Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State product Denzel Ward gives generous gift

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.

Ohio State product Denzel Ward gives generous gift

As the COVID-19 pandemic rocks every aspect of life, a former Ohio State star is giving back to his community during the tough times.

Former Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, now a member of the Cleveland Browns, is selecting 21 service workers and small business owners who have lost their livelihood during the crisis. Ward is offering to pay their largest monthly expense.

The form asks applicants to list what their biggest need is, some basic details, how the pandemic impacted the applicant and if Ward can share their stories on social media.

While Ward and other former Buckeyes make millions of dollars playing football, some Buckeyes — and Browns — fans are struggling through this tough time around the country. And Ward is just doing his part to help those in need of a boost or expense taken off their back.

For more details, click here.

Ohio State target schedules mid-June visit

The NCAA announced this week that the impromptu recruiting dead period will run until at least May 31. That could probably be extended once again if need be.

But if visits are allowed to resume once again in June, the Buckeyes will be paying close attention to the weekend of June 12. That is looking like a monster visit weekend for Ohio State. One of the top remaining offensive line targets for the Buckeyes, Kentucky’s Jager Burton, confirmed his plans to visit Columbus that weekend on his Twitter account.

Burton, a four-star prospect, has been one of the top priorities along the offensive line for a majority of the 2021 recruiting cycle. That visit could be huge for the remainder of the class as it rounds into form. Burton isn’t going to be the only visitor that weekend for the Buckeyes — if it can indeed happen.

Resident recruiting expert Birm has more:

Ohio State commitments Donovan Jackson and Ben Christman are expected that weekend with Burton, and it’s likely that the Buckeyes will try and bring J.C. Latham and other top offensive line targets into town at the same time.

For the full story, click here.

ICYMI: Cardale Jones breaks down Sugar Bowl with Lettermen Row

In case you missed it, Cardale Jones and Tyvis Powell joined Lettermen Row senior writer Austin Ward for a special Lettermen Rewind last week.

Both former Buckeyes stars made huge plays in leading the Buckeyes to the 2014 College Football Playoff National Championship. Now years later, they looked back on the historic Sugar Bowl win over Alabama and broke it down from play to play.

From pregame confidence and useful media fuel, to mistakes that worked out perfectly for the Buckeyes and what it was like to be on a field loaded with NFL talent, Jones and Powell recounted the whole Sugar Bowl experience with their blend of knowledge and humor.

Roll the tape!

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