WIDE RECEIVER:
The number three receiver position is still “in play.” Tressel loves seniors and sentimentally both he and fans want Taurian Washington or Grant Schwartz to grab the job. However, true freshman, Corey Brown, nicknamed “Philly” because he’s from the Philadelphia area (and there is another Corey Brown on the team) is closing fast with great speed and good hands. Washington has the size and speed to be a dominant receiver but to this point in his career has endured problems with drops on Saturdays and never lived up to his potential. Last season, he started the season as the number 3 receiver but after several drops in the first 2 weeks, Duron Carter took the job and Washington fell so far down the depth chart that he seriously contemplated a transfer before the Rose Bowl. With Carter taking his talents to the junior college ranks this season due to grades, discipline and entitlement issues (spoiled son of Chris Carter), the number 3 receiving job again wants to land in Washington’s lap. The problem with Washington seems to boil down to nerves and consistency as he’ll make a fabulous catch and then turn around and drop an easy one. Will the coaches have confidence to throw the ball Washington’s way on crucial third downs against Miami? Although everyone hopes for the best, the inside word is that “Philly” Brown is likely to grab the number three job by mid-season, if not sooner. Devier Posey is the elite talent of the receiving corps and he will be playing early and often on Sundays at a stadium near you.
DEFENSIVE LINE:
Jim Heacock was quoted early this fall as saying this could be the best defensive line he’s had at Ohio State.” I’m assuming he’s mentally well and was referencing his tenure as defensive coordinator because he was the defensive line coach in 2002 when Ohio State fielded the best starting defensive line in school history featuring, Will Smith, Darrion Scott, Tim Anderson and Kenny Peterson. Each one of these players was drafted, played and produced in the NFL. Smith was arguably the best defensive lineman in the last 30 years at OSU. Still, Heacock sees these guys every day in practice and his words should give all Buckeye fans excitement about the group’s potential in 2010.
Talent-wise, the starting 2010 defensive line despite is loaded despite the departures of backups Lawrence Wilson and Robert Rose as well as partial starter Todd Denlinger. Nathan Williams, a pass rushing specialist, is injured and will miss at least the opener at defensive end with redshirt sophomore Solomon Thomas taking his place. Cameron Heyward is the team’s best defensive player and he’ll start at defensive end but rotate to tackle at times during games. He stands 6’6” and weights 290 lbs and has become the vocal leader of the defense (Rolle talks a lot, Heyward yells a lot). Because his teammates know could already be playing on Sundays, Heyward commands respect from his teammates. Heyward’s best attribute is his physical strength and he excels at the bull rush (watch tape from the Penn State game last year). He has become a household name in the Big 10 and will be around the country by year end. Defenses, however, will key on Cameron and he’s likely to face a double team much of the time. He is fighting to get into the discussion with Will Smith as the best defensive lineman in recent memory.
Johnny Simon is coming off a strong freshman campaign and will man one defensive tackle spot. He played significantly as a freshman last season. Simon’s weight room prowess is legendary and he is an excellent athlete. If there is a question mark to be answered about the true sophomore, it surrounds his mass or lack thereof and how he will fair against big offensive lines and power running games (think Wisconsin and Iowa). Garret Goebel and Dexter Larimore are big bodies and able athletes primed to rotate at the other defensive tackle position.
The surprise of the fall has been true freshman Jonathan Hankins, a 335 lb side of beef from Michigan who despite questionable conditioning and weight has proven to be a completely immovable force with surprisingly quick feet at the defensive tackle position. “Big Hank” as he has already been nicknamed by coaches and teammates will play in goal line situations as well as third and shorts in the beginning of the season. If his conditioning holds, he could play more especially against the power teams of the Big Ten conference (Wisconsin, Iowa).
The oversized but quick defensive tackle is the hardest player to find in recruiting circles and is something Ohio State has lacked since the days of Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson. Such d-tackles are most prominently found in the south, particularly at SEC schools. National Championship defenses are often built on huge but agile d-tackles—see Terrence Cody last year at Alabama or Glenn Dorsey a few years back at LSU. You think “Big Hank” might come in handy at the point of attack in October when Wisconsin pounds 250 lb stud running back John Clay into the Buckeye defensive line 35 times? Good to have you aboard “Big Hank”—I don’t care how much you jiggle.
DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD:
The safety position will feature a new starter in Orhian Johnson at one spot and Jermale Hines the other. Although Kurt Coleman’s leadership and production will be missed, the safety position is evolving from a size and athleticism standpoint. Experienced cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence will lead the defensive backfield as the safeties grow in their roles. Although CJ Barnett will get the start against Marshall for Johnson because of missed practice time due to minor injuries, expect Johnson to start against Miami. When a defensive backfield replaces experience with youth, teams prefer that the youth movement occur at the safety position. Experienced corners are invaluable as they are able to play more man to man as well as a proficient zone, taking some of the pressure off the new safeties. Although I certainly expect a few growing pains in pass coverage, I expect Johnson and Hines to develop quickly. Early reports out of camp are that true freshman Christian Bryant out of Glenville will be the next star at the “star” position when his former teammate Hines moves on or if he falters.
LINEBACKER:
Perhaps the most surprising news of the fall is Andrew Sweat beating out Etienne Sabino for the starting SAM linebacker spot. Sabino will still play a lot as the fourth linebacker and is now listed as the primary backup at middle linebacker to Ross Homan. Ross Homan and my personal favorite defensive player Brian Rolle are back at the other spots and both are solid NFL prospects. Rolle has a great motor and is the vocal leader of the linebackers.
RUNNING BACK:
The running back position is a head scratcher. The NCAA finally cleared Roderick Smith who is due to arrive on campus in time to be on the side line for the Marshall game. At this point, Smith will redshirt.
The other top recruit on the roster at tailback is Sophomore Jamal Berry, a speedster from Florida with a top gear not possessed by the other backs (not even Saine). The book on Berry is that he still dances too much in the backfield trying to turn each carry into a home run. Sometimes you have to take your 2 yards, especially if you want to carry the rock for Jim Tressel….ask Boom Herron. Barring injury to Boom and Saine, carries should be sparse for Berry this season.
Speaking of Daniel “Boom” Herron (Jim Tressel’s apparent favorite player on the team), he looks to again garner the most carries at the running back position despite a lower yards-per-carry average, less speed and weaker vision than virtually any other back. To his credit, the diminutive Herron is tough, runs hard and almost never fumbles—traits Jim Tressel loves. Still, Herron never let a gaping hole get in the way of cutting into the backside of his own offensive lineman. At his core, Boom is dependable and steady producer without high end talent, size or vision. On my list, he ranks just above Lydell Ross near the bottom of the starting running backs of the past 20 years.
Brandon Saine is the most versatile running back on the roster with good size, surprising speed and great hands. He led the team in big runs last year and had the best yards-per-carry average on the team. Although it is my contention (as well as the contention of many others) that he should get more carries than Boom, there seem to be a question about Saine’s durability. Regardless, look for his number of carries to more closely approximate the number of carries Herron gets in 2010. Last year, Saine looked like a superior running back compared to Herron as the season progressed. His versatility and good hands make him a dangerous multi-threat weapon in the Ohio State offense.
And now for Jordan Hall who like Troy Smith (recruited as an athlete) was basically a throw-in to the recruiting class. Hall was a high school teammate and friend of Terrelle Pryor. Hall has surprised coaches and fans alike in his limited opportunities to carry the ball, displaying good vision, natural balance and the ability to fall forward. I said it last year (while everyone in the stadium was chanting “Boom!”) and I’ll say it again– Jordan Hall may be the best all-around running back on the roster. He’s no franchise back like a Beanie Wells or Maurice Clarett, but he’s more than capable of leading the Buckeye ground charge. Unlike last season, I am now seeing quotes from Buckeye insiders on Scout that mimic my thoughts about Hall. Watch the kid spot the hole and burst through it, making the first tackler miss and you may find yourself agreeing that the short but stout Hall needs more carries on game day. The problem for Hall is twofold: First, Tressel never divides the carries equally three ways and already trusts Saine and particularly Herron. Second, Pryor is the leading returning rusher on the team. That puts Hall fourth when it comes to carrying the mail. So although Hall should probably get 15 carries a game, expect 6-8. Saine is safe because of his dual-threat abilities rushing and receiving. However, if Boom goes out with injury, he may find himself behind Hall on the depth chart in a hurry.
