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.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

March 11, 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.

6th – Cornerback

Player Lost – Eli Apple. Apple declared for the 2016 NFL Draft, giving up two years of eligibility. While Apple did not have as strong a season in 2015 as he did in 2014, Apple was well-regarded by the Ohio State coaching staff.

Returning Players/Incoming Players – Gareon Conley (Redshirt Junior), Damon Webb (Junior), Marshon Lattimore (Redshirt Sophomore), Denzel Ward (Sophomore), Eric Glover-Williams (Sophomore), Damon Arnette (Redshirt Freshman), Joshua Norwood (Redshirt Freshman).

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

· Gareon Conley is a returning starter at one cornerback. Conley demonstrated throughout the course of the 2015 season that he was quite capable at handling the position – in 2014, at Michigan State, Conley struggled, requiring Apple to come off the bench and play, despite Apple battling an injury at the time. In many respects, Conley had a better 2015 season than Apple.

· The other cornerback position seems to be suiting up to be a battle between Damon Webb, Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward, and Eric Glover-Williams. Webb was suspended for part of 2015, but played in nickel coverage when the suspension was lifted. It is possible Webb could also get a look at one of the vacant safety spots. Lattimore has battled injuries in both 2014 and 2015 – will Lattimore’s hamstring injuries allow him to remain in the mix as a possible starter? Denzel Ward and Eric Glover-Williams both played as true freshmen in 2015, primarily on special teams. Ward has been mentioned by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer as a possible starter at the vacant cornerback spot. Glover-Williams was running at one of the safety spots, as spring practice began.

· Neither Damon Arnette nor Joshua Norwood have played so far as Buckeyes. Both players redshirted in 2015. Both Arnette and Norwood will want to use the spring practices to their advantage, as…

· Reinforcements are on the way, but will not arrive until the summer. Ohio State signed five defensive backs in the 2016 recruiting class (Rodjay Burns, Wayne Davis, Kareem Felder, Jordan Fuller, Jahsen Wint). Of these five, only Wint has been listed as a safety. It is entirely possible one of these players could get a look at the cornerback position, depending upon how the spring practices shake out.

These questions, among others, have been on my mind, as Ohio State spring practice began on March 8th.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Minnich’s Thoughts On The 2015 Ohio State Spring Game: Defense

April 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Continuing with where we left off regarding the 2015 Ohio State Spring Game, we will focus upon some of the players who caught my eye on the defensive side of the ball. As I stated in part one, no spring game is going to be truly informative scheme-wise; why would any coach, especially one as smart as Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer, ever show off formations or packages in a spring game, especially one that will be televised and repeatedly shown by The Big Ten Network?

Most of these players, as was the case when I reviewed the offense, are players who have not played extensively, or in some circumstances, not at all (redshirted in 2014). A few have played considerably, and made some key plays during the spring game…

Defense

Defensive Ends: Sam Hubbard, Darius Slade, Jashon Cornell, Jalyn Holmes – remember how I listed defensive end as a concern leading up to the spring game? Let us just say that I am going to revisit my position concern rankings after the spring game. All played, and all were disruptive. Hubbard was redshirted last season, but showed glimpses of why Coach Meyer was lamenting and second-guessing his decision from last season. Hubbard was credited with two sacks, and was also causing deflections along the line of scrimmage. Darius Slade, Jashon Cornell, and Jalyn Holmes did not make any sacks, but they each made their respective presences known to the opposing quarterbacks. Even though Tyquan Lewis is penciled in as the starter at defensive end opposite of Joey Bosa, look for these players to be continually rotated in throughout the season.

Defensive Tackles: Tracy Sprinkle, Donovan Munger, and Adolphus Washington all caught my eye. As my colleague Shannon Sommers has mentioned, it is always good to see players from our native Lorain County playing well ~ Sprinkle had off the field issues last season, so it is a step in the positive direction to see and hear him playing on the field well. Munger and Washington were both credited with a sack. Tommy Schutt has been penciled in as the starter, but I would suspect these players, along with Michael Hill, may also be continually rotated at the position.

Linebacker: There was one linebacker who seemed to be everywhere, and that was true freshman Nick Conner. Credited with an interception and a forced fumble, Conner seized the spring game opportunity to showcase himself to Coach Meyer and the coaching staff. It will be a surprise if Conner does not earn a chance on special teams coverage this season, barring injury.

Secondary: Erick Smith, Gareon Conley, Damon Webb, and Tyvis Powell all played extensively. Smith served notice to the coaching staff and the fans in attendance that he is more than a consistent tackler, with two interceptions. Tyvis Powell had an interception off roommate Cardale Jones that resulted in a sideline thumping by Jones, followed by a “selfie” that delighted the crowd. Conley played the ball in coverage very well, defending passes that may have been completions a season ago. Webb was credited with three solo tackles and three assists, so the prognostication that Webb may be battling Conley for the starting position opposite Eli Apple seems legitimate.

The defense, which had been considered a liability prior to the 2014 season, has truly turned the corner. There is talent in every position group, and the competitive atmosphere that Coach Meyer has long advocated has taken root. Look for these players, among others, to become very familiar to Ohio State fans this coming season.

