Last spring, as Meyer took over the Buckeyes, he referred to the wide receivers as a “clown show”. To be frank, it was. Our leading receiver from the previous year had only 14 receptions, and our pass offense was ranked in the 100’s, so for Meyer to call the offense, receivers specifically, a clown show, was probably a bit of an understatement. Meyer did see potential in the young receiving core; however, there was much work to do, by young receivers coach Zach Smith, in order to get them functional.

Last Year Performance
Throughout the season, Devin Smith provided us with one handed catches, game-breaking touchdown receptions, and also a lot of inconsistency. Philly Brown was the most consistent Buckeye receiver last year, as he tallied 60 receptions in his 2012 campaign. He was also used frequently in the hybrid role, as Jordan Hall suffered from injury, and Chris Fields was not prepared to step in to that role.

Jake Stoneburner was moved to receiver in the spring, and that transition seemed to be painful for all parties involved, as he grabbed an underwhelming 16 receptions, only two more than the previous year. Chris Fields and Evan Spencer added in a couple of key receptions throughout the season, that gave them some value, but they were pretty underwhelming as well. Overall, if I were to provide a grade for the 2012 Ohio State wide receivers, I would give them C+. While there was much improvement from the previous year, the receiving core was functional at best last year.

Starters Lost
Jake Stoneburner- 2012 Stats- 16 Receptions; 269 Yards; 4 Touchdown receptions

Player to Watch
Chris Fields- If you have read any of my previous posts you will not be surprised by this pick, as I am pretty high on Chris Fields coming in to this year. My reasoning originates from Meyer’s depth chart he released after the Spring Game, which listed Fields over Jordan Hall at the slot receiver/hybrid role. For me, that was a huge indication that Fields has finally turned the corner. Meyer has a lot of trust in Hall, but he has not been able to stay healthy, and Fields has taken full advantage of that. Fields had a key touchdown reception in last year’s Purdue game, along with a very productive Spring Game. Immediately after the Spring Game, Meyer named Fields the starter during his post game interview. Look for Fields to emerge as a reliable slot receiver, that runs very crisp routes, with complex route combinations, and will cause safeties and nickel backs a lot of trouble with his mixture of size and speed.

Player that Needs to Step Up
Devin Smith- Last year Smith provided Buckeye fans with a lot of clutch receptions, most notably against Michigan State. However, his inconsistency bothers me immensely. Smith has the size and speed to be a great wide receiver. I believe Philly Brown will continue with his consistent hands, however, we cannot put all of the pressure, of being a game breaker, on the shoulders of true freshman Dontre Wilson. As Urban Meyer said last year in Training Days, “When the Offense takes the field, everyone should take notice.” Devin Smith needs to be a guy defenses point to and ensure he’s accounted for. He is definitely capable of being that threat, but in order for that threat to exist there has to be more consistency from Smith. A lot of his consistency issues come from his weak route running abilities. In order to fix that Smith has to spend extra time in the offseason dedicating himself to becoming a complete wide receiver. That comes with great discipline and willingness. If he does not improve his route running, and consistency, Smith will see his targets go down due to his limited ability, and this team will suffer from missing that game-breaker.

Sleeper Pick
Jalin Marshall- I know I know, where’s Michael Thomas? Michael Thomas will continue to improve, but I think he is one year away from breaking out. I selected Marshall here because of his versatility. Marshall is already lighting things up in Fall camp making plays down the field as a receiver. Marshall is also capable of carrying the ball as a running back, which has generated comparisons to one of Meyer’s former players, Percy Harvin. Marshall played quarterback in high school, but judging from his highlight tape he will be used in several different roles this upcoming season. If you’re not convinced he can be that electric watch the tape. As Trent Dilfer often says: “The tape doesn’t lie!”

Prediction for the 2013 Season
I am expecting a lot from the wide receiving group this year. What I am expecting may be unfair, but if this team wants to compete as a national title contender, the receiving core may put the Buckeyes over the top. There is a lot of versatility and potential with this group. However, it is time for potential to become production. I am predicting that being the competitors that they are, these receivers will answer the call of their coaches. I’m expecting Philly Brown to have around 65 catches, for about 700 yards, and for 6 touchdown receptions. Devin Smith will have 55 catches, for 800 yards, for 9 touchdown receptions; Chris Fields will have 35 catches, for around 350 yards, and squeak in 4 touchdown receptions; Jalin Marshall will have 20 catches, for 300 yards, and 4 touchdown receptions as well. Will they live up to the hype? I guess we will have to check back at the end of the year to see how accurate, or inaccurate, I was.

Depth Chart (starters in italics)
Split End (X)– Devin Smith, Michael Thomas
Flanker (Z)– Corey Brown, Evan Spencer
Slot/Hybrid– Chris Fields, Jordan Hall/Jalin Marshall

(Image courtesy of HoneyChild Photography)

I had the pleasure of chatting with 2015 safety prospect Tyler Green from Hyattsville, Maryland. Tyler has great coverage skills for a safety and his name is just starting to get out in the recruiting world. He is currently unranked by all sites however he is receiving interest from every ACC school and a few Big Ten schools. Growing up A Buckeye fan certainly does not hurt our chances to land this outstanding prospect.

