Ohio State Transfer Portal: Pitt DT Francis Brewu Visiting

The Buckeyes are hosting one of the top defensive tackles in the transfer portal.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr take a closer look at Pitt defensive tackle Francis Brewu, who will be taking a visit to Ohio State this weekend. What kind of player is he and what kind of fit would he be in the Ohio State defense?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, everybody, Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. I'm Tony
Gerdaman here as always with Tom or Tom. How's it going, Tony?

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It is transfer portal season. You know how it's going
because we've talked about how it's going about seventeen times
in the last three days. Not much has changed other
than one more player is now visiting Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
One more player that we know of, and that is
Pittsburgh defensive tackle Francis Brew. This past season as a
rich as a second year player, was an All Honorable
Mention All acc selection, planning on visiting this weekend and
has been in the lineup for twelve starts for the

(00:48):
pitt Panthers. Originally from Columbus, Ohio. I believe you went
to Thomas Worthington time. You can correct me if I
am wrong, but please don't do that during the show.
Wait until after the show to do that. It is embarrassing.
But another defensive line target for the buck Eyes who
they're seriously serious enough about to bring home, bring to

(01:10):
campus to talk to.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, and this, you know, this feels like a very
logical target for them. If you know you're looking for
guys who are potentially coming to you for reasons other
than just I would like to make the most money possible,
because you can't pay everyone the most money possible. So
for people who don't know, and disappointingly, Tony was correct.
He did go to Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio.

(01:35):
For those who don't know Columbus all that well, Worthington
is about five exits up three point fifteen the highway
that runs right past the Ohio State campus. Thomas Worthington
is about five exits up from that, so very very
close to home, even close to home even by the
kids from central Ohio, sort of standard. And you know,

(01:56):
this is this is a player who this is not
a reach, this would be a you know, this is
a guy who I think was probably a little bit
under ranked coming out of high school and has you know,
went into went went to Pitt, played a little bit,
you know, played a true freshman kind of true freshman
defensive line adjusted, you know, played a relatively big role

(02:16):
his freshman year, true freshman year fifteen tackles. Then ended
up starting their bowl game in year one, which is
you know, pretty pretty significant. That's pretty early for an
interior defensive line to be on the field for a
power conference power conference team and then to played a
much bigger role starter as you mentioned, honorable bentional Conference
in his second season, there had nine tackles in the

(02:38):
game against West Virginia. I mean that's a that that
is a player who is making his presence felt on
the interior of the defensive line and definitely, definitely in
a lot of ways, a really intriguing potential addition for
Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, listened at six one two eighty is a smaller
quicker three tech type, although, as we're joking for the show,
that's also a right in the wheel offs for a
nose tackle type at times. For Larry Johnson, he sometimes
likes those smaller quicker guys. He's thirty five tackles, six
tackles for loss, a sack, two quarterback hurries, a forced
fumble this past season. As a recruit. Looking back, he

(03:18):
was a top five hundred player. He's the number twenty
player in Ohio. Had offers of course from Pitt from
Michigan State, Boston College, Duke, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Randomly,
perhaps Miami was thrown in there. Miami of Florida and
of course all of the mac in schools like that.

(03:38):
But now taking a visit to Ohio State, well, certainly
this is the kind of a move where I think
a guy is taking a step up and that's what
he's looking for. And whether that's at Ohio State or
it's not, you know, we will see. Ohio State, of course,
has already landed a big defensive tackle in John Walker

(04:01):
in the portal and they're continuing to look to add
defensive line help. And it's interesting because this feels like
a guy that we always talk about money, like you
could maybe get some sort of a hometown discount, but
you're not also trying to insult the guy with whatever
kind of offer. But this is an opportunity to come home.

(04:24):
And we saw justin Terry last year from West Virginia
had not played on the offensive line there, hadn't played,
comes comes back home basically and then goes back off
for a year because it didn't work. But some guys
it will work, and this maybe an opportunity to do that.
But you know, an experienced player, as you said in
his two years, would be able to come in and

(04:46):
help mitigate some of the loss of Taiwan Malone, pair
them with Edrick Houston, param you know, with some of
these younger guys that still have yet to do anything,
or Frank with some of the older guys who have
yet to do anything. And we I don't know if
right now that room is static. Is this the way
it's going to stay In terms of is anybody else

(05:07):
heading for the portal, we don't know those things yet,
but the fact that they're bringing him in it's it's
something certainly to take note of. He'll be here this weekend,
and I'd be interested to know what the pitch is
in terms of, yeah, yeah, we see you and Edric
Houston being splitting time. But then also, you know, what

