\n Welcome to the Skull Session. <\/p>\n
\n\tConnor Hawkins<\/a> is about to turn Columbus upside down…\n<\/p>\n \n\tGet it?\n<\/p>\n \n\tHawkins<\/a>?\n<\/p>\n \n\tUpside down<\/a>?\n<\/p>\n \n\tEh?\n<\/p>\n \n\t\t#BOOM<\/a> Ohio State has its kicker in Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins, who went 18 of 22 on field goals as a redshirt freshman last season, with a long of 54 yards. https:\/\/t.co\/blnaf09wC6<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tHave a good Thursday.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0FIT CHECK. Ohio State and Earl Little Jr.<\/a> are a perfect match.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWell, almost.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThis week, ESPN\u2019s Tom Luginbill <\/a>ranked \u201cthe best fits in the college football transfer portal.\u201d The list had former USF quarterback Byrum Brown and Auburn at No. 1, former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech at No. 2, and, down at No. 8, Little and the Buckeyes.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tCaleb Downs thrived in Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme and now ranks as one of the top overall 2026 NFL draft prospects. Little, who played a similar rover role at Florida State, arrives with a lot of the same physical attributes. He’s a versatile, physical safety who thrives as an enforcer in the box and led Florida State with 76 tackles. He also has enough range and coverage skills to make plays on the ball, picking off a team-high four passes this season. Patricia’s disruptive and complex scheme can be demanding, but Little’s experience and skill set will help fill the void of Downs’ departure.\n\t<\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019ve seen some people call Little a Caleb Downs replacement.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\tTo me, he\u2019s a replacement for Caleb Downs.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\tThere\u2019s a difference!\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\t(I think.)\n<\/p>\n \n\tThere\u2019s really no replacing what Downs accomplished for Ohio State\u2019s defense, both with his football IQ and his physical traits. Still, Little is a very good player who will make a lot of plays for the Buckeyes. It\u2019s good to see that the national narrative is that he\u2019s a good fit. That\u2019s a great place to be on Day 1!\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0ON HIS OWN TERMS. LeCharles Bentley once reached a point where he couldn\u2019t even stand to watch football.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn a deeply personal piece for cleveland.com<\/a>, Stefan Krajisnik details how the former Ohio State All-American center described the abrupt end of his career as a \u201cbad breakup\u201d with the sport that had defined his life. After a torn patellar tendon, a staph infection contracted during rehab and a near-death experience that included thoughts of leg amputation, Bentley walked away from football entirely.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere was a point where I couldn\u2019t even watch football,\u201d Bentley told Krajisnik. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to watch it. I didn\u2019t want to be around the game.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tBut as Bentley put it, \u201cwhen you have a bad breakup, you have to get back on your horse.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tThat return didn\u2019t come through coaching \u2014 something Bentley intentionally avoided \u2014 but through reinvention. Krajisnik reports that Bentley leaned into training the next generation of offensive linemen, as well as entrepreneurship. He\u2019s founded multiple companies, invented lineman-specific training equipment and earned as many as five patents along the way.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhen you\u2019re really going through a process of mastering a trade or a craft, you get to a point where you start looking around for different answers,\u201d Bentley said. \u201cEither you can find those answers or you start to create them yourself.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tWhen done correctly, NIL in the OL space can add tremendous value to player development. Looking forward to supporting @TheLandryBrede<\/a> on his journey: @LBOlineDesign<\/a> @SportsAmdg<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/Bl0pSkcIpN<\/a> #AMDG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kFiu5PCvEU<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 LeCharles Bentley (@64AMDG) December 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tThat path has led Bentley back to impacting Ohio State football in the modern era, including helping Mentor offensive tackle Landry Brede, a 2026 Buckeye signee, become the first high school offensive lineman in Ohio to sign an NIL deal, partnering with Bentley\u2019s LB Design. As Bentley explained to Krajisnik, the deal was about more than money \u2014 it was about brand alignment and maturity in a rapidly changing landscape.