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2014 tOSU Offensive Line Discussion

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maximumblitz

maximumblitz

Buckeye Samurai of Big League Blitzkreig
What we got is what we got.

The net effect of 2 intensive years of offensive line recruiting because of the upcoming opportunity for 4 new starters seems a little disappointing:
- only one offensive one lineman enrolled early in Spring 2014 (Kyle Trout)
- no 2014 JUCO recruits
- only one offensive lineman recruited in the class of 2013 (Lisle)
- very few "run away", easy wins in 2013, so the second team offensive line did not get a lot of PT
- Darryl Baldwin was not effective against even Illinois in 2013 (see below)

I cannot imagine any 2014 recruits who will show up in June will get starting positions.

So who we got is who we got. We will have to rely on the folks UFM brought in during his brief and frantic 2012 chase for recruits.

The good news: we still have Warriner, so there is a pretty high ceiling on what is possible.

We seem to have one tackle, one guard, and one center lined up (Decker, Elflein, Boren), but I can only hope another tackle is found and another guard is found, somewhere. Hopefully, Underwood will begin again where he left off. And hopefully, there will be no additional injuries.


After Mewhort’s replacement, Darryl Baldwin, was beaten for a 13-yard sack on Braxton Miller with the Buckeyes up 28-0, Baldwin looked upset with himself as he came to the sideline, where Mewhort and offensive line coach Ed Warinner talked to him. On the next play, Illinois’ V’Angelo Bentley returned a punt 67 yards for the Illini’s first points. That was the beginning of an 11-minute stretch where Illinois outscored Ohio State 21-7. Baldwin did seal his man and allow Carlos Hyde around the left edge for the one OSU score in there. By the next OSU touchdown, a 1-yard Hyde run with four minutes left in the third quarter, Mewhort was back.
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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2013/11/knee_injury_proves_how_much_oh.html
 
I expect the 2014 o-line to turn out well because Warriner is still the coach. in 2012 he inherited a non-functional position group and made it one of the strengths of the team. That group was more experienced than this one will be, but I think that will be offset by the fact that these are mostly players recruited to his specifications who have been developed under his coaching. I think the kind of play we saw from Elflein in and emergency situation is indicative of how the entire next wave of linemen have been prepared. I think this will be more of a reload than a rebuild - not as good as last season, but still a very competent group.
 
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Correction, Marcelys enrolled early. That is one more option for the 2-deep for 2014!

Two offensive linemen from Ohio are among the group of early enrollees as well in Kyle Trout and Marcelys Jones. Trout is a four-star prospect rated the No. 23 offensive tackle in the country while Jones is a three-star and the No. 39 guard according to Scout. Playing on the line as a freshman is a tall task in the Big Ten, but the pair will join a group in transition after the graduation of four seniors who were multi-year starters. Taylor Decker returns to start at one tackle while Jacoby Boren and Pat Elflein seem like locks to step in at center and one guard, but the other two spots appear to be wide open.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/ohio/story/linebacker-receivers-headline-ohio-state-early-enrollees-011814
 
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Herman said ...

Based on his math, “We’ve got two out of the five already” — starting right tackle Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein, who played most of the Michigan game and all of the Michigan State game at right guard in place of suspended Marcus Hall. “You’ve got to come out of spring ball (in April) at least hoping you’ve got four of the five starters nailed down, and go find your fifth in training camp,” he said.
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http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2014/01/19/herman-has-unfinished-business.html
 
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“There are no sure starters,” Linsley said. “The only people I would expect are Jacoby, Taylor and Pat at those spots. Those are just the guys that have done the best over the past two years in my eyes. Those three guys have definitely made the impression that they want it the most.”
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Decker is one of nine scholarship linemen who will return to that room next season, with junior-to-be Chase Farris as a wildcard who has played both offensive and defensive line in his OSU career and will probably wind up where he is most needed. Here's how the offensive line candidates should shape up in 2014.

Seniors: Darryl Baldwin.

Juniors: Taylor Decker, Jacoby Boren, Antonio Underwood, Tommy Brown.

Sophomores: Pat Elflein, Kyle Dodson.

Redshirt freshmen: Evan Lisle, Billy Price.

Freshmen: Jamarco Jones, Demetrious Knox, Kyle Trout, Marcelys Jones.

Three of those names should start out ahead of the rest of the field in filling out those five spots.

“There are no sure starters,” Linsley said. “The only people I would expect are Jacoby, Taylor and Pat at those spots. Those are just the guys that have done the best over the past two years in my eyes. Those three guys have definitely made the impression that they want it the most.”

Decker at a tackle spot is obvious. Pat Elflein seems like a sure thing at left guard or right guard after filling in at right guard for Hall after he was ejected during the Michigan game and then for the entire Big Ten Championship. The line didn't seem to miss a beat. And while Linsley was slowly working back into the lineup early in the year after offseason foot surgery, Boren filled in at center, and he has definitely been the guy groomed to fill Linsley's shoes.

Baldwin filled in at left tackle for Mewhort this season, and he should start with a lead over Dodson for the second tackle spot. Underwood redshirted this season after tearing his ACL, but coaches had liked his progress before that. Lisle and Price redshirted, with Price moving over after coming to Columbus on the defensive side of the ball.

And the four true freshmen are highly-rated, necessary recruits, and at least one or two of them could jump into the mix.

“They are energy givers,” Meyer said of the linemen he has praised all season, once calling them the guys on the team he'd want to hang out with. “They walk through that door and it changes practice. That offensive line made Taylor Decker a good player, because he wasn't. Now I'm not going to take anything away from Taylor, because he worked really hard. But he really had no choice. It's because of the pressure of that room.”

It's that pressure, and that culture, that the Buckeyes want to carry over.


“I know people talk a lot about us leaving and the future of the line, but I'm not worried,” Mewhort said. “I know there's a lot of hard workers in here and a lot of guys who are going to be very good players in the future.”
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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2013/12/ohio_state_offensive_line_2013.html
 
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I'm extremely confident in the 3 mentioned that all but have their spots locked down.

We need another guard and tackle to step up; as long as he's healthy, I'll be surprised if Underwood isn't heading into summer camp as the other guard. The real test will be at tackle where Baldwin, Dodson, and Lisle will duke it out. I'm calling for the upset and expect one of the underclassmen to take it.
 
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I think the talent is there, just a matter of finding the best 5 and getting them to gel early. My early guess from left to right is: Decker, Underwood, Boren, Elflein, and Dodson. Also, I see Lisle making a push at right tackle or guard.
 
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My guess: Decker-Farris-Boren-Elfein-Lisle

For those who forgot who Farris is, he was battling Decker for the RT spot in the spring and took the most reps at tackle outside of Mewhort and Decker, so I would expect him to be in the fold somewhere.

Biggest questions are RT and whether Boren has size to play center. If Boren can't, then I see Elfein/Price at C/RG. Lisle is the odds on favorite at RT IMO.
 
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WaitingforKickoff said:
My guess: Decker-Farris-Boren-Elfein-Lisle

For those who forgot who Farris is, he was battling Decker for the RT spot in the spring and took the most reps at tackle outside of Mewhort and Decker, so I would expect him to be in the fold somewhere.

Biggest questions are RT and whether Boren has size to play center. If Boren can't, then I see Elfein/Price at C/RG. Lisle is the odds on favorite at RT IMO.
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I love Farris, but the only thing is, if he stays on defense or offense. Such a wildcard. I like your interesting pick of Lisle at RT. A competition at RT of Dodson, lisle, and possibly jamarco jones will be very exciting to hear about
 
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