2016 Ohio State Spring Football Conclusions

April 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

“Almost everything that is great has been done by youth…” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

For the past couple months, beginning in February, every Friday at 8am EST has begun with this quote on this site. I have written about what I perceived concerns about various position groups, and it culminated in a glorious 2016 Ohio State Spring Game on April 16th in Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer must be pleased with one crucial area as it relates to spring football – the Buckeyes left the spring game with no injuries that could impact the 2016 season. Fifth-year senior running back Bri’onte Dunn did not play in the spring game with a sprained ankle, but will be back in the mix for the starting running back spot for fall camp.

Showing my age, I can vividly recall Ohio State spring game performances that were tremendous, yet did not translate into fall game production. It is important to keep things in proper perspective. With those caveats in mind, below are three distinct impressions that were made upon me as I sat in D Deck of Ohio Stadium…

1. The 2016 Ohio State Defensive Line Will Rotate Frequently ~ Yes, Ohio State was playing as many offensive and defensive linemen as possible in the spring game. It was challenging for either the Gray’s or Scarlet’s offensive lines to protect Joe Burrow or Stephen Collier whenever either was playing quarterback. With all of that on the table, the defensive linemen who have been waiting in the wings used the spring game as an opportunity to show what they could do if given the opportunity. For example, I don’t want to call him a sleeper, but Jashon Cornell, a moved defensive end to defensive tackle, seemed to emerge during the spring game.

On a somber note, Donovan Munger’s Ohio State career has come to an end, due to health concerns. Best of luck to Munger in all of his future endeavors, and many thanks for all of his contributions to Ohio State football…

For the first time since Coach Meyer came to Columbus in 2012, Ohio State has so many defensive linemen that will allow Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson to continually refresh players who will be able to harass the opposition’s quarterback. Think about this – Nick Bosa is not yet on campus, and Coach Meyer has stated Bosa will play in 2016.

2. Do Not Sweat J.T. Barrett’s 2016 Spring Game Performance ~ J.T. Barrett had an uneven day during the spring game, but there were several extenuating circumstances that impacted his performance. First of all, Barrett wore a black jersey that did not allow him to scramble or face contact. As stated up above, the offensive line was more of a ragtag collection, with projected starters Pat Elflein and Billy Price being withheld from competition. And projected starters Noah Brown and Corey Smith did not play this spring as both are still recuperating from their respective 2015 injuries.

Did Barrett make some throws in the 2016 spring game that were puzzling? Absolutely. Do I believe Barrett would have made those same throws in actual game competition? Absolutely not. Look at Barrett’s spring game as someone who was dealt some specific restrictions, and was testing the boundaries of what was possible, with a mandate to avoid injury at all costs. Look for Barrett to come out impressively against BGSU on September 3rd looking more like his typical self.

3. The 2016 Team Will Continue To Improve Every Week ~ It bears repeating, but with so many young players, the competition for playing time will be fierce and continuous all year long. Will inexperience sometimes be frustrating, especially in the secondary? Without question. The game at Oklahoma in week three will be must-watch TV for not just Ohio State and Oklahoma fans, but the nation –

Don’t take my word for it; go back and listen to the podcast link that included Clair Crawford. Read my man Tony Gerdeman’s thoughts on Ohio State following the spring game. Remember that I wrote this in April – this is going to be a team that will be feared by the end of the 2016 season.

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-21-2016

April 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Buckeye Target Joshua Kaindoh lists Top 4:

Buckeye Target Cam Akers gets UA Invite:

Cardale Jones at Cavs Playoff Game last night:

Buckeye Target Amir Riep to visit MSU this weekend:

Todd McShay’s 5.0 Mock Draft: 

#4 – Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys

#5 – Joey Bosa – Jacksonville Jaguars

#10 – Darron Lee – New York Giants

#18 – Taylor Decker – Indianapolis Colts

#20 – Eli Apple – New York Jets

Chris Jent Officially back at OSU:

New Offer Out to 2018 WR:

 

Oklahoma Checking in On Jk Dobbins:

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-20-2016

April 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Donovan Munger Done at OSU: 

Article on Ohio State and the Draft:

Eli Apple Draft Profile:

Ezekiel Elliott Draft Profile:

Braxton Miller Draft Profile:

Taylor Decker Draft Profile:

Darron Lee Draft Profile:

Adolphus Washington Draft Profile:

