Roddy Gayle Jr. was the top-rated commit in Ohio State's 2022 class.
Yet, coming into Saturday's win over Iowa, the freshman had yet to start a single game as a Buckeye. A spot that Chris Holtmann felt Gayle deserved against the Hawkeyes.
“He had a really good couple of days of practice,” Holtmann said Monday. “He was excited about the opportunity to start. It helped being at home, too, with him being more comfortable.”
With Sean McNeil (dental emergency) asking to come off the bench for the game, Gayle was given his first career start, something he had been striving for and preparing for all season even if he had to wait until mid-January to do so.