Episode Details

Ohio State Call-in Show 79 – “Isaiah West Makes Noise & Devin Sanchez Is Primed!” Presented by FanDuel | Hosts: Garrison Gaddy & Denzel Jones | OhioStateVOCFB

00:00 – Intro Welcome to the Ohio State College Show on a Sunday. Call-in format. Plug for vocfb.com (writers/schedule) and the shop (koozies, hoodies, hats, etc.). First week of fall practice discussion.

00:24 – 2028 QB Commitment: Vargas

• Massachusetts QB, consensus No. 1 in the 2028 class.
• Frequent CJ Stroud comps on ball placement/touch; not quite the same athlete.
• Denzel: Ball placement and soft touch stand out versus typical high-school QBs who throw everything too hard. Sets the room up well long-term with Brady Edmonds and St. Clair.
• Garrison: Pocket passer who still shows some pocket navigation. Sophomore with plenty of physical/technical growth left. Don’t write Edmonds off yet — depth is valuable at Ohio State.

04:00 – Broader 2028 Class Look

• Already strong: five-star DL Jameer Weiss, No. 3 RB Elijah Newman Hall (Bradenton, FL → IMG, already ~220 lbs as a sophomore and still filling out).
• Jet Harrison (Marvin Harrison Sr. legacy / MHJ brother).
• Realistic path to 5–6 five-stars. IMG “bump” is real; Garrison notes mixed history with IMG products but likes Newman Hall’s skill set for the position.

07:10 – Running Back Room / Isaiah West First-Team Reps

• Isaiah West, Jacoby Jackson, and Legend Bay took first-team reps early in Week 1 of fall camp; Bo Jackson did not. Generated noise (including from rival fans).
• Consensus: Don’t overreact.
  • Denzel expects Bo to start with roughly a 60/40 split favoring Bo; they simply want to evaluate West and the newcomers. Both West and Bo are coming off injuries; Ryan Day keeps details close.
  • Legend Bay’s early first-team work was a mild surprise (missed first two practices; late flight).
• Garrison’s take: Bo already proved himself (2nd-team All-Big Ten as a true freshman). West only had 44 carries last year and needs the reps with the OL. Same logic applies to Jacoby Jackson (portal, injury history at Florida). Expect a three-man primary group (Bo, West, Jacoby) with Legend used situationally. Goal is keeping the room healthy for a long Big Ten/playoff run.
• Roster weights essentially even (~218–220). Physical backfield + returning OL + Arthur Smith’s emphasis (“non-negotiable is our style of play… starts up front”) points to a more physical, stronger short-yardage attack. Carlos Locklear’s arrival already helped; Smith (former OL) should push it further.

13:20 – Julian Sayin Physical Development

• Noticeably bigger (neck, face, overall frame). Worked with Coach Mick and Jeremiah Smith in the spring (same approach used previously with Max Clare).
• Expected to contribute more with his legs (read-option, short-yardage) after rarely gaining yards on designed runs or scrambles last year. Should also help deep-ball strength.

15:40 – Wide Receiver Room & Devin McEwen

• Garrison had been high on McEwen for months (proven production at UTSA, 4.3 speed, can play inside/outside). Practice buzz confirms he’s firmly in the WR2 conversation.
• Denzel agrees — film shows excellent route-running and YAC; looks better after the catch than anything Ohio State had last year.
• Room described as an embarrassment of riches / deeper than 2024 even if it lacks a pure Carnell Tate-level star at the top right now: JJ, McEwen, Chris Henry/Brandon Ennis, Kyle Parker, Guilford, Brock Boyd, second-year guys popping.
• Ryan Day’s best offenses have thrived with three strong receivers who can all create after the catch (2019 cited