Skull Session: Dwayne Haskins Was Like a Brother to Buckeye Quarterbacks, Ohio

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Word of the Day: Cudgel.

 BIG BROTHER. Justin Fields didn’t really have a relationship with Dwayne Haskins before he came to Ohio State. And with Haskins leaving for the NFL, it would have made perfect sense if they never developed that relationship.

But that’s not what happened. Haskins welcomed the heir to his throne with open arms and became like a big brother to him.

This is yours now, Fields recalls Haskins telling him.

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What Haskins meant on that April day, really, was that the shot to lead a loaded Ohio State roster into 2019 was there for Fields. What neither guy may have recognized at the time was that Haskins was handing him a legacy.

“I’m not gonna lie, he kind of did start something,” Fields said while driving home from the Bears’ offseason program on Tuesday. “You can say he did. We’ll never know if I’d have gone to Ohio State if he wasn’t there, but you can give him credit for starting something. I was thinking about that the other day, and I saw something online—before him, there really wasn’t an elite passer at Ohio State for years before.

“I think he started that elite passing group with, of course, him, me and now C.J. [Stroud].”

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Even though Haskins had already declared for the draft, he played host for Fields’s weekend on campus, introducing him to his girlfriend, taking him to a basketball game with ex-coach Urban Meyer, and showing him around a campus he never got to see as a prep recruit.

“If I’m gonna be honest with you, before that, we kind of talked, but we didn’t really talk that much,” Fields said. “It seemed like when I was there, we’d known each other our whole lives. He was so cool, so welcoming. I think that’s where our relationship turned into a more personal relationship, us getting to know each other more. And he became like a big brother to me.”

Haskins was absolutely the OG in turning Ohio State into arguably the modern QBU. And he was more than happy to lead that group even after his time in Columbus was done.

 BIGGER BROTHER. Justin Fields wasn’t the only Buckeye quarterback to follow in Dwayne Haskins’ footsteps, or call him big brother.

Haskins played that role for C.J. Stroud, too.

C.J. Stroud called him a big brother.

After taking over as Ohio State’s starting quarterback last fall, Stroud found an encouraging mentor in Dwayne Haskins Jr.

It was only three years earlier that Haskins had made a similar starting debut with the Buckeyes, stepping into the high-profile position and facing all the demands placed on the passers.

Therefore, he had plenty of advice to impart to Stroud over phone calls and text messages.

“That meant a lot to C.J. and to me,” said his mother, Kim, “that he was already in his NFL career and he would reach back and give back and speak to C.J. and made sure he gave him some of that wisdom.”

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Stroud also cherished his friendship with Haskins because, even while in high school, Stroud had looked up to his passing predecessor.  

In fact, Haskins was one of the reasons he was drawn to Ohio State despite growing up more than 2,000 miles away in Southern California’s Inland Empire.

It says a lot about Haskins’ character when multiple guys who didn’t come to Ohio State until after he was gone both call him “big brother.”

This also gives us a small look into what it means to be the starting quarterback at Ohio State – it’s special, and there are only a few guys on the planet who can truly understand and empathize. And those guys stick together.

 HOW ABOUT THOSE BUCKEYE LINEBACKERS? So as it turns out, Ohio State’s group of linebackers in 2020 was pretty damn good.

Most coverage snaps played without allowing a TD last year among rookie defenders

1 Baron Browning: 305
2 Micah Parsons: 295
3 Pete Werner: 197 pic.twitter.com/TPujdaQuH9

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 13, 2022

It’s worth noting that Pete Werner also had the highest run-defense grade of any rookie since 2014, and was the best player in the league against the run this season.

It’s kinda wild how there was this narrative in 2019 and 2020 that the veteran linebackers weren’t that good and were just holding back some of the younger guys from getting a chance to shine.

Meanwhile, these guys are balling in the NFL while Ohio State just had two linebackers transfer in the middle of the season after getting beat out by a running back.

 RIDDLE ME THIS… Folks, it looks like Saturday’s halftime show is going to absolutely rock.

Saturday. Halftime. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Ig0cW8zCUU

— The Ohio State University Marching Band (@TBDBITL) April 13, 2022

Because I like fun, I’m not going to spoil this riddle for you. But if you’re stumped, I’m sure you can get some help in…