Q: Can you give us your current stats such as height, weight, 40 yard time, bench press, etc?

A: I am 6″3, 185lbs and run a 4.5 40 yard dash

Q: Do you prefer offense or defense and why?

A: Defense, I love playing safety

Q: When you think of Ohio State what comes to your mind?

A: Winning, 12-0 and really good players. I also think of how they send players to the NFL. Urban is a great coach

Q: Which schools are recruiting you the hardest?

A: NC State and Maryland, I have offers from both.

Q: What college football team did you grow up being a fan of and why?

A: Florida, Ohio State and now especially Ohio State because I am an even a bigger fan of Urban Meyer.

Q: What do you personally feel is your biggest strength on the field?

A: Covering routes being able to play both man and zone coverage and reading the play.

Q: What do you feel you need to improve the most on this year?

A: Becoming quicker in bump and man to man coverage but I feel its getting better and will come in time

Q: What are your personal and team goals for this season?

A: Personal is being a part of a state title team and helping my teammates, Team goals are to focus on game by game and just focus on the task at hand and not looking ahead

Q: Do you have a timetable on when you would like to make a commitment?

A: Next Summer

Q: What are some of your other interests besides football?

A: Track, and non sports wise would be architecture.

You can watch his highlights here…

Also you can follow him on twitter @Ty_Road2Riches

ESPN came to Ohio State today to watch practice and to do some interviewing. Urban Meyer was interviewed live on the network. Here is the video of that interview…

Braxton Miller also took some time to be interviewed by OSU Great Joey Galloway and some other guy 😉

Who the Buckeyes lost from last years team…

John Simon- The heart and soul of the defense and the team from last year. The Buckeyes will miss this OSU legend and most important his leadership. He was a star for Ohio State and he is irreplaceable but the young Bucks will have to do their best. John Simon was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 4th round and is currently doing his thang for them and trying to earn a spot on the always impressive Baltimore Ravens defense.

Nate Williams- Nate was a guy who always showed so much promise but couldn’t stay healthy enough to become the player we all thought he could be. He was always a fan favorite and after graduating he signed a rookie deal with the Minnesota Vikings but was recently cut to make room for a healthy player while he is still recovering from numerous injuries he has suffered.

Who will replace them…

Noah Spence- Noah Spence came to Ohio State with a plethora of accolades and accomplishments and he is quickly becoming a fine, fine football player on the collegiate scene … he played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, missing only the Nebraska game because of a minor injury, and then came back and had a series of noteworthy and newsworthy 2013 spring practices …

Spence is an OSU Scholar-Athlete and is majoring in sociology … he was a Parade Magazine All-American, a five-star prospect, the No. 2 defensive end prospect in the country and a Top 5 prospect nationally by ESPNU and MaxPreps coming out of Bishop McDevitt … he was also the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania and the state’s two-time big school defensive player of the year.

Adolphus Washington- Washington, on the strength of a fine freshman season in 2012 and an even better spring drills, is furiously gaining top-of-mind awareness as a young player to watch along the Ohio State defensive line … he played in 10 games last year for the undefeated Buckeyes and ranked third with 3.0 quarterback sacks for losses totaling 27 yards … his sacks, part of a nine-tackle freshman campaign, came against Miami (in his first collegiate game), vs. Illinois and vs. Michigan … he managed to play 156 snaps on a veteran defense with a high of 31 plays vs. Central Florida …

Washington is an OSU Scholar-Athlete who is exploring majors … he was a Parade Magazine All-American, U.S. Army All-American and five-star recruit (Rivals.com; Scout.com; 247Sports.com) as a high school senior … he helped lead Taft High School to the 2011 Ohio State playoffs, registering 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 90 tackles for coach Mike Martin’s Senators.

Who are the Backups…

Steve Miller- Steve Miller is a two-year Ohio State letterman who has played in 11 games for the Buckeyes, including nine games last year during the team’s 12-0 season … his playing time last season included 55 plays from the line of scrimmage with a personal-high 17 coming against Central Florida … recorded his first quarterback sack against Central Florida (-10 yards) …

Miller is majoring in history at Ohio State … he was an imposing defensive end who was an all-Ohio pick as a sophomore, junior and senior for coach Ron Johnson and McKinley H.S.

Joey Bosa- Joey Bosa was one of the premier football prospects in the Class of 2013 with impressive national rankings of No. 38 (Scout), No. 47 (Rivals), No. 56 (ESPN) and No. 53 (247Sports) … a Scout five-start prospect, Bosa earned the No. 4 overall ranking at his position – strong side defensive end – by both Scout and Rivals … an Under Armour All-American and second-team all-USA Today pick … the leader of a St. Thomas Aquinas defense that allowed approximately 12 points a game … Aquinas defeated Tallahassee Lincoln, 41-25, to cap a 13-2 season and win the Florida Class 7A state championship in 2012.

