Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes add Division II head coach to analyst role

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 in Scarlet Sunrise.

Buckeyes add Division II head coach to support staff

Ohio State is expanding its support staff yet again.

The Buckeyes are bringing in Rob Keys, who has been the head coach at the University of Findlay for the last 11 seasons. He will serve as a special teams analyst on the staff that includes special teams coordinator Parker Fleming.

Keys spent the last 11 seasons at Findlay, where he won 75 games. He was the 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the year and the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. The Oilers made two playoff appearances during his time as the leader of the program.

After 11 seasons with the Oilers, Keys is heading south to join the Ohio State staff. And the Buckeyes support surrounding the program inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center is expanding yet again.

ICYMI: Latest edition of Tim May Podcast

Spring practice might be over, but there’s still plenty of Ohio State discussions to be had. Tim May is back with another edition of his podcast to analyze all of it.

He is joined by Lettermen Row senior writer Austin Ward to further discuss the the Ohio State spring game and what we learned coming out of the annual scrimmage. The two long-time writers who cover the Buckeyes swap storylines they are intrigued by heading into summer workouts.

Who broke out in the spring game? Which Buckeyes are ready to take the next step forward? Is Ohio State capable of hoisting the national championship trophy in January — or is it too early to tell?

That conversations with Tim and Austin make this edition of The Tim May Podcast a must-listen episode. And it’s not just an Ohio State football discussion this week. It’s about where the Buckeyes land in the national landscape of college football.

You will not want to miss that and plenty more Buckeyes news and analysis from the past and in another edition of the Tim May Podcast as spring practice wraps up.

Buckeyes make top five for elite hoops prospect

Scotty Middleton, a 6-foot-7 small forward out of Sunrise Christian (Kan.) Academy, told On3‘s Joe Tipton on Thursday that he’s down to five schools — Ohio State is one of them. Kansas, UConn, Ohio State, Seton Hall, and Texas A&M are the final five for the talented forward.

Middleton is the No. 34 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. 

The four-star prospect also received offers from Kansas State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, DePaul, and others.

Ohio State is the only school that has hosted him on an official visit. He also says he doesn’t have any official visits currently planned for the other schools, so the Buckeyes could be in a good position here.

On3’s National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw had this to say about Middleton: “Scotty Middleton is a versatile defender. He has the length and motor to guard on or off the ball and the size to defend up a lineup. With his feet set, Middleton can knock down a jump shot and is excellent in transition, switching ends quickly. He will need to continue tightening his ball skills and shooting off the bounce, but his motor keeps him productive.”

READ: Top-50 small forward Scotty Middleton down to five schools

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