Buckeye transfer updates:

[victor2111]

Some Buckeyes who recently transfer, where they're now, and are they doing big thing?

- QB Taylor Graham - As stated in another thread. Starting QB at Hawaii, lots of hype. Ohio State is set at QB though right now.

- DE/LB Jonathan Newsome - At Ball State now. Senior year, started at DE. Last year he started 10 games, had 52T, 12.5TFL, and 8.5sacks. Very impressive year.

- DE/LB David Durham - At Pitt now. Sat out last year. Now in line to be the starting DE for them.

- DB Jeremy Cash - Transfer to Duke. Starting Safety, RS Sophomore, sat out last year due to transfer rules.

- LB Dorian Bell - Transer to 1AA Duquesne. 92tackles, 12.5TFL, 6sacks last year as a Junior.

Bell's hard work continues to be rewarded. Last week he was named a first-team I-AA Preseason All-American by The Sports Network, regarding him as one of the four best linebackers in the country playing outside Division I-A.

He was also placed on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which is presented by The Sports Network to the outstanding defensive player in the I-AA and named in honor of the former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman and Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee.

- RB Jaamal Berry. At Murray State for his Senior season. Some people believe he is still NFL Talent. 95att 675yards 7TD last year as a Junior there. They open the season against Missouri.

- DE/LB David Perkins. Transfer to Illinois State this past summer. I think he can play right away.

- OL Sam Longo - Listed to be starting OG for Bearcats this season, his Senior season.

- DB Dominic Clarke - At Illinois State also like David Perkins. This will be his Senior season. Played in 12 games last year as a Junior, starting 4, 40tackles 3TFL, 1INT, 1sack, 1FF, 5PD.

- WR James Louis - Transfer to FIU. Listed on 3rd team for WR.

- OL Brian Bobek - Transfer to Minnesota. Has a virus issue going on that hasn't been cleared for him to play. If it was, he would probably be starting at Minnesota this year.

- Verlon Reed - WR at Ohio State, transfer to Findlay University. Now going back to his HS position, QB.



Other transfers:
OL Joey O'Connor - At Colorado State. Sitting out this year due to transfer rules.
DE Sevon Pittman - At Akron. Has to sit out this year.
LB Luke Roberts - At Harvard. Not sure if he is playing FB or not.
DB Najee Murray - Recently moved on to Kent State. Has to sit out the year.

[victor2111]

There have been A LOT of Ohio State transfer the past 2-3 years. Didn't realize there were that many. Looks like quite a few of them are paying off for playing time, as about 8 of them are now starters.


Really looking forward to see what Taylor Graham can do. Lot of hype. Dorian Bell and Jaamal Berry are getting quite a bit of hype at the 1AA level. Jonathan Newsome getting hype at the MAC level, had a really good year last year.

[WANG]

Some of the "transfers" were due to players being kicked off the team.

Some were due to lack of PT.

[victor2111]

I think 4 of them were due to "bad behavior", the rest I believe were playing time/Meyer system.


Anyways, I will update thread weekly. Good article on Taylor Graham today.

Former Ohio State QB Taylor Graham found a new home as Hawaii's starting QB - and he's tried surfing

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Taylor Graham had decided on his future, decided to leave the program where his father had played, decided to abandon not just the Midwest, but the entire continental United States, to find a new football home.

He told his former coach what he was going to do.

“Be careful,” Jim Tressel told Graham. “Don't go to the beach too much.”

Nearly two years after making that choice to leave Ohio State after the Buckeyes hired Urban Meyer, Graham has no complaints. What's there to complain about when you're starting in paradise?

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior pocket passer, the son of former OSU quarterback Kent Graham, will be the starting quarterback for Hawaii when the Rainbow Warriors open the 2013 college football season at home tonight against No. 24 USC.

He's tried surfing a bit, though he said he doesn't have the money to buy his own board. Hanging out in the winter means cookouts at the beach instead of video games in his dorm room. He's listened to Tressel, but still enjoyed the type of hiking and white sand you just don't find in Central Ohio.

But if he could, Graham would have stayed right where he was after signing with the Buckeyes in the Class of 2010. After Tressel's forced resignation and Meyer's hiring, he felt he was no longer a fit.

“I'm loving it here. Offensively, it's a perfect fit for me,” Graham said of coach Norm Chow's pro-style offense during a phone interview with Cleveland.com last week. “To be honest, the only reason I left was just because of the offense Coach Meyer brought in. I just felt there wasn't a place for my skill set in there, not that there's anything wrong with that. But I just felt it would be time for me to go if I wanted to have a chance to play somewhere.”

So Graham left Ohio State soon after Meyer's hiring after the 2011 regular season, before the Buckeyes played in the Gator Bowl with Luke Fickell still running the show. But Graham did sit down to talk with Meyer before making that call, and he remembers Meyer showing him a video of his offense, run by Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, to explain how it worked. It was the Gators' national title game win over the Buckeyes in 2007.

“Before I made such an important decision like that I wanted to get all the facts,” Graham said. “I talked with Coach Meyer and he was great about it. We talked, and I made the decision I was going to move on.”

He wasn't the only one. Of the 18 players that signed with Ohio State's 2010 class, only nine remain on the roster. Johnathan Hankins left early for the NFL, three suffered career-ending injuries and five transferred.

Graham is smart enough to understand the abilities of Braxton Miller, who would have remained his competition at quarterback at Ohio State, but sure of himself enough to not back down from what could have been.