My defensive player of the spring game? It is a close call between Sam Hubbard, Nick Conner, and Erick Smith, but I will give it to Conner, as Conner was a true freshman playing in Ohio Stadium for the first time. Plus, who wouldn’t want to be able to go back to their high school senior prom, as Conner did the evening of April 18th, bragging about how they spent their afternoon?

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Could Donovan Peoples Jones Be the Next Michigan Star at OSU

July 15, 2014 by 1 Comment

Follow: @Mike_Rockstedt

Michigan was good to Ohio State in the 2014 recruiting class.  Ohio State landed one of the best corner backs in the nation in Damon Webb from Cass Tech in Michigan.  Ohio State is hoping to continue that trend with class of 2017 WR Donovan Peoples Jones.  Jones already has a couple of offers from North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State and Miami and  other schools have been showing interest such as Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Penn State.  Ohio State has really been recruiting him hard he tells me and he is very interested in Ohio State.

Donovan Peoples Jones already has an Ohio State offer.

“They have a great program all around,” Jones said of why he likes Ohio State.  “They have a great tradition and I have a good relationship with all of the coaches.  I also want to major in a medicine field and I love the medicine school at Ohio State.”

Jones told me that he knows he wants to study medicine but is not sure which specific part of medicine.  The medicine school has a big appeal to Jones and it shows how much effort he puts into academics by considering the academic side of things.  He has been to Ohio State before and got a chance to get a better feel for the overall feel in Columbus.  He got to check out the facilities and be in on the position meetings.  He had many good things to say about Ohio State’s facilities.  “The indoor field was pretty nice,” Jones said of the facilities.  “The weight room was also state-of-the-art.”

As for the rest of the Summer, he is going to camps at Tennessee, Penn State, and Ohio State for Friday Night Lights.  He has been busy this summer with camps and visits to many different schools across the nation.  I asked him what Damon Webb has told him about the recruiting process and Damon has been talking to him a lot.  “Damon is telling me to keep working hard and that if I continue everything is going to fall into place.”  Donovan is very excited for the season.  His recruitment is just getting started and I think he is going to get more and more offers.  He already has an impressive offer list but it is only going to get bigger.  It can only help that Damon Webb is at Ohio State for Jones’ recruitment as I am sure Damon Webb is going to try and bring him here.  Jones is very talented and he going to be one of the top WR’s in the nation for the 2017 class.  He is a recruit that every recruiting  fan should follow.

Follow Donovan: @dpeoplesjones 

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Q&A with Damon Webb

June 24, 2013 by 1 Comment

OSU FootballIn what seems like forever ago now, the Ohio State coaching staff received a commitment from one of the best corners in the country. Damon Webb is currently a 4 star recruit, looking to get his 5th star and is ranked the 6th best corner in the country by both Rivals and Scout.

damon_webbWebb comes from Cass Tech High School (Detroit, MI) which is usually a huge pipeline for TTUN, similar to Glenville for Ohio State. So when Webb committed to the Buckeyes, it came as a surprise to some. Webb led Cass Tech to a second straight state title this past fall and is aiming for a three-peat. Damon racked up 40+ tackles and seven interceptions during his junior season.

Webb will be competing in “The Opening” this July and will end his high school career by playing in the US Army All-American Bowl.

I had a chance to chat with him as a well:

ME: Being from TSUN are you taking a lot of heat from their fan base?
Damon Webb: “Yes! I ignore any of the negative stuff.”

ME: Who is your favorite Buckeye of all-time?
DW: “Malcolm Jenkins is my favorite Buckeye.”

ME: What is the strangest thing that has occurred to you on a visit?
DW: “I have not had anything strange happen; all of my visits were nice”

ME: This is from all of Buckeye Nation…is Coach Coombs ever relaxed or calm?
DW: “Coach Coombs is a ball of energy but when I talk with him one on one, he is really calm and serious. He has a great sense of humor.”

ME: What is your favorite food?
DW: “I like BBQ Chicken pizza the most.”

ME: Who is your hero and why?
DW: “My dad is my hero. He is the most genuine person I know. I will always rely on him for advice.”

ME: What do you plan on majoring at Ohio State?
DW: “OSU has a curriculum in Sport Industry with a concentration in business. I would like to be a sports agent after I am finished with football.”

ME: What are your grades like?
DW: “My grades are good but they can be better. I have a 2.9 GPA.”

ME: What is the most memorable moment you have had on the football field?
DW: “It would have to be the first game we played against Brother Rice last season. This was my first game after transferring to Cass and I had a great game. Most fans might remember I had on an OSU skull cap. (haha).”

ME: Why did you choose The Ohio State University?
DW: Ohio State is the best university for me. I love Coach Coombs and the relationship we are building. Coach Meyer is just awesome. I love the school and the football program.”

ME: What do you want all of Buckeye Nation to know about you?
DW: “I am a God fearing person! I am grateful! I am humble! I am ready to work hard!”

I would like to thank Damon and his family for fitting me into their busy schedule. If you are not following Damon Webb on twitter you can do so (@DameWebb). Hope everyone enjoyed the article and Go Buckeyes!

Damon Webb Junior year highlights

Columbus NFTC: Damon Webb Highlights

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,