Freshmen Check-In Recap and Rumblings

Update 2: video of the event after the jump.

Update: some of Josh Winslow’s photos uploaded after the jump, with a link to his entire gallery.

Ohio State’s 2011 freshmen reported for fall camp this afternoon. I was fortunate enough to be on location to “cover” the event.

If you missed it earlier in the week, make sure to check out theOzone.net’s great coverage of Wednesday’s media introduction to the incoming freshman, who all gave a brief statement and answered a few questions.

Unfortunately, the biggest news from the check-in this afternoon was how brief it was. The players arrived all at once on a bus, meaning that the ‘event’ lasted about five minutes.

Tomorrow the upper classmen will arrive individually by car over a more extended period of time, so hopefully there will be some more to cover.

As it is, there are a few noteworthy things from today, so let’s get right to it:

• There were 22 scholarship freshmen and 2 invited walk-ons reporting today. The 22 scholarship players did not include Conner Crowell (surgery) and Cardale Jones (prep school).
• One of the biggest stories (literally) heading into fall camp is Chris Carter Jr.’s weight. Having seen him in person, there is no doubt that he a a large person, but he carries the weight well. Conditioning will likely be an issue early in his career, but like Johnathan Hankins last season, if he can keep his weight under control, he looks like a future beast on the inside of the offensive line.
• Conner Crowell is at home (I assume in Maryland) still recovering from off season surgery. He is out indefinitely and it is unknown whether he will report for fall camp at all.
• LB Curtis Grant and OL Tommy Brown were walking side by side and they both appeared to be about the same size. Curtis grant is huge (in a good way).
• Assistant Athletics Communications Director Jerry Emig reported that Ohio State now has approximately 288,000 square feet of practice space following the latest renovations that the team will begin taking advantage of on Monday.

Stay tuned for photos (evidence for some of my claims above) from the event courtesy of Josh Winslow and video courtesy of yours truly (really Josh as well, but I was shooting his second camera for him).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnejY8FeMnk&w=560&h=349]

Make sure to check out Josh Winslow’s entire gallery from the event for many more photos.