Former Ohio State Lineman Brian Bobek Transferring To Minnesota

Bobek moves on from OSU

Earlier last week, Ohio State center Brian Bobek hinted that he could be leaning to either a Big Ten or Big 12 school. 

On Saturday, Bobek put all the guessing games to rest. It's now known that he will be transferring within the Big Ten conference.

Bobek confirmed to multiple media outlets that he will be moving on to Minnesota to finish his final two years of eligibility. To meet with NCAA rules, Bobek will sit out the 2012 season.

Here’s what Bobek said to the Minnesota paper:

“I am excited to announce that I have given my commitment to Coaches Kill and Limegrover are exceptional coaches, and I am confident they and the rest of the staff are on the way to restoring the winning tradition of the Minnesota football program. I look forward to making a contribution to Minnesota football and, once eligible, having an opportunity to achieve my personal goals as a football player.to announce that I have given my commitment to Coaches Jerry Kill and Matt Limegrover to join the University of Minnesota football program. Minnesota was one of the first schools my family and I had contacted when I made the decision to transfer, and the coaches responded as soon as they got permission from Ohio State to contact me.

“The University of Minnesota offers a quality education, and I hope to take advantage of the many opportunities of going to school in a great city like Minneapolis. Also, my family and I are happy for me to have the chance to continue to compete in the Big Ten, one of the best football conferences in the country.

“I once again want to thank the athletic department and football program at The Ohio State University for their consideration and assistance in easing my transition to the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Golden Gopher football program.

“Go Gophers!”

Bobek was a four-star member of the Buckeyes’ 2011 recruiting class and played sparingly last season. With the departure of Michael Brewster, Bobek was expected to move into a starting role under first-year coach Urban Meyer. However, Bobek was not listed on the team’s most recent two-deep heading into voluntary summer workouts.

This obviously caused some rumors of a transfer that ultimately led to Bobek leaving the program for Minnesota. We wish the best of luck to Brian in the future.

Brian Bobek To Transfer?

There are some rumors floating around the interwebs that sophomore center Brian Bobek intends to transfer from Ohio State following the spring academic quarter. There's also a rumored announcement to come, but that hasn't been given a real timeline as to when that's supposed to occur.

Bobek, a native of Inverness, Ill., played sparingly as a true freshman in 2011 as Michael Brewster’s backup. The 6'2", 275-pound Bobek was expected to take over as the starting center in 2012, but the Buckeyes are going with fourth-year junior Corey Linsley.

In addition, Bobek was passed on the depth chart by true freshman Jacoby Boren, who ended up missing the vast majority of spring following shoulder surgery. Boren was the second-team center by the end of the first week of practice, pushing Bobek to the third-team.

Bobek ended up being a four-star recruit and was by far the highest ranked offensive line recruit in OSU’s 2011 class.

There is no word yet on where Bobek might be headed.

Stay tuned for the latest on Bobek and news on Ohio State athletics

Ohio State Basketball Guard Jordan Sibert Joins Weatherspoon In Transferring

Good luck to the young man

Jordan Sibert, a 6-4, 180-pound guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been released from his Ohio State men's basketball scholarship and will seek a transfer to another institution, Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes, announced Monday.

Sibert, a graduate of Cincinnati Princeton High School, appeared in 49 games during his Ohio State career. He contributed 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in just under 10 minutes a game.

"My two years as an Ohio State Buckeye were great," Sibert said. "Playing in the Final Four this year was a dream come true.

"I've decided to transfer after discussing my future goals with family and my coaches," Sibert said. "I would like to find a school where I can make an impact on the court. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the fans. I will always be a Buckeye."

Matta understands Sibert's goal to make a significant contribution elsewhere.

"Jordan has worked to improve since he became a Buckeye two years ago," Matta said. "He has represented our program well and we wish him the best."

Ohio State has won two Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten tournament title (2011), advanced to a pair of NCAA tournaments, including the 2012 Final Four, and won a combined 65 games with Sibert on the roster. The Buckeyes finished the 2012 season with a 31-8 record and were 34-3 in 2012.

While it's too bad to see Sibert and Weatherspoon go, I think this is the right decision on their part. If they wanted playing time and did not feel as if they were going to get that opportunity, then I don't see the need for them to stay. I wish both of them the best of luck wherever they end up at.

Ohio State Basketball Player J.D. Weatherspoon To Transfer

Weatherspoon has chosen to transfer

According to Jeff Goodman of CBS, Ohio State basketball player J.D. Weatherspoon is transferring from Ohio State to a yet to be determined school.