(05:27):
does that say about Jason Moore? Is like, well, you know,
we'll just put everybody in there. We we're gonna have
a multiple, multiple front and it's just it's an interesting
cell job for the the visitors and then also the
incumbents and everyone in between.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, and you know, there are still potentially a lot
of question marks in that room because Kate McDonald has
not announced one way or the other whether he's going
to the NFL or coming back. At least as of
the time we're recording this, my expectation is that he's
probably you know, where he's projected in the draft. You
would sort of expect him to leave. And if he does,
then it's really Will Smith, John Walker who they brought in,

(06:08):
and Edward Houston in terms of guys who have played
significant minutes, you know, starter type minutes or snaps at
you know, at a power conference or close to power
conference kind of team. And so if you can bring
in another guy, great, by all means, bring in Brew
if he's available, because you need to have sure things. Yes,

(06:31):
sometimes guys like Taiwan Malone are at a certain level
and then really take that step forward in year four
or year five, like the Taiwan Malone was I think
one of the most pleasant surprises for Ohio State last year.
Will Jason Moore do that this year? Maybe, But there
are also guys who don't take that step. That's not

(06:52):
just because Taiwan Malone did it, doesn't mean that everyone
who's in that role is going to do it in
that spot. So if you can give yourself just more options,
give yourself more you know, more guys who are sort
of those proven guys who have done it on you know,
I mean, I know everyone kind of poop poo's the
A C C, but the ACC is a you know,

(07:13):
that's a power conference. That's a power conference. And he
had against Miami, a team that Ohio State fans are
probably familiar with, probably don't want to think about right now,
three tackles, including one for a loss in that game
for Pitt. So you know, you that was you saw
the Miami defensive offensive line up front, you know, up close,

(07:35):
obviously this is you know he was. He was able
to make a little bit of an impact there against them.
And you go through his game log and it's you
know that the number of tackles is pretty consistent. You know,
two four, he had nine against West Virginia, one against Lowville,
none against Boston College, and I don't have his snapcount
for that one against Florida State, but then for zero
against North Carolina State, but then three three, five, three,

(07:58):
and then one against Carolina and had tackles for loss
in one, two, three, four, five, six games. Tackles for
loss in six games as a defensive tackle is that's
those are pretty good numbers. So that's a potential, you know,
a guy who you could bring in and it's not
just a you know, a cute story of the kid

(08:18):
coming home and oh, you know it's it's not that
that is someone who you're bringing in and you're expecting
to be a contributor. You know, will he start, you know,
we'll see what that. You know, how that all sorts
out over the course of springball. Again, assuming he comes,
which right now he's just coming for a visit. Will
he come for longer than a visit, We'll see. But

(08:39):
you know, if he does, this feels like a very
logical potential addition to me in a spot where Ohio
State could really probably use at least one more big
body in the middle of that defensive line.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, and there's still also planning to talk and visit
with James Smith from Alabama, as we've done a show
on him and Quay Russa and that situation there. But yeah,
I mean, looking, they brought in four defensive tackles in
the twenty twenty six recruiting class. I don't expect any
of them to play meaningful minutes next year. They've already

(09:12):
lost Maxwell Roy to the portal, So you're talking Jason Moore,
Dark West, Carter, Eric Menza, Trajan odom, Will Smith, Edrick Houston,
now John Walker, And there's not a lot there in
terms of proven production, and really I think dark West
Carter played some last year and there's some pleasant moments there,
so you figure like he'll be able to take another step.

(09:35):
But yeah, it's not a lot of tackles or snaps
there from that group. But you know, we'll see where
this one goes. And frankly, I'd be interested to know
if if at this point is anybody visiting a take
or is it gonna be? Is there like are they
only looking for one defensive tackle? And if so, is
it the first one or is it well we're still

(09:57):
holding out on him and can you can you do that?
And a portal? Can you be like, well, come visit
now you know, we'll give you an answer in a
few days. I again, this is all as you said before,
it's speed dating, So like, how how standoffish can you
be when you're speed dating if you're actually trying to
you know, connect, But we will see so that will

(10:20):
do it. Go ahead, don't get anything else.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
Tom, Yep, we are good.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
All right, we are good and that will do it
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(10:46):
That will do it from here. Thank you for talking.

Speaker 2 (10:50):
You're welcome.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
I am going to end to this. That will do
it from here. Thank you all for tuning in and
we will talk to you guys,