2013 Punter Johnny Townsend Commits To Ohio State

Meyer got the big leg he wanted

There have been many rumors swirling around the past couple of weeks that Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was looking for a punter to take in the class of 2013. 

It has now been confirmed that punter Johnny Townsend from Orlando, Florida, has just given Meyer his 12th commitment in the class of 2013. 

The 6'2", 200-pound Townsend also had a scholarship offer from Cincinnati, and preferred walk-on opportunities with Alabama and Florida. 

Townsend recently made the trip to Columbus to the Ohio State kicking/punting camp and made enough of an impression to earn an offer.

Townsend will be joining the Buckeyes as a punter, with no reason to not be the Buckeye's starter for 4 years.

Townsend averaged 40-yards per punt as a junior. Along with his punting duties, Townsend was splitting time at safety and outside backer on his high school team and also played baseball during part of the season.

Townsend will arrive at OSU in 2013 -- just as current starting punter Ben Buchanan wraps up his career as a senior in 2012.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

Ohio State Players Jake Stoneburner, Jack Mewhort Lose Scholarships

Ohio State football players Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort have lost their scholarships for the summer,  meaning they will pay their own way for summer school and will have a chance to return to the football team after the summer season has ended.

From the Plain Dealer:

"Meyer had announced on June 4 that they were suspended indefinitely. Stoneburner, a senior tight end, and Mewhort, a junior left tackle, are both key starters for the OSU offense.

"We are disappointed with the decisions made recently by two of our football players," Meyer said in the statement Friday. "Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort will each be removed from athletic scholarship beginning with the summer term, and they will continue to be suspended from team activities until stipulations are successfully met. They will have an opportunity to return to the team in good standing following the summer session.""

According to Ohio State, both Stoneburner and Mewhort will be allowed to work out at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but they will not be working out with any other Buckeyes. Stoneburner, for one, talked after spring football about looking forward to throwing often with quarterback Braxton Miller this summer. Now that won't happen, at least at the WHAC.

The players initially entered not guilty pleas for their scheduled arraignments this past Monday. The Delaware Municipal Court website now shows those guilty pleas to disorderly conduct, with the status of the cases indicating that they are finished. Both players are listed as owing $299 in fines and court costs.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics

DerJuan Gambrell And Dominic Clarke Released From Ohio State Scholarships

Clarke released from OSU

According to Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, an Ohio State spokesperson has stated that defensive backs DerJuan Gambrell and Dominic Clarke have both been released from their scholarships to the Ohio State football team for violations of team rules. Gambrell is facing an assault charge, while earlier this week, Clarke was arrested for driving under the influence.

Clarke, a redshirt sophomore from Frederick, Md., has been charged with drunken driving as stated above, and also had been arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct after allegedly discharging a BB gun on campus. No one was hurt in the latter incident.

Gambrell, a freshman from Toledo, was also discharged for a "violation of team rules," but Ohio State did not specify what that violation was, but as mentioned above, it's believed to be an assualt charge. It's too bad these guys couldn't stay out of trouble, and the cornerback position doesn't have a lot of depth as it stands. The only upside to this is that it opens up 2 more scholarships for Urban's recruiting efforts.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates, and opinions on Ohio State athletics. 

Taylor Graham To Transfer To Hawaii

Gone

It has been rumored for a while now that Taylor Graham would be transferring, but now that rumor is reality. Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Graham is transferring and taking his talents to the Warriors of Hawaii.

Graham was released from his Ohio State scholarship when Urban Meyer became the new head coach. At 6'4, Graham is a tall, immobile passer who would not fit in Ohio State's new offensive scheme, so a change was best for both parties.

Newly crowned Hawaii head coach Norm Chow is known as a quarterbacks guru and will get the most out of Graham. Chow recruited Graham two years ago when he was UCLA's offensive coordinator, but Graham elected to come play at Ohio State, his father's alma mater.

Quarterback Taylor Graham To Transfer From Ohio State

Tim May has reported that Taylor Graham was granted a release from Ohio State, freeing up a scholarship and leaving Ohio State with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

Graham is without a doubt a pocket-passer and was not a good fit for what Urban Meyer wanted in a QB for the spread offense. During the spring and summer of 2011, it appeared that Taylor Graham was making some noise in the QB department to try and take that #1 spot from Joe Bauserman. As camps went on, Braxton was moved into the #2 spot, while Bauserman retained that top spot. Since then, things have been quiet with Taylor Graham.

Obviously with the new hire, Graham is looking to take his talents somewhere he will fit the offense better. The redshirt freshman stands at 6'4", 230 lbs and is from the state of Illinois. Taylor's father played quarterback for Ohio State (1990-91) and 11 seasons in pro football. We haven't seen any of Graham in games, other than the Spring game. 

On a side note, as I mentioned above, this also opens up another scholarship for Urban Meyer to use on the recruiting front, and will certainly be put to good use. 

Wherever Taylor happens to end up, we wish him the very best in the future.