Nick Vannett Moves the Sticks:

Vonn Bell Moves the Sticks:

Cardale Jones Moves the Sticks:

Louis Riddick on Ezekiel Elliott:

Nick Mangold – Hockey Fanatic:

Will Smith’s Family takes out Full Page Ad:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-19-2016

April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Braxton’s First Pitch:

Spring Game Highlights:

2018 Buckeye Target Joel Honigford adds new offer:

Tate Martell to take all 5 Visits:

Ezekiel Elliott in Miami to visit Dolphins Today:

Mel Kiper’s 3 Round Mock Draft:

Round 1:

#6 Joey Bosa – Baltimore Ravens

#13 Darron Lee – Miami Dolphins

#18 Taylor Decker – Indianapolis Colts

#25 Eli Apple – Pittsburgh Steelers

#28 Vonn Bell – Kansas City Chiefs

Round 2:

#34 Ezekiel Elliott – San Diego Chargers

#49 Michael Thomas – Buffalo Bills

Round 3:

#65 Braxton Miller – Cleveland Browns

#78 Adolphus Washington – New Orleans Saints

#83 Nick Vannett – New York Jets

#87 Joshua Perry – Cincinnati Bengals

Buckeye Target Micah Clark pledges to Rutgers:

Todd McShay on Buckeyes Draft:

Cardale Jones on Gruden’s QB Camp tonight:

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast Clair Crawford Tells Us Her Spring Game Experiences

April 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Clair Crawford joins us to help dissect the Ohio State Spring Game. We discuss the players that stood out to us along with if there should be any worry about J.T. Barrett.

What all did we learn if anything from the Scarlet and Gray game. We also dove into the record size crowd of 100,189 and some of the festivities. 

I included the Urban Meyer Spring Game press conference for our fans to enjoy.

We want to thank Clair for joining us and please give her a follow on twitter at @buckeyeclair and don’t forget to listen to her and Joe Dexter on Script Ohio on buckeyesportsradio it really is a great show and Clair and Joe really knock it’s out of the park every Monday through Friday.

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football, Podcast

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-18-2016

April 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Buckeyes Getting TE Grad Transfer from ND:

Dane Bruglers CBS Mock Draft – All 7 Rounds:

1st Round –

#5 Joey Bosa – Jacksonville Jaguars

#8 Ezekiel Elliott – Philadelphia Eagles

#13 Darron Lee – Miami Dolphins

#16 Taylor Decker – Detroit Lions

#28 Eli Apple – Kansas City Chiefs

2nd Round –

#37 Michael Thomas – San Francisco 49ers

#43 Vonn Bell – Tennessee Titans

#49 Cardale Jones – Buffalo Bills

3rd Round –

#76 Braxton Miller – Tennessee Titans

#92 Adolphus Washington – Arizona Cardinals

4th Round –

#102 Nick Vannett – San Diego Chargers

#109 Joshua Perry – New York Giants

5th Round –

#171 Tyvis Powell – Seattle Seahawks

7th Round –

#242 Jalin Marshall – Washington Redskins

Full Draft here

2017 RB D’Andre Swift Gives Top 10:

Braxton to throw out first pitch:

Spring Game Reflections:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

2016 Spring Game Recruiting Primer

April 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Ohio State is set to host its annual spring game this Saturday at the Shoe, and with it comes a chance for the Buckeyes and their coaches to put on their recruiting hats and show a plethora of prospects why Ohio State is the place to play college ball. During last year’s spring game weekend, the Buckeyes landed five commitments from Tuf Borland, Jack Wohlabaugh, and Malik Barrow for 2016 and Marcus Williamson and Todd Sibley for 2017. Urban Meyer and company hope to secure some verbals this weekend as well. Let’s look at who is visiting campus over the next few days and how I think their recruitment will shake out.

The following seven players are all attending as commitments of the Ohio State University, and they’ll be some of the most important recruiting tools the team has this weekend as they try to convince their buddies to play football for the Buckeyes. Danny Clark and Todd Sibley have already become vocal leaders of the 2017 recruiting class, and both of them will be eager to show their peers what Ohio State is all about. There’s a possible kink in Sibley’s future in Columbus, but hopefully it doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the program this weekend.

