2009 tOSU WR discussion (official thread)

[Buckeneye]

The set that I keep envisioning is 4 WR with Posey and TWash on the edges, and Sanzo and Small in double slots. Put Flash (or maybe JHall) as an ace back

Thats what I keep seeing myself.

I don't know if there's a LB in the country who could beat TP to the edge if there's no contain.

Do you know any linebackers that can run a sub 4.5?

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

Just saw Mr. Ed's report on Ozone. Posey, Sanzo and Stoneburner are mentioned as being on the field at WR a lot.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

I've been feeling this way ever since he committed, but I think when it's all said and done Posey might be the best WR to ever come out of Ohio State.

Pretty lofty praise to put on someone who's never started a game and is still as young as he is, but I think he has the talent and drive to fulfill the praise.

 

[EidoloN]

I agree with Posey being the best, but the ball has to get to him in order for him to be the best. Hopefully Pryor is let loose this year, and becomes a true duel threat!

 

[Taosman]

Last year we had WRs running free many times and TP just couldn't go through his progressions for various reasons. Given a year of experience and the time to go through his progressions, TP and the offense will thrive.
If he doesn't get time.............

 

[brutus2002]

I was thinking last night about JJ and Lamar Thomas. In the spring game I will be looking at their route running/blocking. I want to see if the timing between TP and them is 100%. I like that both of these guys are being considered for KR. IMO that will get them excited about the season. I have heard JJ has had some stone hands in the return game but that is expected for a Frosh...IMO working on special teams will help these guys with their WR polishing/hands/routes...etc.

 

[pnuts34]

I was thinking last night about JJ and Lamar Thomas. In the spring game I will be looking at their route running/blocking. I want to see if the timing between TP and them is 100%. I like that both of these guys are being considered for KR. IMO that will get them excited about the season. I have heard JJ has had some stone hands in the return game but that is expected for a Frosh...IMO working on special teams will help these guys with their WR polishing/hands/routes...etc.

Man those two kids out there on the same team will give opposing defense fits! Especially when you have kids like Posey and maybe Carter on the outside with great hands. And don't mention maybe Stoneburner at TE, that sounds a lot like a scary spread offense, RichRod eat your heart out

 

[generaladm]

Last year we had WRs running free many times and TP just couldn't go through his progressions for various reasons. Given a year of experience and the time to go through his progressions, TP and the offense will thrive.
If he doesn't get time.............

And there were many times when TP put the ball right on those receivers hands, and they failed to pull it in. TP definitely has room to improve on making reads, but the WRs had stretches last year when they weren't doing he or Todd many favors. Considering TP only had 165 attempts, if half of those drops were catches, it could have bumped his completion % up another 5 points. Now that TP has a whole offseason to work on the playbook with his WRs, I would expect his reads to be much better.

 

[Buckskin86]

Darrell Hazell said that if there was a game tomorrow the two-deep at wide receiver...

By Mr. Ed on 18:14:38 04/17/09

...would be Ray Small on the wide side, Dane Sanzenbacher in the slot and DeVier Posey on the weak side. Lamaar Thomas would be backing up both Small and Sanzenbacher and Taurian Washington would be backing up Posey.

Dane Sanzenbacher said that the coaches gave him a target weight for this season of 188 pounds. He played at 170 as a freshman and about 175 last year. Sanzenbacher said that today he weighs exactly 188 and has not lost any quickness or speed.

O-Zone: Darrell Hazell said that if there was a game tomorrow the two-deep at wide receiver...

 

[leroyjenkins]

Dane Sanzenbacher said that the coaches gave him a target weight for this season of 188 pounds. He played at 170 as a freshman and about 175 last year. Sanzenbacher said that today he weighs exactly 188 and has not lost any quickness or speed.

So in other words he's been Barwis-ized

 

[utgrad73]

Dane Sanzenbacher said that the coaches gave him a target weight for this season of 188 pounds. He played at 170 as a freshman and about 175 last year. Sanzenbacher said that today he weighs exactly 188 and has not lost any quickness or speed.

188 Move over Justin Boren

 

[Buckskin86]

Position breakdown
Saturday, April 18, 2009
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

DeVier Posey, who will be a sophomore in the fall, is one of several returning Ohio State receivers vying to replace Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie.
Dispatch beat reporters Tim May and Ken Gordon will analyze each position group on the Ohio State football team through spring practice. Today:

Receivers
? Key losses: Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline

? Key returnees: Dane Sanzenbacher, Ray Small, DeVier Posey, Lamaar Thomas, Taurian Washington, Grant Schwartz

? Time to step up: All of the above, especially Small, who has had a star-crossed college experience. Freshman James Jackson is already in school, and Duron Carter and Chris Fields are coming in the summer, but the coaches are going to lean on the returning group.

