Scarlet Sunrise: Tyreke Smith flashing potential during Senior Bowl practice

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.

Tyreke Smith flashing potential during Senior Bowl practice

Tyreke Smith never quite lived up to his potential at Ohio State.

His chance to try doing it at the pro level is off to a hot start, though. Smith has impressed during Senior Bowl practices so far this week in Mobile, Alabama. The former Buckeyes defensive ends has been among the standout players, according to folks who are watching in person.

Smith had chances to be great for the Buckeyes during his four-year career. But injuries seemed to always get in the way of a true breakout, making it difficult for Smith to become the game-changer Ohio State hoped he would be.

But now, he has a chance to show he still has that ability. So far, he’s doing a good job of it during this week’s practice.

Sevyn Banks enters transfer portal

Amidst injury uncertainty that will make it virtually impossible for Sevyn Banks to participate in any combine workouts or the Ohio State Pro Day this spring, the veteran defensive back is exploring his options to potentially play another season at the collegiate level. Banks entered the transfer portal Thursday, a move that will likely be the clearest path to rejuvenating his professional stock given hurdles to do so with the Buckeyes.

The path forward from that meeting is unclear, although it’s difficult at this point to imagine it will lead Banks back for a bonus fifth season in the Ohio State secondary.

Setbacks combined with something of a scholarship crunch for the Buckeyes means they’ve moving on with their roster planning. Banks previously expressed his desire to head to the NFL.

That no longer appears to be the case. And while the door might not be completely shut on a return, Sevyn Banks is entering the transfer portal to explore other possible landing spots.

READ: Sevyn Banks enters transfer portal, explores options for additional season

ICYMI: New Tim May Podcast

On the latest episode of the Tim May Podcast, Lettermen Row’s Tim May returns for another big edition of the show as he welcomes on Jeremy Crabtree and Jeremy Birmingham to talk Ohio State and college football recruiting.

Crabtree is the senior recruiting editor for On3, and Birmingham is the Lettermen Row director of recruiting covering the Buckeyes. That pair joins Tim’s show to tag team National Signing Day coverage as Ohio State is wrapping up its 2022 recruiting class.

Birmingham discusses where Ohio State stands in each of their recruitments while Crabtree hits on the bigger picture at the national level as Ohio State is set to lock in the No. 4-ranked class in the country.

That will be Ryan Day’s third consecutive class ranked in the top five of the national rankings during his three years in charge of the Buckeyes as their head coach. Day will be doing so as he welcomes in a totally revamped coaching staff that offers up plenty of interesting questions about where Ohio State and its recruiting efforts will go in future classes.

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