A two-time Associated Press first-team all-state selection, Bosa totaled 51 tackles-for-loss in his last two seasons and 19 quarterback sacks, including 27 TFLs and 9.5 sacks as a senior.

Jamal Marcus- Jamal Marcus is in his second season with the Buckeye program … he earned his first Varsity letter as a true freshman in 2012 by playing in 11 games on special teams … he totaled 76 plays, including a personal-high 10 vs. Indiana … was in on eight tackles, including seven solo stops … he played as a linebacker as a freshman but Buckeye coaches moved the slippery fast Marcus to the defensive line’s “viper” position during spring drills where he competed with Noah Spence and Steve Miller.

He was a North Carolina all-state defensive end who was one of the final players in the 2012 recruiting class to commit to Ohio State, doing so in the last two weeks prior to signing day … as a senior, Marcus helped lead Hillside H.S., under the direction of coach Antonio King, to a 16-0 record and the NCHSAA Class 4A state championship … he tallied 89 tackles and 17.5 sacks for the PAC 6 Conference champions and he was named first-team all-state by the Associated Press.

Tyquan Lewis- Tyquan Lewis, one of five from this class who enrolled at Ohio State in January, is a four-star defensive end prospect (Rivals, Scout, 247Sports) from Tarboro, N.C., and Tarboro High School … a Top 25 defensive end who comes from a tremendous program at Tarboro … the Vikings, coached by Jeff Craddock, won three consecutive North Carolina Class 2A state championships and had won 21 consecutive games before falling in the 2012 state championship to East Lincoln … Lewis was injured in the title game but still played and earned defensive player of the game honors … he finished his senior season with 13 sacks and was named to the Associated Press all-state team … he had 12 sacks among his 63 tackles as a junior.

Tracy Sprinkle- Tracy Sprinkle was one of five Buckeyes in the 2013 recruiting class to enroll at Ohio State in January 2013 and take part in spring drills … The 2012 Associated Press first-team all-Ohio selection and Division I co-defensive player of the year, Sprinkle recorded 19 sacks and 30 total tackles-for-loss among his 103 tackles as a senior … dominant games included five sacks against Amherst Steele and four sacks (and 12 tackles) against Hudson … the first defensive player since Matt Wilhelm in 1999 to win the prestigious Lorain County Golden Helmet award as the best player in the county … also was named the Northeast Ohio All-Lake District Defensive Player of the Year as a senior … Elyria, coached by Kevin Fell, was 7-3 in both 2012 and 2011 … Sprinkle, a Top 30 strong side defensive end by 247Sports, had 27 sacks his final two seasons of play … he was a third-team all-state pick as a junior after making 94 tackles and eight sacks.

Player who could surprise…

Joey Bosa- This young Freshman has already turned heads at camp and has earned the praises of Coach Meyer, his staff, and his teammates. He will be in the rotation from game one and will be relied on to add depth. He is a true Freshman so we have to take that into account but the highly sought after recruit has now become the highly sought after player. He will have some growing pains I am sure but his talent is undeniable. He has a chance to shine this year and make a real statement.

How they will fare…

Defensive End is a position where OSU lost not only great players but the teams leader in John Simon from last years 12-0 team. There is a lot of potential for the new players. Both Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington were 5 star recruits who also played quite a lot last year and gained valuable experience. The young guys though have huge shoes to fill and will be relied on heavily for this defense. John Simon was and is an Ohio State legend and that can’t be overlooked. Noah Spence will use his speed and technique more then what Simon used in his bull strength. Adolpus Washington will take over the other side of the line and he is your traditional bull in a china shop guy. He is pure strength and power but has technique as well. These 2 guys in Noah and Adolphus will have to step up and become the players we all believe they are and will need to do it quickly. Their back-ups are even younger and less experienced. Steve Miller is the one veteran who as a JR will help with much needed depth. The other back-ups are Freshman and Sophomore and Jamal Marcus was a Linebacker last year so this is an area of concern yet promise.

I am excited to see how this position works out. I have a feeling by the end of the year they will prove to be a real strength of the team and not a concern. I look for both Noah and Washington to have double digits in sacks. I think Noah Spence will lead the team in sacks. Adolphus Washington will see more double teams just because of his sheer size.

Thad Matta is putting together another great class. In other words Thad Matta is doing what Thad Matta does. The 2013 class was small but had impact players. The 2014 class is huge and filled with top notch talent. Now the 2015 class has it’s first member.

AJ Harris committed to Ohio State via his twitter account @FAMOUS_AMOS12.

It was first reported by Brian Snow of Scout.com.

AJ Harris is a 5’9″ 160 lbs 4 star Point Guard from Dayton, Ohio. AJ was on an unofficial visit to Ohio State today and as soon as he was offered a scholarship he accepted and became the first member of the 2015 class. What he lacks in size he makes up for with speed and shiftyness. The Sophomore still has 2 more years of High School to grow and polish his very evident skills. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 4th best player in Ohio. Rivals and Scout both rank him a 3 star and 247sports doesnt have any info on the young man yet.

You can see his highlights below…