Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

Will there be any first-round picks from Ohio State in the 2018 NFL Draft? If so, who will they be?

Steve Helwagen joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, plus:

* The players on offense and defense that the Buckeyes cannot afford to lose this season (which is a hot topic on The Front Row message board right now).

* The state of Ohio State's basketball program. Is the end near for Thad Matta?

Which Buckeye landed in the best NFL situation?

Is Jeremy Ruckert worth the wait?

Is Tavion Thomas worth the work it and wait it is going to take?

We always have questions ... and Duane Long always has answers.

So what's the hold up? Get your morning rolling with us.

Who is the most indispensable Ohio State player on the 2017 roster?

What is the biggest recruiting story that every OSU fan needs to know about right now?

Alex Gleitman joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, the NFL Draft and more.

The NFL Draft is always filled with drama and the first round Thursday night was certainly no exception.

Three Ohio State defensive backs went in the first round: Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley.

Brandon Castel joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, plus:

* Predictions on where OSU products Curtis Samuel, Raekwon McMillan and Pat Elflein will be taken.

* Thoughts on the Cleveland Browns' interesting evening, which included taking Jabrill Peppers with the No. 25 overall pick.

* Opinions on the comments from former Ohio State basketball commitment Darius Bazley. Was he out of line, or simply speaking the truth?

Every day is an adventure with Ohio State's coaching staff.

In the last week, the nation's top defensive decommitted from Penn State after visiting Ohio State; Oklahoma's top in-state safety prospect picked the Buckeyes; Georgia's best edge rusher opted for Columbus and yesterday, George Costanza's favorite prospect - Orlando defensive back Sevyn Banks - made the call for the good guys.

Why is Ohio State white hot on the recruiting trail?

Also: Which in-state prospect is now trending heavy towards staying within Ohio borders?

We bring in 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong to remind us how incredible this recruiting run for Ohio State really is.

Spend 5ish with us this a.m.!

Ohio State continues to recruit Georgia well and on Tuesday the Buckeyes received a commitment from the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the country, Brenton Cox.

Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle to discuss the impact of the Cox commitment, what this says about OSU quarterback commit Emory Jones who is also from Georgia and helped recruit Cox, plus the allegations facing former Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley.

We all know Ohio State has the deepest defensive line rotation in college football.

Did you know that group is only getting more talented?

Did you knew there is a chance that in 2018 the Buckeyes could deploy four defensive linemen at once that were all ranked No. 1 at their position.

So is Ohio State 'DBU' as we all thought or is it 'DEU' ... or both?

It's an enjoyable thing to discuss. So Duane Long is here as we touched on the recruitment of Micah Parsons, Brenton Cox and Tyreke Smith and what that trio would look like in the Class of 2018 along with Taron Vincent.

Spend 5ish with us this a.m.!

With 5-star defensive end Micah Parsons decommitting from Penn State, will his next announcement be when he commits to Ohio State?

The People's Champ, Matt Baxendell, joins Dave Biddle to discuss the Parsons situation, plus:

* ESPN's Outside the Lines piece on Kevin Wilson finally airing ... and finding next-to-nothing.

* Which rounds will the former Buckeye players go in the NFL Draft this week?

That plus more on the Monday spectacular.

Can Demario McCall give Mike Weber legitmate competition for the starting spot at running back, or is it Weber's job, period?

What are other main takeaways about Ohio State's offense with spring ball in the rear view mirror?

What about the defensive side of the ball? Do the Buckeyes have enough beef at DT?

There has been a lot of talk about the new offensive coaches on OSU's staff, but it has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle that the Buckeyes hired what seems to be a heck of a linebackers coach in Bill Davis.

Patrick Murphy drops by to join Dave Biddle to give thoughts on all of the above and more.

Some programs are limited to recruiting their surrounding area. Some programs are not Ohio State.

The Buckeyes recruiting area is the 50 states and elsewhere. That includes talent-rich SEC country. Perhaps no program outside that conference has had the success recruiting the area more than Ohio State recently.

Don't expect that to change. Ohio State is seriously chasing Teradja Mitchell and Brenton Cox down that way. We explore that challenge and continue to review the Spring Game visitors list with 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

Spend 5ish with us!