Clay Hall of ABC-6, has also confirmed the Weatherspoon transfer, citing that the official announcement should be coming Monday.

The 6'6'' 215-pound sophomore had tremendous athleticism and many fans were hoping that he could have a bright future with the Buckeyes. Now it appears that dream won't continue, at least, not with Thad Matta's squad.

As Goodman pointed out in his tweet, Weatherspoon did not receive a lot of playing time and one has to wonder if this is the main reason as to why. I can't see any other way that 'Spoon would want to transfer unless he felt he wasn't getting his fair share of minutes.

The really bad news? Matta now has a team of 8 or 9 guys. This really hurts the depth and the team for next season unless Matta can pull in a great recruiting class. If someone goes down with an injury, that team is going to be really thin.

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

Jordan Whiting To Transfer To Louisville

Whiting headed back home

The Ohio State linebacker announced via Twitter on Thursday morning that he would be transferring from Ohio State to Louisville to finish his college career. Whiting is from Louisville and is headed back to play in his home state after his short stint with the Buckeyes.

Jordan Whiting, a sophomore, only had 1 tackle for Ohio State in 2011 and found himself buried on the depth chart at linebacker. He was also suspended for the first game against Akron for being involved in the trading memorabilia for tattoo's scandal.

Obviously, given this recent development, he doesn't foresee those circumstances changing under the new regime in Columbus. A fourth-year junior to be, eligibility wise, he will have to sit out the 2012 season because of the transfer, and thus will have just one season of playing time at Louisville.

In his final tweets he thanks former head coach Jim Tressel and athletic director Gene Smith for the opportunity to play as a Buckeye. Whiting goes on to say the couple of years he's been here were very memorable to him and it was a blessing to be in Columbus. It's too bad to see this young man go but I wish him the best of luck at Louisville.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest updates, news 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.

Is James Louis Going To Transfer?

On his way out?

According to 247 Sports, James Louis might be headed out of Ohio State and headed to another school. Athlete is the perfect description for Louis. Louis has very good feet, he has great acceleration, and he is only going to get bigger and stronger in the coming years. He has a nice frame to add weight while maintaining his speed in college. He gets a lot of yards after the catch in high school and should do the same in college. Needs work on his hips getting in and out of his routes and really just his overall route running. He could be a fantastic addition to the team, especially with the amount of space on the depth chart for that certain spot. 


With DeVier Posey out, and Philly Brown having the most experience (which isn't a lot) this is a very raw group, with a lot of talent. We need all the help we can get, and if Louis really does transfer, Luke Fickell will have to sort out how to deal with this type of loss. Eleven Warriors thinks this might be a good time to let Stoneburner out wide, and gives a great chance for Devin Smith to get a shot at the WR spot. While it's possible, I really think we need to try and keep Louis. From what I've seen, he's got pretty good talent, and he's only a freshman.

Dorian Bell Transferring To Pitt?

WBNS is reporting Wednesday morning that Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was unaware of linebacker Dorian Bell's intent to transfer to Pittsburgh.

Bell had been suspended by the school for the entire 2011 season following what is being suspected to be a repeat offense in a violation of team rules. Bell was originally suspended for three games that caused him to miss the Sugar Bowl at the end of last season. A transfer to Pittsburgh would require Bell to sit out the entire 2011 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

According to WBNS Tressel replied to an inquiry about Bell's transfer to Pittsburgh by text message, stating that he was not aware of any intention to change schools by Bell.

Bell was making a push for considerable playing time in 2011 at the strong-side linebacker position for Ohio State after having an impressive spring in Columbus. Last year as a redshirt freshman Bell recorded nine tackles. He was also looking to make an impact on special teams this upcoming season and was slated to be Andrew Sweat's back up at the weak side-linebacker position. Now it seems that Storm Klein will be making more of his presence felt on the football team this year, possibly with a starting job.

Keith Wells transfers to a Community College.

Reports are coming out that Keith Wells, a defensive end for Ohio State, has transferred to an unnamed Community College thats located in Kansas. Wells, a Junior, has been ruled academically ineligible for this season. Wells is a junior who hoped to add to an already outstanding defensive line.

Keith Wells says this is a "minor speed bump in his career at Ohio State". He plans to return to Ohio State sometime in the future. This is not horrible news for Ohio State, but the added depth would have been nice to have. Now that there is one less person, they have to factor it in and make some changes. Updates if we get any.