TIGHT END:
Oh, the drama. In one corner we have Jim Tressel, legendary in his hate of throwing across the middle of the field (because of the higher probability of a turnover). In the other corner we have 6’6”, 250 lb Jake Stoneburner who runs near a 4.6 forty taking over the tight end spot and giving Ohio State its best athlete and receiver ever at the tight end position (sorry Ricky Dudley). Something has to give. All spring and fall the talk has been how often and effectively Pryor finds Stoneburner over the middle and how linebackers are too slow and defensive backs too small to cover him. The time of truth is approaching and the early season should foreshadow how much Tressel plans to use the tight end as a mismatch weapon in the offense. Stoneburner could play a key role on 3rd downs as well as in keeping the defenses honest and from walking too many men into “the box” anticipating the run. The more catches Stoneburner has, the better a season Ohio State will enjoy. The keys are in Jim Tressel’s hands. Let’s hope he realizes he has a race horse at tight end and not the usual Clydesdale.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
Offensive Line. At left tackle, Mike Adams has finally seen the light which is good considering Andy Miller has suffered an injury and Marcus Hall was caught plagiarizing an English paper and will have to redshirt the season. The line is experienced and talented. Right-Tackle JB Shugarts is arguably the best pro-prospect of the group although many feel center Mike Brewster will be the next Nick Mangold in the league. The questions with Jim Bollman’s offensive lines have always been concerning attitude and physicality. Which group will show up? If they feed off of the nastiness of Justin Boren, things will be fine. If they fall back into the bad habit of playing passively without an edge, the offense could struggle particularly early in the season against an outstanding Miami defensive line filled with future pros. The game of football is won in the trenches. On paper (and that’s the dangerous part), this Buckeye offensive line is not only the most athletic but the most talented of Tressel’s tenure. Their play will go a long way in determining the fate of Ohio State this season.
QUARTERBACK:
Most people feel that Terrelle Pryor’s progress is the most important factor in the Buckeyes making a title run in 2010. Historically, most quarterbacks improve most between their first and second years as college starters. For Pryor’s sake (and ours) let’s hope he’s an exception to that rule. In truth, the win-loss record of 2009 belies the ugly truth of inconsistency and immaturity at the quarterback position. There are times when his throwing motion is uglier than a Shaquille O’Neal free-throw. And it is clear that not quarterbacking or playing organized football until high school created a steep learning curve for Pryor. His development was slowed by his reliance in high school upon his legs to win games against small-school competition in Pennsylvania.
Still, Pryor is without a doubt the greatest athlete ever to play at Ohio State and most likely the Big 10. Think about that statement for a second. He remains the fastest buckeye on the team in 40 yard sprints at 6’6” and more than 230 lbs. Now entering his third season, Terrelle Pryor is ahead of Vince Young’s development at Texas. Although not as shifty or elusive a runner as Young, Pryor is bigger, faster, stronger, a better passer and has a stronger arm than Young.
With a healthy knee and 2 seasons under his belt, I expect Pryor’s big jump in play to be from the quarterback we saw last year to the quarterback we see this year. He’ll never be a natural thrower of the ball (like a Joe Germaine) but he has a rocket arm, improving mechanics and world-class speed to go with top-end size and strength. Most importantly, practice reports indicate what the Rose Bowl foreshadowed—the reading of defenses. Pryor is checking through his progression of receivers and understanding the vulnerabilities of particular defenses. The passing yardage for quarterback on a Jim Tressel coached team will never be gaudy. Expect a higher completion percentage, fewer awkward passes and more big plays. At 19-3 as a starter, Pryor has been a victim of a questionable attitude at times as well as unreasonable expectations. In interviews this fall, he’s starting to sound like Jim Tressel at about the same point in his career that Troy Smith started to sound like Jim Tressel which can only be seen as great news for Buckeye fans.
Right now, Troy Smith stands atop Rex Kern on my list as the greatest quarterback in Ohio State history even without a national championship. Smith’s play against Michigan 3 straight seasons is the stuff of legends. However, Pryor’s continued development could bring him a Heisman, a national championship and dual labels as the winningest and best quarterback in OSU history. The sky is the limit for Terrelle Pryor. And yes, he has the ability to lead the Buckeyes to a national championship and with 2 solid years of learning, I absolutely think Terrelle Pryor can play quarterback in the NFL.
TONIGHT: Just before kickoff: A season prediction
