Bill Landis

James said that he has family who's from Cleveland.

And I think Larry Johnson, maybe in that recruitment, or maybe Ohio State generally in that recruitment, he's from Montgomery, Alabama.

James Smith is.

I think they probably felt like they just didn't have a great shot to get him.

So I don't think they put kind of a full court press on him.

And James Smith sort of made it sound like maybe had Ohio State put the full court press on him, he was probably a little more open to coming to Ohio State from the jump than maybe you would have assumed about a kid from Montgomery, Alabama.

But I guess it all worked out in the end.

He's here now.

Anything else from James Smith that you thought was particularly interesting?

Just again, to the point of scheme, James Smith primarily like a three-technique kind of guy at Alabama has been doing some nose tackle stuff.

at Ohio State.

Someone asked him, I apologize, I can't remember who it was.

Someone asked, when you watched the film of Ohio State's defense from last year, like who was the guy that you sort of saw yourself filling that role?

And of course he said Kaden McDonald because Kaden McDonald was very good.

But Kaden played a lot of note, like straight up nose on the center.

two gapping kind of stuff.

Um, James Smith, not, he's not 330 pounds like Katie McDonald, but he's a pretty strong dude and he certainly got some size.

So, um, it was just good to hear that.

Like, you know, they hadn't, they haven't scrapped the idea of someone playing a true nose just because Katie McDonald's gone.

Yep, I think he could.