore, I am taking time away from the game to recalibrate my priorities.”

NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said that Schiano has been considering this for the past two weeks. He also said that Schiano’s move came so he could “focus on a family situation… unclear what it was, but described to me as private.”

Counting down

• Oho State spring game: 15 days
• NFL Draft: 27 days

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