? What it was: Underused primarily last year, as the coaches pared the passing offense in favor of keeping things fairly simple for freshman starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Sanzenbacher was the No. 3 a year ago, but Posey in particular appeared capable of contributing more, while Thomas at least got to return some kickoffs.

? What it might be: It will depend in part on Pryor's progress, but Small, Posey and edy Thomas have shown big-play potential this spring, such as taking short flips and turning them into big gains. Washington appears to be stepping up, too. Sanzenbacher has been slowed by an ankle sprain. Junior walk-on Garrett Hummel has displayed good hands.

? What they're saying: Pryor has made it his mission to improve his read-and-react passing game. That's because, at receiver, he said, "we've got some players there who can catch the ball from three or four yards and take it to the house. We've got some players, man. You'll be shocked.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Position breakdown

Buckeye Receiving Corps is Young but Talented
By John Porentas

Darrell Hazell had a little twinkle in his eye on Friday.

Hazell took questions about his wide receiver corps after practice yesterday and try as he might, he couldn't hide it, he likes his crop of receivers despite their youth and lack of experience.

"We're very young but I like how they're working and I like their athletic ability. When you have those things you have a chance to do pretty good," he said guardedly.

The big word when talking about the wide receivers this spring is athletic. Terrelle Pryor talked about the athleticism of the wide receivers and their ability to turn short passes into big plays. Hazell did little to dispel that notion.

"This is an athletic bunch of guys that will help us make some big plays," he said.

One of the members of the receiving corps, Taurian Washington, said much the same thing.

"I think our receiving corps this year is not as big but is more quick and we can make big plays," he said.

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2009/SpringBall/receivers.htm

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUAbwPqtD8s]YouTube - Ray Small and receivers interviewed after practice[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State football: Robiskie and Hartline will be missed
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday April 28, 2009

Let's start with the receivers.

Ohio State receivers

Thought No. 1

Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline will be more difficult to replace than you might think.

One thing we know by now is that Ohio State produces NFL quality receivers on a regular basis. In the last six years, eight OSU receivers have been drafted - four in the first round (Ted Ginn Jr., Santonio Holmes, Michael Jenkins, Anthony Gonzalez), one in the second round (Brian Robiskie), one in the fourth round (Brian Hartline), and two in the fifth round (Roy Hall, Drew Carter).

Losing Robiskie and Hartline isn't like two years ago, when both Ginn and Gonzalez went in the first round. But this also isn't like two years ago because the Buckeyes at least had Robiskie coming back from the 2006 season, when he caught 29 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns.

The leading OSU receiver back in the fall is Dane Sanzenbacher, who caught 21 passes for 272 yards. Ray Small caught 18 passes for 149 yards. DeVier Posey, expected to emerge as the No. 1 receiver, caught 11 passes for 117 yards as a freshman.

http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/04/ohio_state_football_robiskie_a.html

Ohio State football: Maybe some receiving flash in the run game
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday April 28, 2009

Ohio State receivers

Thought No. 2

Lamaar "Flash" Thomas is going to play a role in the run game.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Thomas, a sophomore, is currently the No. 4 receiver on coach Darrell Hazell's depth chart, behind DeVier Posey, Ray Small and Dane Sanzenbacher.

While Sanzenbacher was out for the latter part of spring practice with an injury, Thomas often was running in the slot with the first team. And that's where he has been lining up the most, in the slot.

So don't expect Percy Harvin, who carried the ball 70 times for 659 yards at Florida last season. But expect more than Ohio State is used to - last season OSU receivers ran the ball four times for 16 yards.


Hazell said Thomas made slow progress in the passing game as a freshman, catching four passes for 29 yards (after catching the first pass of Terrelle Pryor's career), because the high school running back was still caught between positions.

"When he came out of high school he was a running back-slash-receiver," Hazell said. "He was a very fast guy that didn't play fast. Now he's starting to play fast."

http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/04/ohio_state_football_maybe_some.html

Ohio State football: A lot is needed from DeVier Posey
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday April 28, 2009

Ohio State receivers

Thought No. 3

No matter how skilled he is, DeVier Posey is making a big jump in responsibility.

Posey caught 11 passes for 117 yards last season - only seven for 70 yards after leading the team in receiving in the opener against Youngstown State.

Compare that to the freshmen numbers of recent OSU No. receivers - Santonio Holmes caught 32 passes for 549 and seven touchdowns with the benefit of a redshirt season; Ted Ginn caught 25 passes for 359 yards; Anthony Gonzalez caught eight passes; and Brian Robiskie caught one.

And now he's out there as the biggest receiving threat on the field. Junior Dane Sanzenbacher is supposedly the leader of the group and senior Ray Small may finally have a chance to prove how dangerous he can be to a defense, but when defenses are planning for the OSU passing game, they'll probably think about stopping Posey first.

Can he deal with that? When he asked receivers coach Darrell Hazell a year ago about getting on the field more, Hazell told him to work on the little things, like route running and blocking.

