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2009 tOSU Secondary discussion

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I don't know I think Our DL looked amazing versus PSU and Texas. Holding both teams to 20+ points under their average...Heck until the last 30 seconds of the game we were holding Texas 27 points under their average...I'm ready to say the DL is gonna be amazing. When you only lose one player on your 2-deep its a very good thing. There is only one team on our schedule that will be able to score more than 14 points on us IF WE SHOW UP and thats USC.

One name I have not heard in awhile is Donnie Evenge. I have heard nothing but good things about him. Howard has been bragged up by the coaches as well. My opinion is that we will be better at safety this year but not as good at corner. I do believe that Chekwa has AA potential. The only position I am even concerned about on defense is the corner replacing Jenkins.

Hopefully Amos can get over the psychological aspect of his injuries. Alot of times the guy is even stronger after an injury but he cannot shake the mental aspect. I hope he can contribute this year.
 
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schwab;1417462; said:
There are those out there that would have you believe that we have been doing this exact thing for the last 4 seasons.

He won the Thorpe Award! I can live with that.
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the asshats who think jenkins is a safety aside, i thought everett did a fine job at cb when whitner bumped him from safety. not saying coleman should or even could. just noting that its been done recently and was successful.
 
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Turnover at the corners
Departures leave OSU with little experience
Sunday, March 15, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The infant cooed and gurgled, wiggling in his car-seat carrier on the bleachers at Ohio State's Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

No, he was not a candidate to play cornerback for the Buckeyes this season, although given OSU's glaring inexperience at the position, one never knows.

Instead, it is the boy's father, Andre Amos -- keeping a watchful eye on 4-month-old Andre Jr. -- who is hoping to step into the void this fall.

The Buckeyes lost 11 years of cornerback experience after their 2008 season ended in January. Thorpe Award winner Malcolm Jenkins and steady backup Shaun Lane were scheduled for departure as seniors, but when junior Donald Washington left early for the NFL draft, the hole became gaping.

"It's always an area of concern, especially with the type of corners we lost," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "It's a double-edged sword -- you hate starting off without much experience, but on the other side, you enjoy having so much competition."

The defections leave behind just one player with significant experience at the position: Fourth-year junior Chimdi Chekwa, a veteran of 26 games and 13 starts.

One question is how will Chekwa respond to being "The Man," without the comfort factor of playing opposite Jenkins?

But that pales in comparison to the other question, namely: Who the heck else is going to play?

"I'm excited, but we've got a lot of work to do," cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson said. "Spring (practice) is going to be a time where guys have a chance to win jobs and show they can get on the bus."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Ohio State football: Turnover at the corners
 
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BB73;1437541; said:
Duane Long looks at the CBs for 2009.

Bucknuts.free
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MililaniBuckeye;1437548; said:
Surpised he didn't mention Corey Brown, who had three interceptions in an all-star game in Hawaii. Brown may be listed primarily as a WR, but I think he'll be moved to CB ala Chris Gamble.
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Yeah, that was Dave Biddle's article, and how could he not mention Corey Brown?
I'll have to see Amos before I believe he hasn't lost a step. Barnett and Brown both may have to contribute, but I'm hoping Torrence finds his niche at CB so one of the younger guys can come in on nickel or dime.
 
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OSU notebook: Cornerback depth growing
Buckeyes looking at four players to fill open spot
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
By Ken Gordon and Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Andre Amos and Devon Torrence are atop the depth chart at cornerback opposite returning starter Chimdi Chekwa, assistant coach Taver Johnson said last night.

Amos, a fifth-year senior, and Torrence, a junior, are the most experienced players competing to replace departed standout Malcolm Jenkins.

"Andre is not young, he's battle-tested," Johnson said, "and Devon has done a very nice job. He's definitely come on; he's definitely taken to the spot."

The third player mentioned most prominently is redshirt freshman Travis Howard. He has made two interceptions in the five practices that have been open to the media.

"He's long and very smart," Johnson said. "(He) definitely has athletic ability."

Fourth on the list is Donnie Evege, a third-year sophomore who was injured most of last season and has not played a down.

"Donnie has impressed me a whole lot," Chekwa said. "He has played great this spring. He has come on."

At safety, injuries to starter Kurt Coleman (ankle) and second-teamer Aaron Gant (knee) have allowed younger players to get experience. Safeties coach Paul Haynes said he has been impressed with redshirt freshman Orhian Johnson.

Coleman practiced yesterday for the first time. Haynes said Gant was going to have arthroscopic surgery soon, ending his spring.
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : OSU notebook: Cornerback depth growing

Position breakdown
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Dispatch beat reporters Ken Gordon and Tim May will analyze each position group on the Ohio State football team during spring practice. Today:

Defensive backs
• Key losses: CB Malcolm Jenkins, CB Donald Washington

• Key returnees: S Kurt Coleman, S Anderson Russell, CB Chimdi Chekwa, S Jermale Hines

• Time to step up: CB Andre Amos, CB Devon Torrence, CB Travis Howard, S Orhian Johnson, S Aaron Gant

• What it was: The best it had been in several years. Ohio State was 13th nationally in pass-efficiency defense. Jenkins won the Thorpe Award, Chekwa stepped into a starting role, and Washington was a former starter and a fine third corner. In addition, Coleman emerged as a playmaker at safety and Hines burst onto the scene as a hard-hitting nickel back whose specialty was defending spread offenses.