“Braxton is an excellent quarterback, but I have confidence in my talents and things I can do,” Graham said. “It would have been fun to be there and see it all the way through with Coach Tressel, but unfortunately that's not the way things went down. I don't want to play that game, to say I would have done this or that. I'm just thankful for where I'm at right now.”

Graham didn't completely cut his Buckeye ties, though. He remains friends with several old teammates, and while not traveling with Hawaii last season while sitting out the year mandated by the NCAA as a transfer, he often set his alarm for 6 a.m. to wake up and watch Ohio State.

“All my buddies are there. I dreamed of playing at Ohio State with them. It was great for me to see their success last year,” Graham said. “I was so happy for those guys.”

There won't be any 6 a.m. wakeups this year. He has his own team to lead. He's happy to welcome any fans who want to stay up past midnight to catch a former Buckeye. The kickoff against USC tonight is 11 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.

Graham wasn't the only Buckeye caught up in the program turmoil and transition, not the only player forced to make a decision about his future based on circumstances he didn't create and couldn't control. Cleveland.com will continue to try to check in with some of those former Buckeyes.

It will be hard to find one who landed like this, with a starting job and surfing.

“I grew up loving Ohio State, and I still love it,” Graham said. “It was tough, to be honest with you. It was difficult to make that decision. There were a lot of difficult times transferring, not knowing what was going to happen. Not to say I don't miss Ohio State, but it's been a win-win for me so far.”

Favorite part from the article: Graham didn't completely cut his Buckeye ties, though. He remains friends with several old teammates, and while not traveling with Hawaii last season while sitting out the year mandated by the NCAA as a transfer, he often set his alarm for 6 a.m. to wake up and watch Ohio State.


6AM to watch the Buckeyes. Still a Buckeye by heart! Rooting for him big time! Left Ohio State on good terms, left because he didn't think the system fit his play, but before he made his decision he called Meyer and talked to him about it. Here is hoping he can have some huge years in Hawaii!

[WANG]

Really glad to hear that Graham found a home.

Urban's system would not have fit for him, so it was in his best interest to find a place where his talents could be used.

Once a BUCKEYE always a BUCKEYE!

[buckeyebikerbabe]

Nice article. You do good work, Grasshopper and we don't thank you enough for posting all the stuff that you do. Much appreciated.

[Deleted]

who gives a rats-a$$ about these wimps!!?

[cwerph]

Aug 29, 2013 20:11:33 GMT -5 ciscofg1 said:

who gives a rats-a$$ about these wimps!!?

Count me in. I hope they all do well as long as it doesn't hurt the Buckeyes.

[victor2111]

QB
Taylor Graham Hawaii(0-1) Loss to USC 30-13
16-41 208yards 1TD 4INT

Verlon Reed Findlay(0-0) First game Thursday 9/5/13

RB
Jaamal Berry Murray State(0-1) Loss to Missouri 58-14
10att 19yards, 3rec 14yards

OL
Sam Longo Cincinnati(1-0) Beat Purdue 42-7
Played. Backup OL.

DE/LB
Jonathan Newsome Ball State(1-0) Beat Illinois State 51-28
3tackles 1tfl 1sack

David Perkins Illinois State(0-1) Loss Ball State 51-28
2tackles

David Durham - Pitt(0-0) Play Monday night FSU

Dorian Bell - Duquesne(1-0) Beat Albany 35-24
3tackles 1FR

DB
Dominic Clarke Illinois State(0-1) Loss Ball State 51-28
4tackles

Jeremy Cash Duke(1-0) Beat N.C. Central 45-0
6tackles 1TFL 1BU

[Deleted]

Graham showcased why he didn't get playing time at OSU.

[Deleted]

good stuff, Vic.

[victor2111]

Week 2
Verlon Reed gets his first start at QB at Findlay and produces a win. Taylor Graham struggles again, replace during the 2nd half. Jaamal Berry reaches the endzone for the first time this year. Big injury news, Senior DE Newsome was out for Ball State, dude was a beast last year. Got a loy of hype this year. Jeremy Cash played well again for Duke, who has started 2-0 this season.


QB
Taylor Graham Hawaii(0-2) Loss to Oregon State 33-14
10-20 95yards 1TD 0INT
Season Stats
26-61 303yards 2TD 4INT

Verlon Reed Findlay(1-0) Beat Urbana 51-33
22-28 294yards 2TD 1INT

RB
Jaamal Berry Murray State(1-1) Won 83-14 to Campbellsville
3att 28yards 1TD, 2rec 32yards
Season Stats
13att 47yards 1TD, 5rec 46yards

OL
Sam Longo Cincinnati(1-1) - Loss to Illinois 45-17
Played. Backup OL.

DE/LB
Jonathan Newsome Ball State(2-0) Beat Army 40-14
OUT DUE TO ANKLE INJURY.
Season stats
3tackles 1tfl 1sack

David Perkins Illinois State(0-1) BYE WEEK
Season stats
2tackles

David Durham - Pitt(0-1) Loss to FSU 41-13
1tackle

Dorian Bell - Duquesne(1-1) Loss 23-20 to Dayton
4tackles
Season stats
7tackles 1FR

DB
Dominic Clarke Illinois State(0-1) BYE WEEK
Season stats
4tackles

Jeremy Cash Duke(2-0) Beat Memphis 28-14
5tackles 1BU
Season stats
11tackles 1TFL 2BU