Asked about Posey this spring, Hazell sounded the same as he always has - great potential, not there yet.

"I want him to be more consistent," Hazell said in the middle of spring. "I want him to finish better right now. I want his mindset, when the ball is in the air, no matter what route he's running, he's got to go get the ball. But he is doing a lot of other things well.

"His upper echelon is the kind of guy you want. He's got speed and size and quickness, so I think he's going to be spectacular when it's all said and done."

Ohio State football: A lot is needed from DeVier Posey - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

Ohio State football: Receivers could make a lot out of a little
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday April 28, 2009

Ohio State receivers

Thought No. 4

The short passing game could be much more dangerous.

I can't remember how many times the Buckeyes threw those quick routes to Ted Ginn Jr. two year seasons ago, when he caught the ball flat-footed on the line of scrimmage and then was supposed to make a defender miss. It happened at least once a game, and it never seemed like the best way to use Ginn's speed.

http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/04/now_that_spring_practice_is.html

Ohio State football: The tight ends at least look more like receivers
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday April 28, 2009

Ohio State receivers

Thought No. 5

Let's not go nuts over the tight ends, but there could be more going on in the middle of the field.

Jake Stoneburner has been a hot topic this spring. The redshirt freshman shifted from receiver to tight end, but at 6-foot-5 and 230 to 240 pounds, he's much more of pass catcher than a blocker. He moved to tight end in part because he was naturally too big to play receiver. He's been working on the blocking.

There is an idea that Stoneburner's skills will offer Ohio State a new look at tight end, but senior Jake Ballard is 6-5, his first career touchdown was a one-handed, 1-yard grab from Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith his freshman season in 2006 - and he has caught only 18 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns the last two years.

So I'm not counting on Stoneburner for a 30-catch season.

But it does seem like Terrelle Pryor is more comfortable looking for receivers in the middle of the field. That won't always be the tight end, but that's an area the Buckeyes can work in the passing game. And for what it's worth, even though we hear it every year, the tight ends are looking forward to playing a bigger role in the offense.

"Stoneburner is one of those guys, they wanted him at 215 at receiver and he couldn't do that. He's at 240 right now, so it was only right to move him to tight end," Ballard said. "But it shows the tight end group we're trying to get the tight ends more involved in the receiving aspect of things.

http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/04/_ohio_state_receivers_thought.html

 

[utgrad73]

Changing Of The Guard: Analyzing Ohio State WRs and LBs | Bleacher Report

With the great senior class departing to the NFL, one might be quick to say that the Buckeyes don't have enough to replace their holes.
Another look plus considering past history shows that they will be just fine in 2009.
Gone are the Brians: Robiskie and Hartline, along with James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman among other talented players.
Conventional wisdom tells us that Ohio State will reload as they always have in the Tressel era.
Buckeye fans might not also be used to the depth at WR that the team has, with about four players that can be the top two in the depth chart.

 

[Buckskin86]

August 4, 2009
Camp preview: WRs and TEs

Wide receivers/tight ends


SPOTS LOCKED UP (2): DeVier Posey at receiver and Jake Ballard at tight end

In limited playing time last year as the No. 4 or 5 guy, the freshman Posey showed a smoothness that belied his youth. He is polished, and he and Pryor are classmates, so this makes for an obvious choice for Posey to be a top target. Whether he leads the team in catches, who knows, but he will start. Ballard has been playing for three years, splitting time with Rory Nicol. He is a sturdy blocker and competent receiver.


SPOTS UP FOR GRABS (2)

I?m calling this two starting spots. Particularly with Beanie Wells gone, I expect OSU to be in a one-back set most often, whether with three or four wideouts, or two receivers and two tight ends (one of the Buckeye staff?s favorite formations).

The interesting question is who makes up the other starting receiver(s)? It begins with whether senior Ray Small will be available, seemingly a perennial question. If he's around, he has the ability to be a starter, certainly. Dane Sanzenbacher is the other clear choice to be in the top three, but with him, the question is whether he can stay healthy. He attracts defensive backs like moths to a porch light, and pays the requisite price.

Two other names should be in the mix for a top-three spot: junior Taurian Washington, a two-time all-spring practice honoree who needs to play well when the leaves turn colors; and freshman Duron Carter, son of OSU all-time great Cris.

When OSU plays two tight ends, expect redshirt freshman Jake Stoneburner to be the guy. A converted receiver, he adds a dimension of speed and downfield ability to the spot that OSU has not had. . . .maybe ever.


BACKUPS AND OTHERS:

At receiver, it?s not inconceivable that sophomore Lamaar Thomas works into the top three. Grant Schwartz has made strides since converting from defensive back. Freshman James Jackson may not redshirt, because he has kick-return ability.
There would not appear to be much playing time in store for the other tight ends: Nic DiLillo or freshman Reid Fragel. Likewise for freshman receiver Chris Fields. Corey Brown is listed as a receiver/defensive back.

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