• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

2014 tOSU Wide Receiver Discussion

maximumblitz

Buckeye Samurai of Big League Blitzkreig
The production at the receiver position will need to improve, which it should considering that at least 10 new receivers will be in the mix next season. Urban Meyer redshirted five receivers last season, and all of them – Corey Smith, Michael Thomas, Jeff Greene, James Clark and Jalin Marshall – have received their fair share of touting over the last year.

Those five receivers will be joined by the receivers of the 2014 recruiting class, which features a number of nationally-elite athletes. It won't be all new faces, of course, as starters Devin Smith and Evan Spencer also return.

The tight end situation next season could be one of the best in school history, as Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett are as good as there is in the Big Ten. There is also the athletic redshirt freshman Marcus Baugh, who was a high school All-American.

http://theozone.net/football/2014/MillerReturnKeyForOffense.html
 
I think Jalin fills a more unique need out of those 5 and will see plenty of bubble screens, a la Philly Brown. Would expect Dontre to get out there as well.

I'm hopeful that the lot can give us a pair of steady, move the chains threat across the middle. I don't know who is most likely to do that but at the very least we aren't short on options. It'll be one of the hottest competitions all spring and I'll give the edge to Corey right now based on prior experience but really not to sure if any staff comments have been more favorable to anyone else.
 
Upvote 0
I think Jalin fills a more unique need out of those 5 and will see plenty of bubble screens, a la Philly Brown. Would expect Dontre to get out there as well.

I'm hopeful that the lot can give us a pair of steady, move the chains threat across the middle. I don't know who is most likely to do that but at the very least we aren't short on options. It'll be one of the hottest competitions all spring and I'll give the edge to Corey right now based on prior experience but really not to sure if any staff comments have been more favorable to anyone else.


This will be a great competition, that I hope is truly open, because devin and Evan should have to earn their starting spots because they were only decent last year, not up to elite levels last year. Michael Thomas made comments in the wrong forum, but he said what people saw, average WRs that were irrelevant a lot of times in games. There was a lot of unproven talent on the sidelines and I hope it gets unleashed next season. I'd love for our starters to be Thomas, Corey smith and jalin Marshall in the slot. With dontre playing hybrid, but a lot can happen before now and spring camp. It'll be fun discussing this, and I'm fine with being wrong as long as our WRs put up numbers. There's too much talent not to
 
Upvote 0
Rotate them in and out. You don't (shouldn't) have to get in a rhythm at receiver the way you do at tailback. Let's unleash all the hounds on tired secondaries. Make them run, wear them out, and then score. That ought to be one of the luxuries of being tOSU, at multiple position groups: always having a fresh athletic talent on any given snap. Receiver, D-line, and, maybe this year, RB for sure.
 
Upvote 0
If Devin finds some consistency, I like him to be our #1 or #2 next year (Corey Smith being the other guy, who blew it up the second half of the year in practice). As for Spencer, he is a very good blocker that is borderline irrelevant in the receiving game...keep him in for screens and run plays. Hopefully we see Michael Thomas step up and be utilized...I still think he can be a special player here. I really want to see Dontre focus more on his route running and receiving skills (in addition to bulking up for blocking)...obviously he will get carries but I think he can excel in the slot. I also am hoping Jalin Marshall steps up in the slot and comes up big...special talent, just needs to learn the position. I think that receiving corp could create a dynamic bunch next year, especially if we get Vannett and Heuerman more targets this season.

As for wild cards, it will be interesting to see if James Clark rebounds from his injury...he was in line for plenty of action before getting hurt. Then you also have a killer WR class coming in that will push anyone and everyone if the guys ahead of them falter. I like Samuel to make an immediate impact with his big play ability but Johnnie Dixon has the pure WR abilities and physicality to play immediately as well. I also wouldn't be shocked to see Noah Brown make noise. I think McLaurin is a tremendous prospect and his speed is undeniable, but will redshirt to develop.

Long story short, I think the talent is there...if we don't get great play from this position, it will be a huge disappointment. We need to them to step up and get open quicker...I think it's realistic to think Braxton won't have as much time to throw this year with a new OL in place.
 
