Scarlet Sunrise: 10 Ohio State football players graduate during spring commencement

IMG_7408by:Andy Backstrom•05/06/24•

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Ten Ohio State football players graduate during spring commencement

Ten Ohio State football players graduated Sunday, four of whom are on the 2024 roster. That group was part of the 203 Ohio State student-athletes who were honored during spring commencement.

Here are the program’s 10 newest graduates (the discipline in which each player earned his degree is listed in parentheses):

  • DT Ty Hamilton (family resource management)
  • TE Patrick Gurd (health sciences)
  • QB Chad Ray (health sciences)
  • LS Max Lomonico (human development and family services)
  • OL Quinton Burke (zoology)
  • TE Sam Hart (logistics management)
  • K Parker Lewis (human development and family services)
  • S Cam Martinez (human development and family services)
  • S Andrew Moore (family resource management)
  • WR Xavier Johnson (master’s in translational data analytics; bachelor’s in consumer and family financial services)

Ty Hamilton, Patrick Gurd, Chad Ray and Max Lomonico are still playing for the Buckeyes. Hamilton headlines that group as a projected starter on the Ohio State defensive line. He’s already started 12 games and is coming off a 2023 season in which he piled up a career-high 38 total tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss. Gurd, too, could play a noticeable role this season. He joined the team as a preferred walk-on in 2020 and is now a leader in the Buckeyes’ tight end room. Gurd recorded his first career reception last year, and this time around he could see time as Ohio State’s TE2 and/or take on the role of fullback.

The now-former Buckeyes who graduated this past weekend include Quinton Burke, Sam Hart, Parker Lewis, Cam Martinez, Andrew Moore and Xavier Johnson.

Notably, Hart (Colorado), Lewis (Arizona State) and Martinez (Boston College) all committed to other schools in the transfer portal this offseason.

Johnson, meanwhile, signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent last month and will compete for a roster spot this spring and summer. He spent six years at Ohio State, completing a memorable and inspiring journey from preferred walk-on to scholarship captain and “Block O” recipient. Johnson played close to 900 special teams snaps in his career, and he seesawed between the wide receiver and running back rooms, making timely contributions to both his final two seasons with the team.

Ohio State now has 11 current graduates on its roster. In addition to Hamilton, Gurd, Ray and Lomonico, there’s also…

  • WR Emeka Egbuka (marketing, December 2023)
  • DE Mitchell Melton (communication, December 2023)
  • S Lathan Ransom (communication, December 2023)
  • TE Gee Scott Jr. (human development and family services, August 2023)
  • LB Cody Simon (finance, December 2023)
  • S Kourt Williams III (communication, May 2023)
  • C Seth McLaughlin (finance, December 2022, at Alabama)

Ohio State pulls together under-the-radar massive recruiting weekend

Ohio State hosted Class of 2025 five-star offensive lineman Josh Petty during the middle of the week. The Buckeyes followed that up with a strong recruiting weekend, welcoming in three additional On3 Industry Ranking top-100 prospects to Columbus for unofficial visits.

That group featured the top O-Line prospect in the 2025 cycle, five-star plus tackle recruit David Sanders Jr. from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Find out more about Sanders and the rest of Ohio State’s visitors from this past weekend here.

RELATED

One scholarship spot remains. What’s next for Ohio State hoops?

After the addition of Duke transfer forward Sean Stewart, the Buckeyes have one scholarship spot remaining for their 2024-25 roster.

Lettermen Row updated its projected scholarship chart and depth chart and broke down where the roster stands right now as well as what Ohio State could do next.

The Buckeyes have already added four transfers, but they have one more piece of the puzzle left.

Get our full analysis here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 119 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 210 days

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