• What it might be: Green at corner opposite Chekwa, and that could be a problem. Jenkins and Washington took 63 career starts with them when they left. It probably will mean the Buckeyes will play less man-to-man coverage, at least at first. Amos and Torrence are leading the competition for the open starting spot, with Howard looking good as well. Johnson has had a solid spring and could figure into the safety mix. And don't forget highly touted freshman Corey Brown, who will arrive in the summer.

• What they're saying: "Everybody talks about how young we are, but we're not. Really, there's only going to be one new face back there. I think they're jelling pretty good, doing the things that we're asking them to do and making plays." -- Paul Haynes, safeties coach
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http://dispatch.com/live/content/sp...on15.ART_ART_04-15-09_C7_DMDICFN.html?sid=101
 
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Secondary proving to be a primary focus for Buckeyes, looking to replace two starters
by Doug Lesmerises/Plain Dealer Reporter
Tuesday April 14, 2009

COLUMBUS -- Three starters return in Ohio State's secondary, but the search for a second starting cornerback is as crucial as any competition the Buckeyes have going this spring. Finding a third corner matters almost as much.
A year ago, Ohio State basically had three starting corners in Malcolm Jenkins, Donald Washington and Chimdi Chekwa. Washington and Chekwa rotated in the base defense, but when the Buckeyes needed to cover on passing downs, they played all three corners together, Washington lining up over the slot receiver. Ohio State could go man-to-man, go hard after the quarterback and trust things were taken care of.

"That was definitely a bonus," OSU corners coach Taver Johnson said. "We had three legitimate corners that could cover anybody. When you have that, you have something special."

With Jenkins and Washington awaiting the NFL draft, the only sure thing the Buckeyes have is Chekwa, a red-shirt junior who they believe is ready to become the next elite OSU corner.

"He can do it all," senior safety Kurt Coleman said. "He's a cover corner and he can hit. He was kind of behind Malcolm and Donald, but I think this is his year to break out."


He just needs one or two running mates. So far this spring, fifth-year senior Andre Amos has most often run with the first-team defense, but red-shirt freshman Travis Howard and junior Devon Torrence have lined up with the first team as well. Freshman C.J. Barnett, already at spring practice, and Corey Brown, a freshman who will report for preseason camp, could be factors by the fall, too.

For now, as Coleman broke it down, Howard is the purest cover corner, Torrence the playmaking athlete and Amos the veteran. The veteran is probably the safest bet, just as fifth-year senior Antonio Smith emerged as the starter opposite Jenkins in 2006.

"Andre is so smart, and you need a player like that out there, who's so smart he's not going to make any mistakes," Coleman said.

Amos played as a red-shirt freshman in 2006, but lost most of the last two seasons to a torn ACL and a torn pectoral muscle. Chekwa said Amos looks as fast now as he did on old film, and if that holds true, he should hold down the spot. But what about the passing downs?

Former linebacker Jermale Hines plays the star position, and is a starter in the nickel defense. But he excels at blitzing and stopping the run against teams that feature the spread. On third-down passing situations, Hines can cover, Johnson said, but it's not ideal. And that might limit how aggressive the Buckeyes can be going after the quarterback.

Someone like Howard jumping up to play in that situation is preferable. But there are enough differences between playing corner, and playing the star and covering the slot, that Johnson can't even think about asking a young guy to do it now.

"That'd be asking too much," Johnson said. "That wouldn't be fair to him."
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Secondary proving to be a primary focus for Buckeyes, looking to replace two starters - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball News - cleveland.com
 
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I know this might be thinking a bit high for a young secondary, but what are the chances we see more corner blitzing?

Chekwa is damned fast and I think he could really get in after a QB on a couple suprised moves.
 
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I have heard nothing but good things about our young corners. I will concede not one of them is better than Jenkins but IMO we have more depth this season. It also doesn't mean as a group they will not be better either. Tressel has said that Torrence, Amos, and Howard have looked really good. Amos singled out Evenge as saying he will be very good. The future looks very bright at corner.

IMO the safeties will be better. I have heard from multiple sources that Domicone and Johnson are gonna be awesome. Johnson has been categorized as an athletic freak and Domicone as a heady player that lowers the boom. :biggrin:
 
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brutus2002;1450751; said:
I have heard nothing but good things about our young corners. I will concede not one of them is better than Jenkins but IMO we have more depth this season. It also doesn't mean as a group they will not be better either. Tressel has said that Torrence, Amos, and Howard have looked really good. Amos singled out Evenge as saying he will be very good. The future looks very bright at corner.

IMO the safeties will be better. I have heard from multiple sources that Domicone and Johnson are gonna be awesome. Johnson has been categorized as an athletic freak and Domicone as a heady player that lowers the boom. :biggrin:
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Glad to hear about Domicone.
 
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