Name Year Position Commitment Status
Josh Myers 2017 OT Ohio State Commit
Jake Moretti 2017 OT Ohio State Commit
Brendan White 2017 S/WR Ohio State Commit
Todd Sibley 2017 RB Ohio State Commit
Marcus Williamson 2017 DB Ohio State Commit
Jerron Cage 2017 DT Ohio State Commit
Danny Clark 2017 QB Ohio State Commit
Blake Haubeil 2017 K Ohio State Commit

The guys below are also visiting this weekend, but they have yet to commit to the Buckeyes. I’ll continue to update the list as I learn more.

Name From Year Offered Position Commitment Status
Najee Harris California 2017 Yes RB Alabama Commit
Kellen Mond Texas 2017 No QB Baylor Commit
Amir Riep Ohio 2017 Yes DB Uncommitted
Chase Young Maryland 2017 No De Uncommitted
Jaylen Harris Ohio 2017 Yes WR Uncommitted
Dalyn Wade-Perry New Jersey 2017 Yes DT Uncommitted
Joel Honigford Ohio 2017 No OT Uncommitted
Darius Stills West Virginia 2017 No DE Uncommitted
Howard Watkins Ohio 2017 No DT Uncommitted
Jackson Carman Ohio 2018 Yes OT Uncommitted
Malik Vann Ohio 2018 No LB Uncommitted
Leonard Taylor Ohio 2018 Yes DT Committed to Michigan
Shaquon Anderson-Butts Pennsylvania 2018 No WR Uncommitted
Dante Stills West Virginia 2018 No DT Uncommitted
Alex Reigelsperger Ohio 2018 No DE Uncommitted
Aeneas Hawkins Ohio 2018 No DT Uncommitted
Jaelen Gill Ohio 2018 Yes RB Uncommitted
Xavier Henderson Ohio 2018 No ATH Uncommitted
Trenton Gillison Ohio 2018 No TE Uncommitted
Tadas Tatarunas Ohio 2018 No QB Uncommitted

One of the key visitors this weekend is Najee Harris, who, like Cam Akers once was, is currently committed to Alabama. Akers visited last month and came away impressed, and the staff hopes to make the same impression on Harris this weekend. Whether or not the Buckeyes will be able to steal either of these backs from the mighty Crimson Tide is yet to be seen, but Urban will go down swinging. Late Thursday night, word got out that Ohio State may have asked Todd Sibley to greyshirt next year, so it seems the Buckeyes feel confident they will land at least one of the 5-star backs. Adding Harris or Akers, along with JK Dobbins, forces Ohio State to push Sibley to 2018. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t surprise me if Sibley starts looking elsewhere to play his college football. 

Kellen Mond is the other interesting prospect visiting this weekend. He’s currently committed to the Baylor Bears, but he’s still shopping around and finds himself at Ohio State this weekend. The Buckeyes haven’t extended an offer to him yet, but that could change this weekend. Mond has family in Ohio, so an offer from Ohio State might change his mind.  He currently does not hold an offer from the Buckeyes, but that may change this weekend. Tate Martell, another quarterback prospect promised to a Texas school, visited recently and also has family in the state. Unless Texas A&M announces a big coaching change, I see Martell sticking with the Aggies, but I can see Mond becoming the second quarterback to join the 2017 class. Only time will tell.

Watch for possible commitments this weekend from Jaylen Harris and Jackson Carman. Harris is a wide receiver out of Cleveland Heights who’s had his eye on Ohio State some time, and Carman is a big offensive tackle from Fairfield, Ohio, who could get things started for the 2018 class. I don’t see the Buckeyes netting anywhere close to last year’s five commitments, but I can see one or two coming out of this weekend, especially if the Buckeyes extend an offer to a few of its top prospects.

The players who aren’t attending the spring game are probably more interesting than those who are. Trevon Grimes, the five-star wideout from St. Thomas Aquinas, has been high on the Buckeyes since his offer, but he hasn’t made a return trip to Columbus since last July. He’s visited Florida, Miami, and Florida State this year, and this has many fans worried he’ll stay down south. I think Grimes will visit Ohio State again at some point, and I’m still confident he ends up a Buckeye. Jeffrey Okudah would have been a great visitor to get on campus for the spring game, but he’s staying home in Texas this week. The Buckeyes need to get Okudah back on campus if they want to remain in the game for his talents. Donovan Peoples-Jones (visiting ND), and Darnay Holmes would’ve also been nice to see this weekend. Peoples-Jones is going to be a hard pull from Michigan, but he did visit last week at least. I think Darnay Holmes will probably stay out west however.  The saga of Shaun Wade continues as well, as he has stated that he is 100% committed to the Buckeyes, yet he continues to take visits like the one to USC this weekend.

