Ohio State's Freshmen Wear "JT" Bracelets To Honor Jim Tressel In 2011

Never Forget

Jim Tressel is gone, but he hasn’t been forgotten by the last recruiting class he herded to Ohio State. 


As those freshmen stepped up one by one to introduce themselves to the media yesterday in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, it was evident that they still hold the former coach in high esteem, with many sporting black wristbands emblazoned with the scarlet letters “JT.” They said they want to enhance the final legacy of Tressel’s 10-year run at OSU. The 2011 class is a great one with players such as Steve Miller, Braxton Miller (No relation), Doran Grant, and many more. With all of those guys, they are wearing bracelets to represent the man that brought us a National Championship and too many victories to count, including a Heisman and a Rose Bowl victory.

Kyle Kalis Commits To Michigan

Kyle Kalis left OSU for TTUN

Brady Hoke has taken serious advantage of Jim Tressel's resignation as he has grabbed another Ohio recruit from under the Buckeye's nose. Kyle Kalis, a 6'5", 305 lb lineman,  is a tough, strong lineman who dominates consistently. He plays the game hard and is an excellent run blocker and drive blocker. He plays with good leverage and finishes his blocks strong. He shows the ability to pull and lead, and is coordinated and athletic in the open field. He has good feet all around, which is also evident in pass pro. 


If there's a downside, it's that he may not be long enough for left tackle. Kalis is considered a five-star recruit by Scout and is ranked as the No. 6 offensive tackle in the nation. Rivals, which gives him four stars, ranks Kalis fourth at his position and 18th nationally. ESPN and 24/7 Sports also give Kalis four stars, and the latter has Kalis ranked eighth at offensive tackle and second in the state of Ohio.

According to Rivals, Kalis' offer list includes Michigan, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, among others.

With Kalis committing to Michigan, Hoke's recruiting class for 2012 is shaping up to be one that finishes in the top five in the nation. Not only has Michigan added a big talent at offensive tackle, but his commitment could provide a lot of momentum for the Wolverines going forward.

Class of 2011: Thanks For The Memories

Days, Lauderdale, Lighty and Diebler

After the loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, I was absolutely heartbroken for this group of seniors.  If there was ever a class that deserved a national championship, it was this group. 

Eddie Days, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, David Lighty. The class of 2011.

For four (or five) years, these kids’ blood, sweat and tears went into making Buckeye basketball the rising power that it is today. 



For Lighty and Days, their journey began in the 2006-07 season that ended in a loss to Florida in the national championship game.  Despite making the team as a walk-on, a concern about Days’ heart kept him out of that season.  He finally made it back on the team as a walk-on before last season. 

David Lighty was a role player on that national runner-up squad, but was a starter for the remainder of his career.  Lighty suffered a foot injury in December 2008 that caused him to miss the remainder of that season.  Lighty holds the NCAA record for most appearances with 157.

Dallas Lauderdale. The ultimate team player. If the Buckeyes needed to go small for a game, he didn’t complain about his lack of playing team.  If they needed him to play 25-30 minutes, he would play like it was his last time on the court.  Despite free throw form that might make you cringe, Swatterdale came to play on a nightly basis.  And he has a mean falsetto.

Jon Diebler. Sharpshooter extraordinaire.  Diebler is the all-time 3-point shooting leader for Ohio State and the Big Ten with 374 made.  It’s scary to think how many more he would have had if he had shot better that 29 percent during his first season on campus.  If the Buckeyes needed a big 3-pointer, there was no one you’d rather have with the ball in his hands than Threebler himself (something he proved in the loss to Kentucky with an ice-cold 3-pointer to tie late in the game.)