Scarlet Sunrise: For Ohio State QBs, transfer portal offered big risks, rewards

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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Inside the transfer portal

Fun (but obvious) fact: No Ohio State quarterback currently on the roster was actually signed by the Buckeyes out of high school. Chris Chugunov came from West Virginia, Justin Fields came from Georgia and Gunnar Hoak came from Kentucky. Hoak is the most recent of the transfer trio, having made his decision to leave Kentucky after spring practice in 2019.

By then, Fields had not only already chosen Ohio State but also enrolled and gone through spring practice as the presumptive starter for the 2019 season. However, during that span Matthew Baldwin also made the surprising decision to leave, which left Hoak with a better chance to find his way onto the field in Columbus. Before then, though, he had to go through with the risk of actually entering the transfer portal.

“I was a little nervous at first, because what if you enter the portal and the school you want to go to isn’t there, and you can’t find a good situation?” said Hoak, originally from Dublin Coffman High School. “I’m sure that’s happened to a few guys out there. When you had something going at Kentucky and couldn’t get your Master’s there – it’s a little nerve-wracking at first, but obviously Ohio State stepped in and I’m glad to be here.”

Be sure to check out the full story from Tim May on how the transfer portal has worked out for Ohio State’s quarterbacks.

Ohio State QB interview takeaways

This past weekend offered a chance not only for the media to watch portions of Ohio State’s practices but also to speak with the team’s quarterbacks. The position is one of acute interest right now for a couple of reasons. First off, it’s still technically a position battle until Justin Fields is officially named the starter under center. But perhaps even more importantly, nobody actually knows how Fields will perform this fall after taking limited snaps as a freshman and then changing schools and offensive systems.

Fields is still cementing himself as the starting quarterback, but he’s not the only one in the position group who could bring value. Here’s what Lettermen Row learned about the quarterbacks during the Sunday interview sessions with the quarterbacks and coaches.

Three Ohio State commits named offensive All-Americans

Last week, MaxPreps.com released their 2019 All-Americans list, and it was chock full of Ohio State commitments and targets from all over the country. That list, exclusively comprised of 2020 signees, matches up pretty closely with Monday’s release from USA Today and that publication’s list of All-Americans for this fall.

Three Ohio State commitments earned first-team All-American honors: Offensive linemen Paris Johnson and Luke Wypler along with wide receiver Julian Fleming.

“I don’t really think it adds any pressure to my season,” Fleming told Lettermen Row. “I mean, it’s an honor being recognized, for real. I’m just trying to continue to better myself for the upcoming season and be the best I can.”

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

Ohio State TBT team plays for $2 million

A bunch of former Ohio State basketball players could strike it rich on Tuesday night. Carmen’s Crew, a team comprised of a bunch of former Buckeyes, will play for a grand prize of $2 million in the final of The Basketball Tournament.

Carmen’s Crew will take on Golden Eagles, a team comprised of Marquette basketball alums. There will be a new champion for the first time in four years as Carmen’s Crew knocked off four-time defending champs Eberlein Drive with a 71-66 victory on Sunday. The championship final will tip off at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN.

Scoonie Penn leaves Ohio State for Grizzlies

After two years as Ohio State basketball’s director of player development, Scoonie Penn is giving NBA coaching a shot. On Monday, Penn was named an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies under new head coach Taylor Jenkins.

Counting down

• The Basketball Tournament final: Today
• Ohio State vs. Florida Atlantic (season opener): 25 days
• Ohio State at Michigan: 116 days

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