The kids in the 2018 class still have a lot of time to decide on their college futures, but a few of them will be visiting the Buckeyes this weekend. Jaelen Gill visited USC and UCLA recently, but he’s been a frequent visitor to Ohio State, and all signs point to him donning the scarlet and grey. Maybe he pulls the trigger this weekend and becomes the leader of the 2018 class, but I think he’ll take a little more time to make his decision. I already mentioned Jackson Carman, whom I’ve pegged for a possible commitment this weekend. He currently holds a 100% Crystal Ball prediction to Ohio State, and he recently visited campus right after trips to Michigan and Michigan State. Other than Gill and Carman, none of the other visiting 2018 recruits currently hold offers from the Buckeyes. Most of them are from Ohio and probably grew up dreaming about playing football for the Buckeyes, so don’t be surprised if one of them gets an offer this weekend and commits.

The spring game always brings a lot of top talent to the Horseshoe, and this year is no different. With 100,000 fans expected to show up for a glorified practice, I expect the recruits to get a good idea of the electric atmosphere they have to look forward to. Recent stars like Zeke Elliott, Michael Thomas, and Cardale Jones will also be in attendance, so these recruits are going to get the full Buckeye experience.

* I will continue to monitor the recruits attending and update the list as necessary.

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-15-2016

April 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Ezekiel Elliott on Mike and Mike this morning:

Spring Game News & Notes:

Spring Game Rosters: 

A Look Inside the OSU Marching Band:

OSU Coaches Clinic Today:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

2016 Ohio State Spring Football Preview: Youth Will Be Served, Early And Often – Safety Preview

April 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

“Almost everything that is great has been done by youth…” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

Ohio State began spring football practice on March 8th. Heading into the 2016 college football season, Ohio State will have 44 players on its roster designated as either a redshirt freshman (21 of the 25 players signed in February 2015), or a true freshman. For a roster that can have only 85 scholarship players, Ohio State will have around 52% of its roster with no playing time experience. As former Ohio State Head Coach John Cooper used to say, “If a dog is going to bite you, it will bite you as a pup.”.

For the next several weeks, I will be writing position group previews, leading up to the Ohio State Spring Football Game in Ohio Stadium on April 16th, 2016. These position groups will be ranked, from least to most concern, as I perceive them. It is entirely possible that my concerns, as well as the coaching staff’s concerns, will be reevaluated after the spring game.

1st – Safety

Players Lost – Tyvis Powell, Vonn Bell. Both players had eligibility remaining, and both decided to forego a final year as Buckeyes to enter the 2016 NFL Draft. Say what you want about either player, but Powell and Bell were steady veteran players at the last line of defense.

Returning Players/Incoming Players – Malik Hooker (Redshirt Sophomore), Damon Webb (Junior), Erick Smith (Junior), Cam Burrows (Redshirt Junior), Eric Glover-Williams (Sophomore).

A few things to keep in mind as it relates to this position group…

· Damon Webb has been moved to safety this spring, after primarily playing as the nickel cornerback. This may be a move to get the talented Webb on the field by new secondary coach Greg Schiano.

· Webb’s move may also be a concession to the fact that both Erick Smith and Cam Burrows, both with playing experience, are still recovering from injuries that derailed their respective 2015 seasons.

· The same could be said for Eric Glover-Williams, who has seen time at safety this spring. Glover-Williams is listed at 5’9″, 175 lbs., which may be better suited for cornerback.

· If there is anyone who seems to be a lock to start at safety in 2016, it is redshirt sophomore Malik Hooker. Hooker has never started, but played more and more in spot duty in 2015.

· Reinforcements are on the way, but will not arrive until the summer. Players such as Jahsen Wint, Rodjay Burns, and Jordan Fuller may all get long looks at safety during fall camp. The point I am making is all of these players are true freshmen, and untested on the college level.

These questions, among others, have been on my mind, as Ohio State concludes spring practice with the Ohio State Spring Game on April 16th. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer hopes to have at least 100,000 fans in Ohio Stadium. Let’s not disappoint him, Buckeye fans.

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Heard Around the ‘Shoe – 4-14-2016

April 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Spring Game Updates:

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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