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2011 "Jesse Owens" Spring Game (Sat, April 23)

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Despite the attention on who will replace Pryor, the situation at receiver seems more acute. A big game by Reed, Corey Brown, Chris Fields or one of the others could go a long way in the fall.

Besides receiver, here are other positions to watch:

Cornerback. The Buckeyes are replacing both starters. Travis Howard has one spot nailed down, but Dominic Clarke, Dionte Allen and Bradley Roby are among those competing for the other.

Linebacker. Etienne Sabino and returning starter Andrew Sweat hold two of the positions, but Dorian Bell, Chris Maxwell and others are trying to put make a good impression before Curtis Grant - the No. 2 overall prospect nationally in the 2011 recruiting class - shows up in June.

Offensive line. Tressel said there is no intent today of fielding what might be considered the No. 1 line, which is replacing both guards plus left tackle Mike Adams, who must sit the first five games. But Corey Linsley, Jack Mewhort, Marcus Hall and Andrew Norwell are in the mix for those three spots.

Lack of depth on the offensive line is one of the main reasons it's a scrimmage today and not a game.

"We're just trying to find five guys that aren't tired for a series, you know what I mean?" Tressel said. "Then we go to the next series and see if we can get five who aren't battered."

Running back. Returning starter Daniel Herron is among those who must sit the first five games, and the talk of the spring often has been redshirt freshman Rod Smith. But Tressel said as he and television analyst Jon Gruden, a Super Bowl-winning coach who has been visiting practice, talked the past couple of days, Tressel told him to keep an eye on Jordan Hall.

"I think he's had a spectacular spring," Tressel said. "And I've been really happy with those tight ends (Jake Stoneburner, Reid Fragel and Jeff Heuerman)."

Then he named defensive linemen John Simon and Johnathan Hankins as others who have caught his eye from an effort standpoint.

"The normal guys you hope are coming along, I think are," Tressel said.
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...ins-reed-gets-tressels-attention.html?sid=101
 
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Ohio State spring football game may offer clues to next NFL star
Published: Friday, April 22, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

Columbus -- Watch Johnathan Hankins in Ohio State's spring game today because he looks like the kind of defensive tackle you often see on Sundays.

"He's that D tackle you see in the league," OSU center Michael Brewster said. "He's big but he can move. He's quick, and I think he's one of the best guys I'll go against all year."

A sophomore who was sixth in minutes among Ohio State's defensive linemen as a freshman, Hankins has made a case as the standout player of the spring. He now looks like a starter and the kind of disruptive force inside that hasn't been a regular part of the OSU defense. In Jim Tressel's 10-year tenure with the Buckeyes, two defensive tackles have been drafted -- Tim Anderson in the third round in 2004 and Quinn Pitcock in the third round in 2007.

Hankins is a long way from the NFL Draft, but listed at 6-3 and 335 pounds -- though he may be slimmed down from that -- he's a different animal.

"He's lost a bunch of weight, but he's still known as Big Hank," junior defensive lineman John Simon said. "He obviously has the size and the power, but he has amazing speed for how big he is. He's the complete package."

Perceived as more of a space eater when he arrived, Hankins has proven this spring that he can get into the backfield and disrupt plays. On a defensive line that is replacing two starters -- Cameron Heyward and Dexter Larimore -- Hankins is in better shape and certainly seems prepared for a big jump from the seven minutes per game he averaged last year in the defensive line rotation. Larimore, for instance, averaged 16 minutes per game.

"He's a special player. I'm really looking for him to have a big year," Brewster said. "He's a big wide guy, but he can make moves, and that's what you want from an inside guy."

Hankins, No. 52, should be matching up with Brewster and guards Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley much of today when the first-team defense faces the first-team offense. Here are a few other players to watch during the Buckeyes' scrimmage, which should provide a more competitive alternative to the traditional spring game.

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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/04/ohio_state_spring_football_gam.html
Spring football game at Ohio State showcases reach of program and romance of college football: Bill Livingston
Published: Friday, April 22, 2011
By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

Columbus -- From the south, at night, is the best way to approach the behemoth. Out of the tangle of interstates and four-lane roads, the sign suddenly glows in the distance, like a huge promise. "Ohio State," proclaims the massive scoreboard in the gigantic stadium.

This is where the big time becomes the big-as-it-gets time.

A handful of schools have even bigger stadiums -- Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee. But few command the same attention in a populous state as Ohio State.

Penn State comes close. But the University of Pittsburgh is three hours away by mountain roads. The Big East is hardly as potent as its BCS brethren, but Pitt still claims a share of the fans' loyalty in Pennsylvania. Cincinnati, a Big East program only two hours from Columbus, cannot rival Pitt in the game's lore or records.

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http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2011/04/spring_football_game_at_ohio_s.html
 
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