Over the next few posts, I’m going to break down the Buckeyes’ current lineup position-by-position and discuss how the recruiting process could potentially change the picture. Today I’ll start with the leader on offense: the quarterback.
The QB position should be in good hands for the next one or two seasons if JT Barrett decides to complete his four years at Ohio State. If he comes back after his junior season, then we’ll have a senior quarterback in 2017, but if he doesn’t, then the Buckeyes will have to break in a new starter. Right now the depth chart would be:
1.) JT Barrett – Junior (RS)
2.) Joey Burrow – Freshman (RS)
3.) Stephen Collier – Sophomore (RS)
4.) Dwayne Haskins – Freshman
Haskins has the opportunity to move up when he gets on campus this summer if he does well in workouts and fall camp, but right now I’m leaving him at 4th on the depth chart. If he fails to pass Burrow for the back-up job I can see Haskins taking a red-shirt this season giving himself another year without Barrett at the helm. Burrow and Collier have both been in the program for at least a season, but neither has thrown a meaningful pass for the Buckeyes. Last season, Ohio State had an abundance of riches at the QB position, but Cardale Jones’ departure to the NFL leaves the Buckeyes with a lack of experience at the position. That’s concerning if Barrett were to go down with an injury, but here is where successful recruiting comes in to play.
Let’s look at potential recruiting classes for the next couple of years.
Danny Clark from Archbishop Hoban HS in Massillion, Ohio, has led the 2017 recruiting class since his commitment back in December of 2013. He’s been on campus dozens of times and has been a vocal recruiter for the Buckeyes for the 2017 class. Recently there’s been talk of possibly adding a second signal caller to this class. Scholarship numbers are tight this year, so it might be hard to squeeze another QB into this class, but if Urban & Co. decide there’s a need, they’ll find a way. Hypothetically speaking, if one of the current QBs on the roster decides to transfer before next season, then the Buckeyes would be able to take another quarterback in 2017. Right now, Ohio State doesn’t have any offers out to other quarterbacks in this class, but that could certainly change over the next 11 months. It’ll be interesting to see if the Buckeyes decide to take two in this class, but I still think they’ll stick with Clark and ride it out until 2018.
The 2017 Depth Chart Projection:
1.) JT Barrett – Senior (RS)
2.) Dwayne Haskins – Freshman (RS)Â
3.) Joey Burrow – Sophomore (RS)
4.) Danny Clark – Freshman
5.) Stephen Collier – Junior (RS)
Most teams take at least one QB a year regardless of their depth, so the Buckeyes will certainly be on the lookout for a QB in 2018. As of now, Ohio State has extended offers to Phil Jurkovec out of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania and Jalen Mayden out of Sachse, Texas. Jurkovec currently holds 11 offers from the likes of Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Penn State. He’s a dual-threat QB who passed for 2,560 yards and ran for 1,250 yards in his sophomore season at Pine-Richland. Mayden is a four-star recruit who holds offers from Houston, Mississippi State, and Oregon State among others. Mayden’s sophomore season ended with 2,496 passing yards and 513 rushing yards for a total of 36 touchdowns. Another one to watch is Tadas Tatarunas from Mentor, Ohio, who currently lists Ohio State as a school he has interest in, but he hasn’t received an offer yet. Â
The 2018 Depth Chart Projection:
1.) Dwayne Haskins – Sophomore (RS)
2.) Danny Clark – Freshman (RS)
3.) Joey Burrow – Junior (RS)
4.) Stephen Collier – Senior (RS)
Urban Meyer always says the quarterback is “only as good as the players around him,” but the Buckeyes need a guy who can distribute the ball effectively and run the offense efficiently if they want to have any success on offense. Right now the future looks good with Barrett running the helm and preparing the younger kids to take over when he leaves. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of recruiting cycles though.