Upvote 0
If Devin finds some consistency, I like him to be our #1 or #2 next year (Corey Smith being the other guy, who blew it up the second half of the year in practice). As for Spencer, he is a very good blocker that is borderline irrelevant in the receiving game...keep him in for screens and run plays. Hopefully we see Michael Thomas step up and be utilized...I still think he can be a special player here. I really want to see Dontre focus more on his route running and receiving skills (in addition to bulking up for blocking)...obviously he will get carries but I think he can excel in the slot. I also am hoping Jalin Marshall steps up in the slot and comes up big...special talent, just needs to learn the position. I think that receiving corp could create a dynamic bunch next year, especially if we get Vannett and Heuerman more targets this season.

As for wild cards, it will be interesting to see if James Clark rebounds from his injury...he was in line for plenty of action before getting hurt. Then you also have a killer WR class coming in that will push anyone and everyone if the guys ahead of them falter. I like Samuel to make an immediate impact with his big play ability but Johnnie Dixon has the pure WR abilities and physicality to play immediately as well. I also wouldn't be shocked to see Noah Brown make noise. I think McLaurin is a tremendous prospect and his speed is undeniable, but will redshirt to develop.

Long story short, I think the talent is there...if we don't get great play from this position, it will be a huge disappointment. We need to them to step up and get open quicker...I think it's realistic to think Braxton won't have as much time to throw this year with a new OL in place.


I think devin is a big if... He may be an upperclassmen like Curtis grant who are competing for their starting positions
 
Upvote 0
I've heard Urb say his system takes 12 WRs on schollie. That's always seemed like a big number to me. Personally I can't imagine with his blunt style Urb doesn't make every WR spot up for grabs. Spring game should be a blast to watch with Brax and JT on opposite sides and each with a few good WRs to work with. I also fully expect Samuel and Dixon to get a shot right away. With the OL being rebuilt we need playmakers to help Brax out.
 
Upvote 0
The depth at WR is definitely building up nicely, and this is the year I expect to see some of that young talent step up and be noticed. I agree with ShowMeBuck that the Spring game should be fun to watch this year. Not only for the WRs, but also for the OL and the Defense as a whole.
 
Upvote 0
I think Jalin Marshall will be a major difference maker this year, he has the ability to do everything Percy did for Urban when he was at Florida. Slot, backfield, outwide, and the size to hold up to all those touches.
 
Upvote 0
I think Jalin Marshall will be a major difference maker this year, he has the ability to do everything Percy did for Urban when he was at Florida. Slot, backfield, outwide, and the size to hold up to all those touches.

The same can be said about dontre, and Curtis Samuel as well...
 
Upvote 0
The depth at WR is definitely building up nicely, and this is the year I expect to see some of that young talent step up and be noticed. I agree with ShowMeBuck that the Spring game should be fun to watch this year. Not only for the WRs, but also for the OL and the Defense as a whole.
My goodness....had not even considered the fact we will need 10 functional O Lineman to have a proper scrimmage. Can we even field 10 guys?
 
Upvote 0
ShowMeBuck, that's a good question. I'm sure we can field 10 guys, but it may not be pretty. :wink:

As for Dontre's size, I'm sure he'll be adding some weight in the off-season. Beyond that, he also needs to work on his blocking skills.

I do agree that Jalin could be exciting to watch, and I hope we find out in the Spring game.
 
Upvote 0
I dont think Dontre at this point has the type of size needed. Samuel might bc he's a little bigger, but Marshall is the biggest of the three, and has a year in the OSU weightroom...

Dontre doesn't need to bulk up all that much. His college comparison isn't Percy harvin, its deanthony Thomas of UO. As a junior, Thomas is around 180ish, and has used his speed and swiftness in space to make him successful, which dontre can do as well. Dontre doesn't need to get up to 200, he can be close to 190. Hes more of a combination of Jeff Demps and brandon James if one were to want to make comparisons to someone urban had at UF

Curtis samuel compares better to percy harvin, imo
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top