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t want to see, for an offensive lineman, Bob\u2019s Burger Shack deals,\u201d Bentley said. \u201cYou come in and you\u2019re 30 pounds overweight, there\u2019s a problem there \u2026 That\u2019s not going to help us win football games. That\u2019s not the representation of, ultimately, what your goals should be if you\u2019re playing at this level of football.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe relationship with Brede represents a full-circle moment for Bentley, who connected with the young lineman through bonds formed during the lowest point of his life. As Krajisnik writes, Bentley sees his work now as the second chapter of his story \u2014 one that allows him to serve the sport, and Ohio State, on his own terms.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe person I was then and to where I\u2019m at right now,\u201d Bentley said, \u201cto see it come full circle and now be able to serve back into someone like Landry, yeah, this has been the story of the second chapter so far of my life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0REESE\u2019S\u2026 I MEAN PANINI SENIOR BOWL. Will Kacmarek and Davison Igbinosun are among the 130+ players who accepted invitations to participate in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. The Ohio State tight end and cornerback will travel to Mobile, Alabama, at the end of the month for practices (Jan. 27-29) and the Senior Bowl Game on Jan. 31.\n<\/p>\n \n\tKacmarek, whom Keenan Bailey once called \u201cthe best blocking tight end in the country,\u201d proved to be an underrated addition to the Buckeyes\u2019 2024 transfer class, which also featured Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin, Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin. The former Ohio Bobcat caught 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns during his Ohio State career while earning PFF run-blocking grades of 71.6 in 2024 and 73.6 in 2025.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tOfficially Accepted!<\/p>\n TE Will Kacmarek (@WillKacmarek<\/a>) from @OhioStateFB<\/a> is headed to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl #TheDraftStartsInMobile<\/a> #WherePlayersPlay<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/NAQ1QQ3kIQ<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tIgbinosun arrived in Columbus from Ole Miss in 2023 and immediately changed the tone of Ohio State\u2019s cornerback room, bringing a competitiveness and edge that helped reestablish the Buckeyes\u2019 BIA identity. Over three seasons at Ohio State, Igbinosun totaled 157 tackles, four tackles for loss, 22 pass breakups, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tOfficially Accepted!<\/p>\n DB Davison Igbinosun (@DaveIgbinosun<\/a>) from @OhioStateFB<\/a> is headed to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl #TheDraftStartsInMobile<\/a> #WherePlayersPlay<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Sy8WPNRKF4<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tKacmarek and Igbinosun are tremendous players and people. I hope NFL teams take notice of that in Alabama and throughout the draft process. I look forward to seeing where both of them land in April.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0IT\u2019S IN THE GAME. Jeremiah Smith is no longer the highest-rated player in EA Sports College Football 26. He now shares that honor with Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn the game\u2019s latest update, Bain joined Smith atop the ratings after receiving boosts to his acceleration, agility, injury, stamina, change of direction, tackle, finesse moves, pursuit and play recognition. Several of Bain\u2019s Miami teammates also saw their overall ratings climb, including offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa (95 OVR, +1) and quarterback Carson Beck (92 OVR, +1).\n<\/p>\n \n\t\tRueben Bain Jr.<\/p>\n Now tied for the highest-rated player in #CFB26<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for the ratings update dropping later today pic.twitter.com\/SJOTkMnEom<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n \t\u2014 EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019d venture to guess most Skull Session readers don\u2019t play \u2014 or care about \u2014 College Football 26, but the changes are still interesting. Clearly, Electronic Arts respects the video-game-like run the Hurricanes are on in the College Football Playoff, and the developers view players like Bain, Mauigoa and Beck as the engines driving it.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThose three were certainly at their best in the Cotton Bowl: Bain recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, Mauigoa allowed just one pressure on 33 pass-blocking snaps and Beck accounted for 161 total yards and a touchdown.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0SONG OF THE DAY.\u00a0“Upside Down” – Diana Ross.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0CUT TO THE CHASE.\u00a0Florida deputy captures runaway emu and returns the large, flightless bird home unharmed<\/a>…\u00a0Don\u2019t celebrate too soon. Ofner loses in Australian Open qualifying after thinking he won tiebreaker<\/a>…\u00a0Music streams hit 5 trillion in 2025<\/a>… “Absolutely insane”: Fans hoping to attend World Cup already feel priced out<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n